Thursday, May 24, 2012

GCS News Release

Posted August 03, 2005

Five Schools Approved for International Baccalaureate Programs

Heritage Elementary, Northwest Middle, Greer Middle, Travelers Rest High, Greer High

Greenville, SC – Two Greenville County high schools, two middle schools, and one elementary school have been authorized to offer International Baccalaureate programs, bringing the total number of IB public schools in Greenville County to eleven.

The newly authorized Middle Years partner schools are Greer Middle/Greer High and Northwest Middle/Travelers Rest High. (Greer High and Travelers Rest High previously earned Diploma authorization in 2004.) Heritage Elementary has been authorized to offer the Primary Years program.

These schools join Sara Collins Elementary, Fork Shoals School, Beck Academy, Woodmont Middle, Southside High and Woodmont High in offering the rigorous IB curriculum. The International Baccalaureate Program offers coursework from age three to nineteen.

Heritage Elementary
Heritage Elementary is the third Greenville County elementary school to become authorized for the Primary Years program. In addition to its IB curriculum, the school is also a partner with the Peace Center Educational Outreach Program. Teachers commit three years of instruction to becoming proficient at using the arts to teach the academic curriculum.

Principal Martha Kinard said, “Inquiry-based instruction functions as a conduit to deepen understanding and enlarge the possibilities of student learning, which is based on the South Carolina academic standards. Students are thirsty to find answers to their questions as they dig into broad ideas and small details they want to know and understand.”

Northwest Middle
“The Middle Years program has helped our students become more understanding of the world around them and how they fit into it,” said Northwest Middle principal Lee Givins. “A big difference is their commitment to service learning. Students are now asking, ‘What can I do for you?’ instead of, ‘What can you do for me?’” he added.

The staff at Northwest Middle has established a monthly meeting schedule with teachers at Travelers Rest High. Not only are the teachers meeting as a faculty, but they also meet in groups to discuss grade-level concerns and student portfolios.

Greer Middle
Last year, Greer Middle School students volunteered nearly 1,000 hours of community service to the community. They use special “SWOOSH” notebooks as a tool to organize their subjects through a systematic organizational system. At the seventh and eighth grade levels, students are given opportunities to further develop research, problem solving, and critical thinking skills through a personal project.

“The successful completion of curriculum maps in all subject areas created for grades 6 through10 has been a great accomplishment through the collaborative efforts of both Greer Middle and Greer High faculties,” said Greer Middle principal Rita Mantooth. “We are grateful to our parents for the continuous support and belief in the rigorous and challenging educational opportunities the IB Program will provide for our students. The staff at GMS has worked diligently to provide a variety of communication opportunities, hand-on experiences, interdisciplinary connections and to broaden culture awareness in our school.”

Greer High
The Greer area provides a consistent International Baccalaureate feeder program for all grade levels, where students gain IB experiences upon which they can build from level to level. “At Greer High, students and parents can be assured that they will have the opportunity to earn a world-class educational experience and will receive the same level of challenge as their peers world-wide,” said Principal Marion Waters.

Travelers Rest High
The staff at Travelers Rest High has conducted extensive vertical collaboration with the faculty of Northwest Middle. Starting this fall, all students in grades 6 through 10 will participate in the program. Juniors and seniors can continue the program at Travelers Rest High.

“Our collaboration with Northwest Middle in implementing the Middle Years Program will provide the students in the Travelers Rest area with an exciting and in-depth program of study,” said Lou Lavely, principal of Travelers Rest High.

Program Components

The IB Primary Years Program, for students in grades kindergarten through five, focuses on the development of the whole child. Teachers and students use key questions that are concept-based.

The IB Middle Years Program, for grades six through ten, prepares students for the Diploma Program. Communication, holistic education, and intercultural awareness are fundamental components of the program and the MYP framework provides an academic challenge for all students.

The IB Diploma Program, for students in grades eleven and twelve, measures student performance against well-defined levels of achievement. Students complete college-level coursework in six academic areas, including English, foreign language, math, social studies, science, and fine arts. IB Diploma students are required to submit internal assessments and take international examinations in six subject areas, which are graded by IB examiners world-wide; write a 4,000-word essay; and complete 150 hours of community service over the course of the program.

Students graduating from the IB Diploma Program often earn college credit that is accepted by colleges and universities in more than 100 countries.

All levels of the IB curriculum include assessment strategies to determine each student’s level of achievement.

For additional information, visit the International Baccalaureate Organization website at www.ibo.org.

International Baccalaureate Program Schools

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