Thomson
Elementary
School
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP)
We are extremely proud to be the first DCPS elementary school to become an IB PYP World School. As an IB school, we prepare students to be active participants in a lifelong journey of learning. Our diverse staff is committed to excellence and working with our families and the community to provide a challenge academic program that prepares students for their futures both inside and outside of the classroom.
The IB PYP is an education program managed by the International Baccalaureate for students aged 3-12. The PYP prepares students to become active, caring, livelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others and have the capacity to participate in the world around them. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both within and beyond the classroom.
The PYP curriculum contains three key components, which explain how students learn, how educators teach, and the principles and practice of effective assessment within the program. In order to be an IB school, a school must undergo an authorization process whereby the school commits to providing rigorous, challenging and unique programs. As a result of this process, parents and students can be confident that each IB World School, no matter where it is located, is held to the same high standard.
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A copy of our IB brochure may be found here.
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If you have any questions about the IB PYP, please contact our IB Coordinator, Mrs. Maria Sparkman at maria.sparkman@k12.dc.gov.
COMMON CORE
In the classroom, our educators are ready and waiting to give all students the knowledge and skills needed for success in college, careers, and life. We believe that a combination of excellent teaching, strong standards, and active student and family participation combine into a potent recipe for success.
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Since we are committed to providing our students with a rigorous education, DC has joined 40+ other states and five territories in adopting a new set of standards, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
These standards lay out what students should know and be able to do in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The new standards will help parents, teachers and community members understand what students should learn each year.
Also, because so many states have adopted the Common Core State Standards, we will be able to compare our students’ achievements to those of students around the country. Adopting the Common Core State Standards will have a major impact on the quality of education we provide our students.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Thomson early childhood classrooms utilize the Creative Curriculum for Preschool. This research-based curriculum centers on exploration and hands-on discovery, and was chosen because of the emphasis on developing confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills in all students. As an inquiry-based approach, Creative Curriculum is a particularly good fit for Thomson, because IB schools focus on preparing students to be positive global citizens, individuals who approach the world with curiosity and kindness. Creative Curriculum allows our Early Childhood teachers to blend literacy, math, language, and social-emotional skills together in our play-based curriculum. ​This blend of academic learning is transdisciplinary in nature, allowing teachers to incorporate the themes in every center of the classroom, as well as through the question of the day and group meeting times.
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For more information about this school year's exciting planned units, please visit our dedicated ECE page, here.