FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

What is the International Baccalaureate Organization?
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) is an independent nonprofit educational foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland. It offers to schools three programs: the Diploma Program in the final two years of high school, the Middle Years Program for students aged 11 to 16 and the Primary Years for students aged 3 to 12. Please visit the IB website at www.IB.org  for extensive information about the organization and its programs

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When was St. Clement School authorized to offer the IB programs?
We are proud to say that we are a fully authorized Primary and Middle Years IB World School. After more than three years of implementation, we were very pleased to receive authorization to offer the Middle Years Program (MYP) in March 2004 and the Primary Years Program (PYP) in July 2004.

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Must a student take all 3 programs, Primary, Middle and Diploma?
No. Each program is separate and distinct. However, there is a natural link among the three. A student can complete 1, 2 or all 3 IB programs.

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Are there entrance requirements?
No, all students are welcomed into both the PYP and MYP program.

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We've heard that the IB programs are elitist and serve only a privileged population. Is this true?
No, although the Diploma Program in particular is designed for highly motivated academically minded students. The IB is committed to making an IB education accessible to students from all types of backgrounds.

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We've heard that there is a lot of extra work with the IB program. Is this true?
No. The program is taught well within the 950 hours of instruction mandated by Alberta Education. Students will participate in a PYP exhibition in grade 6 that will demonstrate some of their learning experiences of the PYP program. Students in the MYP begin to prepare for the personal project, which is the culminating project for the MYP, in the latter half of their grade nine year.

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Can students with special needs participate in the IB program?
Yes. The IB has established, published policies for accommodating students with special needs. This publication is available from the publications department of the IB on the IB website.

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Are IB programs only for honors or gifted students?
No. The IB permits IB authorized schools to implement their programs in ways that best meet their local needs. Choosing to attend St. Clement School automatically gives students the opportunity to participate in the IB program. In this way, both the Primary Years and Middle Years programs at St. Clement are for all students in the school. It is a whole school program.

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Are there tuition fees?
There are no tuition fees. The only fees are those that cover learning resources, technology, agenda books and in Middle Years, options. The only other costs are those associated with field trips and bus passes should students take either the yellow bus or Edmonton Transit. Please check the fees section of our website for current fees.

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Primary Years Program (PYP)

How is the Primary Years Program different from other elementary school programs?
The Primary Years Program (PYP) provides an educational framework based upon what is currently known about how young children learn. It draws on the best practices in elementary school instruction.

The PYP requires all teachers in the school to collaboratively plan units of instruction and lessons around six important themes. The collaboration facilitates a carefully thought-out and sequential development of skills, knowledge and attitudes, while the organizing themes provide both students and teachers a rich and inviting learning environment in which they can explore.

In the PYP, students are taught to understand that learning is about asking questions and looking for answers, which in turn may generate new, and perhaps more complex questions in need of answers. As teachers work with students through this program of guided inquiry, they also help students understand their relationship and responsibility towards what they are learning. In the PYP, character building shares a prominent place alongside learning.

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What grades does the Primary Years Program encompass?
At St. Clement the PYP is a seven-year program beginning in Kindergarten and ending in grade 5. All students participate in the PYP program.

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Do Primary Years students have to take IB examinations?
There are no IB examinations in the PYP. All student assessment is organized and conducted by the teachers in our school. In grade 5, the final year of the PYP in our school, students have a PYP exhibition which highlights their learning in the program.

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Middle Years Program (MYP)

What is the Middle Years Program?
The Middle Years Program (MYP) is an educational framework that requires students to study in eight subject areas (English Language, Math, Humanities, Science, French, Arts, Phys Ed and Technology) in each year of the MYP program. The Alberta Education curriculum is the basis for each subject's content. Teachers present their curriculum focused through the MYP's Areas of Interaction. In this way Instructional Strategies change rather than course content. The model embraces three fundamental concepts: communication (valuing language acquisition in at least two languages); holistic learning (finding the connections across and within the subject and grade levels); and internationalism (a growing understanding of a student's own culture coupled with an understanding and appreciation of other cultures).

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What grades does the Middle Years Program encompass?
At St. Clement the MYP is a five year program beginning in grade 6 and ending in grade 10 at Holy Trinity High School.

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Do Middle Years students take IB examinations?
There are no IB examinations in the Middle Years Program. Instead, classroom teachers design their own examinations, using a common set of IB-designed assessment criteria to mark the examinations. The classroom teachers' marks are reviewed by a team of specially trained MYP teachers from around the world to ensure that the assessment criteria are applied equally to the work of all MYP students.

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Do Middle Years Program students receive any acknowledgement for their work?
Students may receive an IB certificate of achievement at the end of grade 10. This certificate is evidence of the student's good preparation for further studies, such as the IB Diploma or other rigorous programs. It represents significant achievement and takes into account academic as well as non-academic aspects, such as community and service and the creation of a personal project.

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And finally...

How can I get more information about IB at St. Clement? How can I register my child if they are not already registered?
Please contact the school at 462-3806 and talk to or email our IB coordinator: Rosanne Boutin or the principal, Terry Volk. You may check out our website at www.stclement.ecsd.net, the district website at www.ecsd.net/initiatives , or the IB website at www.IB.org .

We don't live in the St. Clement area. Can we still register? Is transportation provided?
Any resident of the Edmonton Catholic Schools is welcome to register in our program. There are no boundaries. However, transportation outside of our school area is the responsibility of the parent.

 

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