Academics at The Magellan International School

Academic Model

The Magellan International School implements an international, transdisciplinary program of education designed to foster the development of the whole student encompassing social, physical emotional and cultural needs as well as academic welfare. The program is based on an Inquiry model where, under the expert guidance of their teachers, students explore a wide range of topics that are of significance to our existence on the planet and do so through an exploration of questions about how the world works. In addition, the school follows a rigorous Scope & Sequence based on local, national, and international educational guidelines for science, math, social studies, and the arts. The program prepares students to be active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.

The underlying philosophy of the program aims at enabling students to become inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk takers, knowledgeable, principled, caring, open-minded, well-balanced, and reflective. The Mission and Vision of the school directly supports these objectives.

School Accreditation

The Magellan International School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), an accreditation division of AdvancED. SACS CASI provides nationally-recognized accreditation, the purpose of which is continuous school improvement focused on increasing student performance.  To earn accreditation, schools must meet SACS CASI’s high standards, be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school, and implement a continuous process of school improvement. 

The Magellan International School is also working towards obtaining accreditation from CIS (Council of International Schools), a leading international accreditation body that currently works with many of the top international schools around the world.

The International Baccalaureate

The Magellan International School is a candidate school* for the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (PYP) and is school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to a high quality, challenging, international education that The Magellan International School believes is important for its students.

The Magellan International School is also a member of the Texas International Baccalaureate Schools organization.

 

*Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate (IB) as IB World Schools can offer any of its three academic programmes: the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the IB Diploma Programme. Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org.

Language Immersion

The MIS academic program is a cohesive academic program, taught and learned primarly in English and Spanish. Mandarin is required starting in 3rd grade. Your children will go to school and engage in academic activities (math, science, social studies, arts, etc.) in all three languages. The ratios of time spent in each language are as follows:

• Pre-Primary through 2nd Grade: 80% Spanish and 20% English
• 3rd Grade and above: 45% English, 45% Spanish, and 10% Mandarin

The language immersion model at MIS is designed to ensure that all children become bi-literate in both English and Spanish and develop language proficiency in Mandarin. Children at MIS will attain literacy equivalent to children in Spanish speaking countries while also achieving the same in English. They will be able to read a novel and write an essay on it, for example, in either language. They will also be able to speak, read, and communicate effectively in Mandarin.

School Day & Calendar

All school programs are full day (8:30 am - 3 pm) and full week (M-F) due to the pedagogical requirements of the academic program and the nature of the language immersion instruction at the school. The Magellan International School is committed to being a dual working parent family friendly school and will provide early drop off starting at 7:30 am at no charge and late pickup ending at 6:00 pm for an additional fee.

The School Calendar aligns closely with that of AISD, RRISD, and other private schools in Austin with the major exception being a week long break in October which is used by teachers to plan curriculum.