Accreditation
MIS maintains accreditation from 2 major agencies: the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). We are also a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS).
Why is it important that your child attends an accredited school? WASC provides the following reasons on their website:
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Certification to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning.
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Validates the integrity of a school's program and student transcripts.
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Fosters improvement of the school's programs and operations to support student learning.
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Assures a school community that the school's purposes are appropriate and being accomplished through a viable educational program.
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A way to manage change through regular assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reassessment.
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Assists a school in establishing its priority areas for improvement as a result of the perpetual accreditation cycle that includes: school self-assessment, insight and perspective from a visiting committee, and regular school staff assessment of progress through the intervening years between full self-studies.
The International
Baccalaureate Organization
The International Baccalaureate Organization offers three programmes of study to meet the needs of students as they progress through their education: The Primary Years Programme (EC - Grade 5), The Middle Years Programme (Grades 6-10) and the Diploma Programme (Grades 11-12). MIS offers all three of these programs. These programmes are designed to educate the whole child and focus on making learning more meaningful by placing it in a real world context. They also offer professional development for teachers and administrators based on the latest educational research. Our teachers are not only trained on the basics of the programmes, but also attend subject specific trainings as well. There are currently over 900,000 IB students in over 140 countries. In our immediate area there are 37 schools in Indonesia, 27 schools in Singapore and 13 in Malaysia. MIS is the only school in Sumatra to offer the PYP and MYP.
What is so special about IB programmes?
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B programmes are recognized around the world and ensure an increased adaptability and mobility for IB students.
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The curriculum and pedagogy of IB programmes focus on international perspectives of learning and teaching, while insisting that students fully explore their home culture and language.
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IB World Schools must undergo an exhaustive authorization process in order to offer one or more of the programmes, which includes a study of the school’s resources and commitment to the IB mission and philosophy.
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IB teachers participate in a wide variety of professional development opportunities to constantly update their knowledge and share their expertise with colleagues around the world.
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Many students graduating from the Diploma Programme find that it enhances their opportunities at tertiary institutions. The IB works closely with universities around the world to gain recognition for IB programmes.
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The core components of IB programmes encourage students to participate in creative and service-oriented activities, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of reflection on a personal and academic level.
IBO
The IBO has over 900,000 students studying in 140 different countries. In our region there are 37 IB Schools in Indonesia, 27 in Singapore and 13 in Malaysia. The IBO provides a framework for schools to design their curriculum and offers high quality professional development in locations around the world. Learn more about the IBO at IBO.org.
WASC
WASC accredits K-12 schools in the Western United States and international schools in the Asia-Pacific Region. WASC ensures that our school is focused on our mission and has all of the elements in place to provide a high-quality education to our students. It ensures that we are reflecting on our practices and constantly striving for improvement.
EARCOS
EARCOS represents international schools across Asia. Currently there are 130 member schools. They provide high quality professional development around the region and organize world-class conferences for teachers, administrators and board members. The opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the region helps to improve learning for all of our students.
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMME
Mantin International School runs an Early Childhood programme Monday to Friday from 7:50 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. It is for children aged three and four years old. In order to provide the best level of education and care class numbers are small. During the early childhood years a rapid rate of development occurs in the physical, social, emotional, intellectual and aesthetic domains of children. The Early Childhood programme supports and nurtures this development. The programme has a range of clearly defined areas to encourage exploration, investigation and play, both indoor and outdoors. These include spaces for reading, writing, art, construction, imaginative play, maths, science and technology, with a wide variety of appropriate resources in each.
PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is designed for students between the ages of 3 and 11. It is an international, transdisciplinary programme designed to foster the development of the whole child. In addition to building concepts, skills and knowledge in academics, the PYP also encompasses the social, physical, emotional and cultural needs of each child. It encourages students to begin developing into life-long, internationally minded global citizens. The PYP is a combination of the best research and practice from a range of national systems and a wealth of knowledge and experience from international schools to create a relevant and engaging educational framework for all children.
The Curriculum Framework
At the center of the PYP framework is the student. The PYP is committed to engaging students in structured inquiry as the primary means of learning. Six transdisciplinary themes - Who we are, Where we are in time and place, How the world works, How we organize ourselves, How we express ourselves and How we share the planet - provide the framework for the inquiry. The subject areas support the theme through the programmes five essential elements: concepts, attitudes, knowledge, skills and action. During the inquiry process, students are given opportunities to develop an understanding of important concepts, acquire essential skills and knowledge, develop particular attitudes and learn to take socially responsible action.
At the end of the PYP students celebrate their learning with the Fifth Grade Exhibition. The exhibition allows students to do independently design and research a theme of their choice with guidance from a mentor teacher. They then present their findings to the entire school community. This is powerful learning experience that encourages students to be active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.
MIS has been operating the PYP for more than 12 years now (since 2003) and has a very well developed Programme of Inquiry. This is constantly being revised to suit new staff, students and our changing community. Teachers from all levels (Preschool through to Grade 5), including specialist teachers, have input into the planning of all Units of Inquiry for each class. This allows us to run a very cohesive program that supports the learning of all the PYP classes in our school.
At MIS we find that it is the students who have been through the PYP who tend to experience the most success with MYP. They are more familiar with the kind of self-initiated and pro-active thinking and learning that is essential to success for MYP and DP. By the end of the PYP the IB Learner Profile attributes (thinker, open-minded, caring, balanced, inquirer, knowledgeable, principled, communicator, risk-taker and reflective) have become a solid part of their personalities as learners and global citizens.
MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME
The Middle Years Programme is an international course designed for students aged 11-16. It emphasizes intellectual challenge and encourages students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world. At MIS the MYP follows on naturally from the PYP Programme. It prepares students well for the IB Diploma Programme. It also helps develop lifelong learning skills and attitudes. It is in complete contrast to traditional programs which emphasize rote memory, as the major focus is on the development of conceptual understanding and critical thinking.
The MYP
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addresses students’ intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being
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enables students to understand and manage the complexities of our world, and provides them with the skills and attitudes they need in order to take responsible action for the future
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ensures breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding through the study of eight subject areas
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requires the study of at least two languages to support students in understanding their own culture and that of others
The Curriculum Framework
The MYP guides students to explore 16 key concepts through eight subject groups related to six global contexts for learning:
Curriculum Areas
Language and Literature
Mathematics
Individuals and Societies
Sciences
Language Acquisition (Malayan, French, Mandarin or English)
Design
Health and Physical Education
Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Drama)
Students also complete transdisciplinary units each year, promoting the vital transfer of learning.
Key Concepts
These are big ideas, which form the basis of teaching and learning in the MYP. They are expanded with related concepts in each teaching unit. Concepts ensure breadth and depth in the curriculum and promote learning within and across traditional disciplines.
AESTHETICS | CHANGE | COMMUNICATION | COMMUNITIES |
SYSTEMS | PERSPECTIVE | RELATIONSHIPS | TIME, PLACE
& SPACE |
FORM | GLOBAL
INTERACTIONS | LOGIC | IDENTITY |
CONNECTIONS | CREATIVITY | CULTURE | DEVELOPMENT |
Global Contexts for Learning
These provide shared starting points for inquiry into what it means to be internationally minded, framing a curriculum that promotes multilingualism, intercultural understanding and global engagement. They ensure that all student learning is linked to the real world.
IDENTITIES AND
RELATIONSHIPS | ORIENTATION
IN SPACE AND TIME |
PERSONAL AND
CULTURAL EXPRESSION | SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNICAL INNOVATION |
GLOBALIZATION AND
SUSTAINABILITY | FAIRNESS AND
DEVELOPMENT |
Approaches to teaching and learning
These are skills which help students manage their own learning. They include communication, research skills and critical thinking skills. At the start of each semester at MIS there is a focus on ATL skills, but students also develop them through a range of activities in all classes throughout the year.
Action and Service
MYP students are expected to participate in action in the local and global community in ways arising from their units of study. Grade 6&7 students plan community and service action as a group, while Grade 8 &9 students work in pairs or small groups to carry out a Community Project of their choice. Grade 10 students complete an individual Personal Project, an extended self-directed piece of work
Technology and the iPad Program
MIS has made a commitment to be at the forefront of using technology to enhance our program. We installed a brand new iMac computer lab in 2014. Students learn skills in coding, design and video production. MIS has subscriptions to several educational websites that provide teachers and students with a wide-variety of content. In addition, we have started a 1:1 iPad program with MYP Year 4 and 5 students. This program gives each student an iPad as a tool to enhance his or her education. MYP teachers use apps to enhance their courses. Students use them to take notes, conduct research, take photos, create videos and manipulate information. We hope to expand the program throughout the MYP in the future. PYP teachers also have access to a set of iPads to enhance their curriculum.