SAIBSA CONNECT: Job-Alike Sessions

By Aparajeeta Brahma, PYP Teaching Assistant

Treamis welcomed us warmly, and the opening ceremony, especially SAIBSA President Mr. Kaisar Dopaishi’s insights on concept-based learning and the recognition of our facilitators Ms. Devika, Ms. Lamiya, Ms. Mehak, and Ms. Pravalika, set an inspiring tone. With 34 schools present, the breakout sessions were filled with rich conversations, shared challenges, and many 'We do this too!” moments. Being alongside fellow Stonehill participants made the day even more memorable. SAIBSA reminded me how much I grow when I step forward with curiosity, courage, and the support of my Stonehill family. I’ve summarised our collective key takeaways in this blog post.

Sharing our stories: SAIBSA Experiences

Mr. Swapanjyoti attended Grade 3 sessions, from Trio International School. He found the focus on assessment, action, and agency really insightful, highlighting how these make learning meaningful and student-centered. The ‘bus stop’ activity on the four assessment components: monitoring, documenting, measuring, and reporting, helped him see how closely our practices at Stonehill align with IB expectations. Hearing from others also reinforced for him the importance of concept-based learning and transdisciplinary connections, as they allow students to link ideas across subjects and apply their learning to real-world challenges, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

Ms. Keziah attended the Arts PYP session, where she explored how SOLO Taxonomy can be connected to Visual Arts assessments to scaffold student thinking and reflection. She shared Stonehill best practices on assessment, including our reflection cycle and the use of rubrics in Toddle to document learning. She also took part in an engaging task using the SOLO levels, Pre-structural, Multi-structural, Relational, and Extended Abstract: which helped her understand student learning progression and assessment design in a creative and meaningful way.

Ms. Hope, Ms. Pavana, Ms. Geeta, and Mr. Manish attended the Grade 1/Early Years SAIBSA session together, and they shared that it was an inspiring and enriching experience. They collectively explored the Reggio Emilia idea of the ‘Hundred Languages of Children’, learning how young learners express themselves in countless ways and how honouring these ‘languages’ builds agency and identity. They gained insights into concept and inquiry-based learning, meaningful provocations, ATL skills integration, positive reinforcement, reflective tools like rubrics and book journals, and the importance of psychologically safe, child-centred environments. They also experienced engaging activities like cultural icebreakers, newspaper grouping tasks, collage making, and playful role-play that helped them understand agency, action, and diversity more deeply while having fun together. Together, they also shared our own Stonehill practices. They shared strategies such as reinforcing behaviour through mental star systems, using the house groups to build identity and community, integrating colour-coded emotional reflections, and promoting agency through choice-based learning. They celebrated our P3 Green Space initiative, meaningful classroom routines, provocation setups, literacy support through language mapping, and hands-on engagements that foster curiosity and responsibility.

Ms. Mehak and Ms. Pravalika attended a session for Special Educators and School Counsellors, focused on Social-Emotional and Mental Health (SEM) practices across grade levels. The presenter walked them through her ‘Sparkle Minds’ SEM room, emphasising psychological safety, positive language, flexible seating, and predictable routines. As facilitators, Mehak and Pravalika contributed by presenting on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), covering the biology behind dysregulation, the CASEL competencies, Kelso’s Choices for conflict resolution, and the impact of transitions on student behaviour. They also experienced a virtual tour of the SEM setup, which showcased regulation zones, calm corners, and sensory tools.

In conclusion, attending the SAIBSA event was a great opportunity to learn from and share best practices across the region. The experience reaffirmed Stonehill’s strong and deeply rooted commitment to authentic inquiry, an approach that continues to stand out in the region. Engaging in these conversations strengthens our professional growth and reinforces our focus on nurturing learners’ agency, creativity, thinking skills, and overall well-being while staying true to the PYP philosophy.