PRIMARY AND KINDERGARTEN
PROFILE ABOUT AIS The Australian International School caters for students from as young as 18 months old to 18 years of age. AIS offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP) to all students from Kindergarten to Year 6. Authorized as an IB World School since 2013, the PYP integrates the English and Mathematics Cambridge curriculum into a framework of inquiry focusing on local and global perspectives. By combining a rigorous curriculum, high expectations and an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning, students are encouraged and supported to build their knowledge and develop their critical thinking skills through real-world experiences. Our Australian values of fairness, have a go attitude, working as a team, being inclusive and authentic helps students embrace all opportunities to become global citizens and reach their full potential.
PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME MISSION STATEMENT AIS is committed to providing a high quality international education. We encourage and support our students to become inquiring and knowledgeable learners with the confidence to achieve their potential.
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. IB learners strive to be: Inquirers • Open-Minded • Knowledgeable • Thinkers • Communicators • Principled • Risk-Takers • Balanced • Caring • Reflective
ELEMENTS OF THE PYP There are five elements embodying the PYP framework, including, knowledge and approaches to learning, development of conceptual understanding, demonstration of positive attitudes, and taking responsible action. • Knowledge Significant, relevant subject matter that we wish students to explore and know about. • Concepts Powerful ideas that have relevance within and across the disciplines and which students must explore and re-explore in order to develop understanding. • Approaches to Learning The capabilities that the students need to demonstrate to succeed in a changing, challenging world, which may be disciplinary or transdisciplinary in nature. • Attitudes Dispositions which are expressions of fundamental values, beliefs, and feelings about learning, the environment, and people. • Action Demonstrations of deeper learning in responsible behaviour through positive action and service. In the PYP, every student should have the opportunity to be involved in authentic action either as an individual or in a group, working collaboratively.
EARLY INQUIRERS KINDERGARTEN Classes are offered for children aged 18 months to 4+ years old. Questioning and inquiry are the basis of learning in this play-based program. Opportunities are provided for children to participate in a range of activities focusing on the whole child, including art, music, PE, swimming, story time, sand and water play and independent inquiry. At AIS our CORE values embrace the uniqueness of each child. We value the importance of relationships. We provide opportunities so that our learners can be the author of their own learning. Through playful exploration, inquiry and discovery we build confident, capable and curious learners.
SECOND LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION The International Baccalaureate Organisation recognises that learning in more than one language is ‘essential to an international education in order to gain an intercultural understanding’. At AIS students from Kindergarten to Year 6 learn about the Vietnamese language and culture in VNC/VLC classes. Our Vietnamese teachers collaborate to find authentic ways of integrating their subject into the units of inquiry.
MUSIC AND GLEE Music instruction is delivered by a specialist teacher twice a week and is integrated into the Units of Inquiry. The PYP views music as a form of expression that is inherent of all cultures. Music is a powerful means to assist in the development of the whole child and is important for interpreting and understanding the world. Music promotes imagination, communication, creativity, social development and original thinking. AIS offers an extra-curricular activity, GLEE Club, where the children are involved in drama productions and musical performances.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES The extra-curricular activities (ECA) program is designed to support students’ passions by providing a range of special interest areas. The activities focus on participation, skill development and gaining new experiences. Activities are conducted by AIS teachers, teacher assistants and externally hired specialist instructors. Some activities on offer include a range of sports, dance, yoga and mindfulness, Go Green gardening club, reading club, Chinese Lessons, STEAM sessions, arts and crafts, and cooking.
Personal, Social and Physical Education (PSPE) at AIS provides students with a range of movement experiences and encourages them to enjoy moving their bodies and developing fundamental movement skills that are essential for living a healthy and active life. Being brave, taking risks and having an open mind to new challenges are encouraged. Learning to share, care and understand others is an ongoing focus. Having fun and enjoying movement individually and in small and large groups is what PSPE is all about!
WELL-BEING Well-Being is an integral part of the student’s development at AIS. It is embedded within the learning and teaching through the Learner Profile and the approaches to learning. Students are taught the skills of mindfulness, perseverance, emotional management, self-motivation and resilience by making connections within our units of inquiry and specialist subject areas. Students are provided with extra well-being support through our assembly program, school nurse, councillor, SEN specialist, student representative council and access to spaces for relaxation and sensory stimulation.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL At the start of each year, primary classes elect one principled communicator to represent them on the Student Representative Council (SRC). Meeting weekly, the SRC shares ideas and leads the student body in caring projects that benefit both the school and its local community. SRC-led projects this year have included conducting student surveys that led to improvements to the school environment, setting up a plastic bottle-brick station that helped build Vietnam’s first eco-brick school, organising school events such as the Halloween disco and facilitating and delivering hundreds of Tet gift boxes to underprivileged children in our local area. The SRC also liaise with the Parents and Friends Group (PFG) to help promote school events ensuring the whole school community is represented. With the support of Primary teachers, the SRC is able to take real action that affects positive change.
STUDENT VOICE At AIS we give agency to the voice of the students. Students are at the centre of our decision making and they have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, engage in public speaking and undertake action, to better the school and community.
HOUSE CAPTAINS The House Captains at AIS are the Senior leaders of the Primary School. They display good examples of being 'Principled Communicators' as they are often in charge of managing activities and being organised. They must be 'Risk-Takers' and show that they are active participators as they are senior role models. The House Captains are the voice of the students by helping to plan, organise and run a range of events throughout the year which creates a balanced range of competitions.
CAMPS Camps are held at different year levels, and are a vitally important part of the School’s program providing students with both educational and social learning opportunities that are beyond what occurs in the classroom. They provide an opportunity for personal challenge. Expert staff from an internationally recognised camp company work alongside the AIS teaching staff to provide the students with an outdoor educational curriculum that promotes balance of safety, education, activities, outdoor experiences and culture for all our students to enjoy. Such experiences include camping in tents, outbound courses, hiking, team building games, life skills and the chance for the students to develop their independence.
Thu Thiem Campus (Kindergarten – Year 13) 264 Mai Chi Tho (East-West Highway) An Phu Ward, Thu Duc City, HCMC t: +84 28 3742 4040 1900 6940
Thao Dien Campus (Kindergarten – Year 6) APSC Compound, 36 Thao Dien Road Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City, HCMC t: +84 28 3744 6960
enrolments@aisvietnam.com
www.aisvietnam.com
Xi Campus (Kindergarten) 190 Nguyen Van Huong Street Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City, HCMC t: +84 28 3519 2727 AustralianInternationalSchoolVietnam