Elementary schoolSISU School Ulaanbaatar

The SISU Student Program follows the world-renown Finnish education model adhering to international and American curriculum.

The Elementary Program is used in systems where elementary education includes grades 1-5.

The program is typically bilingual where English Language, Mathematics, and Science follow the Finnish curriculum and international standards and integrated with the local curriculum.

Studying the English language at SISU School is not only learning new words but promoting the development of thinking skills. As students expand their vocabulary and learn new structures, they also develop their interaction and information acquisition skills. In SISU Program there is plenty of room for joy, playfulness, and creativity in language learning.

Growing into cultural diversity and language awareness

Language-learning skills

Evolving language proficiency, interaction skills, text interpretation skills, text production skills

Science

Environmental studies is an integrated subject which comprises knowledge of biology, geography, physics, chemistry and health education and which includes the perspective of sustainable development.

Viewpoints of both natural and human sciences are integrated into environmental studies. In environmental studies, the students are considered a part of the environment in which they live. Respect for nature and a life of dignity in compliance with human rights are the basic principles in teaching and learning in the SISU Program.

The students learn to acquire, process, produce, present, evaluate, and appraise information in different situations. The instruction is founded on scientific information, and attention is paid to the development of critical thinking.

SISU Program’s Science Studies are divided into 6 different units:

Me as a human being
Acting in situations and communities of daily life
Exploring a diverse world
Exploring the environment
Structures, principles, and cycles of nature
Building a sustainable future

SISU Skills

The fourth Industrial Revolution has challenged our ideas about education. What kind of education best prepare our children for the future? What are the professions in the future? How will we define work? In order to meet this challenge, we need new education and training for our children. SISU Skills prepare our students not just for schooling but for life.

The SISU Skills are:

Think and Learn - Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Express and Interact - Creativity and Expression
Communicate - Multi-literacy and Information and Communication Technology
Do It Yourself - Healthy Lifestyle and Self-Management
Take Action - Entrepreneurship

Finnish Education Model
(Play-Based Learning)

Finnish education system

Enjoys high rankings and it is well perceived by policy makers, educators and parents.

The Finnish model focuses on the student, first and foremost, as well as on:

Student-centred working approaches
Learning environments
Students’ activity and interaction with teachers, other students and the whole school community.

The approach to learning

The model puts emphasis on:

Student-centred learning;
Student intellectual, mental and physical well-being;
Curricular coherence in achieving intellectual and competence-building learning outcomes;
Language and identity;
Assessment of and for learning;
The school as a professional learning community;
Home-school partnerships and the local community.

Teachers

Teachers have:

High levels of content knowledge;
Strong pedagogical skills;
Variety of methodological tools and approaches to serve the individual needs of each child.

Students

Acquire new knowledge and skills;
Guided to reflect on their learning, experiences and emotions;
The positive emotional experiences, the joy of learning, and the provision of creative activities foster learning and inspire the development of each individual learner’s skills.

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Development of transversal competencies

Thinking and learning to learn

Thinking and learning skills form the base of all other transversal competences and are a prerequisite for lifelong learning. It is important to learn how to search, assess critically, edit, produce and share information. Students are encouraged to search for answers and to formulate new information and views as well as to listen to the views of others. Overall, encouragement is crucial for students to learn to trust in themselves and at the same time to be open and flexible to new solutions. Thinking skills are used for problem-solving, argumentation, reasoning, drawing conclusions and inventions in and out of school, which lays a solid foundation for further studies and lifelong learning.
Cultural competence, interaction and self-expression

Students grow in a culturally diverse world. At the school, students are supported in recognising and appreciating cultural diversity in their environment. Students are supported in building a personal cultural identity and a positive relationship with the environment, in which they appreciate their roots and cultural heritage. At the school community students learn to examine different viewpoints, develop their social skills and express themselves in a constructive way in all situations.
Taking care of oneself and managing daily life

Managing daily life requires an increasingly wide range of skills. The school community guides students to understand that everyone influences both their own and other people’s well-being. Understanding the relevance of health, safety and human relationships, mobility and transport, use of technology, personal finances and consumption builds students’ confidence in the future, and guides them towards a sustainable way of life.
Multiliteracy

Multiliteracy is the competence to interpret, produce and make value judgements across a variety of different texts. Students need multi literacy skills to interpret their environment and to perceive its cultural diversity. It supports the development of critical thinking and learning skills.
ICT competence

Competence in information and communication technology (ICT) is an important civic skill, and a part of multiliteracy. It is both an object and a tool of learning. The teaching and learning of ICT skills is integrated into all school subjects in all grades. Students are introduced to various applications of ICT and are guided to observe the significance of ICT in their daily life, human interaction and as a channel of influence.
Working life competence and entrepreneurship

Working life and the nature of work are changing due to technological advancements and globalisation. At the school, students are encouraged to explore new opportunities with an open mind as changes take place. Students learn general abilities that support motivation and a positive attitude towards work and working life. They also obtain experience that helps them to comprehend the importance of work and understand their personal responsibility for their community. Students are encouraged to show tenacity in bringing their work to a conclusion and to appreciate work and its results.
Participation, involvement and building a sustainable future

Skills in participating and involvement can only be gained through experience. The school community offers a safe setting for this. Students learn to work together and practise negotiation, conciliation, conflict resolution skills and critical examination of issues. They learn to understand the significance of their choices, way of living and actions. Students develop capabilities for evaluating and changing their own actions, their surroundings and the wider society in order to contribute to a sustainable future.

Growing into cultural diversity and language awareness

Language-learning skills

Development of transversal competencies

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