AIS | IGCSE | Prospectus 2023-24

Ahmedabad International School

Prospectus 2023-24

IGCSE Enrichment Program Get future ready!

Dear parents, AIS was founded 22 years ago with the belief that self-learning leads to lifelong learning. We’ve spent each day of the last 22 years trying to build a school community that inculcates a love for learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, develops responsible global citizens, and builds a strong academic foundation. I thank you for being a part of this journey!

The enrichment

For the last 2 years, we’ve been working on reimagining our learning program from the

program is designed

ground up. We’ve looked within and looked beyond to define who we are and who we

to build a strong

want to be. We’ve asked ourselves hard questions about what future-ready learning

academic foundation

means and how we can make our classrooms more engaging and challenging.

through rigorous

After spending hundreds of days researching, planning, learning, and organising, I am

learning experiences

proud to present our IGCSE Enrichment Program. Our IGCSE enrichment program is

that are connected to

designed with two objectives in mind:

the real-world to help our students perform at their peak capacity in the IGCSE exams to help our students develop an increased “career awareness” so they can put their best foot forward for their college applications

Students will therefore focus on four key areas as a part of our IGCSE enrichment program:

Achieving academic excellence through enhanced rigour across subject areas Building an extracurricular portfolio that showcases a diverse range of skills and interests Making an informed career choice by deep diving into 10+ career domains Crafting their story through powerful writing strategies, learned in specialised workshops and sessions

In this prospectus, we introduce you to the key highlights of our enrichment program.

We invite you to discover how students will fall in love with learning, discover their talents and passions, and become future-ready for college success!

Warm Regards

Gorsi Parekh

Managing Trustee

Overview of the IGCSE

Achieving academic excellence Strengthen conceptual understanding using Kognity’s interactive textbooks and assignments Build mastery through practice tests and tiered worksheets in Math, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Business studies, and Computer Science Understand science concepts in a deeper, meaningful way through hands-on experiments and demonstrations Learn application-based math through physical and digital learning resources in the new math lab Fall in love with reading and immerse yourself in research in the new state-of-the-art library

Building your extracurricular portfolio Build advanced skills as a creator in one of these 4 domains: visual arts

theatre

dance

coding, robotics, and digital fabrication

Showcase projects at school and community events and build your portfolio for college.

Immerse in one chosen sport from the four options below and compete at intra- and inter-school games. football

basketball

cricket

volleyball

In the following pages, we have elaborated on each asp

E Enrichment Program

Making an informed career choice Explore 10 broad career pathways and 60+ specific careers with Power Club in Grades 8 and Undertake micro-internships in your shortlisted careers in Grade 10 with Power Clu Regular check-ins with the AIS counselling team on career explorations and your roadmap to colleg Interact with representatives from 40+ global universities during the AIS College Fair Attend webinars with Indian and international universities to understand their application process and admission criteria

Crafting your story Build creative writing skills across popular genres with The Pomegranate Workshop’s bi-weekly in-class session Learn to write effective and powerful essays, including your college application Participate in three life design sessions o Narrative building Profile building Network building

pect of the Enrichment Program in a lot more depth.

Achieving academic excellence Academic performance forms the cornerstone of a student’s university application. A student might have the best extracurricular activities and be involved in diverse community service initiatives but without strong academic records, the application lacks a key ingredient for success. At AIS, core academics have always been the focus but with our enrichment program, we want to be able to take learning to the next level by providing students with the best digital and physical resources to support rigorous academic learning across English, Math, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Business Studies, and Computer Science.

English The enrichment program will focus on building an academically rigorous foundation in reading and writing through: Cambridge coursework which will include three extended writing assignments and focus on speaking and listening Creative writing classes with The Pomegranate Workshop that will be conducted bi-weekly by creative writing experts Students will learn to write across different genres including epistolary, poetry, fantasy, science fiction, and humou Students will learn writing types including argumentative, descriptive,

Advanced language skills of

and narrativ

reading, writing, and critical

Students will learn to write effective and powerful essays that will prepare them to write their college application essa

thinking are foundational to

Students will learn by reading advanced literature, doing theatre

success in high school and

activities, playing games, and immersing in socratic seminars and

college - whether it is writing a

critical discussions on chosen novels

powerful college application

A new state-of-the-art library equipped with age-appropriate

essay, acing the SATs,

physical and digital resources across all genres

showcasing your projects, or

Small group mentorship and coaching to ensure that every student is supported in their learning journey

About The Pomegranate Workshop To strengthen our language program, we have partnered with The Pomegranate Workshop, a Mumbai-based creative writing institution. The Pomegranate Workshop will conduct bi-weekly classes with a focus on building academic and creative writing skills.

Students will become storytellers as the year progresses and at the end of the academic year, students’ work will be compiled and curated by The Pomegranate Workshop into an anthology which will be released by a children’s author. A copy of this anthology will also be added to the school library.

learning how to craft your story.

Math

Irrespective of their chosen career paths post high school, students need a strong

Our Math enrichment program has been designed around three key anchors - conceptual rigour, creativity, and application. We want our students to develop higher order thinking skills such as analysis and evaluation and apply them to solve real life problems. Our aim is to promote creative and serious engagement with the subject so that students can score excellent grades in their board exams while falling in love with Math.

To achieve this, we will be supplementing our IGCSE Math program with the following key components: Access to Kognity, a digital resource that makes Math interesting through in-built simulations Students will use Kognity’s interactive textbooks and assignments to understand concepts in a deeper, meaningful wa Students will use Kognity’s student practice centre to improve learning outcomes across all topics

A dedicated Math Lab equipped with age appropriate physical and digital Math learning resources Students will engage with simulations, hands-on activities, games, puzzles, manipulatives, and challenges to make connections between math concepts and real-life

Rigorous Math practice papers and tiered worksheets to ensure that students get plentiful opportunities to master their Math skills Students will get practice papers and tiered worksheets that are tailored to their proficiency level Students will be part of small group mentorship and coaching to ensure that they are supported in topics in which they are facing challenges

Mathematical foundation.

Mastery in Math prepares students for success in high school, SATs, and national competitive exams; but most importantly it helps them become Math people - those who can see and apply Math everyday and everywhere.

The science enrichment

program is built on the belief

Biology, Physics, Chemistry

that students learn science

best by doing – by designing Learning in Physics, Biology, and Chemistry will be made more their own experiments, by interesting through the following key components: conducting investigations,

and by testing scientific

theories.

Access to Kognity, a digital resource that helps students

forge connections between theory and real life

Students will use the interactive textbooks and simulations to make

concepts come to life

Dedicated time for experiments in the lab where students will

think and act like scientists

Students will learn to design and conduct experiments in

an authentic way

Rigorous past papers practice which will ensure that students

are well prepared for their IGCSE exams

Students will be given tiered worksheets to cater to their

proficiency leve

Students will be part of small group mentorship and coaching to

solve their doubts and challenges, based on their performance

in practice tests

Economics and Business Studies Our enrichment offering for Economics and Business studies will have the following key components: Access to Kognity’s 50+ global case studies featuring business scenarios spanning multiple areas of business.

Additionally, students will use Kognity to do assignments and practice questions.

Field trips and guest speakers will give students an opportunity to learn from industry experts in diverse fields including pharma, real-estate, banking, chemical manufacturing, food and beverages, agriculture, hospitality, and media

Skills learned in Economics and Business studies - making decisions, calculating risk, doing accounts, analysing data, researching, and more - are fundamental to success in life.

Rigorous practice with past papers will enable students

We live in a land where students

to to be exam-ready and to understand how to

seem to have entrepreneurship

approach different types of questions for the different

in their very DNA. Through our

IGCSE papers

enrichment program, students

Small group mentorship and coaching will ensure that every student is supported in their learning journey

will sharpen their business skills and learn new ways to think and actively connect concepts to the real-world.

Computer Science Our enrichment offering for Computer Science will have the following key components: Access to Kognity, a digital resource which brings computer science to life through interactive content. Students will use it to do immersive assignments, hands-on programming tasks, and navigate case-studies.

Rigorous practice with past papers will enable students to be exam-ready and to understand how to approach different types of questions for the different IGCSE papers Coding, robotics, and design thinking program at the Maker Space - Students who want to pursue a deeper interest in Computer Science and related areas can also

Computer science is one of the

choose to build their own projects by working alongside

most coveted skills in today’s

our engineer educators at our Makerspace.

times – a pathway to fast growing careers including coding and data science. Every new job that emerges today, depends at least in part, on technology, which points back to Computer Science. We want our students to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.

Building your extracurricular portfolio To stand a strong chance of getting into the college of your dreams, it is important to have a wellrounded extracurricular portfolio - one that showcases your ambition, your interests, and your open-mindedness. Extracurricular activities are not just one-off volunteering roles - they require consistent time commitment, a high degree of initiative, and a certain level of leadership.

The IGCSE extracurricular offering is built for students to do just that. They can immerse in both sports-based and passion-based creative pursuits.

Within sports, students will have the opportunity to choose one sport from four options:

Football

Cricket

Basketball

Volleyball

For extracurricular portfolio building, students will have the opportunity to choose one of the following based on their interests:

Theatre

Dance

Coding, Robotics, Visual arts Digital fabrication

Sports

Our structured sports program will offer students an opportunity

to build a wide range of skills while specialising in one sport.

Students will choose one sport from four options: football,

cricket, basketball, and volleyball.

Below are a few highlights of the sports program:

A well-research sports curriculum by Sportz Village with

options of competitive pathways for students who excel

at specific sports Sports give students a platform Well-qualified and experienced Sportz Village coaches like no other to build both - the to conduct all classes and ensure effective delivery of mind and the body. the program

New dedicated facilities for sports training and hosting games

Round-the-year sports events including sports days and

inter- and intra-school competitions

About Sportz Village

We want to ensure our students are well-rounded individuals who have

critical life skills of performing under pressure, working in teams, and

being perseverant. We have partnered with Sportz Village to build our

sports offering. Sportz Village is India’s leading sports education

organisation. With over 20 years of experience, Sportz Village has

partnered with corporates, government organisations, and some of the

best schools across India.

Theatre As one of the oldest artforms known to mankind, theatre provides students with multiple ways of expressing themselves and helps them become confident communicators.

Our theatre program has the following key components: A fully equipped modern theatre studio where students get the opportunity to create and host performances Highly trained drama teachers and facilitators from Rangbhumi who will conduct all the classes Rangbhumi’s Applied Theatre curriculum that focuses on social emotional learning and on providing students with exposure to a wide range of theatre practices Students will learn improvisation, practical work, projection, pitch, tone, enunciation, scene work, and more Students will understand and learn to work with elements of production including lights, sound, script, set, and costume

Theatre performances wherein students will create, lead, and stage plays based on the themes they want to explore.

Some potential plays might include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Outsiders, Dead Poets Society, Little Women, The Breakfast Club, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

An end of year production by the students to showcase their performing arts skills

Ab

out Rangbhumi

To give our students a rigorous performing arts foundation, we have partnered with Rangbhumi for our theatre program. Rangbhumi is one of Mumbai’s leading theatre groups and has several years of experience working with schools in and around Mumbai.

Theatre gives students a platform to refine their language, connect with their bodies, and tell stories that have the potential to engage an audience.

Dance Dance encourages creativity, self-confidence, and selfawareness. Through dance, students learn how to communicate their ideas and emotions in a captivating way. Our dance program is developed in partnership with the iconic Shiamak Davar Institute For Performing Arts (SDIPA).

Our dance program has the following key features: A fully equipped modern dance studio where students will learn, practice, and stage performances Expert dance instructors from SDIPA who will conduct all classes The Shiamak Dance Education (SDE) curriculum that focuses on learning diverse dance forms including hip hop, contemporary, jazz, latin, and old school dances. skill-based progression instilling confidence to perform on stage

Performances during school’s cultural celebrations as a way of expressing their ideas and thoughts during dance End of year annual performance to showcase their skills to the school and the larger community in Ahmedabad

About Shiamak Davar Institute for Performing Arts Founded by the National Award Winner Shiamak Davar, SDIPA has over 25 years of experience in the dance and entertainment industry. Their Shiamak Dance Education (SDE) program runs in some of the best schools across India.

Visual arts Art serves as a means of communication and self-expression! In today’s world, art takes many forms - an instagram post, an NFT, an AI generated illustration, or a beautiful authentic piece of oil painting.

Students who select visual arts as an elective will build their arts portfolio for high school and college.

Below are the key components of the visual arts program: A newly launched visual arts studio - a space that students will use flexibly to create and display art. Below are some of the materials and tools that will be available to students: Drawing and painting materials including pastels, charcoal, canvasses, acrylics, easels, and so on Printmaking materials including linoleum blocks, carving tools, printing ink, brayers, and printing presse Sculpture materials including clay, plaster, wire, wood, metal, sculpting and carving tools Digital art tools including computers, cameras, scanners, and softwares such as Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator

Comprehensive visual arts curriculum which focuses on: Diverse 2D and 3D art techniques - painting, printmaking, origami, sculpting, pottery, textile designing, weaving, and mor Wide range of media and materials - exploring paper, clay, wood, sand, inks, paints, plaster, watercolour, tempera, pastels, and more Art history - discovering the origins of different art forms, knowing popular artists, and reading and critiquing art literature

A team of experienced artists and teachers to lead the program.

Our educators will be facilitators and mentors for students who

pick the visual arts program. They will work with the students to help them create a comprehensive portfolio that reflects the student’s diverse interests and talents.

Art gallery visits and artist talks - our art focused field-trips will provide students with the opportunity to draw inspiration from real-life artists and their work Annual art exhibition will be an opportunity for students to showcase their projects to the larger Ahmedabad community.

Coding, robotics, and digital fabrication Coding, robotics, and digital fabrication are the backbone of the

21st-century economy. Students who master these skills will be better equipped to meet future challenges.

With a maker mindset,

fidently approach any challenge with creativity,

students can con

knowing they have the skills to create innovative solutions.

As part of our comprehensive We have designed our program with the following coding, robotics, and digital key components: fabrication program, students

will get the opportunity to learn

new skills, get hands-on

experience with engineering and

design, and create a strong

portfolio showcasing their

projects.

A very large, futuristic makerspace equipped with manual and

digital creation tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and

more

A team of expert engineers and designers and designers will

conduct all the classes and mentor student projects. They will

work 1:1 with students to ensure that they have a strong

portfolio for high school and college.

Project-based learning curriculum with three key modules:

Computer Science: Students will build coding skills using block-based coding

and high-level languages. They will build apps, games, and AI model

Robotics: Students will build robots with sensors, motors and electronics for

various applications such as self-driving vehicle, humanoid, and drones

Digital fabrication: Students will build commercially viable products with

traditional and modern design and fabrication techniques

Portfolio building will be a core component of the program.

Students will also build a keystone project every year, thus

creating a strong portfolio for their college applications.

Annual MakerFest will be an opportunity for students to

showcase their projects to the larger community. Students will

also be encouraged to participate in other local and

international events and competitions for making.

Career counselling Two key components of our IGCSE career counselling program are to empower students to make informed career choices to help students learn to craft their own story

Both of these aim to unlock student potential and prepare them for their dream university.

Proactive career exploration is an opportunity to reflect on your interests and to design a life you love.

With that in mind, our counselling team will work 1:1 with our students to help them explore diverse career pathways with Power Club and to write cohesive narratives with The Pomegranate Workshop.

Power Club

As part of our career exploration program, students will embark on a journey

that will help them make informed career choices in the coming years. The

career exploration program is designed in partnership with Power Club.

At the beginning of the program, students will be introduced to

the course design and the various career pathways they will be

exposed to:

Art and design: Fashion design, interior design, architecture, product design,

game design and more

Communication and media: Film and TV, marketing and advertising, social and

digital media, animation and gaming, writing and publishing, journalism and P

Technology: Web and app development, game development, cyber security,

data science, AI, hardware, robotics, and mor

In Grades 8 and 9, students Engineering: structural, mechanical, electrical, automobile, space and

will embark on career

aeronautical, biomedical, materials, energy, and mor

Science and research: math, biology, earth sciences, space science, and mor

explorations where they will

Business and entrepreneurship: sales and marketing, operations, people and

get the opportunity to deep culture, finance, consulting, business intelligence, and more

dive into 60 specific careers Health and wellbeing: general medicine and critical care, diagnostics, mental

across 10 broad career

health, pharma, and more

Economics and finance: banking, insurance, investments, macroeconomics, and

domains:

mor

In Grade 10, students will get Social science: history, geography, policies and governance, language and

to pursue micro-internships

culture, law and ethics

Psychology: clinical, cognitive, social, and industrial-organisational psychology

and neuroscience

Students will spend about six weeks exploring a career domain.

During their explorations, students will undertake projects and

challenges, meet industry experts and work with a coach to define

their roadmap.

f

Students will prepare for the future with three li e design sessions.

and build a cohesive narrative of their work and their interests - a

key skill for university applications

N

arrative building,

Profile building and

N

etwork Building

in the careers of their choice.

Regular check-ins with the

AIS counselling team Applying to universities is a process that begins in Grade 9.

Universities look at a student’s journey from Grade 9 all through high school.

Grade 8 and 9 students will meet 1:1 with the school counselling team once every term. These sessions will provide a platform for parents and students to share their goals and expectations and to co-construct a roadmap for the future.

Grade 10 students will meet 1:1 with the school counselling team once every two months. In these sessions, parents and students will make specific plans for extracurricular work, resume and portfolio building, and start looking to narrow down on university options.

Beginning in Grade 10, students will be exposed to a diverse range of universities aligned to their career interests. Students will also start preparing a roadmap to help them achieve their dreams. A few highlights include: Orientations: Our school counsellor along with teachers will conduct timely orientations to help students create their academic journeys including guidance on the board they should opt for in grades 11 and 12.

College fairs: Students will get the opportunity to interact with representatives from over 40 global universities during the AIS College Fairs.

University webinars: Students will attend selected international university webinars to understand their admissions process and acceptance criteria.

Important points regarding the enrichment program 01

The Enrichment Program will commence in June 2023 i.e. from the start of the academic year 2023-24.

02

While most components of the program will be embedded within school hours, others will be done after school hours or on weekends.

03

Registration in the enrichment program is optional. Students not opting for the program will continue with the current teaching & learning program offered by the school.

04

The additional fee for the Enrichment Program for the academic year 2023-24 will be Rs. 1,45,000/- (plus GST). This additional fee will need to be paid in 4 equal instalments along with the school fee.

05

Subscription to the Enrichment Program will be on an annual basis i.e. once students opt into the program, they will not be allowed to discontinue from the program during the course of the year. Similarly, students who don’t subscribe to the program at the beginning of the year will not get the opportunity to opt-in during the course of the year.

06

The enrichment program is a bundled offering which has been designed taking into account the specific needs of students of this age group. There is no option to subscribe to individual activities offered as a part of the enrichment program except the passionbased learning offering which has options embedded within.

For any queries related to the enrichment program, please write to enrichment@aischool.net