Elementary School

THE BEGINNING OF LIFELONG LEARNING IN A TRULY INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

We have the exciting task of encouraging and pushing our Elementary School students to preserve their curiosity and creativity while expanding their self-confidence and self-advocacy, where the foundation of learning takes hold.

The main topics of reading, writing, mathematics, Italian language, science, and social studies are taught daily. Specialized lessons in art, music, physical education, technology, and library usage are interspersed throughout the curriculum. Field trips and volunteer work provide students with experiential learning outside the classroom, motivating them and enhancing their academic experience.

Active learners from the very beginning, AOSR students learn to evaluate and question across topic areas in primary school and how to communicate through writing, presentations, and conversations. They are aware of their current learning goals, where they are in their learning journey, and what it will take to go on to the next stage. In an environment of acceptance, our students take calculated chances and learn from mistakes, equipping them to reach and surpass demanding academic requirements.

We encourage the development of skills that support students' academic and personal success while also emphasizing the value of friendships and teamwork. Each grade level's culture and curriculum include social-emotional activities, and AOSR's Support Staff are paired with students to offer language or extra learning support, while our counselor promotes the development of emotional competencies.

Students at the only truly International School in Rome playing chess

AOSR Elementary School provides an international, challenging, balanced and supportive environment that enables students to be successful in their educational pursuits now and in the future. Our teachers are student-centered and adept at developing each student to reach their potential. AOSR is a truly international Elementary School in rome.

Meet Dr. Joanne Mallary Elementary School Principal

Dr. Joanne Mallary AOSR Elementary School Principal

Dr. Mallary is a seasoned educator with an impressive and diverse career spanning the United States, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine, and Hong Kong. She has contributed to school communities in a variety of roles, including teacher, assistant principal, assessment coordinator, university supervisor, curriculum coordinator, principal, and head of school. Her extensive international experience provides her with a broad and inclusive perspective on education, allowing her to adapt to different cultural contexts and effectively support students and staff from all backgrounds.

Dr. Mallary’s academic credentials are equally notable. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems, showcasing her analytical and strategic thinking abilities. She further pursued a Master of Education in Educational Leadership, equipping her with the skills needed to lead educational initiatives and foster positive school environments. Additionally, she earned an Education Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, reflecting her commitment to developing rigorous and engaging academic programs that promote student success.

Joanne is a dedicated and compassionate educator, certified in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership through the state of Florida. Her professional background is complemented by her personal experience as a mother, giving her a unique perspective on the importance of creating a nurturing and collaborative school environment. Joanne values strong partnerships with parents, recognizing that parental involvement is essential in supporting students' academic and personal growth. She is committed to celebrating each child’s achievements and fostering a love of learning through open communication and shared experiences.

Program of Studies

The elementary curriculum is aligned with American educational standards and practices. Our goal is to provide a developmentally appropriate and individualized learning environment for each student to grow cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially.

The Program of Studies includes Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Physical Education, Technology, Italian, and English as an Additional Language.

Elementary Mathematics

AOSR students - international school rome

At AOSR, we offer a balanced mathematics program, developing both computational skills and conceptual understanding through authentic problem solving. Learning experiences, aligned to the AERO Common Core Plus standards, are designed to cultivate confident, mathematically proficient students.

The PreK-12 curriculum develops procedural fluency, adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, and productive disposition to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to question, investigate, think, analyze, and communicate mathematically.

We inspire an appreciation for the beauty, power, and value of the discipline in our everyday lives. Differentiated instruction supports diverse learners, and safe learning environments cultivate risk-taking and perseverance in authentic problem solving, reasoning, and discourse.

At every level, students will engage in the practices of a mathematician:

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

Elementary Language Arts

AOSR elementary School - International School Rome

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.

Elementary Science

Elementary School student with teacher at AOSR - international american school in rome

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.

Elementary Social Studies

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

Elementary Art

Kindergarten class international american school in rome

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

Elementary Music

American International School in Rome music lessons

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.

Elementary Physical Education

AOSR International School in Rome Physical Education class

The physical education program considers age-ability levels, cultural differences in sports and games, language abilities, and personal physical development to allow for the participation of all in structured classes.

The goals of the program are to develop:

Major motor skills
Specific team and individual sport skills
The ability to follow group instructions
Sportsmanship

Elementary School Technology

Grade 5 students during coding class at international american school in rome

At AOSR we believe that technology plays an important role in learning. Technology can support and inspire learners and is part of an engaging and creative curriculum. Elementary technology instruction is an integrated approach aligned with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards.

Students develop technology skills and knowledge through interactive activities and multimedia projects. Students have access to technology in their classroom to support their learning.

Italian for Non-Native Speakers

Italian for non native students at AOSR - international school rome

This Italian for Non-Native program is designed to provide students with the basic structures of the Italian language enabling them to communicate effectively in Italian. The classes are taught three times a six-day cycle from Kindergarten to fifth grade.

In the lower grades, the students are introduced to a range of topics through games, songs and fun hands-on activities.

In the upper grades the emphasis is placed on speaking and listening in addition to reading and writing.

Italian for Native-Mother Tongue Speakers

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

English as an additional language at AOSR - international american school rome

AOSR is proud to be the first international school in Rome to provide a formal EAL program. The EAL specialists, together with the classroom teachers, work to help students gain mastery of the English language and to enable them to successfully meet the challenges of school life. The program combines English language development with content-based activities.

Language acquisition varies among students depending on:

Proficiency and literacy in native language
Motivation
Learning styles
Learning environment

Elementary School Library

Our knowledgeable librarian is always on hand to guide and support young readers, helping them select the perfect story or navigate the vast array of resources available. Whether your child is diving into their first chapter book or delving into an exploration in the nonfiction area, our library is here to ignite their imagination and fuel their thirst for knowledge. Learn more at our Libraries Page.