International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program
Austin High School * 1625 Danville Road S.W. * Decatur, AL 35601
Dear 10th grade Parent/Guardian,
As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, Austin High School, in partnership with Cedar Ridge Middle and Brookhaven Middle Schools, offers international education programs to help our students master the skills needed to live, learn, and work in the 21st century. In 10th grade, our students complete the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) and prepare to take advanced courses in the IB Diploma Program.
All 10th grade students are eligible to receive recognition as they complete the Middle Years Program. Based on his/her course selection in the 9th and 10th grades, your student is eligible to receive an MYP Certificate. To receive this recognition, students must successfully complete the Personal Project; meet school community and service expectations; complete each of the six phases of research throughout the school year and make passing grades in each of the eight subject areas. Please see the attached document for information on these grades. Students who successfully complete the requirements for the MYP Certificate will participate in a ceremony and will have a stamp designating this honor on their transcripts and diploma.
The critical component to receiving the MYP certificate is completion of the Personal Project. The Personal project allows students to present their understanding of real-world themes, concepts, and issues by researching and presenting a topic of personal interest. Projects may take the form of an original work of art or writing, a science experiment; a community services project-essentially anything that represents the students interests and passions. This year, the process for the Personal Project will begin in the fall months when all rising 10th grade students select topics and set goals for their projects. Throughout the course of the year, students will have opportunities to work on the project during the school day with carefully-planned support from the faculty and staff at Austin High School; however, it is largely an independent project.
Among its many benefits, the Personal Project allows students to bring together knowledge from different courses and connect what they learn in school to their lives outside the classroom. In addition, students will continue to build the independent, creative, critical thinking skills that have been stated as critical for success in the 21st century. The skills they obtain through this process will help them in all future courses and it will help them develop skills essential at the collegiate level. It is also a wonderful point to highlight on college applications, essays, and job interviews.
The MYP coordinators will be visiting classes at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year to ask students to declare their topic choice for the Personal Project. If you have any questions, please contact the Austin High School Personal Project Coordinator, Mrs. Alesia Doran (alesia.doran@dcs.edu , or the IB Coordinator , Mrs. Susan Giguere at 256-552-3060 (susan.giguere@dcs.edu. We appreciate your support and encouragement for this unique opportunity.
Sincerely,
Dr. Don Snow Mrs. Susan Giguere Alesia Doran
Principal IB Coordinator Personal Project Coordinator
Austin High School * 1625 Danville Road S.W. * Decatur, AL 35601
Dear 10th grade Parent/Guardian,
As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, Austin High School, in partnership with Cedar Ridge Middle and Brookhaven Middle Schools, offers international education programs to help our students master the skills needed to live, learn, and work in the 21st century. In 10th grade, our students complete the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) and prepare to take advanced courses in the IB Diploma Program.
All 10th grade students are eligible to receive recognition as they complete the Middle Years Program. Based on his/her course selection in the 9th and 10th grades, your student is eligible to receive an MYP Certificate. To receive this recognition, students must successfully complete the Personal Project; meet school community and service expectations; complete each of the six phases of research throughout the school year and make passing grades in each of the eight subject areas. Please see the attached document for information on these grades. Students who successfully complete the requirements for the MYP Certificate will participate in a ceremony and will have a stamp designating this honor on their transcripts and diploma.
The critical component to receiving the MYP certificate is completion of the Personal Project. The Personal project allows students to present their understanding of real-world themes, concepts, and issues by researching and presenting a topic of personal interest. Projects may take the form of an original work of art or writing, a science experiment; a community services project-essentially anything that represents the students interests and passions. This year, the process for the Personal Project will begin in the fall months when all rising 10th grade students select topics and set goals for their projects. Throughout the course of the year, students will have opportunities to work on the project during the school day with carefully-planned support from the faculty and staff at Austin High School; however, it is largely an independent project.
Among its many benefits, the Personal Project allows students to bring together knowledge from different courses and connect what they learn in school to their lives outside the classroom. In addition, students will continue to build the independent, creative, critical thinking skills that have been stated as critical for success in the 21st century. The skills they obtain through this process will help them in all future courses and it will help them develop skills essential at the collegiate level. It is also a wonderful point to highlight on college applications, essays, and job interviews.
The MYP coordinators will be visiting classes at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year to ask students to declare their topic choice for the Personal Project. If you have any questions, please contact the Austin High School Personal Project Coordinator, Mrs. Alesia Doran (alesia.doran@dcs.edu , or the IB Coordinator , Mrs. Susan Giguere at 256-552-3060 (susan.giguere@dcs.edu. We appreciate your support and encouragement for this unique opportunity.
Sincerely,
Dr. Don Snow Mrs. Susan Giguere Alesia Doran
Principal IB Coordinator Personal Project Coordinator
| MYP Handbook |
