IB Program
International Baccalaureate
Primary Years (PYP) Program
IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programmes of international education that share a powerful vision.
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who
help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end
the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging
programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students
across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people,
with their differences, can also be right.
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International Baccalaureate is an education system based on the whole child, to educate inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people both in school and in the world beyond, to help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
Why IB - PYP at Fairmont?
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The first five years of a child's life are the foundation that shapes the child's future health, happiness, growth, development, and learning achievement.
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The PYP provides the framework for our students to dig deeper into concepts and make connections across the curriculum domains.
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The IB Primary Years Programme is a perfect fit for Fairmont: It provides us with a school-wide curriculum framework and blends well with our current teaching and learning methods.
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
We are committed to improving the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high-quality programs of international education that share a powerful vision.
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The Primary Years Program focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in school and in the world beyond. It offers a transformative experience for students, teachers, and the whole school community.
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It’s an approach to teaching and learning that engages students actively while encouraging them to think deeply and take action in their own lives.
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Through this program, students become internationally-minded thinkers and inquirers who ask questions and seek answers with a global perspective.
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It fosters a love for learning by nurturing the student’s natural curiosity.
How Will We learn?
We will use inquiry, which includes research, wondering, questioning, experimenting, developing curiosity, and much more. Our Programme of Inquiry is organized around six transdisciplinary themes.
Each theme incorporates language and literacy, readiness and writing, numbers and math, science and social studies, social-emotional and physical development.
The curriculum is an inquiry-based program that empowers students to take action to create a better, more peaceful world.
An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health, human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Who We Are
How We Organize Ourselves
An inquiry into the
interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment
An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
How We Express Ourselves
Where We Are in Place and Time
An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
How the World Works
An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural
Sharing the Planet
An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
By developing the attributes of the IB learner profile, students also learn how to demonstrate respect for themselves and others, developing international-mindedness by working with others for a shared purpose, and taking positive action for change.
We believe these 10 attributes can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national, and global communities.
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
Communicator
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
Open Minded
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in
making reasoned, ethical decisions.
Thinkers
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues
and ideas that have local and global significance.
Knowledgeable
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning
throughout life.
Inquirers
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
Caring
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
Balanced
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
Risk-takers
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
Reflective
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
Principled
The Learner Profile
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people, who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
