IB Asia Pacific Newsletter

Quarter Two, 2008

Primary Years Programme

Special Feature on PYP Networks in Asia Pacific

This quarter the PYP team would like to highlight the supportive

role Networks provide within our region.  While not all Networks

are represented in this Newsletter, we look forward to sharing

activities from other PYP Networks in the future.

IB PYP Dunia Network – Indonesia

The path traversed by the IB PYP Dunia network, Indonesia has

been one which draws parallel to the growth of a tree from a

small sapling. From a humble beginning about six years ago, the

number of member schools has reached thirty- two, including

thirteen authorized schools.

The member schools are at various stages of the PYP journey

and it is heartening to observe the participants demonstrating

the qualities of the IB learner profile by being open minded in

sharing their experiences and knowledge with each other in a

very supportive and enthusiastic environment.

The member schools continue to meet on a quarterly basis,

having two job-a-like sessions for coordinators and the other

two job-a-like sessions for the specialist teachers. These

sessions are an excellent forum for teachers to discuss their

concerns, challenges or ideas. Not only by interschool visits but

over the internet too, our interaction is finding new vistas for

self development, which in turn is advantageous to the

respective school’s programme improvement.

The latest Dunia meeting was held at Sekolah Global Indo Asia,

Batam Island, from 29 February to 1 March 2008, where we had

the honor of having Ms Tania Lattanzio, Associate Regional

Manger, Asia Pacific who conducted various interactive sessions

and shared her expertise and knowledge. It goes without saying

that without IB Asia Pacific office’s support and omnipresent

guidance the success of PYP Dunia as a movement would be

found wanting.

Singapore PYP Network

The Singapore PYP Network group was formed in 2003.  Initially

consisting of four schools, it has since grown to include a total of

13 schools and 20 coordinators. Three more schools are set to

join the network next year.

Network meetings provide an opportunity for professional

development for coordinators.  More often than not these

meetings focus on a specific topic (portfolios, reports, POI

review etc) and as a result coordinators are able to further

guide the development and understanding of the programme in

their schools. The support which coordinators offer each other is

very significant and is often extended outside of meeting times

through various forms of communication.  This sharing and

collaborating continues throughout the year.

The Singapore Network has established regular professional

development in the form of Job-A-Like sessions, to which all PYP

teachers are invited to meet, share and collaborate with those

colleagues from network schools who have equivalent jobs. 

Teachers have found these sessions to be most enriching and

enlightening.  Individuals have been able to strengthen their

classroom practices by implementing strategies and ideas which

they have taken on board as a result of Job-A-Likes.  Being

welcomed into the hosts’ classrooms and viewing displays and

children’s work has also been very constructive.  The whole

thinking behind the Job-A-likes is very much in keeping with the

philosophy of the IB which promotes a spirit of sharing and

collaborating.

The network has also organized shared induction programmes

for staff new to the PYP.  These are proving to be very

successful and will be undergoing further refinement this coming

year to make them even more effective. The Singapore PYPC

Network is evolving and is growing in strength.  Long may the

collaboration continue!

New Zealand PYP Network

The New Zealand PYP Network was launched in May 2007 at St

George’s Preparatory School, Wanganui. It was well

represented from authorized school and the many NZ schools

who are at Candidate and Pre Authorization stages. We

welcomed Andrea Muller and Greg Valentine representing IB

Asia Pacific. This was the first time many of the Coordinators

and Heads had met under the PYP umbrella. Many ideas were

floated, as to how we could support each other. Distance is an

issue in NZ, as the PYP schools are spread throughout the

country, Auckland having the greatest concentration of PYP

authorized and interested schools. Thank goodness for email;

good communication will provide support for those feeling alone.

We met again in early November 2007 in Wellington at Queen

Margaret College.  Auckland’s Diocesan School for Girls will host

the first 2008 meeting on 6 June and later on Monday 13

October we will meet at Selwyn House Christchurch.

Our aim is to support each other thorough each step of our

schools journey in the PYP. With the launch of the new NZ

Curriculum (which looks remarkably like PYP in many areas  

http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/) we have many ideas to discuss

and share.

The South Australian IB Primary Years Programme Teachers Network

There are approximately 30 schools involved in the network.

These schools are both independent and state schools, located

mainly in the metropolitan area but including some rural

schools.

The role of the network is

• to provide professional learning opportunities for PYP teachers
• To develop support networks for PYP teachers and staff
• To provide support for PYP leadership in schools

The Network provides:

• Networking opportunities  for teachers through  an “open schools programme”
• Spotlight seminar sessions on a variety of subjects
• Invitations to Schools PYP Exhibitions
• Guest speakers from organizations and Regional Office Singapore
• Support for PYP Coordinators 
• Networking group for PYP Principals and Heads of School
• Linking with AAIBS
• Workshops with interstate and overseas educators/experts
•  A website to share information about the network
• Opportunities for teachers  to visit  other PYP schools to see the PYP in action
• Support for schools undergoing evaluation visits.
• Opportunities to take part in job-alike sharing

HK/Southern China Sub-regional network

The 2007-2008 academic was a very busy year for our network.

With eight authorized schools, 21 candidate schools and three

interested schools, the growth in our network has offered us

many opportunities to share our stories and learn from each

other.

The International Inquirer, the HK/Southern China Network

Newsletter has been published twice this year, with a third

publication scheduled for June. The first newsletter shared who

we are and where we are in our PYP journey. The second was a

collection of reflections. The last newsletter theme will be

sharing our learning. The newsletter is sent to all interested,

candidate and IB World Schools and is ‘hot reading’ around staff

rooms across the network.

Another initiative, network sub-groups (job-a-likes), continued

this year with teacher get-togethers in ICT & Library, Early

Years, and for native Chinese speakers. Additionally, grade

level groups met for the first time this year and have initiated

further meetings with each other. An Exhibition group met and

we are looking at organizing a group focusing on Learning

Needs to begin meeting next academic year.

While our respective teachers were taking advantage of the

opportunities to develop their understanding of the PYP, as

coordinators, we were not giving ourselves this same

opportunity. Our focus this year then moved from ‘setting up’

our network and encouraging others to meet, to identifying

goals for our own professional development. To that end each

time we met we established a ‘professional focus’ around which

to center our next meeting. It was each coordinator’s

responsibility to submit information and/or samples from their

school regarding the focus for that meeting. At the meeting we

all had opportunities to share our trials, tribulations, successes

and any ‘aha’ moments with the group. We even had the

pleasure of hosting Mario Gauci from the IB Asia Pacific office.

2008-2009 awaits!

Victorian PYP Network – Australia

With over 40 schools and a dedicated team driving the Victorian

PYP Network, Heads of schools, Coordinators and teachers are

supported by a collegiate group who strive to support each

other in the pursuit of outstanding educational practice.

Stimulating interaction between like-minded PYP practitioners

enhances best practice and is an essential part of supporting

schools and maintaining high standards.

 There are several aspects to the work of the Victorian Network:

• once a term (x 4 times a year) Heads of Schools and PYP Coordinators meet at a nominated school, firstly as separate entities for an hour and then in a joint meeting for an extra hour. This is a wonderful time to share ideas, discuss issues and engage in learning. After our initial one hour meeting both groups join for a combined meeting to discuss joint areas of need, concern and celebration of practice.
• the PD Committee of the Victorian PYP Network organises classroom and specialist teachers to meet once a term. Each committee member acts as a mentor to support these meetings. The enormous response indicates the value teachers put on the professional development opportunity provided by these meetings where teachers share and contribute to ongoing understanding of PYP practice.
• the Professional Development committee also organises PD which is financially supported by the Network.
• great interest has been shown in the Network’s newsletter – the ‘PYP Inclusive’ which has articles from schools not only in Victoria but from varying countries throughout our Region. Through these articles PYP practitioners share best practice in our Region

Victorian PYP Network, Melbourne, Australia Principals/Heads of School Group

This is a sub-group of the Victorian PYP Network and we meet

once per term, always in one of our PYP schools in Victoria.  The

focus for our sub-group is to try and keep everyone up to date

with developments within IB PYP and share practices and ideas

that have been effective in our own schools. We currently have

40 members.

• We share the latest publications published by IB and give updates on information from the Regional Office.  It is vitally important to maintain an open and reciprocal relationship with the Regional Office and the PYP Regional manager.  We have been so fortunate to receive wonderful support from Mignon Weckert, Tania Lattanzio and Judith Guy.
• We discuss ways to provide support for staff in the rapidly growing number of schools in our state implementing PYP.
• We have been discussing staff Induction programmes in our schools and sharing with each other information and models used.
• We are looking at the specific needs of our schools and how we can source speakers and information to further support their developments.
• Finding out more about MYP and DP will be a key focus in a future meeting.

Mignon Weckert, PYP Regional Manager

Tania Lattanzio, PYP Associate Regional Manager

Mario Gauci, PYP Associate Regional Manager

Bill Fenton, PYP Associate Regional Manager

Rajeevani Constantine, Personal Assistant

Email: ibappyp@ibo.org