The Canadian School of Warsaw

RAISING GLOBAL CITIZENS SINCE 2000

The Canadian School of Warsaw, with its Preschool and Elementary School community, located across three campuses in Mokotów, places emphasis on high-quality holistic education. Through an innovative curriculum combining the principles of the Polish core curriculum with the IBO programme, implemented by qualified, dedicated staff, we support the various learning styles and unique talents of each student. We raise global citizens – open-minded, risk-taking inquirers.

Highlights

Preschool and Elementary School accredited by the IB (PYP) and MEN (Polish Board of Education)
Bilingual English and Polish school with French offered as an additional language with extra support
Rigorous inquiry-based programme empowering students to take actions and become life-long learners
Wide selection of Afterschool Activities: karate, ballet, chess, piano, swimming, tennis, football..

In the News:

SHOM Christmas Charity Bazaar (November 22, 2023)

Canadian Preschool Open Day (April 12, 2023)

Francophonie Day 2023 (March 24, 2023)

International Speaking Contest (May 29, 2022)

The CSW Preschool Summer Camp 2022 (May 23, 2022)

The CSW is 22 years old! (February 14, 2022)

Insider Interviews & Perspectives

Our Take

This international school focuses heavily on language, with the aim of students speaking two languages fluently. Located in the Mokotów district of Warsaw, it offers a preschool and an elementary school. The Canadian School follows the Polish National Curriculum and offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). In addition to the IB PYP programme, elementary school students also prepare for and take Preliminary English Test (PET) exams, the First Certificate (FCE) and the Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) exams. While the school’s primary language of instruction is English, children also learn Polish and French, and can also take other languages, such as Spanish and German. The Canadian School also offers a wide range of extracurricular programs and actvities in the areas of sciences, social sciences, culture, art, music, and various sports.

Our Kids’ Insider Interviews

School principal interview

Our Kids speaks to Adam Black, elementary Vice Principal at the Canadian School of Warsaw

The Canadian School of Warsaw is an authorized IB World School, that offers the PYP for students through preschool to Grade 6 - as well as a superb programme for Grades 7 and 8 – at three campuses in the charming, refreshingly green district of old Mokotów: desirable due to its central location, accessibility, proximity to Warsaw’s key business district, and elegant residential areas – including Marina Mokotów and Bialy Kamien - in the vicinity of family friendly parks.

Full interview

Location

7 Bełska Street, Warsaw, 02-638

53 Ignacego Krasickiego Street, Warsaw, 02-608

11 Olimpijska Street, Warsaw, 02-636

Gallery

Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of The Canadian School of Warsaw.

School Facilities Gallery

Gallery showcasing specific locations and facilities found at The Canadian School of Warsaw.

Athletics facilities

Campus

Classrooms

Academics

Academics Summary: [Hide summary]

Curriculum: Progressive/Academic
Preschool/K Curriculum: Academic
Academic Culture: Supportive
Developmental priorities: Intellectual
Special needs support: A regular class with withdrawal assistance
Gifted learner support: Acceleration and enrichment

Curriculum

Central to your child's school experience is the underlying curriculum taught in the classroom. "Curriculum" refers to both what is taught and how it's taught. When considering the different curricula outlined in the next few pages, keep in mind that few schools fall neatly into one category or another. Most schools' curricula comprise a blend of best practices drawn from multiple curriculum types. Having said that, most schools do have a general overall curriculum type. These are identified for each school on OurKids.net.
Primary Curriculum: Progressive
Progressive (sometimes called "inquiry based" or "discovery based") curricula use students' interests and their natural curiosity as the driver for instruction. Teachers provide materials, experiences, tools and resources necessary for students to investigate a topic or issue. Students are then encouraged to explore, reflect on their findings, and discuss answers, solutions, and insights.
Secondary Curriculum: Academic

What CSW says: The Canadian School of Warsaw is using a Programme of Inquiry based on international and Polish methods of teaching. We are an authorized IB school (PYP Programme), we are registered with the Polish Board of Education and we are preparing our students for PET (Preliminary English Test), FCE (First Certificate in English) and CAE (Certificate in Advanced English). Our students are knowledgeable inquirers, caring, communicative and balanced young people who achieve great results in both Polish and international schools. We are proud of them!

Approach:

Focus

Academic
Preschool/K Curriculum Academic

Preschool/K Curriculum approach at CSW: Academic
CSW has an Academic approach to Preschool/K Curriculum (as opposed to Play-based, Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia approach).
[Show: About Academic?]
Academic-based preschools and Kindergartens are the most structured of the different types, and have a strong emphasis on math and reading readiness skills. These programs aim to expose children to what early-elementary school is like. While time is still allotted to free play, much of the day is built around explicit lessons guided by the teacher. Classrooms often resemble play-based ones (with different stations set up around the room), but at an Academic program the teacher leads students through the stations directly, and ties these activities to a whole-class lesson or theme.
What CSW says: Both the International Baccalaureate Organization and our school seek to promote the values of mutual respect, tolerance and understanding toward individuals, groups and cultures in all communities. We deliver the PYP Programme for 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds in English. We teach Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, French, Music, Rhythmics, Art, Coding, Chess and Physical Education through a play-based approach to inquiry.
Academic Culture Supportive

Academic Culture approach at CSW: Supportive
CSW has a Supportive approach to Academic Culture (as opposed to Rigorous approach).
[Show: About Supportive?]
A school with a "supportive" academic culture focuses more on process than short-term outcomes: academic performance is a welcomed side-benefit, but not the driving focus. This does not mean the school lacks standards, or has low expectations for its students: a school can have a supportive academic culture and still light the fire of ambition in its students. It does mean, however, that the school provides a less intensive culture than schools with a "rigorous" academic classification, and is focused more simply on instilling a love of learning and life-long curiosity.
What CSW says: Our curriculum is a rigorous inquiry-based programme that empowers students to take actions and become life-long learners in order to make the world a better and more peaceful place. Moreover, students are engaged actively in their learning process. Through the programme they become internationally-minded inquirers and thinkers, who ask questions and seek their own answers from both local and global perspectives. By nurturing students’ natural curiosity, we foster a love for learning.
Developmental priorities Intellectual

Primary Developmental Priority: Intellectual

Academically strong, creative, and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions.

Secondary Developmental Priority: Balanced

Equal attention is paid to a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social, and physical.

What CSW says: To ensure that our students get the most from their education, we strive to provide a learning environment which allows for comprehensive, harmonious growth, both academically as well as socially through systems that provide support for our students: - Teachers adapt to the academic and social needs of individuals to help them meet the requirements of the syllabus - All teachers attend regular meetings to discuss the progress of our students, as well as concentrate on the implementation of the PYP program - The school’s speech therapist is available for students on daily basis.

Focus
Academic

Special needs support A regular class with withdrawal assistance

What CSW says about their special need support: We offer activities such as: pedagogical therapy: corrective and compensatory classes extra tuition for slow-learners or absentees general development classes for 2-3- and 4-5-year-olds classes for gifted students mediation in conflict situations music therapy consultation, advice, workshops and training

Academic Support:

Subject type	offered
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties

Mild but clinically diagnosed ADHD:

Subject type	offered
Accommodations
Modifications
Extra support

Support for moderate-to-severe special needs:

Special needs	Accomodations Formal adjustments are made to the delivery of lessons to help mitigate the learning difficulty or exceptionality. The underlying content and expectations remain unchanged with accommodations, however. (Example: allowing a student to write tests in a quieter room).	Modifications The underlying content and expectations are modified and/or simplified for the sake of the student. (Examples: allowing student to use a calculator on a test when other students can’t; allowing students to bring word-banks or “cheat sheets” into certain tests, etc)	Remediation Research-based therapeutic measures that target and ameliorate the underlying weakness.
Learning disabilities
ADHD (moderate to severe)
Dyslexia (Language-Based Learning Disability)
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Language Processing Disorder
Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NLD)
Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit
Developmental
Autism
Asperger's Syndrome
Down syndrome
Intellectual disability
Behavioral and Emotional
Troubled behaviour / troubled teens
Clinical Depression
Suicidal thoughts
Drug and alcohol abuse
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Physical
Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder)
Blindness
Deafness
Cystic Fibrosis
Multiple physical

Gifted learner support Acceleration and enrichment

Dedicated gifted programs:

Program	offered
Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school)
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class)

Curriculum delivery: Acceleration and enrichment (There is an equal emphasis on acceleration and enrichment.)

In-class adaptations:

Program	offered
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement)
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement)
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement)
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement)
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others)
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement)
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement)
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement)
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement)

What CSW says: This information is not currently available.

Extracurriculars

What the school says:
This information is not currently available.

Sports Offered	CompetitiveComp	RecreationalRec
Martial Arts
Soccer
Swimming

Clubs Offered
Karate
Foreign Language Club
Math Club
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Outdoor Club
Outdoor Education
Robotics club
Science Club
Student Council
Yoga
IT Club
Art Club
Chess Club
Choir
Computer Club
Dance Club
Drama Club

Tuition & Financial Aid

Grade	PS	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Day	zł30,000							zł32,000

What CSW says about their tuition: The fees identified are for the full school year (2019/20). Fees are payable on a monthly basis over a 10 month period. A 2000 PLN registration fee is also required at time of enrollment. Discounts available if you attend for 3+ years or send multiple children.

Discounts

Discount Type	Enrollment Type	Amount
2nd child (sibling)	Day	100 zł

Merit based Scholarships

This information is not currently available.

Enrollment

Enrollment Details:

Grades	Enrollment
PS/Kindergarten (2,5 years) to Gr. 8	250

Additional Statistics:

% of foreign students	50%
# of nationalities attending school	30

Student distribution:

	PS	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Principal's Message

The Canadian School of Warsaw, Principals

The Principals and PYP Coordinator cooperate closely with the Management Board, to ensure that our School’s mission and vision, align with the expectations and ethos of the International Baccalaureate Organization. We strive for academic excellence and sincerely care about providing a safe, engaging and friendly environment for our students.

PRESCHOOL PRINCIPAL - Ms. Joanna Rechnio-Haciuk

I’ve been the Preschool principal for the last nine years.

I graduated from the University of Warsaw, completing MA in French Philology with teacher’s training, and postgraduate studies in Early Years Education in English at the Faculty of Pedagogy, Warsaw University. I also completed Management in Education postgraduate studies, as well as Early Years and Elementary Education 3-9, including Special Educational Needs.

I spent 4 consecutive years in London, where I have been teaching in multicultural preschools, among others in the Parsons Green Prep School in Fulham&Chelsea.

My stay in the United Kingdom allowed me to complete several courses such as Food safety, First Aid, Efficient use of interactive boards, of which the most complex was Using the new Early Years Foundation Stage course, as well as to obtain a Qualified Teacher Status from The General Teaching Council of England in 2006.

Upon my return to Poland in 2008, I was employed by The Canadian School of Warsaw and I’ve loved it since then.
In order to become a member of an IB community, I successfully completed 5 workshops (Making the PYP happen, Teaching and Learning in the PYP, Pedagogical leadership in the PYP, Action in the PYP and Concept-based Learning).

ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL - Ms. Christine Mamo

This is my fourth year at The Canadian School of Warsaw, third year as IB coordinator and my first year as the School’s Principal. I am from Sydney, Australia and lived there all my life until moving to Warsaw in January 2014. I have a Bachelors Degree in Speech Pathology, A Master of Arts in Ancient History and a Diploma for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I have also completed “Making the PYP Happen” as part of my IB professional development. I have worked for 14 years in the area of Speech Pathology and Education with both adults and children.

I am a strong believer in holistic education and recognizing the talents of each and every student and using methods that allow students to use and develop their talents in the classroom. I am relishing the opportunity that has been given to me this year in my role as IB coordinator across all three sites, developing relationships with all staff and reigniting their enthusiasm in the PYP and transdisciplinary education. The role has been challenging but it appeals to my high achieving personality and strong work ethic.

On a personal note I love going to the movies, listening to music and traveling. My thirst to see the world and appreciate it’s history in particular has been abated somewhat since moving to Poland as the world, particularly Europe is much closer. As such I have been able to visit many places since coming here and experience different cultures. I love my home and Sydney will always be my home but it is literally on the other side of the world compared to so many places.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL - Ms. Iwona Nowakowska

In the News