NYIS - The New York International School

Lower School

Introduction At The New York International School (NYIS), we recognize that a broad and vibrant curriculum creates the enthusiasm for learning that will lead to school success. Our teachers aim to create an atmosphere in which rigorous intellectual activity, independent thinking, and meaningful relationships are equally encouraged.

Our curriculum has been developed for more than a decade through our global network of schools. It is tailored to the needs of American and international families in New York, to guarantee a broad, indepth, and truly international education that is both engaging and meaningful. Placing a significant amount of importance on learning a second language, the curriculum at NYIS provides an outline of core knowledge that teachers develop into lessons to promote students’ knowledge, understanding, and skills.

The curriculum identifies the stages and core subjects children will be taught throughout their school life. It is a framework used in our global network of schools to ensure that teaching and learning are balanced, consistent, and internationally relevant.

At NYIS we set high expectations for every one of our students. Our class sizes are limited to between 16 and 18 students per class with a head-teacher and a teacher assistant. As a result, low studentteacher ratios are obtained, allowing us to give our students more personalized attention. Teachers have outstanding professional credentials as well as relevant advanced degrees. By providing worldclass education to all students, we inspire the personal development of students with qualities of creativity, ingenuity, cooperation, and leadership. The curriculum enables students to matriculate to top schools and universities in the US and anywhere in the world.

Guide to Grades at NYIS Lower School:

AGE *

GRADE

5

Kindergarten

6

Grade 1

7

Grade 2

8

Grade 3

9

Grade 4

10

Grade 5

Guided Group Reading - Small group reading is led by the teacher and allows focused instruction on a shared issue or challenge.

Whole Class Reading - Children read and discuss texts with the teacher and each other as a stimulus for writing and drama activities and to strengthen reading comprehension.

Library Book Reading - All students visit the library every week and choose a book that they wish to borrow, thus inspiring a love for literature.

*Age as of September 1st

Subjects English Language Speaking & Listening Discussion and oral presentations are core aspects of many lessons and play a crucial part in vocabulary development. Lessons are designed to encourage speaking and listening for all students and often incorporate presentations or performances using oral skills.

Reading Reading is a crucial skill that supports learning across the curriculum. We foster a love of books and literature among our students. Children are taught to read, initially through the development of phonetic knowledge and the sharing and discussion of books. We read in different ways at NYIS to ensure that students develop reading habits which will remain with them throughout their school life and beyond.

Individual Leveled Reading - Children read books at an age-appropriate level, working their way through progressively more difficult texts until they become independent readers. Children bring books home regularly, and parents are asked to support their reading as part of weekly home learning.

Writing English Language lessons encourage students to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate effectively with others in a range of genres.

Students become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry, and plays as well as non-fiction and media texts.

The structure of language is explored through lessons on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and handwriting.

Attention to these important areas ensures that creative and imaginative ideas are presented in an organized, eloquent manner.

Regular writing assignments encourage students to utilize their writing skills in extended pieces of work.

Selected pieces will be identified for editing and final presentation for display or for their writing folders.

Drama Drama provides excellent opportunities for creative exploration, expression, and performance, as well as for the exploration of contemporary and historical issues in an imaginative way.

Drama is an integral part of the English curriculum. It includes dramatic play, story enactment, theatre games, music, and dance. Through play and performance, students develop a sense of ease in public situations.

Students will perform in at least one production per year.

and knowledge. In writing, students are able to compose individual sentences, spelling many words correctly, and writing with ease.

By Grades 2 and 3 students are expected to read ageappropriate books accurately and at a speed which allows them to focus on understanding what they have read rather than on decoding individual words. Towards the end of Grade 3, students are able to justify their views about what they have read. Students are able to express their ideas accurately and with sentence punctuation. Spelling is expected to be correct in final drafts. Throughout Grades 2 and 3, students become familiar with using language in a number of situations and for a variety of audiences and purposes including drama, presentations, and debates.

During Grades 4 and 5, our students are able to read a wide range of books, plays, and poetry of an ageappropriate level with accuracy and appropriate pace.

Reading most words is effortless as students are able to read silently, widely, and frequently both inside and outside of school. Students are able to express their ideas quickly, with accurate grammar, punctuation, and spelling of most words. Students’ increasing mastery of language at this level is extended through numerous opportunities for public speaking, performance, and debate.

Mathematics Mathematics is a key part of the curriculum. We separate Mathematics into seven different strands: • • • • • • •

Learning Objectives During Kindergarten, students develop the skill of blending sounds into words for reading. They develop their phonetic knowledge and skill by hearing, sharing, and discussing a wide range of books to create a love of reading and to broaden their vocabulary. They develop the physical skill needed for handwriting and learn to organize their ideas in writing.

In Grade 1 our students are able to read unfamiliar words more accurately and with less hesitation. Students listen to and discuss a wide range of stories, poems, and plays, thereby widening their vocabulary, comprehension,

Using and applying mathematics Counting and understanding numbers Knowing and using number facts Calculating Understanding shape Measuring Handling data

Mathematics is taught daily from Kindergarten to Grade 5 in a way that encourages confidence and accuracy when using numbers in increasingly complex activities.

An understanding of the wider associated topics within algebra, measurement, geometry, and statistics is introduced.

Students are offered challenges and problem-solving activities related to real life wherever possible so that their understanding is applied to practical situations.

In Grades 4 and 5, students extend their understanding of the number system to include larger integers.

They develop the connections they make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios. Students increasingly solve complex problems of numbers and arithmetic using efficient written and mental methods of calculation.

By the end of Grade 5, students are fluent in written methods for all four operations including long multiplication and division, fractions, decimals, and percentages.

Language Immersion Students at NYIS are expected to reach fluency in either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. To achieve this, language learning permeates the curriculum and the child’s daily class activities.

Learning Objectives In Kindergarten and Grade 1, children learn to count, read, write, and order numbers as well as develop a range of mental calculation skills that they apply in different settings.

Children are taught to use number lines, cubes, and other practical materials as well as a range of informal written methods to demonstrate understanding. An awareness of shape and space is developed through practical activities which build on understanding their immediate environment. The children begin to grasp mathematical language, using it to talk about their methods and to explain their reasoning when solving problems.

In Grades 2 and 3, the main focus of mathematics is to ensure that students become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations. Students are expected to perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers, using both written and mental arithmetic. Students develop the ability to solve a range of problems including those with simple fractions and decimal place value. Increasingly, students are able to draw with accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyze shapes and their properties. They can confidently use measuring instruments and make connections between measure and number. By the end of Grade 3, students know their multiplication tables up to and including 12. They read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly.

The school places great importance on learning a second language from an early age. In Lower School, children will receive between one and two hours per day of instruction in either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. This will include specific language lessons as well as usage in different areas of the curriculum. Various levels of language instruction will be offered to cater to all levels of language proficiency.

Language Immersion allows students to explore their second chosen language through songs, lessons, rhymes, art, literature, and music so that they may ultimately engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, and express their opinions. Our students develop accurate pronunciation and intonation, guided by native teachers.

Our language curriculum draws from the organization’s vast international experience and not only covers core language skills, but also exposes the child to aspects of Chinese or Spanish culture which are critical to achieving a complete command of the language.

Cultural awareness is further enhanced by the British Schools Foundation Peer Program which will allow children to develop relationships with students at our sister schools in Spain and China.

Science and Humanities Curriculum From Kindergarten through Grade 3, a cross-curricular, theme-based approach is adopted at NYIS to the teaching of science, history, and geography (what we call the “Integrated Curriculum”). This Integrated Curriculum enables students to understand the links between

subjects, relate their work to everyday life, and enjoy their learning in a context that makes sense to them.

Important skills and knowledge are developed within each theme, ensuring that progress is made in science, history, and geography in each grade.

The topics recognize the cultural context of the school and incorporate elements of learning connected to the US and the rest of the world. They are organized to ensure that a balance between the subject areas is achieved within and across the different grades. The use of various museums and Central Park enriches the learning experience of the Integrated Curriculum.

matter, light, sound, forces, magnets, electricity.

Students are taught to work scientifically by asking simple questions; performing tests; making observations; classifying and presenting data; analyzing functions, relationships, and interactions; using evidence; reporting findings; and drawing conclusions.

History History encourages students to consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organized their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions. History supports not only the gathering of knowledge, but also develops important skills. Students find evidence, evaluate, and reach their own conclusions. To do this, they research, sift through evidence, argue and defend their point of view - skills that are prized in adult life.

A range of topics is studied relating to NY, US, and world history, and may include: The Aztecs, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Egyptians, Ancient China, Archeology, Inventions, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Native American Indians, the Age of Exploration, and the American Colonial Period.

Geography Geography develops knowledge of places and environments throughout the world, an understanding of maps, and a range of investigative and problem-solving skills both inside and outside the classroom.

Topics include NY, US, and world geography, which encompasses major cities, states, countries and continents, their human and physical characteristics, cultural diversity, weather, seasons, rivers, oceans, mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, water cycle, changes in the earth, the equator, the hemispheres, and the tropics.

In Grades 4 and 5, we introduce subject-specific lessons in history, geography, and science in preparation for Middle School.

There is also strong emphasis on the development of mapping and Atlas skills, latitude and longitude, as well as compass use, graphs, and digital technology.

Through this Integrated Curriculum and in older Lower School classes, students cover the following subjects:

Science Through science, students understand how major scientific ideas contribute to technological change, thus impacting industry, business, and medicine, and improving quality of life.

Scientific knowledge and understanding are developed through the study of the following likely topics: the human body, the Earth, the universe, seasonal changes, life cycles, animals, plants, habitats, materials, states of

Technology Students use technology tools to find, explore, analyze, exchange, and present information responsibly and creatively. They learn how to employ technology to enable rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities, and cultures. They discover many different uses of technology in a wide range of areas and situations. Laptops and iPads will be regularly used in classrooms across the curriculum.

Increased capability in the use of technology promotes initiative and independent learning. Students are able to make informed judgments about when and where to use it most effectively, and to consider its applications for home and work, both now and in the future.

in almost every music lesson. Lower School children sing in assemblies and often perform a song, if not a full performance, for their parents as part of their class assembly.

Art & Design Art and Design at NYIS stimulates creativity and imagination. Lessons provide visual, tactile, and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding and responding to the world.

Students learn to use color, form, texture, pattern, different materials (e.g. pencil, charcoal, paint, clay, etc.), and processes to communicate what they see, feel, and think. They develop a mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting, and sculpture, through creativity, experimentation, and increasing awareness.

They explore ideas and meaning in the work of artists, craftspeople, and designers. They learn about the diverse roles and functions of art, craft, and design in contemporary life and in different times and cultures.

Music Musical education begins in Preschool and continues every year, allowing students to develop a love for music while honing their musical skills. Throughout the year a schedule of concerts and musical workshops provides students with the opportunities to showcase their work and talent, both in school and in the wider community.

Lower School Instrumental Program This program is designed to develop each student’s understanding and appreciation of music. Students learn to play a range of musical instruments at a basic level until they are able to commit to an instrument for focused instruction.

Instrumental Scheme Students with a greater interest in music are encouraged to join the Instrumental Music Program (IMPs) in which they receive individual music lessons in their chosen instrument(s) by a specialist teacher. Opportunities for ensembles and soloists to perform occur regularly throughout the year.

Singing From Preschool through Grade 5, singing takes place

Physical Education The physical education curriculum offers a range of opportunities and outdoor-based activities including soccer, basketball, baseball, badminton, athletics, gymnastics, and swimming using the school’s gym, Central Park, and nearby sport facilities. Students learn how to plan, perform, and evaluate actions, improving the quality and effectiveness of those actions.

Through this process, students discover their aptitudes, abilities, and preferences, and make choices about how to get involved in lifelong physical activity. Interscholastic, competitive play will begin in Grade 6, by which time the school plans to offer regular opportunities to compete in inter-house competitions, sports days, and/or swimming events.

Health & Life Skills Health & Life Skills is an essential element in our curriculum at NYIS. It encourages students to reflect on their well-being and that of others and becomes integrated in as many lessons as possible.

Students are encouraged to understand and develop healthy lifestyles, including physical and emotional health. They learn that their actions have consequences for themselves and for others, and they learn how to develop positive relationships with the community around them.

•

Student-organized parent teacher conference: Trust is placed in our students to work independently every year, as they lead parent-teacher conferences.

Teamwork & Leadership •

Inter-House competitions: On entry to NYIS, each student will be assigned to a “house.” Throughout the year, fun interhouse competitions in sports and throughout the curriculum are held.

•

Learning Buddies: During the academic year, a class of older children will be paired with a class of younger children and become their Learning Buddies.

Self-discipline •

House point system for rewarding effort: During the year, students will be awarded house points for excellent work, effort, progress, and citizenship.

Presence

Personal Development The personal development of our students is as important as their academic success. The following are the seven attributes that NYIS fosters in our students.

They have been utilized and improved through our network of schools, ensuring that all children are able to adopt these attributes through different programs and initiatives. The personal growth of our students in these areas is carefully observed and reported over the years as they make their way through Lower School, and students are given many opportunities to cultivate and improve in these key areas: Independence •

Student organized assembly: Marking their transition through Lower School at NYIS, students organize and participate in special assemblies to mark certain events.

•

Confidence in speaking: Teaching children to use their voice with conviction and strength permeates all activities at NYIS. Students will be expected to participate fully in all classes, and they will have multiple opportunities to develop the skill of speaking comfortably in front of a larger audience at school assemblies.

•

Formal weekly assembly: Each child attending NYIS is required to wear a school uniform. We expect our students to wear full school uniform to all formal events including the weekly assembly.

Awareness •

Assembly core themes: Assemblies throughout the term are designed to broaden students’ cultural awareness and understanding.

Decency •

Developing good behaviour: The development of character is paramount at NYIS. Teachers and administrators will vigilantly notice students behaving in ways that strengthen our community, and commendations for helpful, compassionate acts will be recognized.

Courage •

Developing courage: The school teaches students to overcome their fears and make well-considered and calculated risks in a healthy, constructive way.

Additional Curriculum Information Field Trips Field trips are crucial opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. In Kindergarten through Grade 3, field trips are organized in relation to the topics and themes being taught in class. Trips may be to NY museums, cultural sites and events, or activity centers, and are designed to support the learning in the classroom.

In the upper grades of the Lower School, we offer the opportunity to enjoy an annual residential trip. The trip typically takes place within the state of New York for a period of three or four nights. This opportunity is of great benefit in supporting independence, leadership, teamwork, maturity, and self-esteem.

Community Service NYIS aims to help children experience the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from contributing to their community. At the earliest age, this may be learning how to help within the classroom, while older students will participate in more formal service learning beyond the school’s campus. Through these opportunities, our students are ingrained with a strong sense of consideration for those less fortunate and with the need to do all they can to help where help is needed.

School Events The school has a varied program of events that helps to build a sense of community within the school, enhances the education of students, and promotes the achievements of students and the school as a whole.

The school aims to ensure every student is involved in multiple events throughout the school year.

Assessment & Reporting Procedure At the beginning of each term, a curriculum overview will be sent to all parents. It will offer topics, issues, concepts, and themes which will be covered within that term.

We assess students’ mastery of skills and content both formally and informally throughout the year. We track students’ individual progress continually to ensure that they are progressing at expected levels and are suitably challenged and supported. Work samples are collected to help document each child’s progress.

All parents will receive three narrative reports at the end of each term. These will include a summary of progress in all areas of the curriculum, as well as in citizenship and contributions to the school community.

At mid-term, parents are invited to meet with any of the teachers. Teachers will share examples of the students’ work, will discuss areas of individualized growth, and will set goals for the remainder of the term.

4 East 90th Street, New York NY 10128 USA Tel. (Main): +1 212 641 0260 Tel. (Admissions): +1 212 641 0920 info@nyis.org www.nyis.org