U.S. Curriculum
All elementary school students are enrolled in the U.S. program. The curriculum includes classes in the core subjects of language arts (reading, writing, listening, speaking), mathematics, science, and social studies, plus instruction in music, art, physical education, and technology. Classes may consist of large group, small group, and individualized instruction. Students frequently work together in cooperative groups.
English Language Usage
Students are expected to speak English in all classroom settings, except during Spanish classes. This enables our new students to feel more welcome, because many of them do not speak Spanish. We encourage our students to speak English on the playground aswell. We hope the use of English will help all children to participate in the social and academic life of the school.
Primary Years Program (PYP)
PYP is the elementary component of the highly respected International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), and Colegio Roosevelt was authorized as a PYP school in November of 2006. Colegio Roosevelt offers all three programs of the IBO: PYP in the elementary school, MYP (Middle Years Program) in grades 6-10, and DP (Diploma Program) in grades 11-12. Colegio Roosevelt is proud to be an IB World School! Learn more about the IBO at their website http://www.ibo.org.
PYP Overview
The PYP focuses on the heart as well as the mind, and addresses social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic ones. The traditional academic subjects are valued. In addition, there is an emphasis on the balance between the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills and the search for meaning and understanding. The program provides opportunities for learners to construct meaning, principally through concept-driven inquiry.
Inquiry
Inquiry is the process initiated by the learner or the teacher which moves the learner from his or her current level of understanding to a new and deeper level of understanding through:
• exploring, wondering and questioning
• elaborating on solutions to problems
• researching and seeking information
• collecting data and reporting findings
• making and testing theories
• deepening understanding through the application of a concept or rule
• clarifying existing ideas and reappraising events
• making predictions and acting purposefully to see what happens
• experimenting and playing with possibilities
PYP Themes
The PYP defines transdisciplinary themes that identify areas of shared experience and have meaning for individuals in different cultures. These themes are explored in six Units of Inquiry, which provide the opportunity to incorporate both local and global issues in the content. The six strands of inquiry are:
• Who we are
• Where we are in place and time
• How we express ourselves
• How the world works
• How we organize ourselves
• Sharing the planet
IB Learner Profile
The Learner Profile is defined by a list of behaviors that the PYP helps all children develop. The PYP wants children to become:
• Inquirers
• Thinkers
• Communicators
• Risk-Takers
• Knowledgeable
• Principled
• Caring
• Open-Minded
• Balanced
• Reflective
Attitudes
The PYP also identifies attitudes that are nurtured in all children. These are:
• Appreciation
• Commitment
• Confidence
• Cooperation
• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Empathy
• Enthusiasm
• Independence
• Integrity
• Respect
• Tolerance
These attitudes should be accepted and explicitly modeled by the entire school community. This emphasis on the PYP student profile and the attitudes potentially becomes a valuable means for effecting school improvement.
Assessment
Additionally, the PYP stresses the importance of both student and teacher self-assessment and reflection. Opportunities are provided for students to consider their progress in relation to the attributes listed in the PYP student profile. Observations and anecdotal records of their own performance are included in each child's portfolio of selected work. The child also contributes to the school report to parents, through the report cards and student-led conferences.
Read more about the IBPYP in the document, A Basis for Practice: the Primary Years Programme at http://www.ibo.org
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Flexible Scheduling in
the Library and Tech Lab
What does this mean for students? Students do not have a set time
to visit the library media center or tech labs every week. Instead
they visit the library individually whenever they want to check out
a new book or spend some quiet time reading or researching. Students
use the library and tech labs in the course of their regular class
work. However, in addition to working with their classroom teacher,
Ms. Linda Hoiseth, Ms. Ximena Nunez del Prado,
and Ms. Carla Puppo guide them in developing research and other information
literacy and technology skills.
We see many benefits of the flexible schedule at FDR. By allowing
students to use the library media center and tech labs when relevant,
students are able to make strong connections with what they are learning.
Our research indicates that students spend more hours per year in
the library media center and tech lab under a flexibly scheduled program.
Finally, flexible scheduling requires teachers to plan together, creating
a stronger team and curriculum at FDR.
Spanish Programs
All students in grades 1-5 study Spanish from 40-50 minutes a day
in the Peruvian Official Program or in Spanish as a Second Language
(SSL). Students
who are not
fluent in Spanish take SSL classes. The SSL program offers coursework at different
levels according to the student’s Spanish knowledge.
Peruvian students (and non-Peruvian students who are very advanced in Spanish)
take courses in the Peruvian Official Program, which includes Spanish language
and social studies (Peruvian history, geography, and civics). Non-native speakers
of Spanish are required to have a recommendation from their Spanish teacher
and their parents’ permission to participate in the Peruvian program. Detailed
information about the Peruvian program is available from the Peruvian Director’s
office or in the elementary office.
Homework
In keeping with Roosevelt’s mission statement, we are committed to fostering
the desire and skills necessary for lifelong learning. Homework is an integral
part of the educational process for Kindergarten - grade 5 students. It is
an extension of the
students’ daily learning experiences and provides opportunities for students
to:
• develop responsibility and good study habits, such as organizational
skills
and time management
• review and practice skills and concepts taught in the classroom
• share their learning and school experiences with their families
• understand that learning also takes place outside the school
• develop the habit of reading
Homework Guidelines
Students in Kindergarten - grade 4 can anticipate having homework 4 times a week.
Students may be expected to do homework on the weekends if they are working
on long term projects or have not completed assignments during the week. Students
in grade 5 may have homework assigned on the weekend. In addition, all students
are encouraged to read and write at home daily.
The following chart provides guidelines for the amount of homework students
can anticipate at each grade level.
Reporting Student Progress
Report Cards are standards-based and issued twice a year (at the end of each semester) for all students. Report cards indicate students’ progress toward meeting standards in each subject area, as well as the students’ character development described in the PYP Learner Profile.
Progress Reports are sent home for students in grades 1-5 midway through the first quarter a student is in attendance and optionally each subsequent quarter of the school year. On the progress report teachers indicate each student’s progress in the areas of study habits and behavior, language arts, and mathematics. Teachers or parents may request conferences to discuss ways to support students who are experiencing difficulties.
Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences are celebrations of each student’s progress, and they are formally scheduled with parents of all students twice a year (at the end of the first and third quarters). Conferences in grades 1-5 are Student Led. At Student Led Conferences, students guide their parents through a selected portfolio of work, and the student and parents reflect on quarter goals. Students in EC and Kindergarten participate in Three Way Conferences where the teacher is directly involved as students share their portfolios with parents.
