Welcome to the Grade 4 page. We would like to share with you what we do during this year to give you an idea of our curriculum. A more detailed curriculum overview is available when you go to this link: http://www.ssis-suzhou.net/primary.htm (???)

We have a big team in Grade 4. Currently (2007-2008 academic year) there are 7 homerooms. Our class sizes are maximum 20 students. We also have two ESL (English as a Second Language) support staff dedicated to Grade 4. They assist with specialist sessions targeted at beginning and intermediate learners of English. They do so by pulling out the targeted groups from the homerooms for special instruction or by coming to assist in the homerooms.

We are a PYP school that follows the Primary Years Program of the IBO (International Baccalaureate Organisation) and we offer 6 transdisciplinairy Units of Inquiry per year.

The Units of Inquiry in Grade 4 are:

Cooperation – Cooperation involves understanding ourselves and how we work with others – focus: Personal, Social and Physical Education

Persuasion – People influence others in different ways– focus: Language Arts

Matter – The world is made of matter that exists in different states – focus: Science

Energy – Technology harnesses energy to make our world work – focus:

Agents of Change – People and groups can be agents of change in our environment and society - focus:

Suzhou – Where we live reflects continuity and change – focus:

Mathematics and Language are integrated into the curriculum by the home room teachers as and when possible. Chinese, Art, Music, ICT and PE are taught by single subject specialist teachers collaborative planning ensures that these subjects are purposefully integrated into some units of inquiry.

But we don’t just study hard in Grade 4. We organize a two-night-three day camp that usually falls the week before the October break and fits well with the Cooperation Unit. Furthermore, twice a year we participate in regional international school soccer tournaments.