Academic Programs

The International Baccaularate (IB) Colegio Rossevelt offers all three IB programs: The Primary Years Programme (PYP) in EC3 - grade 5, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in grades 6 - 10, and the Diploma Programme (DP) 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.

Primary Years Program (PYP) PYP Overview The PYP is the elementary component of the highly respected International Baccalaureate (IB). The PYP provides the curriculum framework for all students from EC3 - Grade 5. This transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning ensures that students master essential knowledge, skills, concepts and attitudes. A comprehensive and artfully designed unit of inquiry integrates the traditional core subjects of language arts (reading, writing, listening, speaking), mathematics, science and social studies with specialist subject areas such as music, art, physical education, library, and technology. Although a given unit of inquiry drives instruction, some stand-alone subject area teaching may take place. The PYP focuses on the heart as well as the mind, and addresses social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academics. 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

PYP Transdisciplinary Themes Within the PYP all students from Kinder to Grade 5 study six units of inquiry within a given academic year. Students in EC3 and EC4 study 4 units of inquiry. Each unit is directly linked to a transdisciplinary theme. These themes have meaning for individuals from different cultures and incorporate both local and global issues in the content. The six themes 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 IB learner Profile is a list of ten attributes. Through thoughtful teaching and careful modeling, FDR aims to use these attributes to develop the concept of international mindedness is all students. The 10 attributes of the IB Learner Profile are: 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 attitudes should be accepted and explicitly modeled by the entire school community (students and adults). The attitudes summarized in the table below. Appreciation Commitment Confidence Cooperation Creativity Curiosity Empathy Enthusiasm Independence Integrity Respect Tolerance

Assessment The PYP stresses the importance of both student and teacher self-assessment and reflection. Teachers use a diverse array of assessment tools and strategies and assess student learning on an on-going basis. Opportunities are also provided for students to consider their progress in relation to academic expectations as well as the attributes listed in the PYP Learner Profile and the PYP attitudes. Student and teacher observations and anecdotal records of performance are included in each child’s portfolio of selected work that are shared with parents at key points in the academic year. Read more about the IBPYP in the document, A Basis for Practice: the Primary Years Programme at http://www.ibo.org

English Language Usage English is the language that unites FDR as a community. Parents’ expectations are that their children will become fluent in English. Fluency is defined as the ability to comprehend, read, write, and speak English spontaneously and with ease. Students are expected to: View English is the language that unites our campus. Use English in their classrooms to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills thereby maximizing learning. Help create a risk-free accepting environment in the classroom and across the campus that fosters the learning of English. Be sensitive to the ramifications of not using English in class (i.e., the loss of time to practice the language; exclusion of others who do not share the language spoken). Be aware of the impact of not using English in on-campus interactions and off-campus school-sponsored activities where non-Spanish speakers are present (i.e., meetings, sports, after-school activities, on-campus social time). Spanish Programs All students in grades 1-5 study Spanish for 40-50 minutes a day in either the Official Peruvian Program (OPP) or in Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) classes. Oficial Peruvian Program (OPP) Peruvian students (and non-Peruvian students who are very advanced in Spanish) take courses in the Official Peruvian Program, which includes Spanish language and social studies (Peruvian history, geography, culture and civics). This program fulfills the objectives of the Peruvian Ministry of Education. Non-native speakers of Spanish are required to have a recommendation from their Spanish teacher and their parents’ permission to participate in the OPP. Students must be registered in the OPP in order to have their records/grades accepted by our host country, Peru. Detailed information about the OPP is available from the Peruvian Director’s office or in the elementary office. 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 knowledge and understanding of Spanish. An awareness of basic interpersonal communication skills in Spanish is beneficial to all students at FDR as it helps ease the transition to life in Peru and allows students to make new friends from different cultures.

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. Grade Level # Minutes - Homeroom # Minutes - Spanish Total Amount* Kindergarten 10-15 minutes ----- 10-15 minutes Grade 1 10-15 minutes 10-15 minutes 20-30 minutes Grade 2 15-20 minutes 10-15 minutes 25-35 minutes Grade 3 20-25 minutes 15-20 minutes 35-45 minutes Grade 4 25-35 minutes 20-25 minutes 45-60 minutes Grade 5 30-40 minutes 20-25 minutes 50-65 minutes *If students find they need more time to complete their homework than that allotted in the guidelines, parents should contact the teacher to discuss their concerns. Reading at Home In addition to daily homework assignments, all students are expected to read at home on a daily basis. This includes both reading aloud to a parent and reading silently. Building reading stamina (the ability to read for longer periods of time) positively impacts student learning. Parents are also strongly encouraged to read aloud to their children. This provides a model of good reading at home, promotes interest in reading and helps to foster a love of reading! Consequences for Late or Incomplete Homework Students are expected to satisfactorily complete and submit on time all homework assignments. Children are encouraged to be responsible and well organized. At the beginning of the academic year, teachers will share homework expectations and consequences with all students. These consequences are standardized from grade 1 to grade 5 so that expectations remain consistent from teacher to teacher and from grade level to grade level. More in depth guidelines can be found on the school website but it is expected that all parents will support the school’s stance on homework.

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 during the first semester, towards the end of September. All students, EC3 – Grade 5, receive a progress report at this time. In the second semester, all new students receive a progress report and existing students receive them on a needs basis. These are sent home in mid-May. Teachers or parents may request conferences to discuss ways to support students who are experiencing difficulties or who require extension. Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences are celebrations of each student’s progress, and they are formally scheduled with parents of all students twice a year. The first set of conferences occur during the ninth week of school after the first unit of inquiry has been completed. The second round of conferences take place around the seventh week of the second semester.