Middle Years Program
The Middle Years Programme is a programme of international education designed to help students develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills necessary to participate actively and responsibly in a changing world. The curriculum contains eight subject groups together with a core made up approaches to learning, areas of interaction, approaches to teaching, and concepts.
Eight Subjects
Students study subjects from each of the eight subject groups: Language B (Spanish), Mathematics, Arts (Choir, Band, Visual Arts), PE (and health), Technology Design Cycle, Science, Language A and Humanities. Note: Meadow Park's Humanities class blends Language A (Language Arts) with Social Studies. Technology Design will be woven into other courses, including the Advisory period.
Service Project
Students at Meadow Park will be expected to participate in community service and volunteer projects. This will be monitored in their Advisory classes. This is an essential part of MYP; we believe that community service will help students grow into stronger, more knowledgeable individuals.
Areas of Interaction (AOI's) / Global Concepts
These are lenses through which teachers and students view course materials. Currently they are Community and Service, Health and Social Education, Human Ingenuity, and Environments.
Approaches to learning (ATLs)
Through ATLs teachers provide students with the tools to enable them to take responsibility for their own learning, thereby developing an awareness of how they learn best, of thought processes and of learning strategies. These include skills such as organization, communication, collaboration, critical thinking and information literacy. These are skills that will support students through their school years and beyond.
IB Learner Profile
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop international minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better, more peaceful world. IB learners strive to be:
Inquirers: They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.
Knowledgeable: They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.
Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.
Balanced: They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well being for themselves and others.
Principled: They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.
Reflective: They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.
Risk-takers/Courageous: They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.
Caring: They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.
Communicators: They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.
The IB Learner Profile will be taught to students across subjects and classes. We hope that you will take active part at home to talk to students about the IB Learner Profile described above and how these attributes help them become better citizens of the community.
International Mindedness
Part of being an IB school is being part of a global community. Students will look at global issues and topics. Our World's Fair and other school-wide events will support our students' international awareness.