Who We Are

Victoria (Homantin) International Nursery caters for children between the ages of 1-6. In an effort to facilitate the understanding of other cultures and create an awareness of other perspectives, we are a trilingual Kindergarten offering classes in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

In March 2005 we began implementing the IBO Primary Year’s Program (PYP) and in May 2008 completed our Pre-Authorization. As we continue on our IB journey we encourage our learners to ask questions, as we provide them with opportunities to explore and learn through inquiry. Our goal is to nurture learners into active, knowledgeable world citizens who can solve problems as they care about themselves and the world around them.

What is the IBO PYP

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an international programme for students aged 3-12. At Victoria (Homantin) International Nursery we combine this with the best practices from a range of national systems including Hong Kong and around the world to provide a comprehensive approach to learning and teaching.

The Learner Profile

The IBO learner profile is a set of attributes that we strive to instill in our young learners at school everyday so that they will grow to be international minded people. Below are the definitions of each learner profile as well as our own understanding of each attribute here at Homantin.

• Inquirers
• Young children show an interest in the world, ask questions and actively enjoy learning.
  
  “If there is an answer you desire, why not inquire”.
• Thinkers
• Children develop theories of cause and effect, sort and classify, and show an interest in big ideas.
• “Don’t just doodle use your noodle!”
  
• Communicators
• Young learners engage in discussions, manage social interactions and express thoughts through verbal and graphic languages.
• “If you have something to say, say it today! You can talk, you can write, you can draw or dance. Share you’re your thought and take a chance
• Risk takers
• Students try new ways of doing things!
• “Don’t be a shaker, be a risk-taker. Try something new; there are lots of fun things to do. Don’t be shy, go on and give it a try.”
• Knowledgeable
• Children know and understand significant content.
• “Explore the world and even Hong Kong. Use books, games or silly songs. You can learn music, science or math. Using your brain is the right path!”
• Principled
• Young learners begin to see the point of view of others, are honest and begin to show a sense of fairness.
• “Let’s show we care by being fair!”
• Caring
• Early years learners show sensitivity towards the needs and feelings of others and are able to be a part of a community of learners.
• “Be smart, use your heart.”
• Open-minded
• Learners are open to new experiences and to the beliefs and ideas of other children
• “. Oh, the great things you find, with an open mind!”
• Balanced
• Children work alone and in small groups showing control of feelings in dealing with others. They also engage in a balance of quiet and dynamic activities, and gross-motor and fine-motor skills.
• “We are balanced. We know how to do it. We eat right and exercise, there’s nothing to it!”
• Reflective
• Children are able to think about behavior and if necessary, work on some strategies for change
• “You make things connect, when you reflect!”

What can the learner profile look like at home
As we value parents as essential members in our community of learning, we encourage you to help your child with understanding and exhibiting the learner profile at home.
The best way for you to help you child understand and exhibit each profile attribute is for you to model each one throughout your daily life. The following is a list of suggested ways to exemplify the learner profile at home:

Caring
- Encourage your child to play and share toys with his/her sibling.
- Think about how your family can get involved with community organizations.

Risk-taker
- Encourage your child to try new foods.

- Encourage your child to try an activity they haven’t tried before.

Principled

- Create a set of rules at home and encourage your child to follow them.
- Give your child some responsibilities in the home. (e.g. helping wash up, putting toys away, etc)

Inquirer

- Visit the library with your child.
- Admit when you don’t know the answer to a problem or a question and seek out answers in front of your child.

Thinker

- Allow your child to think about how to solve problems on his/her own.
- Encourage your child to find multiple answers to the same question.

Communicator
- Assist your child in writing emails or sending messages to friends and family who are living in other countries.
- Allow your child to communicate to you in more than one language using oral and non-verbal skills.

Reflective
- After a vacation or an exciting excursion, allow time for you and your child to reflect on the experiences though a discussion and/or a written journal.
- Allow time for your child to reflect on his or her actions when he/she has misbehaved or acted inappropriately. Ask your child what he/she can do to improve the situation in the future.

Open-Minded
- Allow your child the opportunity to observe or participate in different festivals, celebrations and traditions.
- Encourage your child to listen to others when they speak

Balanced
- Set aside time for your child to play outdoors often as possible.
- Ensure that your child’s diet consists of healthy food from each of the four food groups.

Knowledgeable
- Obtain traditional folktales and stories from different cultures to read and discuss with your child.
- Encourage your child to become familiar with current events by reading the newspaper and watching the news with them when appropriate.

Areas of Learning
Besides the learner profile, the PYP program is comprised of 5 essential elements which provide learners with the necessary skills and beliefs needed in order to succeed in the world.

Research skills:

Self-management skills:

Communication skills:

Thinking skills:

Social skills:

Form - What is it like
Function - How does it work
Causation - Why is it like it is
Change - How is it changing
Connection - How is it connected to other things
Perspective - What are the points of view
Responsibility - What is our responsibility
Reflection - How do we know

Who We Are
Where We Are in Place and Time
How We Express Ourselves
How the World Works
How We Organize Ourselves
Sharing the Planet

Subject Areas
Our program is divided into 6 subject areas which are transdisciplinary in nature and are covered through our units of inquiry:
Subjects
Language;
Mathematics;
Science& Technology;
Social studies;
Personal, social and physical education(PSPE);
Arts

Reading
From the moment our young learners arrive at our campus they are immersed in a print rich environment and are encouraged to develop an appreciation and love for reading.

In all of our classes beginning in pre-nursery through to Upper Class our students borrow library books in both English and Chinese to read and share with parents on a weekly basis.

In our K2 and K3 classes we have implemented an at home reading program in both English and Chinese that fosters our learners appreciation for the written word and also encourages them to build vocabulary and increase their reading comprehension as they discover various fiction and non-fiction leveled texts.
To complement our English Curriculum we introduced a structured Guided Reading Programme with our K2 and K3 children. The success of this section is due in part to the volunteer parent helpers, who come in to our schools to work on Guided Reading with small groups of children.

Jolly Phonics
The Jolly Phonics programme teaches children the main 42 sounds of English, not just the alphabet sounds. With this knowledge they are taken through the stages of blending sounds to form words and then to reading. We find that our students enjoy making the actions as they say the sounds and love to use the puppets and soft toys that are all part of the programme.

How we assess our student’s learning

Ongoing Assessment
Assessment is the gathering and analysis of information about individual students. Because of this, teachers take the view that children should be continuously assessed on a daily basis throughout the academic year. It is from these assessments and comprehensive records that we plan the student's future lessons and report to parents about their children's progress.

Portfolios
A portfolio is a system for organizing observations and samples of the children's work in order to document their progress over time. Our students from pre-nursery to Upper Class spend each year developing individual portfolios that highlight their achievements and celebrate their successes.

STREAMS:
We offer three-year and four-year programmes which meet the needs of children between the age of one year olds and six years old. The programmes are offered in two different streams: Trilingual Stream (English/Cantonese/Putonghua) and Bilingual Stream.

Trilingual Stream (English/Cantonese/Putonghua):
In the Trilingual Stream, English, Cantonese and Putonghua are used as the medium of instruction. Our curriculum is based on the PYP scope and sequence documents and in line with the Education Bureau's standard curriculum. Through hands on inquiry based learning our students will develop the necessary skills, attititudes and knowledge needed in order to succeed in an academic environment. Children will also develop the fundamental abilities required for emergent writing. Through learning in small groups, our experienced Putonghua speaking teachers (who have obtained a Grade B in Level 2 or above in the National Putonghua Proficiency Test) will help strengthen the children’s Putonghua and develop their language potential in order to achieve the best learning effect.

Bilingual (English/Putonghua) Stream:
The Bilingual Stream (English/Putonghua) is conducted in English and Putonghua. The curriculum, in general, is designed for children whose mother tongue is either Putonghua or English. Our curriculum is based on the PYP scope and sequence documents and in line with the Education Bureau's standard curriculum. Through hands on inquiry based learning our students will develop the necessary skills, attitudes and knowledge needed in order to succeed in an academic environment. These activities place strong emphasis on fostering their interest in reading and developing their listening skills and oral expression. Children will also develop the fundamental abilities required for emergent writing.

Bilingual (English/Cantonese) (For Pre-Nursery Class Only)
The Bilingual Stream (English/Cantonese) is conducted in English and Cantonese. Under a familiar environment and through different activities, children’s explorative skills will be enhanced. Our curriculum is based on the Education Bureau's standard curriculum through hands on inquiry based learning our students will develop the necessary skills, attitudes and knowledge needed in order to succeed in a school environment. Children will also develop the fundamental abilities required for emergent writing.