Author: DCSS

IB PYP at Midvale Elementary
Every child at Midvale is a participant in the IB Primary Year Programme. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the official curriculum framework and teaching methodology of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) developed to meet the needs of the whole child, in the classroom as well as the world outside, through other environments where children learn.
The PYP:
emphasizes learning through active inquiry.
provides a set of organizing themes that helps schools to incorporate state and district content standards into a balanced program of knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action that addresses the needs of the whole child.
combines the best research and practices to create a relevant and engaging educational framework for all children.

Our students are:
Inquirers
Thinkers
Communicators
Risk-takers
Knowledgeable
Principled
Caring
Open-minded
Balanced
Reflective
Our school community teaches and models the attitudes that help our students develop the Learner Profile:
Appreciation
Commitment
Confidence
Cooperation
Creativity
Curiosity
Empathy
Enthusiasm
Independence
Integrity
Respect
Tolerance

MIDVALE ELEMENTARY
International Baccalaureate Primary Years World School

3836 Midvale Road
Tucker, GA 30084
678-874-3402
www.midvalees.dekalb.k12.ga.us

Mission Statement
Midvale’s mission is to instill in our students the power of meaningful knowledge, a genuine love for the learning process, the responsibility to become active community leaders, a respect for the inherent value and dignity of every person, and the strength to embrace challenges throughout their lives.

Curriculum

Transdisciplinary program of inquiry connects all disciplines to the conceptually central idea
Content rich with global perspectives
Delivers Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) through units of inquiry
Spanish is taught as the second language to all students
Uses problem-based learning to connect real-world problem solving and application
Opportunities to take action to help home, school and the community
Inquiry-based instruction
Builds on students’ prior knowledge
Cooperative and collaborative learning
Differentiation within the curriculum
Real world problem solving
Student centered

Instructional Delivery

How does the PYP operate?
At the heart of the PYP Philosophy is a commitment to inquiry. Students are involved in six transdisciplinary units of inquiry driven by key conceptual questions under these organizing themes:
Who We Are:
Exploring ourselves, our beliefs and values, rights and responsibilities, our friends, families, and cultures.
Where We Are in Place and Time:
Exploring our location in place and time, our personal histories, local and global history and geography, migration and discoveries of ourselves and others, the contributions of individuals and civilizations.
How We Express Ourselves:
Exploring the ways we express ourselves, our ideas, our feelings, our cultures, our creativity, and our beliefs and values through multiple disciplines.
How the World Works:
Exploring natural and human-made phenomena and the world of science and technology.
How We Organize Ourselves:
Exploring human and living systems, communities and the working world.
Sharing the Planet:
Exploring relationships between living things and how humans share the world’s finite resources.

What make the PYP different?
The PYP demands a true partnership between students, teachers and parents in the school community. Children are actively engaged in learning about issues and themes of universal significance.
The PYP classroom is student-centered, with the teacher serving as a facilitator. Students are encouraged to become active learners and critical thinkers. They learn to take socially responsible action.
For more information on the IBO, visit:
www.ibo.org

Deborah Satterfield, Principal
Tara Dougherty, Assistant Principal
Ashley Little, IB Site Coordinator
For more information: ashley_little@dekalbschoolsga.org
678-874-3402