Sydney Academy IB Program

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International Baccalaureate Program

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (DP) is a challenging 2 year pre-university course of studies taught from an international perspective. The program originated in Europe in 1968 and was intended to establish a common curriculum and university entry credential for students moving from one country to another. Since its birth the IB Diploma has become a symbol of academic integrity and intellectual promise. Today the headquarters of the International Baccalaureate Organization are in Geneva, Switzerland, but Canadian IB schools report to and receive support from a regional office in New York City. Recognition of the IB program at universities evolving. Please read the latest on university recognition in this notice here.

The Program:

The Diploma Program is suited to any academically ambitious high school student who seeks to attend university. This comprehensive two year program is delivered in grades 11 and 12, after students normally complete a pre-IB program in Grade 10. The program culminates in a series of international examinations written in six academic subjects chosen by each student - one subject from each of the following groups which correspond to the principal domains of knowlege:

Group 1 - Language A - literature courses in the student's first language
Group 2 - Language B - a second language such as French, Spanish, German, or Latin
Group 3 - Individuals and Society - subjects such as history, geography, and economics
Group 4 - Experimental Sciences - subjects such as physics, chemistry, and biology
Group 5 - Mathematics
Group 6 - The Arts - subjects such as music, visual arts, and theatre arts, or an elective from Group 3 or 4.

The student's choices must include three courses taken at the Higher Level (HL), comprising 240 teacher-student contact hours, and three courses taken at the Standard Level (SL), comprising 150 teacher-student contact hours. Most subjects are taken over two years.

The IB Diploma is about more than the six subjects that students study. At its heart, are three core requirements that are integral to the curriculum and make the IB Diploma program unique. These three additional requirements are:

The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course - an interdisciplinary course designed to develop habits of critical reflection, clarity of thought, and moral judgement
The Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) program - a minimum of 150 hours of participation in creative programs, athletics or other physical activities, and community service
The Extended Essay (EE) - a 4000-word piece of original research on a topic chosen by the student

Schools which offer the IB Diploma Program are required to encourage a global view, international understanding, and respect for others; important goals in all subjects.

Diploma Graduation Requirements:

The assessment of each student's work in each of the chosen 6 subjects includes a comprehensive final examination written in May of the student's final year. TOK is assessed on a paper written by each student, and the Extended Essay submitted for external assessment as well.

In addition, each subject has a course work component which is assessed internally by the subject teacher. There is an emphasis throughout the IB program on oral and written communication, extensive reading, and the nurturiing of critical thinking.

Each examined subject is graded on a scale of 1 - 7. While the TOK and the Extended Essay contribute up to 3 bonus points, the Diploma is awarded to a student who has achieved a total point score of 24 out of a possible 45 points, and who completes the CAS requirements.

The Nova Scotia Department of Education is pleased to confirm that students who successfully complete all of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma requirements will thereby earn a Nova Scotia High School Graduation Diploma.

Please note that students who decide to leave the IB program will be required to meet Nova Scotia graduation requirements. Those students will, of course, be given credit toward those requirements for the IB courses they have successfully completed.

COURSE OFFERINGS FOR PRE - IB GRADE 10

Students at Sydney Academy who wish to pursue either the IB Diploma or the IB Certificate are required to take, in their area of interest, pre-IB courses at the grade 10 level. Pre-IB courses available to potential IB students at Sydney Academy are offered in the following subject areas:

Math Pre-IB^*	English Pre-IB	Science Pre-IB	Instrumental Music (for IB students)
French Pre-IB	History Pre-IB	Art 10 (for IB students)

^*Math Pre-IB runs over the two semesters.

If a student does not opt for the entire IB program, she/he can fulfill their course complement from other courses offered at Sydney Academy. Some examples of additional courses offered at Sydney Academy in grade 10 are art, drama, keyboarding, geography, physical education, and music. A more exhaustive list is available here.

IB COURSE OFFERINGS FOR GRADE 11

Students who merit advancement in the IB program after a successful pre-IB year have the following IB course offerings in their first year of IB (i.e. their grade 11 year).

English IB 11	French IB 11	History IB 11	Biology IB 11
Spanish 11 ab initio SL	Adv Math 12 (for IB)	Chemistry IB 11	Physics IB 11
Art IB 11	Instrumental Music IB 11	TOK IB 12	Economics IB 11
		Math IB 11^*

^*Pre Calculus for IB.

As in grade 10, there are other courses offered in a multitude of disciplines for the student who is not taking the IB Diploma. A more exhaustive list is available here.

IB COURSE OFFERINGS FOR GRADE 12

In their final year at Sydney Academy, meriting students who are PLANNING on pursuing the Diploma or Certificate path have the following IB course selection. It is during this year that the deserving student declares, in consultation with their teacher and the IB Coordinator, whether they will be writing their external IB exams at the standard (SL), higher (HL) level. The grade 12 IB courses run on a full year schedule.

English IB 12 HL	French IB 12 SL/HL	History IB 12 SL/HL	Biology IB 12 SL
Spanish 12 ab initio SL	Math IB 12	Chemistry IB 12 SL	Physics IB 12 SL
Art IB 12 SL/HL	Instrumental Music IB 12	Economics IB 12 SL/HL	Math Studies IB 12 SL^*

^*This course will be offered only if sufficient numbers warrant.

As in the previous grades, there are other courses offered in a multitude of disciplines for the student who is not taking the full IB Diploma. A more exhaustive list is available here.

IB Extended Essay 12 IB Extended Essay 12 (Advanced, 0.5 credit)

The Extended Essay (EE) is a requirement for all students who seek to complete the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. IB Extended Essay 12 has recently been added to the suite of IB credit courses. The extended essay is a research paper on a topic of interest chosen by the student from one of the approved subjects in the IB Diploma Program. The essay is to be no more than 4000 words. The aims of the extended essay are to provide students with the opportunity to:

pursue independent research in depth on a focused topic
develop research and communication skills
develop the skills of creative and critical thinking
experience the excitement of intellectual discovery

As in the previous grades, there are other courses offered in a multitude of disciplines for the student who is not taking the full IB Diploma.

The Benefits of an IB Diploma:

The ultimate benefit is that IB Diploma graduates are literate, articulate, confident young adults with an understanding of global issues and other cultures.

Recognition of the IB program at universities is evolving. University admissions and scholarship committees are increasingly taking into account an applicant's entire school record, not just marks. The IB diploma Program's emphasis on citizenry and extracurricular activities speaks aptly to those criteria.
The IB Diploma graduates receive excellent recognition from universities' admissions offices in Canada, the USA and abroad. This recognition in Canada includes early acceptance, advanced standing and eligibility for special IB scholarships as well as traditional university scholarships. Many Canadian Universities have established dedicated IB admissions staff to recruit and advise IB Diploma graduates.
IB Diploma graduates consistently perform well once at university with many advancing to postgraduate programs. Typically diploma holders bring to university a capacity for indepth study, strong writing skills, and knowledge of how to research a topic and express their opinions. They will also have a strong sense of their own culture and identity, as well as the ability to communicate in two or more languages with people who have a different perspective of the world. For research and testimonials on this, click here.

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