Academics
Primary Years Programme (JK- Grade 6)
The International Baccalaureate PYP
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) is backed by research.
The benefits of an IB PYP experience can be found here.
Learn more about this enriching program for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6.
The IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) prepares the students in the Lower School at SJK to be life-long learners, who actively participate in developing an understanding of the interconnected world around them. The PYP is an inquiry-based, concept driven programme, specifically designed for young learners between the ages of 3 and 12 years. Students are encouraged to be globally minded, by developing an international perspective, where diversity is welcomed and celebrated.
The PYP provides a framework for the curriculum that is implemented in the Lower School, allowing students to acquire essential knowledge and skills, in an environment where the deeper understanding of concepts is nurtured. Both the Ontario Curriculum Expectations and the PYP Scope and Sequence Guidelines are followed. A distinguishing feature of the PYP is the six transdisciplinary themes of global significance. The students engage in meaningful, relevant inquiries that focus on making significant connections to the world, and developing enduring understandings. Each Unit of Inquiry is organized under one of the transdisciplinary themes, and every school year the themes are revisited with increasingly complex information, key concepts and skills from the core subject areas of Math, Language, Social Studies, Science, The Arts, and Physical, Social & Personal Education.
Through the attributes of the IB learner profile, the PYP encourages international-mindedness and a passion for learning. Students are asked to reflect constantly on their learning, and take meaningful action based on new discoveries. A highlight in grade six is the participation in the PYP Exhibition, where students showcase the depth of their learning throughout their years in the PYP, by presenting a significant inquiry of their own choosing.
PYP students are: caring, open-minded, knowledgeable, thinkers, principled, inquirers, communicators, balanced and reflective.
The PYP provides a framework for the curriculum that is implemented in the Lower School, allowing students to acquire essential knowledge and skills, in an environment where the deeper understanding of concepts is nurtured. Both the Ontario Curriculum Expectations and the PYP Scope and Sequence Guidelines are followed. A distinguishing feature of the PYP is the six transdisciplinary themes of global significance. The students engage in meaningful, relevant inquiries that focus on making significant connections to the world, and developing enduring understandings. Each Unit of Inquiry is organized under one of the transdisciplinary themes, and every school year the themes are revisited with increasingly complex information, key concepts and skills from the core subject areas of Math, Language, Social Studies, Science, The Arts, and Physical, Social & Personal Education.
Through the attributes of the IB learner profile, the PYP encourages international-mindedness and a passion for learning. Students are asked to reflect constantly on their learning, and take meaningful action based on new discoveries. A highlight in grade six is the participation in the PYP Exhibition, where students showcase the depth of their learning throughout their years in the PYP, by presenting a significant inquiry of their own choosing.
PYP students are: caring, open-minded, knowledgeable, thinkers, principled, inquirers, communicators, balanced and reflective.
Transdisciplinary Themes
The transdisciplinary themes are:
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The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
IB Learner Profile Attributes
List of 10 items.
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Inquirers
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life. -
Knowledgeable
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance. -
Thinkers
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions. -
Communicators
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups. -
Principled
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. -
Open-Minded
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience. -
Caring
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us. -
Risk-Takers
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change. -
Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development. -
Balanced
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives – intellectual, physical, and emotional – to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
The International Baccalaureate Mission
The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
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