The Interval – Finding balance before the final few innings (otherwise known as Quarter 4)
There is a rhythm to the school year that mirrors the changing seasons. As we reach the transition from Quarter 3 to Quarter 4 and head into the March/April break, we arrive at what could be called the school year's "seventh-inning stretch" - that moment in a baseball game when the fans stand up, stretch, sing a song and gear up for the final few innings. Similarly, these two weeks are an opportunity for the students (and teachers) to relax, reflect and recalibrate before the high-energy push toward the end of the school year.
There is a rhythm to the school year that mirrors the changing seasons. As we reach the transition from Quarter 3 to Quarter 4 and head into the March/April break, we arrive at what could be called the school year's "seventh-inning stretch" - that moment in a baseball game when the fans stand up, stretch, sing a song and gear up for the final few innings. Similarly, these two weeks are an opportunity for the students (and teachers) to relax, reflect and recalibrate before the high-energy push toward the end of the school year.
The Power of the Balanced Learner
The two week break is the time to emphasize being balanced, a core attribute of our ISA Values and the IB Learner Profile. As we noted in our “Memorandum from a Child” earlier this year, children thrive when they have the space to experiment and the understanding that they are more than just their academic output.
The two week break is the time to emphasize being balanced, a core attribute of our ISA Values and the IB Learner Profile. As we noted in our “Memorandum from a Child” earlier this year, children thrive when they have the space to experiment and the understanding that they are more than just their academic output.
Truly flourishing as a global citizen requires us to value "being": that is, balancing intellectual growth with emotional restoration. A player cannot continue to hit home run after home run if they are exhausted. Likewise, a child cannot achieve learning breakthrough after learning breakthrough without the time needed to let concepts percolate. This break is your child’s time to rekindle their curiosity so they can return as risk-takers for the final quarter. If the first half of the year was about inquiry, the final quarter is about action. This is the stage where students take what they have discovered and apply it to the world around them, proving that learning isn't just about what we know, but what we do with that knowledge.
Quarter 4 Preview: The final few innings of the year
As we enter the final stretch of the school year, here is a quick guide to the IB terminology and concepts we will be focusing on in the Elementary School.
The Learner Profile focus (also known as the ISA Values)
- Risk-Taker: We encourage students to approach uncertainty with forethought and resilience. Quarter 4 is the time to try new methods and share bold ideas.
- Reflective: Students will look back on their year-long journey to understand their strengths and challenges in order to support their learning and personal development.
Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills
- Self-management: focusing on organisation and states of mind as students take more agency over their daily routines.
- Social skills: emphasizing collaboration and conflict resolution as we work on final group inquiries.
The power of action
In the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), action is the ultimate proof of learning. It is when a student takes what they have learned in the classroom and applies it to the real world to make a positive change.
Inquiry-Based Learning
We continue to move from mere memorization and recall toward deep conceptual understanding. Ask your child: "What big idea have you been exploring this week?"
World Word of the Week
Word: Sobremesa
Language: Spanish
Word: Sobremesa
Language: Spanish
Meaning: Literally "over the table." It describes the period after a meal when the food is gone, but the conversation continues. It is the art of lingering to share stories, reflections, and laughter.
As we conclude a busy Quarter 3, we hope your holiday is filled with moments of sobremesa, where the pressure of the school day fades and the joy of connection takes center stage.
Continuing the conversation: At the dinner table or on the car ride home
As always, thank you for being such active partners in your child’s learning. Enjoy our "7th inning stretch" and let's get ready for a fantastic end to the school year!
- "What is something you’ve learned so far this year that you want to keep exploring just for fun over the break?"
- "What have you done recently to overcome a challenge you faced in your learning?
- "Which ISA value (like being 'open minded' or 'balanced') do you want to practice most during your time off?"
Quarter 3 Progress Reports
This afternoon, the progress reports for Quarter 3 will be published on PowerSchool. Please take some time to look through your child’s progress report - ideally with them. The information contained in this progress report is a summary of your child’s learning progress for the third quarter of the school year. The report is one of a number of strategies used by our school to communicate with you about your child’s achievements, actions and effort throughout the year. Additional progress reports were published in October and January, with a final report on student achievement still to be uploaded in June at the end of the school year. Through the reports and our formal and informal parent conferences, we strive to provide pertinent information about particular triumphs, sources of interest and curiosity for your child, as well as specific areas in need of improvement, the degree of progress/development being made in identified areas, and/or strategies for improvement that can be made by students.
It is important to remember that marks given provide information about your child’s progress and areas for goal setting. While reading this report, please also keep in mind that each child is unique, possessing different skills and strengths, developing at different rates over time. Student assessment should focus on what students can do and know, and how they are progressing against a set of standards, rather than how they are performing compared to their peers.
In all of our assessment efforts, the teachers at ISA strive to encourage and assist students to make progress. Our commitment is to present an honest appraisal that neither inflates grades nor is overly critical. This is a positive process and requires clear communication and cooperation between students, parents/carers and teachers. If you have any questions about progress reports, or evaluation in general, please contact your child’s classroom teacher. If you would like further discussion, I’d be happy to meet with you, too.
Please take note that Preschool parents/carers receive observational notes during the school year and a narrative report at the end of the school year (June 2026).
Comments
Post a Comment