Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD), the leading international day and boarding school in Dubai, is enhancing its English International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme to offer premium and personalised STEAM lessons from September 2020 for PreK-Grade 5. This future-focused and integrated approach to learning will focus on a wider range of knowledge that is content specific. It will use Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking.
SISD’s new programme is an addition to the unique bilingual education already provided. It will be project-based, building on the foundations of the International Baccalaureate framework and will allow students wider breadth of knowledge into STEAM subjects through a trans-disciplinary approach. It is designed as a continuum across Pre-KG to Grade 5 allowing students to build their knowledge and skills from personalised starting points. Students will have a dedicated STEAM education, at a scheduled time. They will focus on the design process, design thinking and enhance their computational thinking. The program will focus on a year-long unit of inquiry into the scientific method and design thinking. This is then developed into a curriculum continuum building on understanding, knowledge and skills for media, design, communication, coding and building. For each grade level, students will work complete STEAM projects to demonstrate their learning and apply their skills.
Norbert Foerster, Head of School at SISD said: “As a full-continuum International Baccalaureate school, SISD was conceived as an inspiring learning space where students experience an engaging learning experience, the challenge of developing a real understanding of cultural diversity, and the tools to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution. The world is constantly changing with the global pandemic bringing its own changes and challenges. Thanks to our modern/innovative teaching methods and cutting-edge campus, we have been able to quickly shift and adapt our digital offering.
With our new STEAM programme, we want to take our Scientific DNA to the next level and further diversify the way we teach to increase personalization. Our students will be more creative, they will further enhance their critical thinking skills and recognize the intersection of art, science, technology, engineering, and math. Exceptional education focused on academic excellence and personal growth is what will continue to drive our school to make learning impactful. We strongly believe that this programme will reinforce our commitment to nurturing students’ entrepreneurial sparks and interest in the jobs of the future.”
SISD’s English+ STEAM stream follows the International Baccalaureate curriculum, with additional language lessons of Arabic and French or German. It will also be enhanced using the Next Generation Science Standards, International Standards for Technology Education, UNESCO Education for Sustainability Development. In spite of these enhancements, the fees for this personalized English+ STEAM programme are discounted by 10,000 AED for Pre-KG to KG2 and by 12,000 AED for Grades 1 to 5.
