On December 3, 2011, the PYP upper wing housing grades two to five bustled with the excitement of hosting the “Student Led Conference”. The purpose of the conference was to have each student lead their parents through their classroom and other centers of school activities, and talk to them in detail about their learning throughout the year. The classrooms were prepared with the help of PYP teachers and students themselves, and showcased board displays, models, games, activities, and samples of student submissions.
The corridor was set up impressively for the exhibits of student artwork, while the Assembly Hall housed the physical fitness activities. First, students and parents walked over to each portion of the classroom while the second to fifth graders demonstrated their understanding of various topics in English, Math, Units of Inquiry, Hindi, ICT, and third language where ever applicable. The parents also took an in-depth look at their child’s portfolio, a significant output of each year of PYP, which records the student’s chosen work in different areas. Parents quizzed their youngsters, challenged them at games, and finally reflected along with them on the annual achievements and areas for further support, by filling out a written form. After this comprehensive tour, they were led to the fantastic art exhibition, the innovative PYP library resources center, and a hands-on demonstration of the physical fitness program conducted at school. The conference proved to be extremely effective for parents to see their child’s complete academic and co-curricular learning experiences over almost the entire year. It was a tremendous confidence booster for the students as they surprised themselves and their parent audience by running the show with the teachers merely assisting with logistics of the conference.
