C. Staffing and Staff Development
The ES welcomed Ms. CharisShuter, Ms. DespoinaKarpouzi, Ms. Megan Woolman, Ms. ManalNabeel, Ms. Zelda Broodryk, Ms. JanniferKioge, Ms. Hanan Al Hejooj, Ms. ShiranthiniHensman, Ms. Enaam Al Khatib, Ms. MarwishMerzhar, Ms. Nnosang Wilson, Ms. JehanNamlaiti and Ms. EwaRojek. The MS and HS welcomed Mr. Ali Al Shehab, Ms. NishaJijith, Mr. SchalkMunnik and Ms. Fatima Altamimi. NIS also hired new graphics publisher Mr. Santhost Kumar and for MS/HS Librarian Ms. Fatima Mohammed Ali.
The IBO PYP Evaluation Visit was successfully conducted in December. The purpose of this visit was to ensure that the high quality of the international programme was being met through the Programme Standards and Practices as prescribed by the IBO. This visit included conversations with all stakeholders, including board members, parents and students. The school review team were Mr Darren Arbour, an IB consultant from Canada, and Mr John Sauer, IB PYP Programme Manager from the Netherlands.
As a result of the visit, teachers worked on developing a deeper understanding of the PYP Philosophy though inquiring into the constructivist approach. Teachers were given the assignment of writing an essay on their understanding and application of the constructivist approach and in groups presented their research to staff. We also worked on an action plan based on other recommendations made by the team. Now we are looking forward to a follow up visit in December of 2012.
The ES leadership team continued to meet regularly and they have worked on developing and meeting the goals for this year, through an action plan.
Weekly In-school workshops were conducted on the following topics: inquiry based learning, the Art and Science of Teaching, and the QAA, MSA and PYP evaluations.
All teachers new to the PYP programme attended an induction workshop. Official In School PYP Workshops were conducted by PYP trainers in January. The two workshops were ‘Conceptual Learning’ and ‘Early childhood students in the PYP’. Nursery to Gr. 2 teachers and assistants attended an in-school workshop on 3 – 5 year olds in the PYP – this workshop looked at the importance of the Environment and how it shapes learners. Teachers from Grade 3 – 6 and subject specific teachers attended the Concepts Based Learning workshop. The focus of this workshop was to explore concepts (form, function, causation, connection, change, perspective, responsibility and reflection) in greater depth. Teachers also revisited the theory behind conceptual thinking, developed a better understanding of key and related concepts and analyzed our Programme of Inquiry and Units of Inquiry through different conceptual lenses.The visiting PYP trainers are Ms OzdenOzer, PYP Coordinator, YUCE Schools, Turkey and Ms GhadaMaalouf, Preschool Director and PYP Coordinator, from the International College Ras Beirut, Lebanon.
Naseem International School's commitment to providing continued support to teachers through its Professional Development Programme, is ongoing with many professional development sessions (PDs) conducted during the course of the year. These included in-house training of new teachers on the principles and practices of the MYP, coaching and support by Heads of Department and the MYP Coordinator.
Training for Personal Project supervision and preparation for Student-Led Conference supervision were conducted early in the first quarter. Other PD sessions included Differentiation by Teaching to Multiple Senses, teachers' essential agreements to model the Learner Profiles and understanding the Areas of Interaction as a teaching context. During the second quarter, sessions on Assessment with Rubrics, sessions to demonstrate useful teaching strategies and how to create a personalized website were held. During the third quarter ideas on planning for Enquiry-based learning were shared. During the fourth quarter several Interdisciplinary Units of Work were brainstormed and written up by collaborating subject teachers in each grade level using the principles and guidelines published in the new IB Guide. The units were prepared and planned for delivery during the first quarter of the new academic year.