International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme
Annunciation Catholic School is a candidate school* for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme and pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programmes of international education that share a powerful vision.**
*Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.
**Mission Statement from the IB: 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.
Program of Inquiry
Program of Inquiry
Each year, students participate in units of inquiry to explore the six Transdisciplinary Themes of the PYP.
Assessment Policy
Assessment Policy
ACS has made essential agreements regarding why and how we assess students.
Language Policy
Language Policy
ACS developed a schoolwide language policy.
A leader in worldwide education, the International Baccalaureate (IB) cultivates young people who are inquisitive, intelligent, self-assured, and compassionate. The IB programs enable students in school to take charge of their own learning and support the development of skills that will enable them to flourish in a world that is quickly changing. Children aged 3 to 12 are eligible for the IB Primary Years Program (PYP), which fosters and develops young students into kind, engaged participants in a lifetime of learning. From Kindergarten to Grade 6, the PYP Programme of Inquiry outlines how the six transdisciplinary themes will be investigated in each of the age groups.
The program of inquiry is organized around six transdisciplinary themes. The themes highlight universal human traits that are noteworthy and applicable across cultures, geographies, and student learning levels. The topics are universal, allowing scholars from all backgrounds to examine the similarities across human experiences. They are supported by information, ideas, and abilities from the various topic areas. They are revisited over the course of the students’ academic careers to produce comprehensive, in-depth, articulated educational content. They add to the shared foundation that holds the curriculum of all IB World Schools that offer the PYP together.
Students can benefit from a comprehensive, balanced, conceptual, and integrated learning experience through a transdisciplinary program of inquiry. Students who participate in an inquiry-based curriculum that is well-designed will acquire a balance of subject-specific knowledge, conceptual understandings, and skills, as well as opportunities to grow as PYP learners and take initiative. The modules of inquiry are conceived, planned, and continuously adjusted based on student reflection. The integration of a variety of subjects to link on a unit of inquiry is enhanced by developing learning opportunities around concepts. This gives students the chance to relate academic material to personal experiences in order to gain a greater comprehension of the issue being studied.
Transdisciplinary units of inquiry must be planned with a lot of teamwork. Together, the planning teams, which are made up of instructors and teachers of only one topic, design the units all year long. At every year level, all subjects are covered in the units of inquiry when there is genuine integration.
