School Policy

ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING at GJH MYP

1. School assessment philosophy

At GJH MYP programme we believe the assessment can lead the child towards a positive sense of self-worth and self-competence.

The aim of assessment in the MYP is to:
• enable students to show their understanding, knowledge and skills
• enhance their learning by providing feedback
• develop the students’ capacity to learn by providing them opportunities to review their learning and to set further goals
• provide feedback to the teachers and to help improve the teaching process
• inform the parents about the students’ progress

2. Forms of assessment

a) Formative assessment
It is an ongoing process happening throughout the units of learning over the whole school year. We view it as a necessary and important tool for the teacher to identify the students‘needs and to review the teaching so that improvement in students’ performance and their attitudes towards learning can be achieved. The formative assessment can take various forms as an informal discussion, quiz, short test and this assessment is carried out on a regular basis.

b) Summative assessment
This form of assessment usually happens at the end of each unit and it leads towards the decision of criterion levels achieved for a summative task.
The summative assessment is criterion based, which means each task is assessed against a set of given criteria. The criteria are different for each subject from preMYP to 4. We use the MYP prescribed criteria levels in the final year of MYP.
Student’s performance is assessed against each criterion at least once in a half term, final criterion level at the end of school year is combined from both terms.
Our assessment is internal and our assessment practices undergo regular internal moderation and reviewing.

c) Internal requirements
Based on the internal agreements, a student is believed to be underachieving if he/she has the final grade 3 from more than two subjects in preMYP, MYP 1, 2, 3 and grade 3 from more than one subject in MYP4, 5 at the end of each term. If such a case, the student is required to retake the summative assessment procedure from the subject/s. The student s informed about the exact content and time of the procedure in advance. The results of this exam are recorded in the assessment sheets and in the report card.

If a student fails to meet the required objectives, the student and the parents are invited to a conference with the head of the international school to discuss the situation and decide on further steps.

3. Reporting

The official reporting takes place four times a year with the report card being issued twice a year- in January and in June. Parents are informed about the students’ achievement and progress at regular parents meeting which are held four times a school year. On request, individual meeting can be arranged at any time throughout the school year. Teachers record the assessment results in the assessment sheets on the web site, on a regular basis. In preMYP –MYP 3 the formative and summative results are also recorded in students’ grade books.
The students’ final achievements are assessed against the official IBO final grade system from 7 to 1 (seven stands for an excellent performance). Alongside the report card we also issue a General attitude report card, which gives the information about student’s effort in the subject, preparation for the lessons and self-discipline.

You can find detailed description in the document below:

Assessment reporting policy (.doc)

Special educational needs policy

In alignment with the IB organization and the school mission, that is developing the
whole potential of every child and creating a friendly and safe working environment, we
provide a counseling programme at our school.

The professional counseling, led by our school psychologist, is aimed at students for
whom social and emotional issues are interfering with their optimal learning process or
general development. Counseling is either provided individually, in groups or whole classes.
We also provide educational experience of students through various interventions, programs, and
policies that promote social, emotional, behavioral and academic well-being.
The school psychogist is also available as a resource for parents, providing guidance on issues
related to child development, parenting and the student’s school experience. When
students or families require support that extends beyond the means of the resources of the
school, or when parents request additional assistance, the counselors will provide parents with
information regarding professional services in the community.
As for the students who are presenting difficulties with the educational process, the
school psychologist is contacted by the teacher. She can assess the educational issues and
recommend whether or not the student should be sent to be diagnosed in the Center for
Educational and Psychological Counseling and Prevention. This institution is mandated by
law to issue special needs guidelines for the student and teacher to follow.
All teachers that teach the students with particular special educational and learning
needs are informed and educated about the best approach in teaching the student with special
needs. Teachers and parents meet on regular basis to discuss the educational as well as
behavioral progress of their child. The school psychologist works with the student
independently and records all necessary documents and information.
Teachers are made aware of our local procedures and follow mandated laws that affect the rights of the student.

The office hours: PhDr. Renáta Nemčoková Monday, Friday: 8.00 – 15.30
For an appointment, please write to: nemcokova@gjh.sk or call: 02/210 28 300, ext. 333

Language Policy

Language policy MYP

LANGUAGE POLICY STATEMENT

In order to prepare our students for increasingly intercultural world, communication and intercultural awareness create the base of GJH MYP language policy. At our school we offer Languages A – Slovak and three languages B – English, German and Spanish.

LANGUAGE A

Language A is generally defined as the student’s mother tongue or the language in which he/she has achieved the level of proficiency near to the native speaker. In preMYP – MYP 2 students have Slovak as Language A with 5 lessons a week. In MYP 3 they have 4 lessons a week and in MYP4 and 5 they have 3 lessons a week. Based on the requirements of Slovak Ministry of Education, all students in international programmes have to attend Slovak language lessons. Students coming from international background with zero or foundation level of Slovak language will be provided extra support lessons in the afternoon classes. The aims, objectives and topics of Language A group can be found in Subject group outlines documents.

LANGUAGE B

The primary aim of language B in the MYP is to encourage students to gain competence in a modern language other than their mother tongue, with the long-term goal of balanced bilingualism, thus also realizing the IBO learner profile. In our school we offer 3 languages B: English, German and Spanish. English, being the language of instruction, has allocated 5 lessons a week in preMYP and MYP1, and 4 lessons a week in MYP2-5. The other B languages are German and Spanish, has allocated 3 lessons a wek. Students decide for their second language B when entering preMYP. They are expected to follow the same language until their last year in MYP in order to be able to take on Standard or High-level language course in IB diploma.

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION-ENGLISH

At our school the language of instruction is English. It is the language of international communication and the number of people using it as a second language (ESL) has increased dramatically in the recent years. To reach conversational fluency in English can be a fairly fast process (within about two years) but to acquire the academic level of English takes between five to ten years. The reasons for that are mainly two – academic English is far more complex and English speakers are growing in their language skills every year, so it is increasingly difficult for the ESL learners to catch up with. In order to allow our students to be capable to stand the competition we have set 5 lessons a week of English B in preMYP and MYP1 and 4 lessons a week in MYP2-5. These courses are focused on speaking, reading, listening and writing skills sequenced from easier to more complex skills. All subject teachers recognise that learning in second language is a challenge, so they also focus on building key vocabulary necessary for successful completion of each course. Students are encouraged to use language of instruction whenever possible. If they find it difficult to express in the language of instruction, they may use other language/s they speak in case it is really necessary and if their teacher and all classmates understand the other language. Teachers are required to use English as the language of instruction in the classes. They are expected to recognise the potential problems their students might face as ESL learners and take appropriate steps to overcome the difficulties. (Scaffolding teaching)

ADMISSION – LANGUAGE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

In order to enrol, students are expected to have previous knowledge of the language of instructions. Students in preMYP – 2 are expected to have pre-intermediate or intermediate level of English (The Common European Frame of Reference for Languages-B1 level). Students in MYP3 and 4 are expected to have intermediate or upper-intermediate level of English (The Common European Frame of Reference for Languages-B2 level). Students of MYP5 are expected to have upper-intermediate or higher level of English. Examples of entrance English tests are available on our website (The Common European Frame of Reference for Languages-C1 level).

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

As far as the professional development is concerned Language A and B teachers are expected to follow the latest trends in language teaching and follow the MYP language group web page and language teachers‘ forums.

Academic honesty policy

General info and consequences of breaching

IBO expects the students of all IB world schools to understand the concepts that relate to academic honesty, especially authenticity and intellectual property.

In order to help our students be prepared for the Diploma programme, we have agreed on an anti-plagiarism policy:

The MLA referencing system will be used in all written works and Personal Projects
The MLA referencing handbook is available to all students via our MYP webpage and in the school library
The teachers integrate the referencing skills in all subjects

The consequences for any attempts to plagiarize will be as follows:

1st attempt: the student will be asked to rewrite his/her work (only for preMYP students)
2nd attempt: the student gets “0” level of achievement for the task

In all cases both the homeroom teacher and their parent(s) will be notified

Materials

Admission policy – how to enrol

Students must complete and submit an Application Form along with the required documentation. The application form is available at our web page (see below). After sending in the application form, students will be registered for the entrance tests from English and Math and a short interview. Students and parents will be notified of the admission decision shortly, after the test results have been reviewed.

Applicants are advised to apply in January for entry into the school the following September.

We organize Entrance tests only for the future class pre-MYP (equals 6th grade), i.e. only students of the 5th grade can apply. Entrance tests are allowed for all students provided they send all required documentation one month before the entrance exam.

Important Note: Professional staff at MYP GJH will make the final decision on a child’s acceptance and proper placement. In order to identify the appropriate grade to apply for follow the table bellow or consult the syllabus for each grade, which is available on our web page. Any further questions can be addressed to Head of International School – Mrs. Špačeková (spacekova@gjh.sk) or MYP Coordinator Ms. Markusova (markusova@gjh.sk).

MYP programme, national programme and 8-year gymnázium: