At the ISE, we have four reporting periods during the school year. They are as follows:
November - Progress report
January/February - Term 1 report
April - Second progress report
July - Final report
For progress reports, students are given an indicative grade in MYP (except the first progress report in MP1 as students are still learning about the MYP system) or their current overall grade in DP, as well as feedback on their cross-curricular skill development.
Term reports and the final reports include all grades available for each criteria of the MYP subjects or the current overall grade in DP, an overall grade based on the IB Grade Boundaries, and feedback on students' cross-curricular skill development.
See your child's report on ManageBac for the details about the criteria (MYP-only) and grade boundaries. Remember that ManageBac will also have up-to-date information on grades and can be used regularly for feedback.
The focus in MP1 to 3 is to help students explore the different MYP subjects while developing their skills. As teachers, we want to support them in understanding ways to learn so that they can discover how they learn best.
During the MP1-3 Curriculum Evening in October, you will have the opportunity to join a number of different workshops. In the subject specific workshops you will be able to learn about the curriculum, find out about ways to support your child’s learning, and meet the teachers from the different subject areas. In addition, there will also be sessions about ManageBac, the IB Programmes, and an opportunity to informally meet the Year Tutor. The first Progress Report Cards are issued in November, and we hope the information you receive from this curriculum evening will help you support your child’s learning and development.
In February in specific cases, teachers may invite you and your child to meet with them to discuss concerns or points about their learning. Please note that MP3 students will also be invited to the student-led conferences (as outlined below) in February to help them prepare for upper school.
Following the second Progress Report Cards, in April you will be invited to a Learning Showcase where students will present an overview of what they have learned, both in terms of topics and skills, to their parents and teachers. This will give students an opportunity to reflect on their learning throughout the year and help them develop the skills they need to be able to articulate how they learn and what they need in the student-led conferences when they are older.
The focus in MP4, 5 & DP is to encourage students to make choices in their subject packages that support their future goals, but to also be aware of the choices they are making both academically and behaviorally and how these choices impact their learning. Our focus on student-led conferences is aimed at helping students take ownership over this process and helping them to articulate both what they need and how they have learned over the year.
MP4-DP2 students and parents are invited to attend one-to-one student-led parent/teacher conferences following the issues of each report card. The first conferences will take place in November, with follow-up opportunities in February and April. MP3 students and parents as indicated above will also take place in this process from February.
In preparation for these student-led conferences, students will receive support in their year tutor lessons to help them become more self-directed and confident in their learning.
For those of you who would like to have more information about the curriculum and different subject areas, please visit our padlet. This padlet is an online bulletin board, where you can find an array of information from each subject area including introductions from the teachers. It also contains some general information including the IB programme.
Every year in September and January, we offer evenings for new families as a welcome to the school and to learn more about what makes our school "More than a School". Check your email regularly for invitations to these evenings.
Don't forget to check out our monthly parent newsletter for additional news and information on topics about your child's learning and the IB Programmes.