International Elementary School in Rome

• Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
• Reason abstractly and quantitatively
• Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
• Model with mathematics
• Use appropriate tools strategically
• Attend to precision in solving problems and discussing strategies
• Look for and make use of structure
• Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
• Discover mathematical ideas through exploration and inquiry

The AERO (American Education Reaches Out) English Language Arts Curriculum Framework, including standards and performance indicators, is the basis for our instruction. The language arts program is taught through a balanced literacy approach that integrates reading, writing, listening and speaking. 

This is fostered by:

• Ensuring that children are presented with material at their own level of ability
• Guiding children to pick “just right” books depending on their fluency, decoding skills, vocabulary understanding and comprehension ability
• Teaching children how to reflect on what is read, ask questions, make connections and determine an author’s purpose
• Providing a print rich environment
• Instilling the basic phonic and word-attack skills to enable the child to successfully decode the written word
• Teaching key strategies to help solve any comprehension problems that may be encountered
• Carefully assessing children's progress through a variety of assessments that inform future instruction
• Encouraging pupils to select books in the Elementary School Library either for their personal enjoyment or for research
• Instructing students on how to interpret fiction and informational text and how to effectively research and present what is learned

Writing is stimulated by student interest, experience, and events taking place in the world around them. 

Our vision at AOSR is to promote integration and application of scientific principles and thinking in the daily lives of our students. AOSR students will be able to identify and solve real-world problems using a cross-subject approach, as they develop into globally aware and responsible citizens. Our vision includes greater community involvement, in and out of the classroom, as students will have opportunities to make a difference at AOSR and beyond. 

Students will explore and make sense of the world through a developing understanding of: 

• Patterns
• Cause and effect
• Scale
• Proportion and quantity
• Systems
• Energy and matter
• Structure and function
• Stability and change

Students will investigate the interconnectedness of these concepts in earth, life, physical, and environmental science. Learning experiences will be designed to incorporate technology, and support students’ ability to reason, think logically and make connections.  Using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which include cross-cutting science concepts, science and engineering practices and disciplinary core ideas, students will use skills to build, deepen and apply knowledge.  A comprehensive, integrated curriculum from Pre-K to Grade 8 will prepare students for the increasingly complex content and problem-solving that they will face in high school.

For further information regarding the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), click here.

The social studies program in the elementary school has been developed to celebrate the rich history of Rome and the surrounding areas of the Mediterranean Basin.  Through inquiry-based units of study, aligned to the AERO standards, students gain an understanding of themselves and their relationship to the wider and ever-changing community and world around them.  Field study trips are an integral part of the program, allowing students to experience the topics that they are exploring and to practice the skills of a social scientist.  As developing historians, geographers, archaeologists, and anthropologists, students are learning to:

• Develop questions and plan inquiries
• Evaluate the credibility of the sources and relevance of the information to the inquiry
• Construct coherent, reasoned arguments and explanations
• Communication conclusions from an inquiry
• Take informed action for the common good

AOSR’s Elementary art program encourages students to create, investigate, explore materials, techniques, and artistic processes. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 meet regularly for art class.

In the art program, students develop an awareness of life and an appreciation of the aesthetic world. Classes are taught by an art specialist. Students learn the basic concepts of art, the principles and elements of line, shape, form, color, value, pattern, texture, and space. Students are encouraged to find individual and original solutions to artistic problems.

Students are exposed to a broad range of both traditional and contemporary media, have opportunities for self-expression in their work, and opportunities to broaden their understanding of the language and vocabulary of art. Students are encouraged to make personal connections with who they are and how they fit into this diverse world using art as a tool. Students also learn to evaluate their work and make decisions.

Art experiences are coordinated with other areas of the elementary school. The art department works with the music department to prepare the United Nations Day Concert and the winter and spring concerts. Classroom teachers and the art teacher work together to enhance learning experiences through art. Some special projects include:

• Ancient Egypt - Grade 2
• Ancient Greece - Grade 3
• Ancient Rome - Grade 4 and 5

Music supports cognitive growth, cultivates creativity, and fosters an appreciation for diverse cultures. Our performance based elementary music program is designed to address the four artistic processes outlined by the National Core Arts Standards: 

• Creating
• Performing
• Responding
• Connecting

In a comprehensive musical learning experience, students will study rhythm, melody and harmony, form, movement, and style. They will further develop vocal, instrumental and ensemble skills in preparation for concert performances throughout the year.

Students learn to participate in a group or ensemble at their own level of achievement and to experience the delight and satisfaction this participation brings. Singing in the languages of the cultures represented by the student body is a valuable component of the music program. All the major nationalities in the school are recognized through a common artistic venue which is enjoyable for everyone involved. There are three annual concerts scheduled throughout the school year: the United Nations Day Concert, the Winter Concert and the Spring Concert.

Students are also taught to play simple instruments such as Orff xylophones, hand percussion, and recorders. These activities reinforce the basic goals of the program. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 meet regularly for music class.