The CDNIS Lower School welcomes students from Early Years 2 through Grade 5, providing a warm, inspiring environment where children grown as confident, capable and curious learners. Rooted in the Primary Years Programme, the Lower School offers a rich, inquiry-driven education supported by a caring and collaborative community.
A Growing Bilingual Programme
CDNIS offers a dynamic English–Mandarin bilingual pathway that begins in the Early Years and expands by one grade level each year until fully implemented through Grade 5 in 2028/2029.
The bilingual model follows a dual‑language immersion approach, giving students meaningful learning experiences in both English and Mandarin. Classroom teachers and specialist educators work together to ensure students develop strong communication skills, cultural understanding and confidence in both languages.
Students experience:
Dedicated instructional time in both English and Mandarin
Integrated learning across subjects in both languages
A nurturing environment that supports learners from beginner to native‑level proficiency
How Children Learn
Learning in the Lower School is guided by the Primary Years Programme, a framework that encourages students to explore ideas, ask questions and make meaningful connections across subjects. Through engaging units of inquiry, students develop conceptual understanding and essential skills in language, mathematics, sciences, social studies, the arts and physical education. Specialist subjects enrich their experience, while inquiry‑based learning fosters independence, collaboration and creativity.
Teachers provide a balance of:
- Student voice and choice
- Hands‑on, inquiry-rich experiences
- Explicit skill development
- Real‑world application of learning
To further strengthen this framework, CDNIS draws upon the Ontario Curriculum for discipline‑specific standards and expectations. These standards guide teaching and learning in areas such as language arts, social studies, mathematics, the arts, sciences and physical education. Integrating Ontario benchmarks with the PYP ensures students benefit from both a globally respected inquiry curriculum and clear, rigorous subject‑area progressions.
What Families Value
A safe, supportive and vibrant learning environment
The strength and coherence of the Primary Years Programme
A bilingual English-Mandarin pathway with a clear progression from EY2 to Grade 5
Specialist subjects that enrich the whole child
Strong relationships between students, teachers and families
A smooth, well‑supported transition into the Upper School’s Middle Years Programme