Bassett IB PYP News
What are the Essential Elements of the IB PYP?
IB = International Baccalaureate PYP = Primary Years Programme
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) is an educational framework that
focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer. The learner profile describes the IB
Mission Statement in student learning objectives. The development of the learner profile attributes in
students is supported and nurtured through the 5 Essential Elements of the PYP: Knowledge, Concepts,
Attitudes, Skills and Action. These 5 Essential Elements, developed throughout the IB PYP curriculum,
help students develop into IB learners who have the attributes of the learner profile: Caring ◊ Balanced
◊ Risk-takers ◊ Inquirers ◊ Thinkers ◊ Knowledgeable ◊ Communicators ◊ Open-minded ◊ Principled ◊
Reflective
Please read on to learn about the Essential Element: Concepts
Concepts: What do we want children to understand?
The Primary Years Program (PYP) identifies 8 concepts that are considered “key” because they are
applicable across the curriculum. Within the context of these concepts, important ideas can be
categorized and better understood. The PYP Key Concepts and related questions help teachers and
students consider ways of thinking and learning about the world and can serve as starting points for
inquiries. (Making the PYP Happen, 2009)
Should you have any questions about the IB PYP at Bassett, please visit our website:
http://wlake.org/academics/global/IBPYP/ or contact IB Coordinator, Deb Wadden, at
waddend@wlake.org
The key concepts and related questions,
shown to the right, provide a lens through
which students can explore and deepen their
understanding of significant and authentic
content across the disciplines.
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Bassett IB PYP News
Totally Awesome Tuesdays
A group of students was recognized on our Dec. 2 Totally Awesome Tuesday with an awards breakfast
for exceptional effort in being communicators and showing appreciation during November. Later that
morning, we introduced empathy, risk-taker and caring at a school-wide assembly. Ask your children
about the story they heard with a character who demonstrates all three!
Here are some things you can do at home to encourage your child to demonstrate these attributes and
this attitude:
Caring: Students will develop empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of
others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of
others and to the environment.
Activities for Parents:
 Role model the caring behavior you would like to see in your child all the time. Using kind words,
helping people without being asked, being an active listener, are ways you care about people.
 After reading a book, spend time considering how people in the book acted. Was someone
caring? All of the time or just some of the time? Were all the characters in the book caring or were
just some of them?
 Practice random acts of kindness. Simple things like holding the door for someone or helping
carry bags shows that you are aware of others and want to help them.
Risk-taker: Students will have the confidence to try new things. They try to solve problems in a lot of
ways. They have the courage to tell people what they think is right.
Activities for Parents:
 If your child is feeling uneasy about trying something, encourage him/her to attempt it and then
reflect on both whether he/she liked the activity and how it felt to try something new.
 You child might want to set some short-term goals. Consider activities that make him/her
nervous. What are realistic goals for the week? Your child might set a goal to:
o Offer an opinion in class
o Spend one recess with someone she/he might not usually play with
o Order something different from the lunch menu
o Try an activity she/he hasn’t tried before
Empathy: Students can be encouraged to try imagining themselves in another person’s situation to help
understand his/her perspectives and reasoning. This is especially helpful in resolving conflict.
Bassett’s Family Diversity Quilt
Bassett Mission Statement
If you haven’t seen it yet, stop
in to see the fabulous quilt
created through collaboration
among students and staff at
Bassett. As you can see, our
monthly attitudes and attributes
focus connects well to this
project.
Bassett Elementary School is a
child-centered community
empowered to develop
responsible, compassionate,
globally-minded citizens who are
lifelong inquirers dedicated to
achieving academic excellence.
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