Junior School (Grades 1 - 6)
Richland Academy is an inquiry-based learning school with a strong academic program. In Grades 1 to 6 teachers implement the IB-PYP Curriculum Framework interweaved with the Ontario Provincial Curriculum.
Our curriculum is enhanced by our respect for nature. We purposefully schedule nature walks which allow children to make observations, sketch what they see, generate thought-provoking questions for further study, and develop socialization skills. Outdoor experiences also enhance their mental health and well-being and provide the needed physical movement that is crucial to brain development and learning.
Subjects include Language Arts, French, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Visual Art, Performing Arts, and Health and Physical Education.
What is a Reggio-inspired Junior School?
We often hear people say: “I have seen Reggio-inspired environments for very young children but we’ve never seen it applied in grade schools. We love it!” This comment doesn’t surprise us because there isn’t another school in Ontario that integrates Reggio design principles across all grade levels.
Why did we do it? Because the principles are equally as important and impactful for older children as they are for younger children. We wanted to create the very best conditions for learning. And we know you want that for your children, too.
In our Junior School the environment is clean, open, and inviting. Classrooms have soaring windows and are filled with natural light. Instead of desks in rows, there are work tables for collaborative learning, cozy spaces for reading and reflection, and sofas and comfy chairs grouped together for conversation. Children in the Junior School have a home room and travel as a group to the specialist subjects of Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Health and Physical Education, and French.
Children from Grades 1 to 6 utilize the amazing facilities of our entire school, including our piazza (an open public space used for community gatherings), science lab, maker space, yoga and meditation room, full gymnasium, and kitchen. Junior students also enjoy our outdoor play spaces and nature walks on the Saigeon Valley trail, located directly behind our school.
IB Primary Years Program (PYP) in Grades 1-6
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a curriculum framework designed by the International Baccalaureate (IB). Founded on a philosophy that recognizes a child’s natural curiosity, creativity and ability to reflect, the PYP generates a stimulating, challenging learning environment to nurture those assets and foster a lifelong love of learning in every child. The PYP is transdisciplinary, meaning students learn across subject areas while investigating big ideas.
In the PYP, students learn about significant concepts through units of inquiry. Grade 1-6 students study six transdisciplinary themes that guide units of inquiry and compose a year of study 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.
Units of inquiry interweave subject areas such as mathematics, language arts, science and social studies. This approach encourages students to make connections between what they learn and how it relates to the world around them.
Assessment in the PYP
Through assessment, the IB helps schools teaching the PYP to identify what students know, understand, can do and value at different stages in the teaching and learning process.
In the PYP, learning is viewed as a continuous journey, where teachers identify students’ needs and use assessment data to plan the next stage of their learning.
The purposes of assessment in the PYP are to:
- promote student learning
- provide information about student learning
- contribute to the successful implementation of the programme.
Teachers use a wide range of assessment strategies to collect information on each of the elements represented in the written curriculum: the understanding of concepts, the acquisition of knowledge, the mastering of skills, the development of positive attitudes and the ability to take responsible action.
The PYP Exhibition
Encouraging in-depth, collaborative inquiry, PYP students carry out an extended, in-depth, collaborative project known as the PYP exhibition in their final year of the programme.
The PYP Exhibition involves students working collaboratively to conduct an in-depth inquiry into real life issues or problems. Students collectively synthesise all of the essential elements of the PYP in ways that can be shared with the whole school community.
This provides teachers with a powerful and authentic process for assessing student understanding. The exhibition also represents a unique and significant opportunity for students to showcase the attributes of the IB learner profile developed throughout their engagement with the programme.
The PYP Exhibition provides schools and students with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the transition of learners to the next phase of their education.