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KINDERGARTEN ACADEMIC EVENING 23/1-2008

• Agenda
• Information about the PYP Learner Profile.
• The Kindergarten Units of Inquiry.
• Assessment.
• General classroom routines.
• The upcoming IBO PYP Inspection.
• Open forum.
• Hand out article from PYP coordinator, Carla
  Johansson.

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• What is the Learner Profile?
• The heart of the mission of a Primary Years
  Program school is to develop students who
  demonstrate the traits of the IBO Learner
  Profile. The Learner Profile represents the
  qualities needed to become a true international
  citizen in the world today.

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PYP Students at the International School of
Helsingborg are striving to become
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Essential Elements of the PYP. The PYP aims for
an instructional balance in the following areas
to help students develop the qualities of the
Learner Profile
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2. What is Inquiry? Inquiry learning is the
means by which the essential elements of the
Primary Years Program are presented to the
students. Inquiry learning builds on students
background knowledge and previous experiences,
honors their questions and empowers them to
uncover new understandings. It is the natural way
by which children learn about their world.
(McGraw IBO School)
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What does inquiry look like in a Kindergarten
classroom? An important part of childrens
inquiry is telling and talking about what they
see, what they think and what it makes them
wonder about. It is these questions and thoughts
that begin the inquiry and investigation
process. Students need to learn more than the
knowledge written in a text book. Instead they
need to be able to become active learners,
learning to collaborate and understand the
perspectives of others. In short, they need to
learn how to learn! The students are encouraged
to ask questions, investigate, create, discuss
and reflect. A key idea for inquiry learning is
that there is a cycle of inquiry whereby new
questions are posed continually. Kicking off a
unit may start by reading related literature or
going on a field trip. I work with them by
observing, questioning, supporting their efforts
and redirecting their investigations. In the
beginning the children may have difficulties
articulating their findings or thoughts and
increasing their vocabulary is an important part
of the learning process. Each unit ends with a
presentation of the childrens findings.
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• Kindergarten children will be
• Talking about, wondering and questioning matters.
• Investigating and playing with possibilities.
• Making connections between previous learning and
  current learning through discussions and
  reflections.
• Exploring ways of finding information and answers
  to questions.
• Presenting conclusions and understandings.
• Expressing findings creatively.

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3. The Garden Analogy of Assessment If we think
of our children as plants Summative assessment
of the plants is the process of simply measuring
them. It might be interesting to compare and
analyze measurements but, in themselves, these do
not affect the growth of the plants. Formative
assessment, on the other hand, is the equivalent
of feeding and watering the plants appropriate to
their needs - directly affecting their growth.
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4. The Kindergarten Schedule

• Essential Agreement on the Homework Policy
• We, in the Primary Years Program at the
  International School of Helsingborg, have created
  an essential agreement on the homework policy.
• Homework is to be used as practice for work that
  was covered during school time.
• Reading will be required for homework each night.
  
• We agree that social interaction after school is
  also important therefore, homework will not be
  given in excess to the students. We agree on the
  following amount of time for students to spend on
  homework everyday ISK 5 minutes on written
  homework or 5 minutes on reading homework.

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Important dates
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5. The IBO PYP Inspection Programme evaluation
in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) is both a
requirement of and a service provided by the
International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)
for its authorized schools. The main purposes of
programme evaluation are to assess the
implementation of the programme to assist the
school in developing and maintaining a programme
that reflects the philosophy of the
IBO. Programme evaluation is not a
re-authorization of the school. It allows the
regional office to work closely with the school
in its ongoing development of the programme it
is also an opportunity for the IBO to ensure on a
regular basis that the standards and practices of
the programmes are being maintained. Programme
evaluation does not seek to appraise or assess
individual teachers or students. It will be
successful in achieving its aims only if a
multiplicity of stakeholders is included
teachers, programme coordinators, administrators,
students, parents, board members. Programme
evaluation occurs approximately every five years
in the PYP. It involves three important stages
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1. The self-study The important process of
self-study, guided by a questionnaire, involves
the whole school in its own assessment of its
delivery of the PYP Programme. The responses to
the self-study should be the outcomes of
discussions and of reflections on the evidence
gathered in the process. 2. The school visit
The programme evaluation visit is mandatory for
all authorized PYP schools. It ensures the
quality of programmes in IBO-authorized schools,
while offering feedback to each school. The
programme evaluation visit aims to be diagnostic
and constructively critical, supporting the
schools self-evaluation processes, informing the
schools curriculum development activities, and
assisting effective management and allocation of
resources. Programme evaluators are PYP or MYP
practitioners selected by the IBO for their
proven experience as teachers or administrators
of the programme. They may be IBO staff members
with particular responsibility for the PYP or the
MYP. 3. The evaluation report The regional
office will respond formally to the school after
the programme evaluation visit with
commendations, recommendations and, where
appropriate, matters to be addressed by the
school. (International Baccalaureate
Organization 2005)