February Notes from the Coordinator:

Full IB Continuum coming to Adams 12
The International Baccalaureate has had a long history in Adams 12 Five Star School District.  Thornton High School is one of oldest IB Diploma (grades 11 & 12) programs in the state of Colorado, starting implementation in 1992 and being officially authorized as an IB World School in 1994.  We are also one of the most established IB Middle Years Programs (MYP, grades 6 – 10), as THS, along with Century Middle School, was authorized to deliver the MYP in 2000.  Adams 12 is proud to announce that we will begin application procedures for the final piece of the IB continuum.  Leroy Drive Elementary will apply to become an IB Primary Years Program (PYP, grades K-5), and hopes to be authorized by 2012.

The Primary Years Program has the same emphasis on international education, inquiry based instruction and development of the IB Learner Profile traits.  The PYP prepares all elementary level children, including English language learners, special needs and gifted/talented students, to be active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.  The program is organized around several ‘trans-disciplinary’ themes (integrating all subject areas of learning) and encourages structured inquiry so that students can make meaning of the different areas of the curriculum.  The PYP exhibition is a culminating demonstration of learning, similar to the MYP personal project, in which students can explore an area of interest in depth.  The PYP also fosters the student’s ability to take action on their learning in an age-appropriate fashion.

The PYP at Leroy Drive will be a vital complement to the IB programs currently in place at Century MS and Thornton HS, and we are excited to bring the entire IB K-12 continuum on board in Adams 12 schools.  For more information on this program, you may contact Leroy Drive principal Jill Roth at jill.roth@adams12.org.

Roger Dowd
IB Coordinator

IBO Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end, the IBO works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Link to March/April 2010 Newsletter