Good afternoon!

I have seen a lot of exciting things happening at SJA this year and have had lots of interesting chats with parents which has been great.  One question that seems to come up from time to time when I am speaking with parents it what is really means to be an IB school.  I thought I would take the opportunity to give a quick history of IB and why SJA has decided to become a part of it.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) began in 1968 as a way for the children of international diplomats and other world travelers to secure a standardized education.  IB has now grown to include over 3000 schools in 143 countries.  This shows the success and development of the program.

IB strives to develop each child academically, socially, and emotionally by focusing not only on their academic growth but on the 'whole child'.  This is why the IB attitudes, Learner Profile and the transdisiplinary skills are such a large part of the framework.  IB's Primary Youth Program (PYP) follows 6 standardized units which are the same 6 units that any child anywhere in the world in an IB school will be studying.  Teachers who teach at IB schools around the world use an interface to trade tips and success stories back and forth, which means that achievements at SJA could be heard around the world!

SJA has chosen to be a part of this impressive organization because we want our students to develop these important qualities that will help them to grow into successful and cultured adults that can find prosperity and happiness in any situations for years to come.

For more information about IB or SJA's progress in accreditation please speak to me, or have a look at IB's official website at www.ibo.org.

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson