Living the Learner Profile: Caring at WIS

This month at Windhoek International School, we are shining a spotlight on one of the most important IB Learner Profile attributes: Caring.

In the PYP, being caring is more than a word we display on classroom walls, it is something we live, practise, and model every day. Caring learners show empathy, compassion, and respect. They act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around them.

Across our classrooms, we see caring in action in many ways. Students listen attentively to one another’s ideas, offer help to peers who are struggling, and celebrate each other’s successes. In group work, they practise patience and kindness. In moments of disagreement, they are guided to resolve conflict respectfully and with understanding. These small, everyday actions build a strong foundation for meaningful relationships and emotional wellbeing.

Caring is also evident in the way our students interact with adults across the school. Whether greeting staff members, thanking the tuckshop team, or engaging respectfully with teachers, students are learning that caring behaviours extend to everyone in our community. Just as importantly, our staff model caring through the way they speak to students and colleagues, with warmth, consistency, and respect. Children learn what caring looks like by seeing it lived out around them.

Beyond the classroom, caring connects deeply to our responsibility as global citizens. Through inquiry, students explore how their actions affect others, both locally and globally. They learn about caring for the planet, conserving resources, respecting living things, and understanding that sustainability is an act of compassion for future generations. Caring for animals, environments, and communities helps students recognise that they are part of something much bigger than themselves.

The Learner Profile does not stop at the school gate. We encourage families to notice and nurture caring behaviours at home and in everyday life, at the shops, on the sports field, in traffic, or in conversations with neighbours. When children see adults modelling kindness, patience, and empathy in real-world contexts, these values become deeply embedded.

At WIS, our aim is to develop thoughtful, compassionate citizens of the world, young people who not only think critically, but who also care deeply. By living the Learner Profile together, we create a community where caring is not just taught, but felt.

As we focus on Caring this month, let us continue to notice, name, and celebrate these moments, because it is through caring actions, big and small, that we shape the kind of world we hope our children will lead.

Jenna Brown | Primary Principal