Departments

Pre-School

Our pre-school program at IISA provides opportunities for young children to reflect on alternative ways of doing things, make connections across time and place, establish different kinds of relationships and encounter different points of view. These experiences enrich children's lives and provide them with the knowledge skills and dispositions (attitudes) they need to tackle new challenges.

The curriculum is provided by the people, places and things in the child's environment: the adults, the other children, the physical environment and the resources. The curriculum integrates care and education and includes both specifically planned experiences and activities and interactions that arise spontaneously. Four units from the PYP are planned by the teachers to enrich and guide learning and provide a range of focus throughout the year:

PYP – Unit Titles:

Look At Me.
Come Rain Or Shine.
What Can I Use This For?
Mini Beasts are all around us.

Young children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things; in an environment which promotes a sense of well-being and belonging. For many children it will be their first experience of school and learning in an unfamiliar context.

All teachers and assistants at IISA have experience of working with young children, understand the nature of child development and the importance of providing a rich environment where children can build on their own experiences and learn how to contribute, communicate and explore in a safe and secure environment.

Kindergarten

KG 1 students continue with the Primary Years Program - they study four units of inquiry - Pets and Farm Animals, Myself, Rhyme Time, and Water. These units cover a wide range of science, mathematics, social studies and language. The students are given the opportunity to explore and investigate through a combination of structured and student led activities - the emphasis being on 'active learning' where students talk about what they are doing, and have understandings about why and how they are learning as individuals and as part of a class group.

The students continue to develop social and communicative skills and take on more responsibility for their own needs and what will help them to be effective learners. The PYP profiles include learning about friendships and relationships, how to work together respectfully and taking on some responsibilities. Students are also encouraged to continue to be positive and sensible 'risk-takers', by trying out new things in a range of challenging academic and fun contexts.

KG1 students will start with specialist teachers for Arabic, Music, Physical Education, Information Technology and Library; and will have many opportunities for field trips, cooking, performing during assemblies and poetry recitals. It is a demanding and exciting year for our young learners and provides an excellent foundation for future learning and purposeful exploration of their world.

Whilst the emphasis in KG2 is still on developing social and self-management skills the children are engaged in investigations of all six themes of the PYP program of Inquiry.

Through the unit entitled ‘ Let's Play' the students explore how we best work and play together, and through comparing and contrasting toys and games come to an understanding of how we can learn through play.

The second unit ‘Celebrations' builds on the children's experiences of different ways to celebrate around the world and culminates in the children planning and preparing for a party they will host for chosen guests!

The unit entitled ‘Art Attack' is an excellent introduction to the world of artists and artistic style. The students investigate through science, design and technology and learn how we can communicate feelings and ideas through the world of the arts.

The next unit ‘ From Field to Table' takes a close look at food processing and domestic dairy farming in Aleppo . The children make use of questionnaires, digital cameras and slide making in IT as research tools for collecting, organizing and communicating new knowledge.

The ‘Sand and Water' unit explores the world of physical science and materials. The children predict, observe changes and results closely, and make meaningful recordings about what they have found out.

The final unit entitled ‘ Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' reviews many of the learning experiences and skills developed through the previous 5 units. It gives the opportunity for the children to take action and discuss how they might make a difference in their own lives and encourage others to take responsibility for cleaning up the environment.

As children learn best through a holistic, or integrated approach most of the mathematics and language is taught through these themes. A wide range of literature and specific language and mathematics strategies and concepts are identified as particularly appropriate for teaching in each unit. Some skills may be worked on separately where appropriate e.g. phonics, handwriting and possibly mathematics strands e.g. numeracy, problem solving, shape, measuring, and data handling.

The emphasis is on experiential learning, i.e. a hands-on approach and there are plenty of opportunities for students to be involved in independent creativity such as role-play, small world, construction, games and unstructured arts and crafts. Young children learn most effectively in stress free, challenging and dynamic contexts.

Grade 1

Grade 1 is a magical year when students unravel the mysteries of written language and investigate the various aspects of mathematics. Integrated throughout the literacy, mathematics and specialist programs are the six PYP units of inquiry.

“Just Imagine” explores how we use our imaginations to create stories for entertainment, exploring feelings and for explaining the world around us. Students listen to, read and write a variety of kinds of stories such as tales from many lands and other imaginative children’s literature.

“Extinct is Forever” leads the students in an inquiry into animal species which are extinct and those which are endangered, the reasons for this and our responsibilities in their conservation.

“Personal Journey” explores the use of maps and methods of transportation used in planning the various types of journeys we take.

“Give and Take” focuses on children’s responsibilities as citizens of the school, appropriate behaviour, how to make and keep friends and what to do when conflict arises.

“The School at Work” uncovers the importance and interdependence of the jobs performed by all the different people in the school.

Through “The World At Work” unit students discover how machines can help us get tasks done more efficiently.

Grade 2

Grade two is a very active year where language skills are strengthened and friendships are formed. The PYP units of study are about light, healthy bodies, community workers, unspoken communication, life in the past, and homes in different environments. Research skills are continued from grade 1 and much inquiry is done using the Internet, information books and questionnaires. Math focuses on problem solving activities to learn numbers and their functions in real life situations as well as measuring and data representation. The students in this grade are confident readers and speakers by the end of the year and have made great strides in writing skills.

Grade 3

As well as the regular mathematics and literature program, students in third grade have fun learning a variety of science and social studies concepts through six main PYP topics. They go on regular field trips to gain first hand experience and take part in many practical activities in the classroom.

During "City Kid, Village Kid" students get first hand experience through field trips while comparing city and village life in Syria . In "Grow it, Move it, Use it" they observe directly the whole process of the production of a local product in Syria , from planting, growing, manufacture, marketing, selling and consumption. "Looking in the Mirror" introduces them to research skills as they research the lives of famous artists, musicians and writers. In this unit they go on to expressing themselves in various ways, leading to a school assembly where they present their own music, dances, artwork, stories and poems. Research skills are further developed during "Blast Off!" where they look at the make up of the universe and how beliefs about the universe change over time. In "The Unbroken Circle" students compare and contrast the life cycles of plants and animals by planting seeds, observing animals in the school environment and research using books and internet. Finally, students understand the importance of the tourist trade to Aleppo in the unit entitled "Ah'lan wa sah'lan". They visit many different tourist sites and facilities in order to find out first hand why people find Aleppo such a fascinating place to visit and develop an appreciation for where they live.

Grade 4

In Grade 4 students study 6 PYP themes which have either a Science or Social Studies focus. Language ( Reading , Writing, Speaking and Listening) activities are integrated into the themes. In Mathematics Grade 4 follows the Investigations Curriculum which comprises 12 units.

In "Culture Clues" students have an opportunity to study the archeological richness of Syria . They visit the local museum and participate in a dig at school searching for artifacts. They also witness a real dig at the Aleppo Citadel.

The "Body Works" theme provides activities that explore the systems of the body and their interdependence. Students work co-operatively and produce projects which are presented to the class.

"Getting Organized" enables the class to study the transport system and how it has changed over the years. They develop questioning techniques through interviews with their family, at the bus station and at the railway station.

There is an Information Technology, Art and Craft focus in the theme "Eco-challenge" and students work in small groups designing a habitat for a zoo. They make a diorama and present a power point presentation.

"What's the Matter" is a fun unit where the students become scientists testing the properties of matter through various experiments using the "Scientific Method".

"How Can I Say That?" is an inquiry into the many forms of communication in the modern world and the impact on our lives. Students learn to communicate through speech, writing, codes, painting, music, art and drama.

Grade 4 is responsible for collecting used paper throughout the school which is sent to the recycling factory.

Grade 5

Grade 5 is the culminating experience of the Primary Years Program. Students inquire into six different units throughout the year. The unit titles are: Decisions–Decisions, Cradle of Civilization, From Caves to Galleries, Make It Work, Breaking News, and the Exhibition Unit. The exhibition unit is a significant event in the life of a PYP student. It is an extended collaborative inquiry in which students identify a real-world issue or problem in which to explore.

Language arts is integrated into each unit and students are constantly reading and writing about each theme. Other subjects that are also integrated include art, music, Arabic, I.T., and physical education.