As parents look for early childhood and elementary education options for their youngest children, it is worthy to note that one of the most innovative early-education programs in the world exists today in Oakland County.
Notre Dame’s lower division moved into a new classroom building in the fall of 2013.
Currently, Notre Dame is the only Catholic school in the United States to offer all three levels of the International baccalaureate program.
A quick primer on IB-PYP follows. . .
What is the PYP?
The PYP prepares students to become active, caring, lifelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others and have the capacity to participate in the world around them. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both within and beyond the classroom.
Key facts about the PYP
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) was introduced in 1997.
It followed the introduction of the Middle Years Program (MYP) and the Diploma Program (DP) – established respectively in 1994 and 1968.
The PYP is taught to students aged 3-12.
As of May 22, 2015, there are 1,266 schools offering the PYP, in 106 different countries worldwide.
Origin of the PYP
The PYP was developed through the vision and effort, sustained over ten years, of the former International Schools Curriculum Project (ISCP).
Their goal was to produce a common curriculum, for students in the 3-12 age range, which would provide continuity of learning within each school and ensure that the curriculum developed international-mindedness on the part of learners.
Since being introduced by the IB, the PYP continues to meet these initial aims of providing a curriculum that brings international-mindedness to the school community.
How the PYP works
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) is underpinned by six transdisciplinary themes around which learning is planned.
These are:
• Who we are.
• Where we are in place and time.
• How we express ourselves.
• How the world works.
• How we organize ourselves.
• Sharing the planet.
These themes are selected for their relevance to the real world. They are described as transdisciplinary because they focus on issues that go across subject areas.
The transdisciplinary themes help teachers to develop a program of inquiry. Teachers work together to develop investigations into important ideas, which require a substantial and high level of involvement on the part of students.
Through the PYP curriculum framework, schools ensure that students examine each theme.
Curriculum
The Primary Years Program (PYP) presents schools with a comprehensive plan for high quality, international education.
It provides schools with a curriculum framework of essential elements — the knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and action that young students need to equip them for successful lives, both now and in the future.
Schools work with the five elements to construct a rigorous and challenging primary curriculum for international education.
The PYP aims to create a curriculum that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant for learners in the 3–12 age range. The curriculum is transdisciplinary, meaning that it focuses on issues that go across subject areas.
The PYP is organized according to:
The written curriculum, which explains what PYP students will learn
The taught curriculum, which sets out how educators teach the PYP
The assessed curriculum, which details the principles and practice of effective assessment in the PYP
More information on the IB-PYP at Notre Dame is here.
Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.