The Wonder Wall: What I want to know is…
While inquiry is often guided and “success criteria” are shared in advance of pursuing given tasks, it is also important to provide time and space for individual inquiry. This might happen at various junctures and is integral to a curriculum that wishes to avoid imposing artificial and abstract concepts on students, to which they have […]
Montessori Toddler Holiday Party
Our Toddlers (18 months to age 3) decorated cookies, sang, danced, and shared story time with their parents in a very special Holiday celebration. The Montessori Children’s House at Qingdao Amerasia International School is the only program in Asia to be accredited by the American Montessori Society. The Toddler program allows each child to take […]
QAIS Rocks the Himalayas
On Saturday afternoon, QAIS Middle Years Programme students brought their very own show to Himalayas Qingdao, featuring songs that the students have been developing in their performance classes and on their own. As staff, we were so impressed by our students’ initiative in developing these pieces, and the maturity they showed in a new environment. […]
Warm Winter Nights – Holiday Performance
With their voices, violins, video presentations, and lots of great dance moves, QAIS students demonstrated the many ways that we share warmth during this frosty season. From Blitzen’s Boogie and Christmas in July to rock and choral performances, the kids had a great time while demonstrating their technical skills with great confidence on stage. Throughout […]
Tuning in: Getting started in the Inquiry Cycle
While the Primary Years Programme fosters student-led inquiry, there is a structure that is followed each and every unit, which is recognizable, familiar, displayed, and discussed with the students. The initial part of any unit must deal with the Central Idea; an enduring understanding which forms the basis for the unit. Then, the lines of […]
From tiny acorns: Grades 4, 5 & 6 through Term 1.
As students paused to share their learning with their parents in Student Led Conferences, it seemed an appropriate juncture to harvest some of the images of the year so far in Grades 4, 5 & 6. As we enter December, the students have grown tremendously as inquirers and continue to blossom as critical thinkers within […]
Healthy Cooking with Toddlers
In the Bamboo cottage the children have been preparing their own snacks every day. This has been a great project that the children enjoy as part of their daily routine. As one of our students Austin exclaimed on Tuesday, “I can’t believe how wonderful the food is in this school. It’s amazing!” There’s no doubt […]
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas in Peony Cottage
Peony Cottage children have been busy this week decorating the classroom for Christmas. They have made paper chains, ornaments and light decorations and there are still so many more fun things to make!
PYP Portfolios – What did you do at school today?
On Monday the 1st December, students will have the opportunity to share their learning with their parents during the Student Led Conferences. The Portfolio will play an integral role in this discussion of challenge and growth between parent and child. Within the realms of the IB Primary Years Programme curriculum, this journal of student learning […]
The Inklings.
What do the authors of “The Lord Of The Rings”, “The Hobbit” and “The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe” have in common? They share a location (Oxford), a friendship and a membership of a famous group known as “The Inklings.” Made of many other famous authors, this was a group that met every Tuesday […]
