IB PYP at Keller Elementary

Welcome to our brief overview of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) at Helen Keller Elementary! We began our exciting IB journey in 2007, and since then, we've proudly celebrated the 5th Grade Exhibition 16 times – a testament to our students' incredible inquiry and action, and our teachers' commitment to collaboration and excellence!

The PYP is not a set curriculum with prescribed lessons, but rather a flexible educational framework designed for young learners aged 3–12. Rooted in the belief that children are naturally curious, creative, and reflective, the PYP nurtures the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally.

Instead of learning subjects in isolation, students explore transdisciplinary themes that connect learning across subject areas. This approach allows students to inquire into big ideas that matter—both in school and in the world beyond it.

The PYP fosters a stimulating and challenging learning environment that encourages children to think critically, ask questions, collaborate with others, and take meaningful action. At its heart, the PYP aims to develop lifelong learners who are caring, open-minded, and internationally minded.

All students at Keller are IB PYP learners. The Primary Years Programme is inclusive of all ages, grades, abilities, and classrooms.

Our Developmental Kindergarten and Kindergarten students are considered "Early Years" learners. The Early Years in the PYP refers to the educational experience for children aged 3 to 6, focused on play-based, inquiry-driven learning that supports their social, emotional, and cognitive development.

When Keller learners move on to the Royal Oak Middle School, they will continue to be IB Middle Years Programme students through Grade 10.

The heart of every IB programme is the IB Mission Statement. We believe in its values, teach its principles, and encourage our students to live it out each day by embodying the IB Learner Profile—a set of traits that help them grow as thoughtful, caring, and internationally minded individuals.

The IB Learner Profile is a set of ten key traits that help students grow into well-rounded, caring, and thoughtful individuals. These traits—like being inquirers, thinkers, communicators, and principled—guide how students learn, interact with others, and contribute to their communities. The Learner Profile permeates everything we do, helping shape our teaching, our school culture, and our students' everyday choices as they grow into lifelong learners who strive to make a positive difference in the world.

Keller staff and learners are internationally minded global citizens who understand and appreciate their own culture while showing respect for the perspectives, values, and traditions of others. They are open-minded, compassionate, and committed to making the world more peaceful, fair, and sustainable through their actions and choices.

The transdisciplinary themes in the PYP are broad, real-world ideas that connect learning across subjects like language, math, science, and social studies.

These six themes—such as “Who We Are” and “How the World Works”—help students explore meaningful concepts, make connections, and see how their learning applies to the world around them. At Keller, learners in DK through 5th grade engage with these themes through a Program of Inquiry (POI) that includes 38 units of study, carefully designed to build skills, deepen understanding, and foster curiosity year after year.

The 5th Grade PYP Exhibition is the culminating project of the Primary Years Programme, where students engage in a collaborative, in-depth inquiry into a real-world issue. This significant community event allows them to showcase their accumulated knowledge, skills, and the attributes of the IB Learner Profile while demonstrating their agency and ability to take meaningful action.

Email: kara.daunt@royaloakschools.org

Phone: 248.542.6500 x 3011