ELEMENTARY |
SECONDARY |
AIS has a holistic, child-centered approach to our youngest learners. Our elementary students are provided with “hands-on” experiences to stimulate problem solving and critical thinking. We promote excellence in both languages, English and Spanish. This year we implemented a Balanced Literacy program, which is a robust curriculum aiming to create passionate and highly engaged readers and witers. It consists of components such as: Writers, Workshop, Readers’, read aloud, shared reading and word study. The components of Balanced Literacy are alternated between English and Spanish so students can practice and apply the same skills and make connections between the two languages. Each class in Elementary school has two teachers who constantly create cross-curricular opportunities for meaningful learning. We make new content accessible to all learners by providing them with differentiated and personalized instruction. Apart from regular subjects such as: math, language arts, Spanish,social studies, and science, we also offer a range of special subjects like: PE, art, Kaqchikel, music and technology. |
At AIS, middle school encompasses grades 6-8; high school, 9-12. The middle school program both follows upon the Balanced Literacy approach of the elementary level and prepares students for the demands of high school. Writing is emphasized in both English and Spanish. Students explore the sciences in greater depth, and math encompasses pre-algebra and algebra I. Social studies includes ancient and modern world history, and Latin American history, with a particular focus on Mayan and Guatemalan culture. In high school, the course titles may sound fairly traditional; however, even more than in middle school, there is an emphasis on cross-disciplinary learning and projects, such as combining physics and calculus, math and history, art and science, and Spanish and local history. Students are encouraged to pursue personal interests in their research and development of a project. As the school grows, programs expand, not only in academics, but also in service learning, sports and the arts, which are a major part of the whole school experience.. AIS prepares students for college and university in Guatemala and the United States particularly, though several students each year also go to universities in Canada, Europe or elsewhere. |