Welcome to where it all begins!
The American International School of Johannesburg’s Elementary School is a “mini world within a school” where students from over 70 countries gather to learn and grow in a warm and enriching environment; where friends are made based upon the goodness of their hearts and not the country of origin.
The elementary experience is incredibly important in a child’s educational life. The foundation that is built in the early years is what sustains a child through their school career and into adulthood. The dedicated and dynamic faculty at AISJ’s Elementary School knows the importance of building a nurturing environment where students grow socially and emotionally while at the same time succeeding in their academics. The AISJ vision encapsulates it well:
“Together we dare to imagine, inspire to succeed, and courageously make a difference.”
The Elementary School has adopted a Balanced Literacy Program that is at the core of our academic program. Our schedule reflects this as we have large blocks of time devoted to literacy. Teachers utilize this time with students to model what it means to live a rich literate life, continually helping students to develop reading stamina, providing explicit instruction to meet individual needs, giving students time to respond to their reading, and providing feedback tailored specifically to the individual. Continuous formative assessments are taking place in the classrooms providing the teacher with explicit data to drive their instruction.
Our students learn to think and communicate mathematically through lessons taught using the Everyday Math Program. This program encourages students to reason and helps them build strong problem-solving skills.
The core classes for Pre K – 5th are taught by the Homeroom teacher. Specialist teachers teach art, music, technology, P.E., library, and Spanish. We also have a strong learning support program in which students who need assistance are helped by two Learning Support teachers. As we are a culturally diverse community with more than 70 nationalities represented, we offer support for students still mastering the English language through our English Language Learner teacher.
Students, parents, and staff are supported through our counselor and the counseling program. Our Elementary School’s philosophy is to take a proactive approach to student intervention by teaching social and emotional self-awareness through a holistic program called PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies). This curriculum has been developed to facilitate the development of self-control, positive self-esteem, emotional awareness, and interpersonal problem-solving skills. |
