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FHS begins International Baccalaureate program

Rick Monroe

Special to the Village News

When classes begin Monday, Aug. 16 at Fallbrook High School, more than 120 juniors will be the first to participate in the school's new International Baccalaureate program.

Administrators have been preparing and planning for the academic classes for about a decade, said Lauren Jones, new principal of the school. The time has come with the 2021-2022 school year.

IB is only for juniors and seniors, said George Herring, the school’s IB coordinator. Part of the preparation for establishing the program is for younger students to participate in Global Village.

In that program, teachers and counselors work with students annually on mapping a four-year study plan for students to reach their goals for high school.

“One of the most important decisions you will make in high school is your course selection,” said Herring. “The purpose is to make sure their high school experience is catered to each student’s goals and interests.”

Not all students in Global Village go on to the International Baccalaureate program created by a non-profit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1968, International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect, according to its mission statement.

The organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Herring gave the example of a student preparing a paper about abortion vs. pro-life positions. Instead of addressing the “left” and “right” positions in the U.S., the student should go deeper and consider global perspectives such as how a woman raped in Afghanistan may feel on the topic.

“We hope our IB students take risks, be knowledgeable and communicate (character education); work with the community for the community (service oriented); and think global, act local (international mindedness),” Herring added.

The 120 students identified by the principal are the number of students in the two-year Language and Literature classes. That number is changing as students finalize their class schedules, but Jones noted that the total number of IB classes would be even greater since many students are taking two-year classes in Spanish, History of Americas, Environmental Systems and Societies, Math Applications and Interpretations, or Personal and Professional Skills.

There are also one-year classes in Film, Dance, and Computer Science, and an after-school program in Theory of Knowledge.

“Some students may take just one or two IB classes,” Jones noted. “IB classes are more intense, but don’t think of it as a scary situation. Seeing a student take challenges is awesome. We also have students taking our dual immersion program with classes in English and Spanish.”

There are two tracks that students in the IB program can pursue: Full Diploma and Career Certificate.

The Full Diploma program is a rigorous integrated curriculum. The prestigious international program develops critical thinking, global perspective, and college writing and research ability.

It is recognized around the world for its challenging curriculum and is welcomed by top universities.

Students learn more than a collection of facts. The program prepares students for university studies and encourages them to ask challenging questions, learn how to learn, develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture, and develop the ability to communicate with and understand people from other countries and cultures.

The career-related program is tailored to students who want to focus on career-related learning in the last two years of high school. It allows students to create an individualized path that leads to either further study or employment after graduation.

“The career track helps create a strong workforce,” Herring said. “Employers want to hire people who can read, write, think, and become leaders.”

The school is continuing to offer Advanced Placement classes that qualify students for college credit if they pass the AP test in different subjects. Jones noted that IB students can also take the AP tests.

Information about the IB program is available at https://fallbrookhs.fuhsd.net/, under “programs.” Other North County schools with the IB programs include Torrey Pines, Cathedral Catholic, Santa Fe Christian, Rancho Buena Vista, and schools in the Poway Unified School District.

 

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