IB NEWS
Issue: 1 January 2025
WHAT IS IB?
International Baccalaureate is a worldwide community of schools, educators and students with a shared mission to empower young people with the values, knowledge and skills to create a better and more peaceful world.
“IB programmes aim to provide an education that enables students to make sense of the complexities of the world around them, as well as equipping them with the skills and dispositions needed for taking responsible action for the future.” (IB, 2020)
IB- PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP)
The PYP is designed for students ages 3-12 It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in school and in the world beyond
PYP learners take ownership of their learning, collaborating with teachers to deepen understanding and increase their confidence and self-motivation.
“Through the programme of inquiry and by reflecting on their learning, PYP students develop knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and the attributes of the IB Learner profile.” (IB, 2020)
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR CES
We are currently in candidacy to become an IB school. We will be completing many steps this school year and next in order to get authorized.
In the fall, our main goal was to introduce students to the learner profile traits. Students have become very familiar with these traits and have even started using these traits to describe themselves as learners
Teachers in grades kindergarten- 5th grade spent some time in the fall creating their 1st unit planners We have started implementing the components of the planners when we returned on January 7th
IB PYP INCLUDES:
6 Themes
Who we are
Where we are in place and time
How we express ourselves
How the world works
How we organize ourselves
Sharing the planet
Learner Profiles Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers
Open-Minded Communicators
Caring Risk-Takers Balanced Reflective Principled
KINDER WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL
Theme: Who we are
Learner Profiles: Principled, Balanced, Risk-Takers
Central Idea: We impact the world around us
Engaging Learning Experience:
Read Jabari Jumps
Self-reflecting on skills they are able to do
Vision Boards
1ST
Theme: Sharing the Planet
Learner Profiles: Principled, Balanced, Caring
Central Idea: Human and environmental health are connected, and it is our shared responsibility to protect both
Engaging Learning Experience:
ELAR- Conflict resolution with different texts
Science- Taking care of the planet with soils
Social Studies- Being caring and principled with different texts
2ND
Theme: Where we are in place and time
Learner Profiles: Thinkers, Inquirers, Communicators
Central Idea: People use maps and the sky to explore different parts of the planet and track weather patterns
Engaging Learning Experience:
Zoo map project
Design dream playground map
Watch videos of weather forecasts/meteorologists
Weather data graphs
Look at weather tools gallery walk- think of questions of how they would use it before learning its purpose
Brochures for zoo/amusement parks in writing time
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL
Theme: Sharing the Planet
Learner Profiles: Communicators, Knowledgeable, Thinkers
Central Idea: Interdependence sustains survival in the natural world.
Engaging Learning Experience:
4TH 3RD
ELAR- Expository essay over behavior adaptations/special skills
Science- Research a habitat using books, videos, and the internet
Science- predict how a food chain may change if one animal or plant is removed from the food chain
Theme: Who we are
Learner Profiles: Open-minded, Inquirers, Reflective
Central Idea: Understanding our values, beliefs, and customs help us shape our identity and connect with others.
Engaging Learning Experience:
Classes will compare internal and external characteristics of characters in fiction texts (and science)
Students will write personal narratives about themselves
Graphing (parts of a graph)- asking questions to each other to record data
5TH
Theme: How the world works
Learner Profiles: Thinkers, Inquirers, Knowledgeable
Central Idea: Identity changes in society because of cultural, scientific, and technological advances
Engaging Learning Experience:
Science - debate: renewable vs. nonrenewable. All energy is created, has a purpose, serves a role, and can be investigated
ELAR - provocation: timeline of communication devices. All devices have a purpose, a role, and the evolution of devices can be investigated.
Math - tax realia: taxes have a purpose, a role in funding societal needs, and consequences of funding or not funding these needs can be investigated
Social studies/ELAR - Time Person of the Year research: the purpose, role, and investigation of how a person during the revolutionary war helped bring about change in the formation of our modern day government
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
VICTORIA ZIMMERMAN
Hello! I am your IB coordinator and I am so excited to be on this journey here at Cullen ES. This will be my 19th year in education. I have taught Pre-K, 1st grade, 4th grade ELAR, and 5th grade ELAR. I have spent the last 3 years being an instructional coach. I just completed my 10th year here in Hays CISD.
I received both my undergrade and masters at Texas State University.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Coffee with the Admin Team (TBD)
IB International Fair (TBD)
STILL CURIOUS ABOUT IB?
Please feel free to contact me victoria.zimmerman@hayscisd.net (512)268-8449 (43204)