Middle School
At the Hamilton International Middle School, we offer a REAL (Rigorous, Engaging and Ambitious Learning) experience for our students. Our curriculum will be aligned with the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC). The curriculum will:
- Engage and inspire students to learn.
- Motivate students to research and discover the world around them.
- Prepare students to succeed in the 21st century workplace.
- Equip students with the skills to be successful in obtaining the US Diploma and International Baccalaureate Programme
- Meet the US Curriculum Core standards
The IMYC is a progressive international curriculum that provides a rigorous academic platform and prepares students both academically and holistically for the next step in their learning journey. When the students move onto High School, they are well equipped to succeed in challenging academic programs leading to IB Diploma Programme or the US High School Diploma.
What type of activities will my child experience here at Hamilton?
- Science and Technology play an essential role in our students’ educational path to success. We have timetabled double science lessons in our state of the art, purpose-built science laboratories. Our students are immersed in a rigorous science curriculum and gain the knowledge, skills and understanding to excel in the scientific world around them.
- Our superb IT provisions support 21st Century learning in developing key skills in a range of software, including confidently using our multimedia suite, with green screen and recording studio. Our students capture the life of Hamilton through THIS TV.
- Our diverse and holistic curriculum provides opportunities for our students to develop their passion and skills in Performing Arts, Music, Musical Theatre, Dance, Design Technology and PE.
- Through our World Languages program, students are given the opportunity to study French or Spanish.
- The Ministry Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatar History programs provide high curriculum standards, equipping our students with the Arabic, Islamic and Qatari values. Students participate in active learning, using real life examples to bring the Arabic language alive, ensuring our students learn the value of Arabic language. In Islamic Studies, students enjoy learning the Quran and the core values of Islam.
- Our students have educational opportunities, including international opportunities, to develop into confident, responsible, courageous and decisive young leaders of the future.
- Being a part of the ISP network of schools, our students have the unique opportunity to be part of the Buddy exchange program and joining the ISP Model United Nations with our ISP partner schools around the globe.
IMYC Structure
The IMYC curriculum connects the students’ learning from one subject to another through the conceptual idea, providing a deeper level of understanding and generating a greater interest in the themes being learnt. Numerous research (such as Goldman et al., 2016 and NRC, Donovan & Bransford, 2005) have found that by making authentic connections from the different subjects, students retain information in more detail for longer. Authentic connections result in a better understanding of the concepts, leading to better performance on assessments.
Throughout the year, in each grade level, students will investigate 4 different units, each based around a conceptual idea, called the ‘Big Idea’. Before starting each unit, a super learning day will help to captivate the students’ interest and provide an interactive learning experience, resulting in highly motivated students with a desire to learn. Classroom learning includes individual investigations, collaborative research, and recording tasks which are all linked to the Big Idea, supporting subject teachers in facilitating student-led, subject-based learning. Each learning task is designed to provide opportunities for students to regularly problem solve, think creatively and develop personal skills such as resilience, communication and adaptability.
Learning Goals
Learning goals provide an explicit framework identifying what the students need to know, skills they will develop and the understanding they should apply throughout the course of the IMYC program. Learning goals provide a clear focus guiding our students to success.
At Hamilton International School, goal setting is an essential ingredient to ensure our students strive to achieve their very best, every student is actively encouraged to look at the future and be motivated to achieve their potential.
Learning goals are divided into three key areas:
Assessment
Assessment is ongoing and is aimed at capturing students at their best. In the IMYC, formative and summative assessments will be used throughout the unit to give individual and continuous feedback to the students. Regular unit tests guide their learning journey and highlight areas of improvement, allowing the key focus to be the learning journey and designed to demonstrate a student’s conceptual understanding of each unit’s Big Idea.
At the end of each unit, students also work either individually or in small groups to create and present a media project that reflects their understanding of the unit. This gives students the opportunity to express their own ideas through modern, creative media avenues. Students will have the opportunities to create an iMovie, podcast, blog, PowerPoint or performance of their learning journey throughout their IMYC learning experience.
Read more about the IMYC here.
Images and text taken from the IMYC Implementation document and website.
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