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GCS in fifth year as IB PYP Programme
Kindergarten through fifth grade to continue learning using IB curriculum

Courtesy art<br>
GCS hiker comprised of the ten IB attitudes of good learners.

Courtesy art<br> GCS hiker comprised of the ten IB attitudes of good learners.

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - The Grand Canyon School (GCS) elementary teaching staff is embarking on another year of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The PYP is a curriculum framework developed by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) to help encourage students gain knowledge and skills while learning to become "internationally-minded" people.

In other words, become individuals who can find lifelong success anywhere in the world by embodying the ten traits of the Learner Profile.

According to the GCS PYP Coordinator, Deb Goepfrich, all planning and instruction in kindergarten though fifth grade involve the five elements of the PYP: skills, attitudes, knowledge, concepts, and action. These elements help guide "best practices" in teaching and learning. This means that students practice essential skills of successful learners. These include social skills, communication skills, thinking skills, research skills, and self-management skills.

"One thing that IB does is kind of make that character education a part of everything we do at the school, so it's not just about learning reading and math and social studies and all these different subjects," Goepfrich said. "That's still really important, but it is also important to be a well-rounded person and have these traits that make kids would IB would call a life-long learner."

Another component of the IB curriculum is that students learn about and strive to show the ten attitudes of good learners: appreciation, commitment, confidence, cooperation, creativity, curiosity, empathy, enthusiasm, independence, integrity, respect, and tolerance.

"Those ten words are the Learner Profile, and the Learner Profile is what they call the end goal of education," Goepfrich said. "It's kind of that holistic view where they want kids to not only be smart but also embody some of these traits of good citizens in the world."

Students also gain knowledge each year through six units of inquiry. During these units of study, students explore content in social studies, science and technology, the arts, and personal, social, and physical education. In addition to and alongside these units, students work to learn and apply their knowledge in mathematics using the Singapore Math curriculum, and language arts using the Spalding curriculum.

"It's kind of the idea that it's not just about learning at school, although that's important, it's about trying to learn more in your life as a good citizen," Goepfrich said.

Students explore these key concepts using guiding questions. These questions help teachers and students move away from superficial exploration of topics and toward more in-depth learning.

"That is what the emphasis of the program is, as you are going throughout your day, throughout your curriculum, you are always referring back to these 10 traits of the Learner Profile," Goepfrich said.

Goepfrich added that PYP, at its heart, aims to develop well-rounded students who are equipped with the ability to become lifelong learners who are empowered to create a better world.

If you would like more information on the Primary Years Programme and what it means for GCS and it's students, or if you would like to volunteer to lend your time or expertise to their units of study, please contact your child's classroom teacher or Deb Goepfrich.


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