 
“WHOLE PEOPLE, WHOLE PLANET”
|
     |
Grades K-6
Our Elementary Program
The years of elementary school are magical. Children blossom. They grow from being near toddlers to veritable young adults embarking on adolescence. In the right school environment, they enter adolescence as well-rounded, curious youngsters with a love learning and healthy self-esteem.
AMA's mission is to lay a strong foundation in academics while fostering that love of learning and teaching children to be strong and secure in who they are. Social education-focusing on conflict resolution, mediation, communication, respect, and empathy for others-is at the heart of what makes AMA elementary so special. We expect our students to perform at or above grade level in academic subjects, and we believe that they only do so when they love to learn, love themselves and love others.
"Interactive Education" is the defining feature of AMA elementary. Students don't learn by rote. They question, explore, and learn in dialogue with the teachers and with each other. Our All-School Activities keep them in constant contact with Junior High and High School students and teachers alike. AMA's focus on Interactive Education works! In 2006, for example, our upper elementary students planned, staged and managed an All-School Talent Show all on their own. They live, work and learn in a community that supports them and nurtures their gifts and capabilities.
The effects of the nurturing AMA environment are evident in the classroom. By the middle of the 2006-07 academic year, 90 percent of our upper elementary students were reading in English at or above grade level, even though they had begun the year significantly behind. They simply love learning! Whether it's building aliens adapted to the planets they are studying, exploring cultures around the world, applying their math skills to real-life problems, or learning a new dance or song, AMA kids have fun even as they prepare for upper-level academics.
AMA doesn't believe in a competitive environment. We also don't stress over-reliance on grading in elementary school. We teach children to believe in themselves, to set their own goals, and to support and help one another. We teach them to celebrate their multiple intelligences, and we understand that all kids grow and develop at different rates.
At the same time, we know that without a strong foundation in elementary school, it is virtually impossible to excel in the upper grades. A well-designed, professional curriculum in the early years is what opens doors in the child's future. An AMA elementary education means that your child can follow his or her dreams wherever they may lead.
Atitlan Multicultural Academy
tel: ++502 5789 2386
office: ++502 5789 2386
Calle Principal
Panajachel, Guatemala
html © 2008 Duncan Aitken - text © 2008 John Way links