International Baccalaureate Program

Robert Black IB Coordinator, 602-449-5073
Anita Stulc MYP Coordinator, 602-449-5042
Ralph Vallecorsa IB Counselor, 602-449-5084

Introduction to NCHS-IB

North Canyon High School has made significant changes to our freshman and sophomore course offerings to satisfy the rigors of our IB program. Our approach to curriculum is inquiry-based, which encourages students to build links among their courses as well as between themselves and the outside world.

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is for 11th and 12th grade students who have successfully completed the required coursework and community service their freshman and sophomore years at North Canyon. It has the strengths of a traditional liberal arts curriculum, but with three important additional features: Theory of Knowledge; an Extended Essay; and Community, Action, & Service. Students study six academic subjects in both humanities and science — three (world language, math, and an elective) at the standard level (SL) and three others (English, biology, and history) at the higher level (HL). Each HL course represents a minimum of 240 classroom hours, while each SL course represent 150 hours. IB students, therefore, explore some subjects to achieve greater depth and others to gain more breadth. Therefore, the science-oriented student is challenged to learn a foreign language, and the linguist stretched to become familiar with lab procedures; the math ace takes up art, and the artist, math.
The Diploma Program’s grading system is criterion-referenced and assessed by a carefully trained and monitored international board of examiners. Each student’s performance is measured against a well-defined, international level of achievement rather than positioned along a population curve.
More detailed information about the IB-MYP and DP requirements can be found both in our NCHS-IB Handbook 2009-10 (downloadable file at the right of this page) or at www.ibo.org .

New Middle Years Programme

North Canyon is a candidate school* for the IB Middle Years Programme. We are attempting to expand our authorization as an IB World School.

IMPORTANT DATES

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
NCHS Westpod Auditorium
IB Parent Group Meeting — Information for freshmen (class of 2013) and their parents
(Free for NCHS-IB 9th graders and their parents)

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
NCHS Auditorium Main Entrance
Introduction to North Canyon’s IB — How to Apply to Our IB Program
(Free for aspiring 7th and 8th graders and their parents)

Saturday, November 14, 2009
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
NCHS Cafeteria
IB Placement Testing
($35 for 8th-grade applicants)

Tuesday, November 24, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
NCHS Westpod Auditorium
IB Parent Group Meeting — Information for senior class of 2010 and their parents
(Free for NCHS-IB 12th graders and their parents)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
NCHS Westpod Auditorium
IB Parent Group Meeting — Information for juniors (class of 2011) and their parents
(Free for NCHS-IB 11th graders and their parents)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
NCHS Westpod Auditorium
IB Parent Group Meeting — Information for sophomores (class of 2012) and their parents
(Free for NCHS-IB 10th graders and their parents)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Ms. Bertilson’s Chorus Room #303
IB Talent Show Tryouts
(All NCHS-IB students)

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
NCHS Auditorium Main Entrance
IB Talent Show and Ice Cream Social + IB Junior Pinning Ceremony
($5 for IB students and their parents as well as anyone interested in joining NCHS-IB)

May 3 through May 24, 2010
7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
NCHS Teacher Cafeteria and Lecture Hall
IB Testing
(IB 11th and 12th grade registration in September)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
NCHS Cafeteria and Auditorium
IB Senior Banquet
($25 NCHS-IB 12th graders and their families)

Only schools authorized by the IB organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the Diploma Programme (DP). We have been a fully authorized IB-DP World School for over 15 years; however, neither that fact nor our MYP “candidate status” guarantees that expanded authorization will be granted.

For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.