Lower School Sessions

How can AI help teachers and families focus on what really matters in learning? This session explores how AI-assisted planning can streamline inquiry-based teaching—mapping standards to meaningful questions, curating authentic texts, and generating accessible rubrics—so students spend more time thinking and creating. Drawing on classroom examples, attendees will see how purposeful AI use supports rigor, differentiation, and engagement without adding busywork. Designed for families, this session highlights practical takeaways for home learning and shares the lasting impact of ASM’s January AI professional development.

In this session, Daniel reflects on his central inquiry: “What is my impact as a coach?” Through a mix of stories and data collected at ASM, he paints a picture of different coaching strategies and the impacts that they had on teachers in the inquiry coaching cycle. Participants will gain insights about data gathered from coaching cycles, stories of coaching at ASM, and the impact of innovative practices. This session is ideal for coaches, leaders, and teachers curious about building a reflective, growth-oriented culture.  

What happens when outdoor play becomes part of learning—and when educators champion every child’s right to play? ASM’s award-winning Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) program has transformed recess into a dynamic, student-driven experience filled with creativity, collaboration, and joy. In this session, we’ll share our journey from traditional playtime to a mentor-supported model that reimagines how children explore, invent, and take risks. Discover how intentional play design improves engagement, strengthens transferable skills, and empowers every child to thrive—both inside and outside the classroom.

This session introduces the newly launched ICAP (Instructional Coach / Assistant Principal) role in the Lower School and how it expands the impact of instructional coaching into a broader, schoolwide support system. Whitney will share how the ICAP model strengthens alignment between teaching, learning, family partnership, and leadership by offering differentiated support to every stakeholder group: students, teachers, parents, grade-level teams, and the wider LS community.

Attendees will gain a clearer picture of how team-based and individualized ICAP work creates more responsive structures, deeper collaboration, and ultimately, stronger student outcomes. Ideal for anyone curious about how this new hybrid role operates in practice and how it advances ASM’s commitment to teaching, learning, and community connection.

Behind every success story is a pattern — and at ASM, our Student Support Team is uncovering those patterns through data. This session highlights how thoughtful, data-driven practices inform interventions, measure growth, and ensure every learner gets what they need to thrive. Discover how evidence turns into empathy, and how data helps us make visible the difference we make. 

How can language learning grow with every student’s journey? This session highlights ASM’s well-structured, high-quality Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) curriculum—designed to ensure clarity, engagement, and fairness for both students and teachers. Rooted in authentic communication and cultural understanding, the program empowers students to develop transferable skills like collaboration, problem-solving, and perseverance. Attendees will see how the Lower School Spanish program adapts to each learner’s path, cultivating confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong connection to language and culture.

ASM's Grade 4 Team presents a practical, thoughtful approach to supporting 9–10-year-olds in their character development. Their session explores how relationships, empathy, and responsibility are cultivated in the classroom and beyond. It’s aligned with ASM’s innovation model by focusing on the whole child and building strong social foundations in tandem with academic growth. This session is valuable for all members of our community. 

This session introduces the newly launched ICAP (Instructional Coach / Assistant Principal) role in the Lower School and how it expands the impact of instructional coaching into a broader, schoolwide support system. Whitney will share how the ICAP model strengthens alignment between teaching, learning, family partnership, and leadership by offering differentiated support to every stakeholder group: students, teachers, parents, grade-level teams, and the wider LS community.

Attendees will gain a clearer picture of how team-based and individualized ICAP work creates more responsive structures, deeper collaboration, and ultimately, stronger student outcomes. Ideal for anyone curious about how this new hybrid role operates in practice and how it advances ASM’s commitment to teaching, learning, and community connection.

What happens when outdoor play becomes part of learning—and when educators champion every child’s right to play? ASM’s award-winning Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) program has transformed recess into a dynamic, student-driven experience filled with creativity, collaboration, and joy. In this session, we’ll share our journey from traditional playtime to a mentor-supported model that reimagines how children explore, invent, and take risks. Discover how intentional play design improves engagement, strengthens transferable skills, and empowers every child to thrive—both inside and outside the classroom.

How can language learning grow with every student’s journey? This session highlights ASM’s well-structured, high-quality Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) curriculum—designed to ensure clarity, engagement, and fairness for both students and teachers. Rooted in authentic communication and cultural understanding, the program empowers students to develop transferable skills like collaboration, problem-solving, and perseverance. Attendees will see how the Lower School Spanish program adapts to each learner’s path, cultivating confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong connection to language and culture.

Behind every success story is a pattern — and at ASM, our Student Support Team is uncovering those patterns through data. This session highlights how thoughtful, data-driven practices inform interventions, measure growth, and ensure every learner gets what they need to thrive. Discover how evidence turns into empathy, and how data helps us make visible the difference we make. 

Our Grade 5 students take the stage to lead this special assembly celebrating the spirit and values that define the American School of Madrid. Through stories, reflections, and creative presentations, they’ll highlight what it means to live our ASM values every day — as learners, friends, and community members.

This student-led celebration invites the Lower School to come together in joy and gratitude, recognizing the curiosity, kindness, and courage that spark learning and connection across our community.

What happens when fifth graders become songwriters? This session highlights ASM’s individual songwriting project, where students move from a simple lyrical hook to a fully recorded composition using GarageBand. Along the way, they draft, revise, collaborate, and reflect—developing creativity, perseverance, and authentic expression. Through lyrics, rhythm, and recording, students explore storytelling, pattern, and emotion while gaining hands-on experience with digital tools. Attendees will hear student examples and see how music composition fosters agency, collaboration, and joyful learning.