American School of Ulaanbaatar

Children in grade 4 and 5 are entering the important transition years between childhood and pre-adolescence. Academically, they are consolidating skills acquired at the primary level, while at the same time learning and developing new academic skills and concepts that will prepare them for what lies ahead in middle school and high school.

The program closely follows the Ontario Curriculum guidelines. In addition to the core academic subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic, the curriculum also includes: science, social studies, Mongolian, art, drama, music, and physical education. A strong emphasis is placed upon organizational skills, research skills, and the development of good work/study habits. Computers are used as an educational resource, and special events, field trips and extra-curricular activities round out the program. The structured program and small class size allow for the potential of each student to be maximized.

Ongoing assessments allow us to evaluate our teaching and to monitor the academic achievement of our students.. Formal written report cards are issued to parents three times a year with teachers providing anecdotal summaries of individual student achievement. Regular parent-teacher conferences are scheduled to allow for personal insights to be shared.

The school day is divided into three parts consisting of: English Language Arts; Mathematics; and Science/Social Studies. Classes are heterogeneous in order for children to be able to learn from and with each other and to support each others strengths. The first 15 minutes of the day is devoted to home room time, with the teacher being the advocate of the children in that class.