About Us – Summit International School

SIA Curriculum

SIA aims to cultivate a sense of wonder and inspire students to view the world, even in its most basic form, as magnificent––prompting each student to embrace life with enthusiasm, initiative and purpose. These aims are met through an education that is rich with meaningful sense experiences, classical academics, and artistic beauty in all subject matters.

Creative play in the early years is followed by arts-infused academic learning in the lower grades and intellectual inquiry in middle and high school. Students are deeply involved in learning––through their heads (intellectual involvement in a subject), their hands (experiencing a subject by doing), and their hearts (connecting with a subject emotionally with love and wonder.

At SIA, we know that education is more than the acquisition of information, rigid academic curricula, and high-stakes testing. In fact, the world is changing so rapidly that no one can really predict what information our children will need to know in the future. However, it is clear that intellectual flexibility, creative thinking, independent judgment, moral discernment, refined written and oral communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively will be essential to success in today’s ever changing, global community. The Waldorf School of Jordan’s curriculum and teaching methods are designed to nurture these capacities and more.

Whether our graduates become doctors, scientists, artists or musicians, the capacities developed through a SIA Education provide them with a foundation for success in whatever field they pursue. Professors in various academic disciplines and in a wide range of colleges and universities who have had SIA graduates as students corroborate this. They note that Waldorf graduates have the ability to integrate thinking, to assimilate information as opposed to memorizing isolated facts, are willing to take intellectual risks, and are leaders who take initiative.

SIA education fosters students’ intellectual, social and emotional growth as they pass through distinct stages of development, from childhood to adulthood. Creative play in the early years is followed by arts-infused academic learning in the elementary years and intellectual inquiry in middle and high schools.

Throughout their Pre-School and Kindergarten years, children learn primarily through imitation and physical movement. Children need warmth, protection, and creative free-play to develop their capacities. They thrive in an environment filled with beauty, goodness and role models worthy of imitation.

Students in Elementary grades are developing their capacities for formal academic instruction, and learn best from caring and consistent authority figures who embrace the world with interest. Imagination and creativity are nurtured through a lively and artistic approach to academic subjects.

Students in the Upper Grades learn best from experts in their fields with whom they can exercise independent thinking and engage in challenging intellectual study. Students deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them.

From their first day of Pre-School to their graduation from High School, students at the Waldorf School of Jordan are taught by teachers dedicated to getting children involved in learning through their heads (intellectual involvement in a subject), their hands (experiencing a subject by doing) and their hearts (connecting with a subject emotionally with love and wonder). This way ensures that students’ motivation for learning grows from within, increasing and fostering their desire for lifelong learning.

Your Every Student counts, every moment matters

As a school committed to excellence, SIA strives to provide a balanced and challenging program based on measurable standards and rigorous assessment to enhance our students’ thinking and inquiry skills. SIA aims to foster an understanding, intercultural and highly effective learning environment that inspires students to become compassionate, knowledgeable, ethical and socially successful global citizens in a world of differences.

Our Philosophy

In IAl, the needs, feelings, and characteristics of children shall be considered in the planning of learning experiences. Discipline will be an important part of the school and will be developed, but regimentation will not be allowed because it is incompatible with developing children’s independence. Children must be helped to develop self-discipline and to accept responsibility for their own actions. Children will be encouraged to clarify and develop their own sets of values: honesty, respect for other people and their property, and good citizenship will be stressed.The school is an extension of the home. School must be a warm, friendly, accepting place where nobody is afraid or threatened; where everybody feels welcome and wanted and is allowed to reach his or her fullest potential both in personality and intellectual development. Children should feel proud of their school. There must be an atmosphere of mutual respect among all members of the educational community.Each child will be treated as an individual and will be helped to develop his or her own style of learning because learning is a lifetime activity. Education must help children to be flexible and adapt to a changing world. Education at the school will be child-centered and related to the surroundings and interests of children. Real learning can take place only if it is relevant to the child’s world.A creative atmosphere is most conducive to learning. A problem-solving and critical thinking approach will be encouraged. Exploration, creativity, and independent thinking will enrich the student and the teacher experience. Interest and motivation and trust are the keys to learning. Without these elements no real or lasting learning can occur.The teachers of SIA will try to guide each child and help him or her to realize how exciting learning can be, and to feel secure in the knowledge of self-respect and self-worth.

Our Objectives

To provide a child-centered, fun, bilingual education in an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding.
To provide the experiences necessary to promote knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and flexibility for contributing to effective citizenship in a complex world.
To celebrate diversity among the international student body and provide for the individual differences of bicultural children and promote cross-cultural understanding.
To foster respect for Jordan and its peoples, customs, and values.
To provide for the needs of the “whole child” through a well-rounded educational program.
To encourage problem-solving and critical thinking. Exploration, creativity, and independent thinking will enrich the student and the teacher experience.
To promote the idea that each child and teacher is a unique individual who has much to offer.
To promote an atmosphere of mutual respect among all members of the educational community between child-child, teacher-child, and teacher-teacher.
To provide opportunities for staff development and to continually upgrade the quality of education.
To help children develop their values of honesty, respect for others and their property, and good citizenship.
To allow children to reach their fullest potential both in personality and intellectual development.

Our Beliefs

We are the school that has never become, but is always becoming. We embrace diversity and believe education is for everyone of all abilities. Student learning is our main purpose. Students must be actively involved in the learning process and need to learn independence, responsibility and respect

1. Education is for everyone, all students can learn, even the most challenging or challenged student.
2. Students are individuals and should be treated according to their individual needs.
3. Learning is a lifetime activity. School must prepare students for life in a world of rapid change.
4. Students need to be actively involved in the learning process and experience success.
5. Fostering a high self-esteem depends on positive relationships with staff and other students.
6. Discipline is important, but children must be helped to learn independence, develop self-discipline and accept responsibility for their own actions.
7. All people involved in the education process – home, school and society – must work together to provide a unique educational experience for the child’s benefit.
8. Students of all cultural backgrounds and nationalities must be respected and accepted.
9. A creative, interesting, relevant, and exciting atmosphere is most conducive to learning.
10. Interest and motivation and trust are the keys to learning. Without these elements no real or lasting learning can occur.
11. Children’s needs, feelings, and characteristics shall be considered in the planning of learning experiences.
12. Children should feel proud of their school as they do of their homes. School must be a warm, friendly, accepting place where nobody is afraid or threatened.
13. Teachers should be professional and ethical, and they should perform their job with integrity and in the best interest of the students.

Throughout the grades the dedicated faculty and staff of SIA support students’ sense of self-reliance, social responsibility and moral purpose. Our community of loving educators and role-models is a source of invaluable human experience from which students learn and grow.SIA encourages young people to develop their highest human capacities and become citizens of the world.