From September 2023 (awaiting authorization), students in 9th Grade at Verdala International School are enrolled in Year 4 of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. The MYP is a five-year programme (with G10 starting in 2024 @ VIS) and students who complete the MYP are well-prepared to undertake the IB Diploma Programme (DP) or Career-related Programme (CP) in Grade 11 and 12.
The MYP is a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world, preparing them for success in further study and in life. The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning. The programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally. The MYP encourages young people to be creative, critical and reflective learners, capable of transferring their knowledge, skills and understandings across contexts and disciplines.
The aim of all IB programmes is 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.
COURSE OFFERINGS
Verdala International School is committed to providing students with a wide range of courses that will lay a solid foundation for later entry into the school’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme. Our school’s current course offerings include:
In preparation for Year 5 external eAssessments and ePortfolios, the MYP requires at least 70 hours of teaching time for each subject group in Grade 9/Year 4, as well as in Grade 10/Year 5 of the programme.
INTERDISCIPLINARY UNITS
In Year 4 and Year 5, students engage in at least one collaboratively planned interdisciplinary unit that involves at least two disciplines either from the same subject group (for example, History and Geography) or from two different subject groups (for example, Visual Arts from Arts, and Biology from Sciences). (Sourced from https://ibo.org/)
PERSONAL PROJECT
The MYP Personal Project is a student-centred and age-appropriate extended project in which students consolidate their learning throughout the programme. It is an independent inquiry that is personal to each MYP year 5 student. They each develop skills and expand knowledge in an area of their own choosing. Starting in Trimester 3 of Grade 9/Year 4, students will be guided towards a successful outcome with the support of the MYP Coordinator and their Personal Project Supervisors. The Personal Project is internally marked by teachers, with samples sent to the IB for moderation.
All students complete the Personal Project, with the expectation of spending approximately 25 hours starting in Grade 9/Year 4 and ending with an outcome in Grade 10/Year 5. Students investigate something of interest/a topic of choice, and develop/apply specific Approaches to Learning Skills. Personal Project Supervisors support students through their investigation, planning, taking action, and reflection. (Sourced from https://ibo.org/)
SERVICE AS ACTION
Service as Action is a foundational element of the MYP. It seeks to develop caring members of the community who act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and their environment. Service as Action requires students to engage with their local community through their personal projects and provides opportunities for students to explore, design, implement, and reflect on their efforts to positively impact their local environment. Through Service as Action experiences, students learn the value of community participation and gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing their immediate surroundings. (Sourced from https://ibo.org/)
EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS & ASSESSMENTS
In Grade 10/Year 5 of the MYP, students have the opportunity to receive the MYP Certificate or MYP Course Results, both serving of formal qualifications awarded by the International Baccalaureate.
To receive the MYP Certificate, students complete:
? Two-hour computer-based eAssessments in English Language & Literature; Language Acquisition in French, Italian, or Spanish; Individuals & Societies; Sciences; Mathematics; and Interdisciplinary Learning.
? ePortfolios (coursework) in the form of Language Acquisitions French, Italian, or Spanish Speaking Exams; and choose between Design, Arts, or Physical & Health Education.
? Personal Project
? The school’s requirements for participation in Service as Action
The MYP Certificate is awarded to students who gain at least 28 points of the total 56 points, across 8 subject components, and meet the school’s requirements for participation in Service as Action.
Students also have the option to earn MYP Course Results in individual subjects by completing specific eAssessments and/or ePortfolios. (Sourced from https://ibo.org/)
ACADEMIC RESULTS
Verdala International School will have its first cohort of MYP Grade 10/Year 5 sit for external examinations in May 2025. Results for the MYP May 2025 exam series will be available by August 2025.