Spring 2015
GCVI
Preparatory Program Newsletter
GCVI: International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Candidate School
GCVI’s mission:
To develop informed, engaged and responsible citizens of local,
national and global communities. These aspects of citizenship are
achieved in the IB@GC through social responsibility, academic
rigor, environmental stewardship, intercultural understanding and
the pursuit of positive relationships, health and well-being.
The Learner Profile at GCVI
Upcoming
Events
How have you exhibited the LP today?
Last week, two Grade 9 Preparatory students spoke at IB Let’s
Meet! - the Preparatory Program information session for
incoming Grade 8 students and their parents. They spoke about
how they felt as Grade 8s coming into the program and how
they feel now with preparatory experience. The stories they told
immediately captured elements of the Learner Profile. I was
stunned by the depth of reflection on their learning and their welldeveloped sense of their personal strengths and weaknesses.
The Leaner Profile supports the International Baccalaureate
Organization’s aim to “develop internationally minded people
who, recognizing their common humanity and shared
guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more
peaceful world”.
When it comes to the Learner Profile, you don’t have to look
hard to see its 10 attributes in practice at GCVI on a daily basis.
April
14th
Civic Action Fair
July 6th- Preparatory Careers17th Online
July 20th- Civics- Online*
31st
Aug 19th- Preparatory Civics,
Sept 1st GCVI daily 8:302:00pm*
*Students who intend to take either
Civics online in July or Preparatory
Civics in class in August are to see
Mrs. Snell or Ms. Cool by April 10th.
GCVI
Spring 2015
In the classroom you observe students engaged as inquirers and
thinkers as they tackle open-ended questions. You see students
striving to achieve balance and a healthy state of well-being
through participating in athletics. The Safe Space Alliance
inspires our community to be principled and open-minded while
fundraising and outreach by the Social Justice Club demonstrates
caring. Knowledgeable Environmental Club members educate
students and staff on how our actions affect the planet
communicating more responsible actions such as the recent
turning off the lights campaign.
And back to the two young women who spoke to an auditorium
filled with parents and students last week, they were practicing
being risk-takers.
The Learner Profile is weaved into the Preparatory Program and
will help your son/daughter become a responsible member of the
classroom, GCVI, Canada and the global community.
As a community of learners, it is well worth our time to ask
ourselves: How have I exhibited the Learner Profile today?
A form confirming student participation in online
Careers this summer will be sent home next week.
As we are in the process of hiring staff to teach the
course, please return it in a timely manner.
Fun Facts!
• GCVI is the oldest high
school in Guelph.
• There are 2,627 schools
offering the DP in 140
different countries
worldwide.
• In the May 2014 DP
examination session,
56% of candidates were
female and 44% were
male.
Civic Action Fair
Which attributes of the Learner Profile
would you practice if you were a member of
the Photography Club at GC? Email your
answers to asnell@ugcloud.ca and your
response could be in our next newsletter.
On April 14th Grade 9 Preparatory students will be
participating in an event planned to help them learn
more about key features of the IB such as international
mindedness and global engagement. At the first centre,
the CAS coordinator, Brian Cluff, will discuss the
expectations of CAS and the significance of Learning
Outcomes. At the second centre, students will listen to
the service learning experiences of two former GC
students currently studying International Development
at the University of Guelph. Finally, students will stop
into the auditorium where a variety of not-for-profit
organizations will have displays set up informing
students on how they can put the IB@GC values and
mission into practice.
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GCVI
Spring 2015
Language B Ab initio: New IB Guidelines
We have learned that the IB has relaxed its rule on entry into Language B Ab initio courses. Based on
knowledge at the time of GC course selections, we told students intending to pursue IB Diploma
Programme Ab initio German and Spanish that they could not take Grade 10 German or Spanish as the IB
insisted on no prior knowledge in the language of study in Ab initio.
The new, current, guidelines from IB are that, as long as the teacher deems the course will still be
challenging for the learner, a student can have prior course experience in the language of study.
With the new guideline in mind, it is acceptable for a student intending to take Ab initio Spanish or
German to take Grade 10 Spanish or German. Please note, however, that it is not necessary. Ab initio
language courses are designed to be taught “from the beginning”. The course guide is written for students
entirely new to the language and the approaches to teaching employed in the course by the instructor will
be selected with the assumption learners have no prior knowledge.
If your son or daughter’s intended pathway is Diploma Programme Standard Level French, this change in
policy does not affect him or her.
We have already met and counseled Grade 9 students whose pathway may most obviously be affected by
this change in IB policy. If this new information has your son or daughter reconsidering their language
pathway or choice of Grade 10 electives, please have him or her see Mrs. Snell or a guidance counselor no
later than Friday April 10th.
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