Maple Bear Elementary School builds on the bilingual foundation established in our preparatory class and fully embraces the benefits of dual-language education. Children here thrive in a naturally bilingual environment that fosters not only language fluency, but also deeper understanding of subject matter, development of critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to view the world from multiple perspectives.
Each class is led by a team of two educators – one native English speaker and one native Czech teacher. The school day is structured so that half of the lessons are delivered in English and the other half in Czech. Teaching is based on both the Canadian and Czech curricula, allowing children to explore similar topics from different cultural and methodological angles. The content is not repeated identically in each language – instead, each curriculum brings its own methods, emphasis, and learning materials. This enables children to gain a more complete understanding and nurtures flexibility and open-minded thinking.
Teaching is fully structured around learning centres – a dynamic model where children rotate through a range of short, focused activities. This format helps maintain motivation, focus, and active participation from every child. These centres are naturally inclusive – many activities are not directly tied to language, allowing each child to find areas where they shine, regardless of their current language level. This builds confidence, supports individual strengths, and encourages peer learning. A vital part of daily life at Maple Bear is also our high-quality after-school programme, which extends the educational experience and follows its own engaging curriculum. The afternoons are enriched with a wide range of extracurricular activities – including for example piano, singing, chess, Lego and robotics, science clubs, circus skills, judo and modern dance. The school thus creates an inspiring environment for learning, movement, and creativity throughout the entire day.
We place great emphasis on developing intrinsic motivation and a sense of responsibility for one’s own learning. New tasks are first modelled by the teacher, then completed together, and finally taken on independently by the students. The aim is for children to become fully self-reliant learners, able not only to complete a task but also to understand its purpose and find their own approach. We apply the same philosophy to assessment – children gradually transition from receiving formative feedback to developing skills in self-evaluation and reflection, which they continue to apply well beyond the classroom as they grow older. A key element of the Canadian curriculum is the focus on active citizenship and sustainability. At Maple Bear, this is brought to life through exclusive international project-based learning in collaboration with other Maple Bear schools around the world. Students thus develop a sense of responsibility not only in their own learning but also in a global context, gaining an understanding of international cooperation and shared responsibility across cultures.
Our elementary schools are a fully integrated part of the Maple Bear educational system and follows the proven Canadian curriculum, adapted to the Czech context. By combining two languages with a strong focus on soft skills, we give children a robust and well-rounded foundation for their continued educational journey.
