IB Mock Exams: The final stages...

Seniors are hard at work on their Mock Examinations this week. Spanning four days, the Mock session prepares students for IB Examinations in May and serves as the culminating in-school examination session for their two year IB courses. While there is still some coursework to cover, students are one step closer to graduation.

Preparing for the final two years of high school

The above presentation is from the January 29th Grade 10 Parent Afternoon. The note below is from Graded's IB Coordinator, Mr. Carinn Mariani.

Our goal for this afternoon was to provide the information necessary to make informed decisions regarding IB program selections and to come together as a community of IB parents, teachers and students.  

We know that a set of answers will open the door to a new set of questions. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any of your concerns, questions or comments. I would also like to know if the organization of the afternoon and the content contained within met your needs. Based on that feedback, I will be able to tailor the goals of our next meeting (early Grade 11).

Next Steps:

Grade 11 counselors have requested that all students schedule a course selection meeting with them on a Google Calendar, shared with students in mid-January. Conferences will run from February 3 - 28. We hope parents will be able to attend meetings. If not, the counselors will communicate the results of that meeting with parents. 

Other helpful resources:

The IBO website - you will find links to university recognition, assessment and curriculum details, research on the programs, statistical reports and much more. 

Summer Pre-IB Institute - OSC is a company that provides pre-IB summer courses.  There are many companies which provide this type of service, but students and parents have reported positive experiences with OSC.  This is an optional educational experience for students and is not required to do well in this program. 

Carinn Mariani:  IBDP Coordinator  carinn.mariani@graded.br

Amaral Cuhna:  Extended Essay and CAS Coordinator amaral.cuhna@graded.br

Todd Daniel:      Grade 11 Counselor Last Names A-K todd.daniel@graded.br

Susan Keenan:  Grade 11 Counselor Last Names L-Z  susan.keenan@graded.br

10th Graders Preparing for the Next Two Years

Our 10th graders started receiving information on Graded's International Baccalaureate Diploma program this past week. These students have important decisions to make regarding their courses for the next two years. The transition from 10th to 11th grade is definitely one of the more challenging ones that students make during their educational career. Ms. Mariani, Graded IB Coordinator, met with them to outline the program and our course offerings. In early second semester Mr. Daniel and Ms. Keenan will be meeting with each student individually to discuss their plans.

We will be hosting a parent event on January 29th in the afternoon. Information will be shared in the near future. The two presentations that students saw are below for you to review.

What Happens at the IB Core Retreat?

This past weekend 66 juniors participated in the 2nd Annual IB Core Retreat. The event kicks off the two year IB program for those juniors who are working to earn the IB Diploma. The Core consists of Theory of Knowledge (ToK), Creativity-Action and Service (CAS) and the Extended Essay (EE).

While the weekend is about the IB core, one of the main objectives is to create a community of learners who will support each other over the next two years. This community includes the students, teachers and administrators. We know from past experience that the two-year journey is filled with highs and lows and this retreat is the first step toward building a partnership.

One of the activities over the weekend was for students to identify which IB Learner Profile trait best fit them. They then had to work in a group to create slides that reflect this trait. Below is the final project.


 The next event is the IB The next event is the Junior Parent meeting on September 26.

Extended Essay Panel: An authentic learning experience

On Thursday and Friday 69 Graded Juniors presented their extended essays to a panel of teachers and peers. This was our largest group ever and the variety of topics was excellent. The panels are one step in the learning process for IB diploma students. While this is an independent research project, each student has a faculty advisory who guides him/her along the way. The panelists review the essays prior to the panel discussion and they have the opportunity to ask the author questions and make suggestions. The students then use the feedback to create their final works which will be submitted to the IBO for marks.

Sample Extended Essay Topics

• What is the optimal angle to shoot a basketball?
• In what ways does H.P. Lovecraft explore the theme of Isolation in his works?
• An in-depth study of the the theme of alienation and isolation in a post-World War II context in Pink Floyd’s seminal 1979 album, The Wall.
• Estilo literário e crítica social na obra Vidas secas, de Graciliano Ramos 
• The effect of 1980 Colombian Drug Cartels on Colombian society to this day
• “How does the movie, Moneyball, a sports film portray the emotions and motives of a hero in a movie?”
• How did Mark Rothko’s inner conflicts and goals as an artist reflect on his unique rectangular motif? 
• To what extent is music piracy in Brazil a negative externality in the music industry?
• Influence of classical and baroque music on Randy Rhoad's style while in the Ozzy Osborne era
• To what extent did the childhood trauma and educational values influence Robespierre during the Reign of Terror?

Wordles showing the students' essays.

As 10th graders are having important conversations around the IB diploma program with parents, teachers, counselors and friends and this article may offer you ideas. Thanks to Ms. Stoneman for sharing this recent article from The Independent newspaper.

Image from 71 Inspirations - Inspirations a Day

International Baccalaureate - 'It teaches you not to give up'

Below are a few excerpts from the article.

"Before starting the IB I felt extremely intimidated," admits Josh Hammond, a student at St Clare's school, Oxford. "I had heard countless complaints about the difficulties of the IB. But, once you get going, you become more efficient at time management and the work seems less daunting."

Although students need to sharpen their organisational and study skills, they needn't do it silently – or without support. "IB students are expected to be risk-takers and communicators," says Sarah Jinks, a biology teacher at St Clare's. "But the tasks we set are designed to help them develop those skills. You're not expected to have them when you arrive."

"They may struggle in one subject but be a master of another, and that can be very humbling," he explains. "But it's also really powerful, it will teach them not to give up and help develop their self-respect."

First Annual IB Core Retreat

On Friday and Saturday the Junior IB Diploma candidates attended the first ever IB Core Retreat. The retreat focused on ToK, Extended Essay and CAS and was organized by Ms. McClelland, Ms. Hunt, Amaral, Maggie and Mr. Berg. Students embarked on a 2-year journey during this 24 hour event where the boys slept in the black box theater and the girls in the library. 

Mr. Berg's ToK Students Kicked off the Retreat

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Thank you for choosing Berg Air, the airline with fewest in-flight bear attacks. This is flight IB 2014 with destination to the IB diploma. Flight attendants will be coming around shortly serving refreshments. Please note that electronic devices must be turned off, due to IB Federal Protocol 1. Estimated flight time is approximately 2 years, so make yourselves comfortable. Please place your physical and emotional baggage either under the seat in front of you, or stow it in the overhead compartments. Note that emotions and attitude towards the IB diploma may shift over the course of the flight. Also note that the “procrastinate” sign has been turned off. While it will be turned on later in the flight, we suggest that you remain in your seat with your workload securely fastened, even if the sign is turned on. On this journey to the completion of the IB diploma, there will be some minor turbulence as we pass through an Extended Essay storm, but the flight staff is here to assist you with any fears or problems you may have. On behalf of all those at Bergland Travel, allow me to say welcome, and enjoy your flight." 

by Adam Fertig

Thanks to Mr. Potter, Ms. Petersen, Ms. Fernandes, Mr. Shackelford, Mr. Jensen, Ms. Stoneman, Ms. Panunzio and Ms. Zeidenberg for also contributing to this wonderful event.

What happens during the IB 5-year review?

This afternoon in our department meetings we kick off our IB self-study. The self-study is an important process that the school undertakes every 5 years. According to the IBO, our responsibility is...

•" to determine our own assessment of the implementation of the program, according to the Program standards, practices, and requirements"
•" to identify major achievements during the period under review and to identify practices that need further development."

We will also be gathering feedback from parents and students before we develop our IB program action plan. This plan will be developed by our HS Advisory Council.