ANGUILLA – The Omololu International School, a private primary school located in Anguilla, is prepped for big changes over the coming months.
The changes really began back in July of 2016, when the school received official authorization from the International Baccalaureate Organization, certifying it as a Primary Years Programme World School.
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is a world-wide educational group headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The three programmes that run under the IBO are the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP). Omololu International School became the first school in Anguilla to receive the designation.
Recognized around the world as a progressive and rigorous programme, PYP stresses the importance of a student-centered, inquiry based education. The programme itself is a framework that can be used with any curriculum. Omololu International School will continue to teach the Anguilla National Curriculum with added international components, ensuring that students take ownership of their learning through frequent field trips, projects, and engaging units of study.
Through this programme, all OIS students are exposed to a global perspective, preparing them for whatever challenges come along as they move through life and around the world. Omololu joins a small and elite group of schools in the region with IB Authorization, including St. Dominic High School in St. Maarten, Cedar International School in Tortola, and Island Academy in Antigua. Less than 1,000 schools globally have been authorized as PYP schools with other regional PYP Schools in Tortola, Bahamas, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.
For those wishing to know more about the International Baccalaureate Organization – Primary Years Programme, visit http://ibo.org/programmes/primary-years-programme/
With the PYP Programme now in full operation, the school will be setting its sights on another project – expanding into a Secondary School. Plans are now moving forward to open a Grade 7/ Form 1 program for September 2017. If demand is there, consideration will be given to opening a Grade 8/ Form 2 in 2017 as well.
The program of instruction will be an innovative and comprehensive education, geared towards preparing a diverse group of students for whatever challenges come next. Based upon the Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) “Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence” (CCSLC), but infused with a global perspective, students graduating from the program will be ready for whatever institution they enter into next.
Broken into four Thematic Units, each taking up a quarter of the year, the curriculum will challenge students to ask questions and seek answers, and to go deeper into local, regional, and global topics. Each unit will include components of Math, Language, Science, History, Civics, and Geography. The unit “Sun” will investigate sources of energy, agriculture, the native flora and fauna of the region, and some of the historical factors that influenced the culture of Anguilla and the region today.
“Sea” will look at transportation in the region, both today and in a historical context. It will investigate the coral reefs that make up the region and look at their impact on life in the Caribbean. Among other topics “Sand” will focus on the land itself. How each island is formed, the impact of potential natural disasters, and how people prepare for them. Finally, “Self” will take a look at how students will fit into a world that is constantly changing. It will prepare them for the challenges that they will face as they continue to move through life and give them the tools they will need to successfully navigate through them. This final unit will include a personal project, community service, and a potential internship component as well.
Omololu International School embraces holistic and experiential approaches to learning about our world, equipping students with meaningful understanding and skill sets to lead successful lives and to make a positive contribution to society. As an authorized Primary Years Programme World School, OIS upholds the ideals of preparing their students for lives as global citizens.
Registration for the 2017-18 School Year is now open and offers special pricing for Anguillian students. For more information go to: www.omololuschool.org, follow on Facebook, or contact via phone at +1 (264) 497-5430 or via email at info@omololuschool.org.
