In October of 2003, Spicewood received notification that we were awarded
the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP)Grant. The
grant was for three years, and the funding was for $30,000.00 each year.
$20,000.00 came from Region 13 Education Service Center and a matching
amount came from the Round Rock ISD for $10,000.00.
In the summer of 2005, Spicewood was authorized as an IB PYP Candidate
School. On February 26, 2007, Spicewood received official notification that
we had been AUTHORIZED as an IB World School. The IB program is run by the
International Baccalaureate Organization and is a three-tier program that
encompasses education for students from ages three through high school
graduation. IB is a non-profit organization that runs in almost 1,600
schools in 121 countries. The most well-known facet of the proram is the
diploma program, which begins in high school and culminates with a series of
test that can result in earning the highly-touted IB Diploma. Students in
Texas who obtain the IB Diploma are granted 24 college credit hours by law.
Spicewood Elementary feeds into Westwood High School, which has the IB
program.
The alignment between the IB program and Round Rock ISD's curriculum is
remarkable. We took stock in this program because it packaged all of our
improvement efforts and gave us a single focus. The IB PYP combines the best
research on learning and creates a framework in which to put it into
practice.
The PYP at Spicewood is not an exclusive program: every child in our
elementary school participates. By beginning the IB philosphy in the
elementary years, every child is exposed to an international curriculum. It
is our hope that the number of Spicewood children who participate in the
Westwood High School IB Program will increase substantially. More
importantly, it is our goal that every child's education is enriched because
of this program.
The Primary Years Programme is designed for children between the ages
of 3 and twelve years. It is a well-defined program that is designed to
foster the development of the whole child, both in a classroom and outside.
The PYP's focus encompasses the academic, social, physical, emotional, and
cultural needs of every child.
Every child at Spicewood participates in the PYP International
Baccalaureate Program and every teacher receives training through the
International Baccalaureate Organization. It is because of our PYP focus
that our staff members have their Gifted and Talented certification and take
the six-hour update training each year. Many of our teachers hold ESL
(English as a Second Language) certifications as well.
The profile of a PYP student contains the following desired international
attributes: Inquirers, Thinkers, Communicators, Risk-takers, Knowledgeable,
Principled, Caring, Open-minded, Well-balanced, and Reflective.
The curriculum offers a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning and
a commitment to structured inquiry. Six transdisciplinary themes are taught
each year: "Sharing the Planet," "Who we Are," "Where we are in place and
time," "How we Express Ourselves," "How the World Works," and "How we
Organize Ourselves." The PYP depends on committed teaching in the spirit of
an inquiry-based instructional focus.
Both teachers and students use three guiding questions to construct meaning:
What do we want to learn? How will we learn? and How will we know that we
have learned/what will we do when we haven't learned? Spicewood has added
the question, "What will we do when we have learned?" This addition
exemplifies our commitment to on-going learning.
For more information about the International Baccalaureate Organization, you
can view their website at www.ibo.org
