International Week at Ashwood Glen

A celebration of culture, curiosity & global connection

International Week is one of the most meaningful expressions of who we are as a school. It brings our Montessori Casa roots and IB Primary Years philosophy into harmony through global exploration, inquiry, and cultural celebration. Students do not simply learn about the world. They learn with it.

From our youngest Casa learners to our oldest IB students, every class explored a country through the lenses of place, time, movement, and culture. The week unfolded as a journey: first locating a place on the map, then studying its history, then exploring landmarks and ways of life, and finally sharing traditions, food, music, artifacts, and identity with the school community.

This progression reflects how global thinking grows at Ashwood Glen. Casa nurtures early awareness through sensorial materials, stories, world maps, flags, food, and conversation. IB builds on that foundation with structured research, comparison, reflection, communication, and international mindedness. Side by side, the two programs create one seamless learning path.

The inquiry lenses that guided learning

To support a shared framework, each grade explored a country using four inquiry questions:

1. Place and Identity
   Where is this country located, and what do we already know or wonder?

2. Time and change
   What key moments shaped its story, and how have traditions or ways of life evolved?

3. Movement and landmarks
   How do people live, travel, and settle, and what sites help us understand their history?

4. Culture in context
   What foods, music, art, or traditions carry meaning and help us learn respectfully?

This simple structure encouraged students to think like inquirers, to notice patterns across cultures, and to understand that no place can be reduced to a single story.

Learning through community voices

A highlight this year was the involvement of our parent community. Guest speakers shared artifacts, family stories, language, and food representing cultures such as Russia, Syria, Armenia, and Jordan. These lived experiences brought emotional depth and authenticity into the classroom. Students not only studied culture — they tasted it, heard it, felt it, and connected with it.

World cuisine at a shared community table

The week culminated in our International Breakfast Potluck, where families walked through student displays, sampled dishes from around the world, and celebrated the power of shared culture. It was a moment rich with connection. A reminder that diversity is not just present at Ashwood Glen — it is lived, honoured, and celebrated.

Throughout International Week, students embodied the IB Learner Profile by asking questions, researching thoughtfully, communicating confidently, and approaching culture with an open mind and respectful curiosity. Casa to IB, early wonder to structured inquiry, all learners grew in global awareness.

At Ashwood Glen, global education is not a theme.
It is a way of learning, a way of living, and a way of seeing one another.

Thank you to every student, educator, and family who brought this week to life with heart, energy, and pride. Our world is wide, beautiful, and interconnected, and it is an honour to explore it together.

Your child deserves a future-ready start

IB Kindergarten at Ashwood Glen is more than a program — it’s a foundation for life. It’s where children become confident learners, compassionate classmates, and curious thinkers who are genuinely excited to come to school.

📅 Book a personal tour today and discover how an IB Primary Years education can shape your child’s academic and personal journey from the very beginning.