Did you know that Garibaldi Secondary is introducing an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) for all students starting in September 2017?
Designed for students in Grades 8-10, MYP is part of the International Baccalaureate educational continuum which includes both the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and the IB Career-Related Programme (CP), both currently offered at Garibaldi Secondary – one of only 16 IB-designated schools in the province.
So what makes MYP unique? The program encourages young learners to think globally and act locally, while becoming critical and reflective thinkers.
“IB Middle Years is an inquiry-based, hands-on learning experience that provides students with authentic learning tasks and places the development of their skills, abilities and knowledge at the centre of the learning experience,” said Tom Levesque, vice principal at Garibaldi.
Levesque noted that MYP aligns well with the new BC curriculum’s emphasis on student inquiry, big ideas, competencies and global awareness – all of which are at core of MYP learning.
MYP consists of eight core subject groups: language acquisition, language and literature, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical and health education, and design.
In each year of MYP, students are encouraged to undertake cross-curricular projects that make connections between their different subjects, and in Grade 10 they tackle a project that has personal significance to them and present it to the class.
“The MYP provides students with opportunities to follow their passion and curiosity as well as make community connections as they develop their self-directed personal project which serves as a capstone or portfolio of their learning in Grades 8-10,” said Garibaldi principal Darren Rowell.
Rowell noted that while the IB Diploma and Career-Related programs are optional at Garibaldi, all Grades 8-10 students at the school will be enrolled in MYP, starting with the Grade 8 class in 2017.
“The MYP framework and common language for planning and assessment creates a culture of learning within the school for both students and teachers,” he said.
The addition of the MYP provides an uninterrupted learning pathway for students who are interested in continuing on with the Diploma or Career-Related programs in Grade 11.
“We’re very excited to be expanding IB at Garibaldi by offering the Middle Years for our students,” added Levesque.
SD42 empowers students to discover their unique learning paths by offering more than 30 specialized programs of choice, from International Baccalaureate and sports academies to trades and technology. Download our Programs of Choice booklet.
