by Celeste Krochak, Vice Principal, Primary School -

Recently, Primary students from CIS were invited to present to the IB Regional Office staff about what it means to be a PYP student. As one of three regional offices at the International Baccalaureate® (IB), IB Asia-Pacific supports over 600 schools in 29 countries. The regional office provides a range of services to schools in the region and is responsible for authorising new schools to implement the IB programmes of education, evaluate existing IB World Schools, and provide professional development services, such as events and workshops. The office also works with governments and universities to ensure that the benefits of an IB education are recognised, valued and understood by others.

Often, the people working in the IB offices feel very far removed from the people whom they support: the students. In order to bridge the gap between staff and students, the IB team decided to host a luncheon so that all of the people who work in their office could hear first hand from children about the power of the PYP, and how significant of a role it plays in their lives. This experience will ultimately help the IB team make better informed decisions regarding their programmes in the future.

Nine students from Grades 3 and 6 were selected to represent CIS, and they did an amazing job presenting. Grade 3 students presented their thoughts on: how it feels to be a PYP student, how we learn, what learning is like at CIS, inquiring into math, being leaders and taking action in the PYP, and the process of reflection. They did a remarkable job capturing their experience of the PYP as well as demonstrating skillful presentation skills and poise. Our Grade 6 students spoke with confidence about their experience with the PYP Exhibition, sharing the various issues that students investigated, the inquiry cycle, and where their learning led them for action and future learning.

The students then opened the floor for questions and were able to answer everything requested of them with ease and humor. They certainly represented CIS well and made us so proud of the quality of students and teaching/learning at CIS. The feedback from the Regional Office was very positive. They were impressed with the students’ knowledge and ability to share their learning, making it a positive experience for all.

Well done PYP students!

Grade 3

• Laura Cardoso
• Li Chong
• Kevin Billiet
• Sebastian Street
• Uou Zheng

Grade 6

• Shunsho Heng
• Mikaela Meyer
• Mia Santangelo
• Dev Chakrabarty