In the fall of 2007, Newton will continue its status as an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB – MYP) Candidate School. We will begin our second year in "guided study", learning and refining our approach to instruction so that we will meet IB North America guidelines. All Newton staff, regardless of subject area or grade, will continue to implement IB units. Over time, learning will become inquiry based. As a result students should be talking about guiding questions that will focus their learning. They should be more aware of the learning process and its connection to the outside world through the Areas of Interaction. Interdisciplinary connections from one content area to another will become more apparent. And the school will begin to develop a culture of community involvement and international mindedness. Our growth will be guided by a consultant provided by IBNA who will help us to understand the shift in instruction and learning as well as assessment.

This year our staff will be working toward the successful completion of Application B. In addition to striving to develop four IB units, we will continue our aligning building standards and practices with those laid out by IB. Thus over the long run we will become a community of learners where students, staff, and parents all have a common philosophy that emphasizes a program of rigor, collaboration, international understanding, and instruction based on best practices. Our goal then, is to open our doors in the fall or 2008 as an IB-authorized MYP school.

Please contact Debbie Getzel, IB Coordinator, for additional information at 303.734.6257 or dgetzel@lps.k12.co.us

Updated: May 22, 2007