Can we ever stop learning? Even speculating, we might say everybody’s response will be a resounding NO! The world is always changing with new technology, fast-growing sectors and employment opportunities. To survive and thrive in this global age, lifelong learning is necessary. Children and youths of today must be equipped to face the challenges of tomorrow when they graduate from schools, colleges, or universities. By cultivating the habits of lifelong learning at a young age, students can enhance their personal effectiveness and capacity to adapt nimbly to changes. This prepares them to be future leaders, poised to stay competitive and relevant in the evolving world.

Overview of CIAC

CIAC is an international subsidiary of Canadian Operation by an elementary school teacher who earned an award of achievement for Excellence in Early Childhood Education from Prime Minster of Canada, Justin Trudeau, in 2015.

CIAC attention is focused on providing an educational experience that would be a positive influence on students’ lives and helping them build a solid framework to be used in all aspects of their lives. CIAC is a provider of premier education service to the families in the community and is proud to be a part of today’s educational system.

Mission of CIAC

CIAC is an outstanding school providing exceptional educational service to the society. We are a team of professionals devoted to the following mission statement:

“To provide students with high quality educational environment, while respecting the child/parent socio-cultural perspective, to enable students to develop intellectual, physical, social, and academic framework for success socially, within a family relationship, and a future career path.”

To fulfill this mission, CIAC offers:

• A positive environment where the exceptional needs of each student are recognized and cared for;

• Individual classrooms for each age group with security, safety and cleanliness in mind;

• Innovative Canadian curriculum for each age-specific classroom developed and implemented by a professional team; and

• Carefully designed and selected educational technology and equipment to enhance students’ learning.

The Knowledgeable Leader

The person leading CIAC from the front is none other than Ms. Nicky. She is the School Principal earned an award of achievement for Excellence in Early Childhood Education from Prime Minster of Canada.

Ms. Nicky shows that children are her number one priority not only by the activities she leads and the love she provides but also the care she takes of the facility to ensure children have a clean and safe environment in which to learn and play.

Philosophy of care-

Recognizing that each child is different, Ms. Nicky helps children develop at their own pace while addressing any developmental needs they may have. She provides love and affection, alongside discipline, with clear explanations of what is right and wrong.

Support of child development-

· Prepares children to move on to school with a comprehensive curriculum involving science, math, reading, geography and art; enhances her lessons using a SMARTboard.

· Introduces children to a variety of languages, including French, Mandarin and Spanish, as well as movement and dance, as part of the centre’s fine arts focus.

· Builds learning about various cultures into the curriculum, transforming holidays such as Chinese New Year into Chinese Friendship Week to not only celebrate but also learn about Chinese culture.

Involvement with parents, families and the community-

· Emphasizes that parents must be actively involved in their children’s learning and growth: parent participation in many activities is mandatory.

· Capitalizes on the celebration of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day by having parents come to the centre on those occasions to participate in one-on-one and group activities with their children.

· Organizes a food drive each Thanksgiving: families are encouraged to bring in non-perishable goods for donation to a local food bank.

A Wide Variety of Programs Offered

Early Learning as a Leverage for Future Success

· CIAC provides a practical program, based on the Canadian Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) framework, which seeks to maximize child’s future well-being.

Elementary School for the Twenty-first Century

· CIAC elementary school supports high-quality learning while providing every child the opportunity to learn in the way that is best appropriate for each child’s individual strengths and needs.

Literacy and Language

· Literacy is not only about reading or writing but also about how we communicate in society. It is also about social practices and relationships, knowledge, language and culture. Literacy development lies at the heart of the CIAC language curriculum that is devoted to teaching knowledge and skills in listening and speaking, reading, writing, and viewing and representing.

Native Language

· The ultimate goal of the Native language program is to inspire students with pride in their ancestral language and to motivate them to use it to communicate as a living language that is part of their culture.

Second Language

· The second language program at CIAC has been designed to provide a curriculum that helps students to not only strengthen their ability to communicate in different language, but also develop their capacity to understand and respect other cultures. In this way it prepares students to participate more effectively in the workplace and in the global economy, and provides them with a distinct advantage in a number of careers, both in Cambodia and internationally.

Mathematics

· CIAC’s mathematics curriculum is designed to create flexibility to respond to the diversity that exists among students. It is based on the belief that all students can learn mathematics and deserve the opportunity to do so. It supports equity by promoting the active participation of all students while recognizing that each student learns mathematics differently and sets expectations that meet each student’s learning style.

Science and Technology

· Through a comprehensive curriculum, the primary goal of CIAC’s science and technology program is to help students to understand the relationship between the nature and human-designed worlds. The CIAC science and technology program helps students to develop the skills and knowledge they need to connect to nature responsibly, and is based on the following three goals:

1. To relate science and technology to society and the environment;

2. To develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for scientific inquiry and technological problem solving; and

3. To understand the basic concepts of science and technology

Social Studies, History and Geography

· The social studies curriculum at CIAC helps students to have an understanding of identity: who they are, where they came from, where they belong, and how they contribute to the society in which they live.

· The history curriculum at CIAC helps students to have an understanding of time: who are we, who came before us, and why we care.

· The geography curriculum at CIAC helps students to have an understanding of place: what is where, why there, and why we care.

Fine Arts

· CIAC’s arts program recognizes that education in arts is essential to students’ intellectual, social, physical, and emotional development and well-being. Children will have opportunities to think and feel as they explore, problem solve, express, interpret, and assess the process and the results.

Health and Physical Education

· The health and physical education curriculum at CIAC is designed to provide a balance approach. This curriculum not only provides opportunity to students to develop an understanding of what they need in order to make a commitment to lifelong healthy and active living but also develop their social skills and emotional well-being.

Focus on Students’ Development

At CIAC, we integrate the traditional education with real life experiences through healthy living, active learning, and career building. Students have the opportunity to apply their learning to the real life and real world. We support young children to make positive choices that enhance their personal, physical, mental and spiritual health. We encourage students to actively participate in process of learning while supporting them to become independent learners. We help young children to reach their full potentials and develop fundamental skills to become successful in their future career paths.

We encourage students to actively participate in process of learning while supporting them to become independent learners.