Le Sallay Discovery School

11/09/2023

The school's foreign language program considers two types of students: native or fluent speakers and those at an introductory level. Le Sallay offers Spanish, French, and Russian as language study options both for native and foreign students. The upper-level classes delve into the culture, history, and literature of the language as if studying within its home country, while the lower-level classes focus primarily on practical application, especially speaking skills.

The program follows established language levels (A1 to C2), with an emphasis on practical application. Students assess their skills based on what they can do effectively in real-life situations, such as self-introduction, navigating a city, shopping, or general conversation in a foreign language.

As students grow beyond the beginner level, co-teaching collaborations introduce elements of subjects such as math, history, and science taught in the target language, showcasing language as a versatile tool rather than an isolated subject. This approach aims to enable students to utilize the language for a variety of purposes in their lives, whether for academic study or travel experiences.

Although English is the official language of instruction, students often converse in a mixture of languages, enriching the language-learning process. By the end of the program, students are expected to reach a level of proficiency that would enable them to converse confidently, comprehend written material, navigate, and study in their chosen language.

17/08/2023

History is science and science is history. You cannot separate them. That is the way we approach teaching them at Le Sallay. Each scientific discovery has context around it, how it came to be, and how it affected the people around it. While teachers focus on their subject, they acknowledge this connection and cover topics that correlate to illustrate it better.

In history class, the teacher starts with the creation of the world and the evolution of the human species. In science class, students explore topics like space and geology, and how they relate to the Earth's formation. However, in history, the focus is on the story of human civilization and how these two aspects are intertwined. When studying different civilizations, specific scientific points come into focus, whether it’s developments in engineering or the way that humans were able to advance despite the climate and geographical hindrances.

The key to the success of this approach is communication and synchronization between teachers. When preparing the curriculum they decide on the cross-discipline reference points as well as design special co-taught units. Those might include mini-courses or assignments that tie together different areas of knowledge. This way students get to dig deeper, discover new perspectives and learn to connect seemingly isolated facts into a bigger picture.

The curriculum is built considering the questions students asked in the past years and their interests as well. In the future, we are also going to integrate parts of the Big History Project curriculum, at the core of which is the same interdisciplinary approach. We want to teach our students to look at the world with a broader understanding of the causes and effects different subjects have on each other rather than isolate them in an unnatural manner.

10/08/2023

With new technologies developing every day, there are more and more opportunities for misinformation. That’s why it is important to teach children to check sources and cross-reference information. During a unit on research, students learned to evaluate sources and look at media to verify its credibility, relevance, and accuracy. The term “fake news” gets used a lot nowadays, and with things like AI-generated videos going more mainstream, it becomes easier to deceive people.

Children learn best when the content is memorable to them personally, and one way to do that is to use fun acronyms. In this unit, it was CRAAP - a source evaluation technique developed at California State University, Chico that stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. When looking at different news and information sources, the students looked through the lens of this acronym to decide if they were trustworthy.

For demonstration, students were shown a very convincing fake website that they had to decide whether or not to believe. The website claims the existence of a “Pacific Northwest tree octopus (Octopus paxarbolis)” that “can be found in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula on the west coast of North America." While the website looks outdated, having been created in 1998, it is very thoroughly done, with various pages, links to supporting fake articles, and even books.

This unit is about the exploration of Logical Fallacies, Aristotle's methods of Rhetoric, reliable sourcing, source evaluation techniques, discerning news and unreliable websites, and, of course, fake news, deep fakes, and the pros and cons of large language machines and general intelligence A.I. In today's age of misinformation, it is important to teach children these methods to ensure they know how to separate lies from the truth and make decisions based on facts rather than speculations.

08/08/2023

Today we would like to congratulate Le Sallay Academy's principal Anna Kadieva on joining the Executive Committee of the European Association for Distance Learning (EADL)!

EADL is a non-profit organization whose mission is to represent all privately-owned and non-governmental European organizations offering high-quality and educationally sound distance learning. Its goal is to improve the quality and acceptance of distance learning, promote research into the methods of distance learning as well as open discussion of strategy in the business, marketing, and educational aspects.

Every year, EADL organizes a conference as well as several webinars where members meet and where views and new developments are discussed and exchanged. As a part of the EADL webinar subcommittee, Anna will be participating in the organization of the upcoming webinar which will take place on September 20 (save the date!).

Anna Kadieva has extensive experience in managing international education projects as well as working with kids and teenagers in all kinds of different settings, age groups, and formats. We are excited to see Anna joining EADL and contributing to this innovative organization, exchanging her vision and experience with 73 other members that represent over 500 distance learning institutions.

07/08/2023

Literature is like a child.

Throughout history, it grows and evolves, building on itself and developing further. That is why at Le Sallay, we begin literature classes from a chronological standpoint first, switching to a thematic structure later. Approaching the subject from that point of view helps children identify closer to the material and discover more about the world outside and themselves. They reach further in to understand their emotions and express them, talking about their understanding and interpretations of the works read in class.

There’s a balance to be maintained between technical learning and creative opportunities. For example, a teacher might ask students to write a classical ode, and in doing so children learn both the technical aspects and the thought process of writers of the classicist era. Experiencing literature firsthand, they better understand the thematic accents present in each era and learn to appreciate the beauty of literature. While the tasks require certain precision in terms of writing in correct form and strophes, they are free to write about any subject they wish, be it complex emotions or comedic topics.

To help children to understand and connect to the material, the teachers often use other creative mediums like visual arts, cinematography, and music. They might start the introduction of a specific era with painting to note connections in subject matter or particular elements of the painting and a literature piece.

At the end of the day, we aim to leave the child with a broader understanding of the subject not only relating to a single writer or work in particular, but rather an element of culture and a moment in history. Many of our students and their parents come and travel to different places around the world, and it is important to be open to finding connections between them.

Read more about our approaches on the page Le Sallay International Academy

26/07/2023

Humanities at Le Sallay include interconnected courses combining subjects in social studies (history, geography, social studies, history, philosophy) and English and world literature (English, history of literature and world culture).

Instead of studying the subjects independently, we first go from ancient civilizations up to the 20th century chronologically, demonstrating the links between the subjects. In years 4-5, we switch to a thematic approach and talk about important themes through history and literature, such as human rights, science, people and state, gender, and more. Works of literature can illuminate and highlight aspects of the past, and our interdisciplinary focus helps the student understand humanities as a balanced whole instead of isolated pieces. Teachers also organize special courses that allow deep dives that don’t fit into the regular curriculum based on students’ interests. If a student is particularly interested in fashion or military history, the teacher has an opportunity to make space for that. We invent activities that allow kids to participate directly in the class. For instance, instead of passively listening to a lecture on the French Revolution, students organize a mock parliament where they divide into factions and argue the same issues Jacobins and Girondins debated at the end of the 18th century.

And sometimes the teachers might even expand past humanities by collaborating with STEM teachers. For example, a history teacher collaborating with a science teacher to do a lesson on the black death or influenza from both a historical standpoint and a scientific one.

25/07/2023

Many are concerned about the effectiveness of online learning. Will my child actually study? Can the teacher truly know if they pay attention? If done right, the answer is yes. At Le Sallay, online classes are held in modern virtual classrooms where teachers can see students and monitor their activity. Each class has 3-6 students, meaning the teacher has the opportunity to interact directly with each student, making sure they participate and understand the material. It is often impossible for a teacher to have a one on one communication with a student in a traditional classroom, but when working online they can separate students into breakout rooms and have private time with them. In addition, we curate online school clubs (e.g. role-playing, math, arts) that meet outside of scheduled instructional hours during online sessions.

More than obtaining a high grade, what we really value is progress and we teach students to see value in their personal growth and development as reflected by overall assessment. That is why once a week the students have individual meetings with their assigned mentors to discuss their personal challenges and successes. We believe in open school-family communication and parents can easily monitor their child’s progress, attendance, grades, and feedback via the school's learning portal.

Physical distance does not mean a loss of social connection. Le Sallay has a social platform where students actively stay in touch. Students are free to talk privately or in groups, to discuss homework or just joke around and enjoy themselves. It allows students to maintain friendships outside of on-site sessions and provides a way to connect as a community.

23/07/2023

When it comes to curriculum, co-teaching is at the heart of Le Sallay’s education model.

Instead of following a linear curriculum, every subject area is subdivided into several courses in humanities and languages and in STEM. Each course combines several interrelated disciplines that are usually separated in a traditional school.

When it comes to humanities, history, and geography at Le Sallay are integrated with the literature and philosophy courses, forming a balanced whole. At first, the subjects are combined into a single chronologically organized course to show the links between the different subjects and switch to a thematic approach later. The students consider human history in its entirety through the prism of the environment, technology, society, economics, state systems, and individual identities.

As for STEM, our approach to teaching mathematics and sciences is based on interdisciplinarity and the permanent cross-over between different areas of knowledge. In math, teachers focus on building students' motivation and problem-solving skills first, and only after the course is divided into smaller units. The science course includes geography, biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy and it is designed to teach the complex relationship between different phenomena and the different areas of human knowledge. Students that show noticeable progress are given specialized assignments that challenge them at a different level, so they can proceed at a comfortable pace instead of waiting for their peers to reach the same level of knowledge.

We use a variety of co-teaching models based on the work of Dr. Marilyn Friend. Using these evidence-based models allows us to provide students with engaging and individualized instruction. Teachers partner together to develop mini-courses or assignments that tie together different areas of knowledge. This way students get to dig deeper, discover new perspectives and learn to connect seemingly isolated facts into a bigger picture.

14/07/2023

What is blended learning?

Blended learning is a combination of online and in-person instruction. At Le Sallay schools, students attend four on-site sessions a year. Every session includes a full board, classes, sports and extracurriculars. In between the sessions, kids study online in small interactive classrooms.

Why blended learning is the future of education

• It allows for greater flexibility. Students can travel, study from home and pursue their interests without the constraints of the traditional school system.

• Unlike online, blended learning instruction provides students with an opportunity to connect with their peers and teachers in a safe and supportive environment.

• It benefits twice-exceptional and neurodivergent students by reducing sensory overload and personalizing learning tracks.

• It improves engagement by seamlessly blending digital and face-to-face teaching.

Have more questions? Reach out to learn more!

07/07/2023

Our students from Le Sallay International Academy designed a real board game!

In our approach to literature, it is important for us that the books that pass through the classroom are alive for students and lead to meaningful discussion, inspiring such creative projects as this one. The game the students have developed is based on Dead Souls by Gogol and follows its main character Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov.

The official annotation by the creators:
Welcome to the world of Gogol, where noses wander the streets, terrifying creatures appear out of nowhere, and overcoats are stolen from officials. But that's not why you came here. Your friend, Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, has presented you with a very interesting idea: what if you try to buy dead souls (souls! of dead peasants!) from all the landowners?... Your kind friend Gogol didn't tell you the global goal of this venture, nor did he mention the bonuses or dreadful consequences, possibly even beyond the game. But for now, you simply follow his good advice - strive to buy as many dead souls as possible and then figure out what to do with them. What could possibly go wrong?

Game Developers: Maria Kamenshchikova, Serafima Fedoseeva, Prokhor Prajin, Varvara Britanishskaya, Nathan Averbukh, Max Chechelnitsky
Consultants: Ivan Ushtey and Anastasia Moskalyova
Design: Vasily Vagin

09/06/2023

How much time does it take to observe 12 classes, watch 9 hours worth of online class recordings and interview 10+ teachers and 20 students? Cognia's Lead Evaluator Dr. Darrell Barringer managed to do it all in just two days of his incredibly productive visit to the Le Sallay Academy's on-site session.

Cognia is a nonprofit organization that for over 125 years has been providing certification and accreditation for schools across the globe. It serves 36,000 institutions and supports nearly 25 million students and 5 million educators. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means that the school is recognized internationally, meets research-based standards of quality, and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement.

Using Cognia evaluation techniques, Darrell assessed the instructional design of Le Sallay's curriculum, the learning engagement between students, teachers and mentors, and the learning environment which he found equitable, supportive, active, and well-managed.

We are proud to share the inspiring feedback: Le Sallay scored higher than the international average across the 1.2 mln schools inspected by Cognia in 2012-2020, and fell into the top 10-15% of the list! We are now on track to getting full Cognia accreditation during the next academic year.

Le Sallay schools on track for Cognia accreditation

17/05/2023

The Le Sallay Schools Advisory Board serves the needs of all our schools. This year the board members gave us valuable insights on how the middle school curriculum could be changed to meet the demands of the today's world.

Our annual meeting with the Le Sallay Schools' Advisory Board focused on several issues we consider to be very important for anyone concerned with middle school education.

Members of our Advisory Board come from a variety of backgrounds. A Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University Niall Fergusson is a historian. Professor of Math. in the Mathematics Dept. at MIT Pavel Etingof is an advisor to the all-year high school math research program at MIT. Marina Polonskaia is a head of an academic enrichment program for motivated students with classes held on the SUNY campus. Alexander Kirillov, professor of the Department of Mathematics at Stony Brook University has over 20 years of experience teaching math in a university setting.

Their perspective on the issues faced by educators was invaluable. We have discussed Le Sallay's flexible curriculum which allows our schools to avoid many pitfalls that middle schools usually struggle with, namely a restrictive approach to subjects and dependence on limiting textbooks that are at once too broad and not engaging enough. In small classes, our teachers get to know their students very well, so that they are able to adapt the content of lessons and the way they teach to the students' individual learning styles. They don't rely on textbooks but rather develop a curated set of study materials within a topic framework to guide the students through a series of projects and discussions allowing them to gain a deep understanding of the subject instead of simply memorizing facts.

The Board members were interested to learn about the interdisciplinary approach that Le Sallay schools are developing. In our classes, teachers often collaborate to create a comprehensive learning experience drawing from different areas of knowledge. For example, history and geography, foreign languages and literature, science and art can be taught in different combinations to deepen and expand the students' view of the world.

The meeting concluded with a discussion of future partnerships and collaborations with educational institutions. We will continue drawing on our Advisory Board members' extensive expertise and hope to include them in our future activities.