Elementary School

  Introduction
  Pre-K and Kindergarten Program
  Primary Program (Grades 1-2)
  Intermediate Program ( Grades 3-5 )
  Elementary School Special Subject Areas
  Communication
  Homework

Elementary Message

August 20, 2010

Dear ISE Community, Welcome back to the 2000-11 school year.  I trust that you have all had a restful vacation with friends and family.  The teachers have been enjoyed the first week with your children.

The 2010-11 school year proves to be another exciting year as we are focusing on revising the social studies curriculum.  We will begin the third year of math Investigations; the children should be familiar with the programs and the terminology.  The science program will continue to focus on hands-on activities using the science kits and materials. Teachers will be continually trying to challenge your children as they employ high level thinking skills into the classroom and encourage our students to work and think together as collaborative teams. As previously noted we will not be sending home the parent-students handbook since you can download it at our website, www.ise.ac.th.  Please take some time to review the expectations and curriculum with your children. Since we are integrating more technology into the curriculum we have created an acceptable technology use form. Please review the form with your child and sign and return it to the elementary office. Safety for your children is paramount at ISE. We will continue to use the alternate bus form that we put in place last year. Please make sure that you submit the form to the ES office as early as possible. If for any reason you need to request different transportation please complete the form and return it to the elementary office.  We would like to ensure that students are headed to the proper places. I look forward to personally meeting all parents throughout the 2010-11 school year.  Please remember that my office door is always open and I welcome your visit. All the best, Heather Naro Elementary School Principal

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PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN

Program Philosophy and Description

Research on early childhood education and the experiences of many parents clearly suggest that the ages of three through seven are a most fertile learning period for children.  During these years, a child’s mind is sometimes compared to a sponge, soaking up knowledge at a faster rate than our adult minds can often appreciate.  The rapid acquisition of language at this stage typically reflects a child’s ability to learn in the primary grades.  It is therefore crucial at this period to provide a child with the richest and most stimulating learning environment possible.

The Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten program at the International School Eastern Seaboard (ISE) is a child-centered program concerned with each child’s potential for physical, intellectual, social, emotional and aesthetic development.  The learning environment is carefully planned to facilitate a young child’s innate desire to explore, create and learn.  The curriculum is presented in a manner designed to foster enthusiasm, independence, self-direction and learning skills.  Enthusiasm is cultivated in an environment of caring and respect, giving each child’s ideas time and space to develop.

The academic curriculum at this early level focuses on language acquisition, cognition, and conceptual mathematics, and numeracy.  Throughout their academic careers, the rate at which children learn, the efficiency with which they retain information, and the speed at which they subsequently process and retrieve that information, is very much determined by how successfully these cognitive processes were established in the first years of education.

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PRIMARY PROGRAM (Grades 1-2)

Program Philosophy and Description

In the elementary school at ISE the Primary division includes first and second grades.   Students are six when they enter first grade and seven when they enter second grade. 

In the first and second grades students begin to move from concrete operations (hands-on tasks) to more abstract tasks (written work). Students in primary grades readily handle more difficult concepts and a more rigorous curriculum by building on the firm foundation created in kindergarten. 

The academic curriculum focuses on development of fluency in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and mathematics.  A wide variety of fiction, non-fiction, and electronic reading materials are used to help students develop reading fluency and comprehension skills.  Mathematics instruction includes six strands including; number and operations, statistics and probability, algebra, measurement, geometry, and problem solving.

In the primary years students are exposed to subjects outside their regular classroom to enrich their education at ISE. Beginning in first grade, students are entered in ESL classes if they are new to the English language.  Students also take classes in art, P.E., music, and Thai from teachers who are specialists in these areas. 

Routines established and reinforced in the Primary grades develop strong work habits that benefit students throughout their education.  For example, reading and mathematics homework, development of spelling skills, D’Nealian manuscript printing all contribute to high standards for written work.  In addition to learning many new concepts, students are taught to work productively with peers and express their ideas clearly.  

The primary years are the optimum time for children to make great leaps in their acquisition of reading, writing, and mathematical skills.                  

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INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM (Grades 3-5)

Program Philosophy and Description

In the elementary school at ISE the intermediate division includes third, fourth, and fifth grades.  Students are eight when they enter third grade, nine when they enter fourth grade and ten when they enter fifth grade. 

By the third grade students should be fluent readers who are able to read a variety of fiction, non-fiction, and electronic text independently.  They are ready to use this skill for more advanced learning.  For example reading and writing skills will be used in social studies (reports, presentations), science (experiments, lab reports), and mathematics (problem solving). 

In mathematics students should know addition and subtraction facts and be able to compute numbers accurately.  They will consolidate their memory of multiplication facts to solve multiplication and division problems.  The mathematics curriculum includes six strands, including; number and operations, statistics and probability, algebra, measurement, geometry, and problem solving. 

Knowledge, skills, and attitudes established in the intermediate grades prepare students for their secondary education.  By the time students exit fifth grade they should be able to exhibit a sufficient body of knowledge in each subject area, express their ideas clearly, read grade level material for comprehension, solve mathematical problems in all areas, and study productively. 

As in the primary division, students take ESL classes if they are new to English.  They also take art, P.E., music, and Thai from teachers who are specialists in these areas.

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COMMUNICATION

Home-school communication is vital to the success of your child’s school experience.  To keep you informed of what is happening at school your child’s teacher will communicate with you weekly through a Friday Folder.  This folder will contain a letter explaining what has taken place in the week just finished as well as what will happen in the week to come. It will also contain work samples.  Parents are encouraged to send notes if they have any requests, questions, or comments. 

In addition to weekly communication the progress of your child is reported formally twice a year.  In October and again in March student led conferences are held and a progress report is sent home. Between reporting periods parents may request progress information by contacting their child’s teacher.

If you have requests, questions or concerns, please call the school office or send a note to speak to your child’s teacher.  Please arrange appointments or conferences in advance so that teachers can collect information needed to answer your questions.

HOMEWORK

Students in primary grades will have daily homework.  This will always include reading since this is such an important skill.  Many classes will include mathematics each day as well.  There may be other assignments depending on the projects being undertaken by each class at any given time. Parents can expect their child to spend from ten to thirty minutes on homework each night.

Students in intermediate grades will have daily homework.  Assignments will usually include a language arts and mathematics assignment.  There may be other assignments depending on the projects being undertaken by each class at any given time. Parents can expect their child to spend from thirty to sixty minutes on homework each night.

Parents are welcome to help their children with homework by explaining what is expected for an assignment.  If a child doesn’t understand what to do it is better to work through an example together than to tell them the answer.  Please don’t do the homework for your child.  This doesn’t help to improve their understanding. 

When reading with your primary child it is most helpful to have your child read aloud so you are able to hear their reading.  Ask questions about what has been read to check their comprehension.  Read a variety of books together.  The more a child reads at school and at home, the stronger his/her reading skills will be and when they turn to reading for pleasure we will know we have done our job well. If your child has difficulty with reading assignments and you are not sure how to help, please write or call your child’s teacher. 

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