A Week in the Life of a PYP Coordinator
One of the reasons I so enjoy my job, and have enjoyed working in schools for so many years, is because of the variety and range of experiences and opportunities it provides. So I thought I’d share a few examples of what has filled some of my time this week.
Sunday
I joined Grade 3 on their field trip to Sohar Port and got to experience a tour of the facility and learned a little about the operation. It was fascinating to learn that 11,000 people are employed there, some of the ships that use the port can be 400 meters long, and that up to 40 tonnes of gravel may be picked up by a scoop in one go! It was a fabulous trip and supported the Grade 3s with their current, How We Organise Ourselves unit of inquiry.
Monday
The highlight of the past few Mondays has been my ‘Drop Everything And Read’ ASA. I have enjoyed having the chance to read with the students and to talk about books that we have enjoyed. This week, with some of the younger members of the group, I shared a few chapters from ‘Daisy and the Trouble with Giants’ by Kes Gray. It’s a fun book and is part of a fun series that I would most definitely recommend.
Tuesday
Much of my time over the past few weeks has been focused on working with different grade level teams to map out the units of inquiry for next year. On Tuesday I spent time with the grade 6 team looking at their units and discussing how they may be ordered next year. We also took some time to reflect on the wonderful PYP Exhibition, considering what went well and how it may be developed next year.
Wednesday
As well as meeting with grade level teams, I also meet with our specialist teachers and on Wednesday I met with Mr. Peter to talk about all things music for next year. We spoke about connections between homeroom units of inquiry and music, as well as periods in the year when the focus will be more upon building upon and developing specific music skills and knowledge.
Thursday
Today we had the pleasure of enjoying our youngest students, our KG students, sharing their learning during their assembly. It was wonderful to see them being such Risk-Takers and really living this particular learner profile. Thank you to the KG team for all their efforts preparing for today.
As you can see, a really mixed and varied week and this is typical. Next week I will continue working with teams to make sure plans are in place for next year, as well as beginning to wrap up our final units of work for this year. The end of year is always a busy and exciting time and we thank parents for their continued support.
Best regards,
Matthew Richmond
PYP Coordinator