Haines City High School & International Baccalaureate Informational Meeting

1. WELCOME TO HAINES CITY HIGH SCHOOL AND THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA PROGRAM INFORMATIONAL MEETING!

2. WHAT WILL I GAIN FROM TONIGHT’S MEETING? • Zoning for the two traditional public IB schools, Haines City and Bartow. • The selection process for Polk County’s IB programs. • An overview of the IB program, including the mission of the organization, the components of the program and the course of study. • The advantages of being a part of the IB school. • Expectations for IB students and parents.

3. ZONING FOR IB Haines City IBBartow IB Lake Gibson Sr. Lake Wales Sr. Haines City Sr. Bartow Sr. Ridge Community Mulberry Sr. Winter Haven Sr. Frostproof Sr. Lake Region Sr. Ft. Meade Sr. Auburndale Sr. George Jenkins Sr. Tenoroc Sr. Lakeland Sr. Kathleen Sr.

4. SCHOOL HOURS: • IT’S EARLY!!! • SCHOOL BEGINS AT 7:00 AM AND RELEASES AT 2:00 PM. (subject to change)

5. Transportation? • Yes, if you are zoned for one of the traditional high schools that feed HCIB you will have transportation provided by the county. • Transportation is arranged based on your address from your current school. Check to see that PCSB has your correct address.

6. How did you get here tonight? • Letters were given to all eighth grade students who ended the 7th grade with a 3.25 grade point average or above.

7. Selection Process • Complete the Information Sheet you have with you currently and submit it before you leave tonight. • Completed Online Application • I’ll provide instructions at the end of the presentation. • Register for one of the Entrance Exam Locations: • Arrive early and do the best you can on the exam • Letters sent to all applicants (admitted or denied). You must return your intention card whether you plan on attending HCIB or not. • If you are accepted and return your intent card (with a yes) you must attend the Orientation April 26th in the HCHS Auditorium at 6:00 pm. This is where you will select your courses for next year.

8. Organization: What is the IBO mission?We are motivated by a mission to create a better world through education. Mission The International Baccalaureate Organization 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 IBO 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.

9. WHAT IS THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM? The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a rigorous two year pre-university course of study. • Students participate in a Florida Pre-IB program in grades 9 and 10 to develop a strong academic foundation for the IB Diploma Program. • The Diploma Program is specifically the 11th and 12th grades. • Students take six IB subjects and each subject culminates in an exam at the end of the two years. • Successful completion of the Diploma Program automatically earns our students their High School Diploma.

10. THE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME CURRICULUM

11. CURRICULUM • Language A- 4 credits Grade 9: Pre-IB English I Grade 10: Pre-IB English II Grade 11: IB English III Grade 12: IB English IV • Language B- 4 credits We offer Spanish, French and German Grade 9: Pre IB World Language I Grade 10: Pre IB World Language II Grade 11: IB World Language IV Grade 12: IB World Language V • If you have already taken and passed High School Spanish, French or German we will evaluate you individually but you will start in Pre-IB Language 1. These are different courses than what was done in middle school.

12. Curriculum Continued • Individuals and Societies- 4 credits Grade 9 : AP or Honors US History Grade 10: AP or Honors World History Grade 11: History of the Americas Grade 12: Contemporary History 2

13. Curriculum Continued • Science- 4 credits • There are three choices in science, Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Biology 9th Grade: FL Pre-IB Biology 10th Grade: FL Pre-IB Chemistry 11th Grade: IB Biology 1 12th Grade: IB Biology 2 or 3 Chemistry 9th Grade: FL Pre-IB Biology 10th Grade: FL Pre-IB Chemistry 11th Grade: IB Chemistry 1 12th Grade: IB Chemistry 2 or 3 Physics 9th Grade: FL Pre-IB Biology 10th Grade: Honors Physics 1 11th Grade: IB Physics 1 12th Grade: IB Physics 2 or 3

14. CURRICULUM CONTINUED • Mathematics- 4 credits Students will follow this progression and take all 9-12 classes with our HCHS/HCIB teachers. 9th and 10th Grade only: Algebra 1 Geometry Algebra 2 Pre Calculus Honors Math Studies 11th Grade: Math Studies 12th Grade: IB Math Statistics/Intro Differential Calculus Math SL 11th Grade: IB Per Calculus 12th Grade: IB Calculus/Descriptive Statistics

15. The Core:CAS: Creativity, Activity, ServiceTheory of Knowledge: 1 credit*Extended Essay of 4,000 words on a personal research project.- *completed during the second semester of 11th and first semester of 12th Grade CURRICULUM CONTINUED

16. COMMUNITY SERVICE • Community service is an integral part of the IB program. 9th and 10th grade students are required to take on 2-4 activities which benefit the community, county, state, country or world each year. • Over the 11th and 12th grade years, students take on 10-15 CAS* projects which benefit the community, area, state, country or world each year (*creativity, activity and service).

17. COMMUNITY SERVICE • Credit for activities can begin the first day of 9th grade and in theory never end. • How do you get credit for your 2 reflections? • Reflections: Students are expected to reflect on the activities they have done in anyway that feel represents the learning that has taken place. Some past reflections have been done through essay, picture book with notes, ongoing email conversations with a supervisor, video as you go… The activity and the reflection combine to make up the learning experience.

18. COMMUNITY SERVICE • For students participating in extra curricular activities: • Students can use extra curricular activities for experiences such as band, JROTC competition, sport competition, chess competition etc.) • Activities must include taking on something that is challenging, there must be actual physical activity and new learning taking place.

19. IB DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS: Requirements: • Complete and pass courses from the six content groups • Complete the CAS requirement 10-15 quality reflections on experiences • Complete and pass the Theory of Knowledge course • Complete and pass the Extended Essay • Take and meet the IB standards on the six exams • Students who meet all the requirements will receive a HCHS Diploma and a IB Diploma. • Students who meet all requirements with the exception of the exam scores will earn a HCHS Diploma and Course Certificates for exams they passed.

20. How does the IB program fit into Haines City High? • The IB program has a different curriculum and graduation requirements than the standard diploma track. However, students may take electives within the high school and of course, participate in all of the extra curricular activities HCHS offers.

21. SPORTS AND CLUBS • Some of the clubs on campus include: Key Club: a service organization CAS Club: a service organization Interact Club: a service organization Chess Club: a competitive team A Team: a competitive academic team Drama Club Ceramics Club History Club • We also have Student Government , National Honor Society and National Arts Honor Society .

22. SPORTS AT HCHS Sports offered: • Football • Baseball and Softball • Volleyball • Track and Cross Country • Soccer • Weightlifting • Basketball, girls and boys • Tennis: girls and boys • Golf, boys and girls • Swimming • Cheerleading • Wrestling Athletic Director: Ms. Mel Gables

23. Attitudes and Skills of a Successful IB Candidate: • An eagerness to work hard and learn at a fast pace. • It is highly suggested you use a planner/calendar to help manage your time. Time Management and work ethic will be a deciding factors of your success in the IB Program.

24. Skills continued • A willingness to be responsible for yourself • Uses note taking as a habit • Arrives to school and to class well prepared • This means you will have homework every night and reading assignments every night. • An ability to ask for help • The willingness to work diligently and consistently for the entire four year program

25. WHY SHOULD I BECOME AN IB STUDENT? • IB Candidate Schools must undergo an exhaustive application process for authorization to offer IB courses. Once authorized, schools are required to participate in IB professional development and be reviewed each five years. This ensures adherence to the high standards of the IB curriculum. • All Diploma Programme teachers are trained by the International Baccalaureate Organization. • Our students are members of a small learning community, receiving individual attention from their teachers, and getting to know classmates very well. • This is the most rigorous program available to students who are planning on attending post secondary education. That help your student with admissions and most importantly success when they get to college.

26. College Admissions • IB students often have an advantage in the admissions process at selective universities. Here are a few of the most popular institutions among IB Diploma Candidates: IB Student numbers from 2012 according to the International Baccalaureate

27. ADVANTAGES CONTINUED • Students who earn the IB Diploma qualify for the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, which is the highest level of assistance at Florida public institutions. • Opportunity to be a part of a curriculum which emphasizes a global perspective and encourages active citizenship. • Our diploma students are earning college credits! • Most of our students are starting college as Sophomores and beyond. In many cases that means you save $20,000, $30,000, $40,000+ in tuition.

28. College Admission Officers Comments: • Harvard University, Marilyn McGrath Lewis, Asst. Dean of Admissions, “Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard, we are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Program on the transcript.” GPA is not nearly as important a factor in university admission as the IB Diploma. If a student has to choose, choose the Diploma over protecting the GPA.” • Virginia Tech, Dr. Eugene Carson “. . . IB students who attended that university (Virginia Tech) as freshmen significantly outperformed all other freshmen, including students who had taken Advanced Placement courses.” • University of Michigan, Cliff Sjogren, former Director of Admissions “A transcript that reveals a student’s enrollment in International Baccalaureate courses serves notice to the admissions officer that the applicant is someone who accepts rather than avoids educational challenges.”

29. Cornell University, Angela Herrera – Associate Director of Admissions, We do look at the context of the school via the School Profile. We are looking at each individual student and the classes they have chosen to take and what the grade in the class is - not the weighted grade. We do not use GPA as it does not tell us about the classes. The grade scale doesn't matter to us because we are measuring your students against your students only, not other schools and their scales. • MIT, Marilee Jones Former Director of Undergraduate Admissions “Send us prepared students a la IB…It is the “best” high school prep curriculum an American school can offer.” • Stanford University, Richard Shaw “We see the holistic approach of the IB Diploma Program as the best preparation a high school student can get to prepare them for an undergraduate education. For a student to successfully complete the program it show us they have the dedication necessary to be successful at our university. While we don’t look at any one thing IB students certainly jump off the page.”

30. How Did Our Last Four Graduating Classes Do? • 77% of our May 2016 Class earned the IB Diploma • 67% of our May 2015 Class earned the IB Diploma • 88% of our May 2014 Class earned the IB Diploma • 85% or our May 2013 Class earned the IB Diploma • All additional students earned Course Certificates • Scholarships: • In recent years our students have been offered and accept over a million dollars in scholarship money annually.

31. WHAT NEXT? • If you are interested in proceeding with the application process, please complete and submit the entire one page contact sheet we passed out on your way in. Please be sure to add the correct email address (student and parent). • Public school, charter school, home school and private school students will begin taking the exams as scheduled by the Office of Magnet, Choice and Federal Programs. • Contact the Office of Magnet, Choice and Federal Programs at 863-519-8738 to schedule your exam after you have completed the online application.

32. When will we/you know? • Exam Dates and Locations: • Students will be notified by mail as soon as we determine the cut line and prepare the acceptance and denial letters.

33. Application • Then proceed to the Polk County School Board Website and complete the Online Application in the Parent Portal. • http://www.polk-fl.net/schools/polkedoptions.asp • http://highschoolacceleration.polk-fl.net/ • Applications Window: the application window is currently open and closes at 5:00 PM on January 9th. • Applications Won’t Be Accepted Outside that window so don’t delay.