Polaris School, which opened its doors to students in September after taking Ecole Belge de Kigali, hosted an Innovation Market – Marché de l’Innovation – on Friday, December 12, as part of its Polaris School Festival. The event, held under the theme “Energy, Creativity, Community!”, highlighted the school’s ambitious transformation into a French-language International Baccalaureate (IB) institution. Currently a candidate for the IB programmes, Polaris is implementing the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP), completing a significant transition in just four months. Teachers have already completed their first IB training, marking a record-speed shift for the school. ALSO READ: Ecole Belge de Kigali ordered to end Belgian education programme The festival featured student-led project exhibitions, fair games, an intergenerational parents-and-children tournament, a community potluck, and performances by Preschool to P2 students. Activities such as “Around the Garden” focused on animal sponsorship, donations, and educational building projects, providing vibrant examples of creativity, collaboration, and innovation across all IB levels. Delphine Vico, Head of School, explains that École Polaris faced the major challenge of transitioning from the Belgian curriculum to the International Baccalaureate programme in an exceptionally short timeframe, while ensuring continuity for students and intensive training for teachers. “In just two months, we moved from the Belgian curriculum to the IB, transforming a demanding constraint into a collective success. Thanks to the unwavering commitment of our teachers, students, and community, we embraced the IB’s action-based learning approach, now showcased through our Innovation Market,” she said. Vico also added that, despite the fatigue caused by this intense process, the school is proud to be fully engaged in the IB accreditation journey, proving that shared determination and commitment can overcome even the greatest challenges. Bruno Costemale, Diploma Programme Coordinator, explained that the Innovation Market reflects Polaris’s rapid move toward the IB continuum, which promotes student autonomy, inquiry, and research-based learning. “In just four months, we have transformed the school, and we aim to be the first in Rwanda to offer all three IB programmes entirely in French,” he said. ALSO READ:Ecole Belge hosts Egyptian cultural festival Céline Baltramonaitis,PYP Coordinator, noted that the event emphasized the transformation of teaching and learning in the Primary Years Programme, with new curricula and approaches driven by both teachers and students. “Everything displayed today comes from student initiative, organized through the themes and units of inquiry of the different programmes,” she said, highlighting the focus on community-building and collective engagement. ALSO READ: Ecole Belge marks golden jubilee Parent Committee President Richard Rwihandagaza highlighted the school’s move from a traditionally teacher-led Belgian system to a more student-centered IB approach, emphasizing its practical nature. “The IB programme is more practical than theoretical. Teachers guide children to give their best, preparing them effectively for high school and university,”he said He explained that following the government’s decision in April 2025, the parents’ committee and school leadership acted swiftly to select a new programme for September 2025. “The French-track International Baccalaureate was approved almost unanimously by parents, along with the school’s name, Polaris. Today, the school welcomes around 400 students and places strong emphasis on high-quality English instruction, ensuring students become fully bilingual,”he added. With the progress already achieved, Polaris is on track to receive IB authorization for the Diploma Programme and to welcome DP students starting in 2026. Parents like Carmen Akineza praised the school’s supportive environment, noting how easily her young children adapted to the new programme. “It was impressive to see our children express themselves and present their projects. It was fun, very nice, and really engaging,” she said. The Innovation Market marks a milestone in Polaris School’s journey to fully implement the IB framework while fostering creativity, community, and student-led learning.
