Primary School Principal

Primary School Principal

Işıkkent Primary School aims to raise lifelong learners who experience and inquire, as mentioned in our mission and vision, by using experiential learning methods and enriching the national Ministry of Education curriculum with the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).

With the education we provide in our school, we support our students to think critically and abstractly, to apply leadership and teamwork, to accept failure and move on, and to develop social skills and creativity.

By taking each student’s developmental characteristics into consideration, we plan our lessons and activities according to the students’ interests and learning styles. We also contribute to the holistic development of our students with the lessons such as foreign language, arts, physical education, information technologies, chess, dance and folkdance.

With our programmes for holistic development, we provide our students with opportunities to gain social, cultural and academic attitudes, skills and behaviour. In this regard, we aim to raise students who deal with the environmental problems around them individually and/or in groups, develop projects to solve those problems and apply their resolution in their daily lives.

We have competent academic personnel who aim at improving themselves and the students in every field. All other departments of our school also strive to provide a safe and peaceful environment for our students.

If you would like to get more detailed information, we invite you to our school to have a closer look and learn more about us.

Sincerely,

Our Educational Approach

Işıkkent Primary School is the first and only IBO (International Baccalaureate Organisation)accredited IB-PYP (Primary Years Programme) school in the Aegean Region. Along with the Ministry of Education programme, Işıkkent applies the IB PYP (Primary Years Programme) framework, which integrates subjects under six transdisciplinary themes. İn this way, students can make connections between disciplines and achieve the Ministry of Education outcomes at the same time.

The content of the curriculum covers the Ministry of Education requirements as well as the recent developments in various international resources. Our methods and approaches define the necessary information needed for the 21st century; and focus on permanent aquasition of knowledge.

Our curriculum practises develop students in various areas such as research, effective communication, functioning in different social settings, being conscious and responsible for one’s own health and life, critical thinking and creativity. Our students are regularly assessed in line with the modern assessment and evaluation principles on their ability to produce innovative ideas, do research, and express learning outcomes in writing or orally.

Learning Environment in Primary School

Classroom tools are designed to contribute to the development of our students whilst supporting and enhancing learning outcomes. The classroom population is limited to 24 students. Two teachers in each classroom meet the individual needs and interests of the students. Each student is encouraged to actively participate in the classroom activities.

The classroom is divided into three environments: learning, sharing and practising. Teachers refer to the students’ academic, social needs and skills simultaneously through the integration of these three environments. Students also find opportunities to inquire, give/get feedback, research and learn through application and practice.

The active learning environment allows students to experience, model, analyse, synthesize and assess themselves and their learning. In the classroom, the student is an active component of the learning process; while the teacher adopts the role of a facilitator and guide.

Rich and nurturing environments support learning through action, experimentation and application. Our classrooms enable students to perform a wide variety of activities, and to work in small groups. In an effective and active learning environment, students ask questions, look for answers, research and solve problems by making their own decisions.

Through real-life experiences and inquiry, teachers encourage students to analyse, synthesise and assess the knowledge they acquire. During the process of constructing meaning, the students play an active role and teachers become facilitators. Teachers prepare well thought out experiences according to the interests and developmental levels of their students, and help students make meaningful connections. The dialogue between students and teachers is valued. Teachers ask open ended questions and use a supportive language to encourage students to research.