In today’s globalized world, academic instruction alone is no longer sufficient to promote success. At St. Mary’s, we believe that along with academic instruction, schools must provide opportunities for students to learn through play, develop social skills, think critically, solve complex problems, work in teams, develop leadership skills, communicate across cultures and develop skills to succeed in a rapidly developing, technologically connected world. And yet, with rapid global development there is still very much a need for a strong connection to community, tradition and local values. At St. Mary’s International School, we combine a dynamic American curriculum with an emphasis on local cultural values to prepare students for success both at home and in their future lives.
The curriculum at St. Mary International School is designed to provide rigorous academic instruction combined with individual and collaborative, inquiry-based lessons that help our students develop into culturally competent, critical thinkers, independent learners and successful communicators. We utilize a globally competitive American curriculum, based on US Common Core Standards, AERO (American Education Reaches Out) and National US standards for Art, Music and P.E., ensuring that our students receive a high-quality American education.
To ensure a balance with our host country culture, our staff reflects a diversity of international teachers and local teachers. All of our academic classes are taught by professionally accredited, native-English speaking teachers, supported by professional, English speaking, Vietnamese teaching assistants. Our special classes including Art, PE & Music are taught by professionally trained, English-speaking Vietnamese teachers. Our curriculum incorporates local culture inside and outside of the classroom through holiday celebrations and cultural traditions that allow students the best of both worlds.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Our Early Childhood Programs are specially tailored to address the developmental and learning needs of students at each age. Our Grizzly 4 program uses My Teaching Strategies - The Creative Curriculum®, a comprehensive, research-based curriculum, which features exploration and discovery as a way of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical-thinking skills. We’ve chosen this curriculum because it focuses on the skills and knowledge that are most important for helping your child to be successful in school. Throughout the year, The Creative Curriculum® will help us plan learning experiences that are just right for your child, so that he or she can make progress at his or her own pace.
To ensure a balance with our host country culture, our staff reflects a diversity of international teachers and local teachers. All of our academic classes are taught by professionally accredited, native-English speaking teachers, supported by professional, English speaking, Vietnamese teaching assistants. Our special classes including Art, PE & Music are taught by professionally trained, English-speaking Vietnamese teachers. Our curriculum incorporates local culture inside and outside of the classroom through holiday celebrations and cultural traditions that allow students the best of both worlds.
ELEMENTARY
The education that students gain in elementary school lays the foundation for their future academic success. Basic literacy, numeracy and investigative skills are developed and reinforced through Grades 1 - 5. Students go from learning to read to reading to learn. They also develop and build upon academic, organization and socio-emotional skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Our Elementary Program follows the US Common Core Standard Curriculum which ensures that our students are gaining the same knowledge and skills as students in American schools worldwide. The curriculum builds upon itself each year, providing students with a firm foundation in each area before building upon that knowledge. St. Mary’s students learn through inquiry, investigation and hands-on exploration. Our teachers tap into the natural curiosity of elementary-aged learners and present material in ways that allow our students to become fully engaged in each lesson.
Our elementary program combines a strong emphasis on academics with an equally strong emphasis on the arts, character education and physical education. Each week, students attend music and arts classes, physical education classes, technology classes and guidance lessons that help them to grow in these areas. Our Afterschool Activities (ASA) program further enhances our curriculum by offering students opportunities to explore new interests, build new friendships and gain new skills.
We understand the importance of recess and play in the elementary ages. Our elementary schedule has built in breaks for snacks and recess throughout the day to allow our younger learners time to rest, play and socialize with their peers. Our lunch and snack breaks also provide students with the nutrition they need to thrive during the school day. Our teachers often also incorporate play throughout the school day to make learning fun and engaging.
Student progress is assessed by regular tests and assessments during the year. Beginning in Grade 3, students also take annual standardized M.A.P (Measures of Academic Progress) Tests that allow us to monitor student progress throughout their academic career. These allow teachers to provide assistance to students who need more time to grasp the material and supplementary work to those who need additional challenges.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle school is a major transition in the life of a student. They often go from one homeroom teacher in ELementary to a busy schedule of multiple teachers and multiple classes. This change allows students to gain a deeper level of knowledge and skills in their academic and creative subjects, and to begin building the responsponsibility, independence and organization skills they will need in high school. Our middle school program builds upon our elementary curriculum continuing with the American Common Core Standards. It is designed to challenge our students academically, continue to develop their character and interpersonal skills, and prepare them for high school level coursework.
In Middle School, our classes continue to be student-centered, building on student interest, while also incorporating skill-building in research, presentation, teamwork, and interpersonal and technology skills that will be necessary for their success in academics and beyond. Middle school students research projects, present findings, develop creative solutions to real world problems, debate issues of global importance, learn about different cultures, analyze classic and contemporary literature, and explore more complex mathematical concepts. Middle school counselors are available to help students navigate this transition and begin to plan their path in high school on to university.
Our Middle School Arts and Athletics Program introduces students to these subjects in greater depth and rigor. Middle school art students develop their talents and are exposed to professional sources of inspiration. Physical Education in middle school continues to promote the healthy lifestyle habits developed in Elementary School, but also works to develop students' individual skills and interests in athletic pursuits - both at the individual and team levels. Our Middle School After School Activity (ASA) Program allows students to compete competitively with other local schools, in addition to providing them the opportunity to explore their interests in other areas.
As in the elementary level, at the middle school level, student progress is assessed by regular assessments during the year and through annual standardized M.A.P (Measures of Academic Progress) Tests that allow us to monitor student progress throughout their academic career. This allows teachers to provide assistance to students who need more time to grasp the material and supplement those who need additional challenges.
HIGH SCHOOL
We will be opening our High School program in August 2023 with our first freshman class. Each successive year, we will be adding another level to our High School program, culminating in our first graduating class in 2027!
In high school, students are building their resume for University and beyond. Our high school students continue to build on the strong academic foundation they developed in Middle School. Following the American Common Core Standards and incorporating Advanced Placement (AP) courses (available in grades 10-12), our high school classes provide students with subject specific knowledge, academic skills and academic and artistic experiences that will help them on their chosen life and career path. High school students have opportunities to explore personal interests, develop career specific skills and build an academic transcript that will provide them with access to university programs around the world.
Our high school program builds upon our middle school curriculum continuing with the American Common Core Standards. It is designed to challenge our students academically, continue to develop their character and interpersonal skills, and prepare them for university level coursework. Core subject classes in Language Arts, Science, Mathematics and Social Studies change each year to cover
advancing topics within the subject. In addition to academics, high school students can choose from a variety of elective classes.
Our High School Arts and Athletics Program allows students to explore new interests and build upon skills and talents developed in their early years. Our high school arts program allows students to create professional style portfolios, participate in live performances and exhibitions. Our high school athletic program gives students the opportunity to further hone their athletic skills, build teamwork and leadership habits and compete in friendly competitions against other international schools in Hanoi.
As in the lower levels, student progress is assessed by regular assessments during the year and through annual standardized M.A.P (Measures of Academic Progress) Tests. In addition to tests and quizzes, student advancement is assessed through creative projects that build skills in the areas of leadership, teamwork, research, writing, presentation, public speaking, debate, design and other technical skills. Ultimately, our high school program is designed to prepare students to succeed in university and wherever their life paths lead beyond university.