June 12, 2020
The North Vancouver School District is pleased to announce that Norgate Xwemélch’stn Community Elementary
is a candidate school* for the Primary Years Programme and will be pursuing
authorization as an IB World School.
These are schools that share a common
philosophy — a commitment to high quality, and challenging, international
education that Norgate Xwemélch’stn Community
Elementary believes is important for students.
Drawing on best practices in elementary instruction, the IB
PYP is one of four programmes offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization
for students aged 3 to 19. The programmes encourage both personal and academic
achievement, and help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social
skills to live, learn and work in a globalized world.
Norgate Xwemélch’stn Community
Elementary staff and administration will now continue their work through the
candidacy phase to fulfill the requirements necessary to qualify as an IB World
School offering the PYP. (UPDATE: The 2021/22 school year will be a transition year, with formal accreditation occurring the following school year.)
During this phase, Norgate Xwemélch’stn Community
Elementary teachers will have access to high quality professional development
opportunities with IB practitioners from around the world and our own school
district.
In the spirit of collaboration, teaching staff and administrators at
IB World Schools Carson Graham Secondary, Capilano Elementary and Queen Mary
Community Elementary will continue to offer their support, expertise and
guidance to their colleagues at Norgate.
“We are pleased to facilitate the growth and expansion of IB in the
North Vancouver School District,” says Christie Sacre, chair of the North
Vancouver Board of Education. “IB is an extremely popular program of choice for
students and families in North Vancouver, and we are excited about its
potential for the entire Norgate school community.”
“I’d like to acknowledge
and commend school staff and administration on the progress they have made in
bringing IB to Norgate Xwemélch’stn Community Elementary,” says Mark
Pearmain, superintendent of North Vancouver schools. “Earning candidacy status
is a major accomplishment, and Norgate Elementary is an ideal school to help
realize the IB mission.”
* Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer
any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle
Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, and the Career-related Programme.
Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
The North Vancouver School District serves over 16,000 K to 12
students with a vision to provide “world-class instruction and a rich diversity
of engaging programs to inspire success for every student and bring communities
together to learn, share and grow.”
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is a non-profit
foundation, motivated by its mission to create a better world through
education. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968, the IBO currently works with
over 5,000 schools in over 150 countries.
For further information:
International Baccalaureate
ibo.org
Lisa Dalla Vecchia, Communications Manager
North Vancouver School District
ldallavecchia@sd44.ca
