January 23, 2012

Update from Alfonso – 1/23

Greetings, Friends –
and Xin nian kwai le! Happy Chinese New Year of the Dragon! Of course this means that the wonderful festival show will take place this Friday at the Gerding Theater. I know I am looking forward to it.

Thanks to the PTO and Teresa Wirsching for hosting what was by all reports a very enjoyable and informative evening last Wednesday on how the PYP* works in the classroom. Parents seemed to enjoy learning about the PYP Learner Profile which guides our work with children and suggests the kind of people we would all like to be. According to the profile we strive to be Caring, Principled, Knowledgeable, Collaborative, Inquirers, Thinkers, Risk Takers, Balanced, Communicator, Reflective, Open Minded.

With those attributes, the IB Organization believes, as do we, children and young people are preparing to be global citizens who can contribute to improving life on our planet. These provide a good framework to discuss with children at home both positive and not so positive behaviors, both their own and those of people out in the world.

Have a good week and see you at the corner,
Alfonso
Dr. Alfonso Orsini, Head of School, AOrsini@intlschool.org, 503-226-2496 x122

*PYP: Primary Years Programme. The International Baccalaureate (IB) has 3 programs for different grade levels. The PYP is for preschool through fifth grade, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) is for 6th through 10th grade, and the Diploma Program is for students aged 16 to 19.