As of September 1, 2011...
Westchester Academy of International Studies is a candidate school* for the Middle Years Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Westchester Academy of International Studies believes is important for our students.
*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 (and in addition the IB Career-related Certificate). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
IB MISSION STATEMENT-
The 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.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
The Learner Profile is the IB Mission Statement in action. The Learner Profile represents a set of ideals that give teachers, students, and community members a common purpose. IB Learners strive to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective.
Middle Years Programme (MYP) is expressed through three fundamental concepts. These three concepts support and strengthen all areas of the curriculum are intercultural awareness, holistic learning, and communication.
There are eight subject groups that surround five Areas of Interaction. In the center is the Personal Project completed at grade 10. These are all supported by development of the ten characteristics of the Learner Profile.
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) chooses to define "international education" according to the following criteria.- Developing citizens of the world in relation to culture, language and learning to live together
- Building and reinforcing students' sense of identity and cultural awareness
- Fostering students' recognition and development of universal human values
- Stimulating curiosity and inquiry in order to foster a spirit of discovery and enjoyment of learning
- Equipping students with the skills to learn and acquire knowledge, individually or collaboratively, and to apply these skills and knowledge accordingly across a broad range of areas
- Providing international content while responding to local requirements and interests
- Encouraging diversity and flexibility in teaching methods
- Providing appropriate forms of assessment and international benchmarking
WAIS submitted our Authorization Application on September 29, 2012. Our Authorization visit will be held in October 2013. Previously we submitted Application A to become a Candidate MYP School on April 1, 2011. These steps to become an authorized IB programme. During this past five years we have trained over 70 staff members, began writing MYP Units, developed our Approaches To Learning continuum, worked on a feasibility study, and began developing our Interim Objectives Criteria and conversations about grading criterion and the Areas of Interaction.
Three years ago, we added six early dismissal days to work on vertical and horizontal planning strengthening our program to develop the whole child through all 8 areas of instruction. The 8 areas of instruction are: Mathematics, Sciences, Language A (also called English in HS & Language Arts in MS), Language B (World Language), Humanities (called Social Studies), Arts, Technology, and Physical Education. Teachers continue to develop units and refine instuction as we work on our authorization. Our goal is to create a strong continuum of quality instruction through the IB programs for grades 6 - 12.
Letter of Intent submitted: late spring 2010
MYP Candidacy Application submitted: April 1, 2011
MYP Authorization Application submitted: September 29, 2012