IB Primary Years Programme

Students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 study the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP).

This curriculum framework is the foundational programme in the IB continuum and is appropriate for a range of learning styles. Teachers examine local and global issues with students, as children are prepared for the challenges of the future.

In each grade level, the framework is organized around six transdisciplinary themes which allow teachers to develop a rigorous and relevant programme of inquiry. The themes inform instructional design and build a continuum of inquiry about the world from grade to grade. Students are actively engaged in co-creating these units of inquiry.

PYP transdisciplinary themes:

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

Students also have significant input in this process.

At the end of the programme, students present their work in the PYP Showcase, a collaborative project where they choose issues to explore and share their understanding.

The earlier students begin studying the IB the better; however, they can enter at any point in their school career.

PYP EXHIBITION

The final year of the PYP ends with a student-initiated exhibition where students showcase their work. The collaborative design process leading up to this event is one that allows students to explore, document and share their understanding of an issue of personal significance.

Previous exhibition topics include:

The housing crisis
Waste and recycling
Rising sea levels
Global population trends
Emerging infectious diseases
Invasive species

Through the PYP Exhibition, students demonstrate their agency as learners while collaboratively exploring issues of global significance.

— Marcie Lewis ’03, PYP Coordinator

Lower School Daily Schedules

These schedules are generalized versions of the Lower School daily schedule and are dependent on your child's grade upon entry.

JK-Grade 1

8:30-8:50a.m.	Wellbeing Time* and Chapel or Assembly
8:55-9:40a.m.	Period 1
9:45-10:30a.m.	Period 2
10:30-10:50a.m.	Recess
10:55-11:40a.m.	Period 3
11:45a.m.-12:15p.m.	Lunch
12:15-12:45p.m.	Recess
12:50-1:25p.m.	Period 4
1:25-2:10p.m.	Period 5
2:15-2:30p.m.	Recess
2:35-3:20p.m.	Period 6
3:15-4:15p.m.	House Teams (Monday), Aftercare (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Physical Literacy (Friday)

Grades 2-3

8:30-8:50a.m.	Wellbeing Time* and Chapel or Assembly
8:55-9:40a.m.	Period 1
9:45-10:30a.m.	Period 2
10:30-10:50a.m.	Recess
10:55-11:40a.m.	Period 3
11:45a.m.-12:30p.m.	Period 4
12:30-12:55p.m.	Lunch
12:55-1:20p.m.	Recess
1:25-2:10p.m.	Period 5
2:15-3:00p.m.	Period 6
3:00-3:10p.m.	Homework and pack-up
3:15-4:15p.m.	House Teams (Monday), Clubs (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Physical Literacy (Friday)

Grades 4-6

8:30-8:50a.m.	Wellbeing Time* and Chapel or Assembly
8:55-9:40a.m.	Period 1
9:45-10:30a.m.	Period 2
10:30-10:50a.m.	Recess
10:55-11:40a.m.	Period 3
11:45a.m.-12:30p.m.	Period 4
12:30-12:55p.m.	Grade 4 Lunch, Grade 5/6 Recess
12:55-1:20p.m.	Grade 5/6 Lunch, Grade 4 Recess
1:25-2:10p.m.	Period 5
2:15-3:00p.m.	Period 6
3:00-3:10p.m.	Homework and pack-up
3:15-4:15p.m.	Sport (Monday, Tuesday and Friday) and Clubs (Wednesday)

*Wellbeing Time in our Lower School includes morning announcements, advisory and independent practice.

Schedule Notes

Drop-off is between 8:00-8:20a.m. daily.
Week A is Day 1-5, and Week B is Day 6-10, class times remain the same.
After-school clubs are optional and begin in Senior Kindergarten. JKs can participate in House Teams on Monday and Physical Literacy on Friday. Those not attending can be picked up at 3:15p.m.
Daily pick-up is 4:15-4:25p.m. except for Thursdays, which are early release due to a Faculty Meeting. Students who cannot be picked up at 3:15p.m. may attend aftercare (grade 3) or study hall (Grades 4-6) from 3:15-4:15p.m.
The bus will depart daily at 4:40p.m. and 12:40p.m. on Thursdays of a long weekend. Aftercare is available for a fee until 4:30p.m.