What’s the Buzz about IB?
February 2018
This year, Estrella Mountain Elementary School (EMES) celebrates the fifth year of its International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) for kindergarten through fifth grade classes. The International Baccalaureate Organization is based in Geneva, Switzerland with regional offices around the world. The IB program was originally created as an inquiry-based standardized, rigorous, internationally recognized curriculum to serve the children of diplomats and business people abroad, as well as international families. Now, there are IB schools around the world.
The EMES IB Program is dedicated to all areas of student development – physical, intellectual, emotional and ethical, as expressed in the IB Learner Profile. Learning experiences are created to help students develop the characteristics of the IB Learner profile. Teachers and staff model the characteristics of the Learner Profile every day.
IB Learner Profile IB learners are:
Inquirers: develop their natural curiosity; acquire skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. Knowledgeable: explore concepts , ideas and issues that have local and global significance; acquire in-depth knowledge; develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Thinkers: exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems; make reasoned, ethical decisions. Communicators: understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication; work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. Principled: act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities; take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. Open-minded: understand and appreciate their own culteurs and personal histories; open to perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities; accustomed to seeking and evaluating am range of points of view. Caring: show empathy, compassion and respect toward the needs and feelings of other; demonstrate personal commitment to service; act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and the environment. Risk-takers: approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought; have independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies; bravely and articulately defend their beliefs. Balanced: understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. Reflective: give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience; assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.
If you are inspired by the Learner Profile, you may want to volunteer at EMES for as little as 30 minutes each week. You can check out CCV, the adult volunteer program, by stopping in at school or calling the front office at 623-327-2820.