PRIMARY ACADEMICS AT ISLAND ACADEMY

Island Academy is an international school in the process of acquiring International Baccalaureate (IB) certification. Our academic programme draws on aspects of international, British, Canadian, Caribbean and other national curricula. It is both rich and broad. Consistent with our mission, we provide classroom experiences that prepare students not only for university admission, but also for life as responsible citizens of a complex and changing world.

In the Primary school, for children aged 5 to 11 years, children are placed in homeroom groupings, or grades, in the care of a homeroom teacher and receive instruction in all of the core subject areas - Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science. Music, Art, Spanish and PE are taught by specialist teachers. Grades 4 to 6 also have IT with their class teacher and the IT specialist in the IT lab.

Language skills are developed across the curriculum and, cumulatively, through the grades. Students use and develop important language skills as they read and think about topics, themes, and issues in various subject areas. Students learn to communicate with clarity and precision, orally, in writing, and through a variety of media.

The math curriculum recognizes that all students do not necessarily learn mathematics in the same way, and within the same time frames. It supports equity by promoting the active participation of all students and by clearly identifying the knowledge and skills students are expected to demonstrate in every grade. It is based on the belief that students learn mathematics most effectively when they are given opportunities to investigate ideas and concepts through problem solving and are then guided carefully into an understanding of the mathematical principles involved.

The Grade 6 year is the CEE testing year.