Primary | Overview

IN THIS SECTION

ABOUT WIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

The Primary School is a lively space where a walk down the hallway will expose learning in all three of WIS’s core languages: English, French, and Spanish. Teachers are native speakers of their language of instruction and students bring a mix of nationalities and language backgrounds.

Our Early Years program begins with Preschool (for children who are three by September 1), continues with Pre-Kindergarten (for four-year-olds), and concludes with Kindergarten. Early Years learning is French Immersion or Spanish Immersion.

In Grades 1–5 students pursue a dual-language program in either French/English or Spanish/English, with half of academic instruction in the non-English language. The French as an Additional Language (FAL) and Spanish as an Additional Language (SAL) programs provide extra assistance to students whose language ability is not yet at grade-level expectations.

Learning is structured within the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP), where children delve into real-life topics through inquiry — by asking questions. Students spend much of the day with their core teachers, but also have “single subject” classes focused on art, music, design technology, physical education, and library/information and communication literacy.

Other activities offer an important balance to the classroom and a chance for students to explore and cultivate personal interests. In addition to after school extended learning programs, students have the opportunity to perform in the Primary School chorus or band, participate in Student Council, or join in service learning activities.

INQUIRY-BASED MATHEMATICS

Mathematics instruction adds up to more than just numbers at WIS. Students are asked to explore concepts through real-world examples, which helps them to retain and apply the skills they have learned.

The video on this page explains more about inquiry-based mathematics in WIS Primary School classrooms. For more detail about the IB PYP, click HERE.

ASSESSMENT

At WIS, we believe assessment practices need to be rigorous, diverse, and research-based. We believe the goal of assessment is to gather valuable information about teaching and learning, in order to support students and to inform instruction. WIS meaningfully assesses its students and curriculum using multiple measures, such as portfolios, observations, conferences, reading inventories, and report cards.

Primary School assessment information is available on the final page of THIS DOCUMENT. WIS also administers the ERB test to students in Grades 3 to 5 in order to:

Inform teaching/instruction
Help understand a student’s learning profile and support students’ growth
Give students experience with taking a standardized test
rovide parents with an external academic assessment of their children

It is essential to remember that a standardized test is only one measure of a student’s ability or progress and must be viewed as a part of the whole. The results are a snapshot of a child at a specific moment and provide a way to see areas of strength and areas for growth.