International Baccalaureate (IB)

THE IB MISSION STATEMENT:

The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to 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 program of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and life-long learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School be­came an International Baccalaureate World School beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year. This commitment fulfills many aspects of our school’s mission.

We currently offer IB level courses in Math, English, History, Physics, Biology, Health Science, Environmental Systems and Societies, Spanish, Latin, Psychology, the Visual Arts, and Music. These courses incor­porate the rigorous international academic stan­dards developed by the International Baccalau­reate Organization.

Students can participate in IB as either a full Diploma Programme student or as a Certificate Programme student. Only the most serious and highly motivated students participate in the two-year full Diploma Programme. These stu­dents have committed themselves to a unique endeavor, which demands the following:

• Study in six required subject areas

• Fulfillment of the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) requirement

• Completion of the Extended Essay (EE)

• Participation in the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course

The International Baccalaureate Organization has developed a learner profile that describes IB stu­dents as lifelong learners who are:

Inquirers— They develop their natural curiosity.

Knowledgeable— They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance.

Thinkers— They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make rea­soned, ethical decisions.

Communicators— They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication.

Principled— They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and com­munities.

Open-minded— They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accus­tomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring— They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to ser­vice, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers— They approach unfamiliar situa­tions and uncertainty with courage

and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced— They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective— They give thoughtful consider­ation to their own learning and experience.

They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development. (* c. IBO )