Procedure for Applying to the PreBaccalaureate Programme at Parkdale Collegiate Institute in September 2014

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1 Procedure for Applying to the PreBaccalaureate Programme at Parkdale Collegiate Institute in September 2014 A. The Application Package must include: 1) TDSB Optional Attendance Form, including the Signature of your Current School Principal (or designate) at the bottom (Even if Parkdale C. I. is your home school, you must complete a TDSB Optional Attendance Form because the PreBaccalaureate Programme is a specialized programme.) 2) A copy of your most recent Grade 8 Report Card. 3) A copy of your final Grade 7 Report Card. B. All three documents above must be received at Parkdale Collegiate by (or before) Application Day. Packages should be directed to the attention of Andrew Lin, IB Diploma Programme Coordinator. They can be: brought physically to Parkdale Collegiate Institute on or before Application Day mailed to Parkdale Collegiate Institute at the address on this letter mailed to Parkdale Collegiate Institute via TDSB inter-school board mail faxed to Parkdale Collegiate Institute ( ) C. Application Day at Parkdale Collegiate Institute is on: Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 3:30 pm (for students with last names A-L) Friday, January 10, 2014 at 3:30 pm (for students with last names M-Z) On the appropriate date, students will come to Parkdale and complete the final portion of the Application, which is their IB Entrance Assessment. It will be used to evaluate the student s writing skills and math ability. See the attached IB Entrance Assessment document. D. If accepted, an Acceptance Letter will be sent to your home, along with the TDSB Optional Attendance Form, now with the signature of our Principal, Irene Chewchuk, by February 14, Enclosed will be a Letter of Understanding, and an Acceptance of Offer Form. Both of these forms must be completed, signed, and returned to Parkdale C.I. by Friday, February 28, 2014 in order to guarantee the applicant s place in the programme. Further information about Parkdale s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme can be found on our website

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5 IB Entrance Assessment For admission into the PreBaccalaureate Programme, an IB Entrance Assessment must be completed at Parkdale Collegiate Institute. It consists of two parts: a Statement of Purpose and a Math Diagnostic. The IB Entrance Assessment will be written on one of our Application Days: Thursday, January 9, 2014, 3:30 (for students with last names A-L) Friday, January 10, 2014, 3:30 (for students with last names M-Z) The Statement of Purpose: words (40 minutes) You will be asked to read a short topic prompt and then write a series of paragraphs responding to it. You will be evaluated on how strong and relevant your ideas are, how clearly you communicate your points, and how well you use the conventions of the English language. Please see the rubric on the back for more details. On Application Day, you will be presented with 2 different topics to choose from. Here are 2 example topic prompts from past Statements of Purpose: 1) As an IB student, you must possess the ten character traits of the IB Learner Profile. These qualities are important for students, but also for adults, and are qualities that will help you succeed in any life pursuits. Choose three of these and describe, using examples, how you, as a young Canadian, could demonstrate these traits. 2) The IBO s goal is to provide students with the values and opportunities that will enable them to develop sound judgement, make wise choices, and respect others in the global community. Write a series of paragraphs responding to the following prompt: How would you use the knowledge and skills you acquire in the IB Diploma Programme to help improve the world and promote peace? The Math Diagnostic: 10 multiple-choice questions (20 minutes) The Math Diagnostic is intended to have both easy questions and hard questions. It is designed to test your math, logic, and problem-solving skills. You are not expected to be able to answer all 10 questions. All of the questions are multiple choice and calculators are not permitted.

6 PreBaccalaureate Programme Statement of Purpose Series of Paragraphs Rubric Categories Level 1 (50 59%) Level 2 (60 69%) Level 3 (70 79%) Level 4 (80 100%) Knowledge/ Understanding - knowledge of form of - demonstrates limited knowledge of form of - demonstrates adequate knowledge of form of - demonstrates considerable knowledge of form of opinion paragraphs - demonstrates thorough knowledge of form of Thinking/Inquiry - critical and creative thinking skills (developing ideas, selecting, evaluating, organizing information, explaining, forming conclusions) - demonstrates limited competence developing and organizing ideas, explaining, forming conclusions - demonstrates moderate competence developing and organizing ideas, explaining, forming conclusions - demonstrates considerable competence developing and organizing ideas, explaining, forming conclusions - demonstrates a high degree of competence developing and organizing ideas, explaining, forming conclusions Communication - communication of information and ideas - communicates information and ideas with limited clarity - communicates information and ideas with moderate clarity - communicates information and ideas with considerable clarity - communicates information and ideas with a high degree of clarity - communication for audience and purpose - communicates ideas and information for audience and purpose with limited - communicates ideas and information for audience and purpose with moderate - communicates ideas and information for audience and purpose with considerable - communicates ideas and information for audience and purpose with a high degree of - use of form of opinion paragraphs - demonstrates limited control of form of - demonstrates moderate control of form of - demonstrates considerable control of form of opinion paragraphs - demonstrates extensive control of form of opinion paragraphs Application - application of language conventions - uses language conventions with limited accuracy and - uses language conventions with moderate accuracy and - uses language conventions with considerable accuracy and - uses language conventions accurately and effectively all or almost all of the time - application of the writing process - uses the writing process with limited competence - uses the writing process with moderate competence - uses the writing process with considerable competence - uses the writing process with a high degree of competence

7 Criteria for Admission to the PreBaccalaureate Programme at Parkdale Collegiate Institute in September 2014 Students applying to the PreBaccalaureate Programme from Grade 8 must meet the following criteria to be deemed eligible for admission to Parkdale Collegiate Institute. Meeting these conditions does not automatically guarantee acceptance into the IB Programme. A. The TDSB Optional Attendance Form must be completed, including the signature of the Current School Principal or Designate (at the bottom). B. A copy of the student s most recent Grade 8 Report Card must: i. indicate that the student is at least Progressing Well Towards Promotion in all subjects ii. have Learning Skills which are all Good or Excellent iii. show that the student is passing all of their courses C. A copy of the student s final Grade 7 Report Card must: i. indicate a minimum overall average of mid-level 3 (~75%) ii. have Learning Skills which are all Good or Excellent iii. show that the student passed all of their Grade 7 courses D. The IB Entrance Assessment must be written so that the school can evaluate the writing skills and math ability of the student: i. The Statement of Purpose must meet or exceed Level 3 writing standards as set out by the Ontario Ministry of Education, according to the rubric provided here ii. The Math Diagnostic score must be at least 60%.

8 Admission Policy for Gr11 IB Year 1 The PreBaccalaureate Programme is designed to help students further develop the skills and work habits required for success in the IB Diploma Programme. Upon completion of the Gr10 year, the IB Department will be checking with all students to make sure they have satisfied a number of criteria in order to be admitted into IB. Students who do not achieve the criteria below will be switched into a different pathway (University, College, or Workplace) for Gr11, and will not be permitted to commence the IB Diploma Programme at Parkdale Collegiate Institute. Requirements and Recommendations for students to enter Gr11 IB from Gr10 PreBac: Required: Student must pass all courses taken during the Gr10 PreBac year o The only courses that can be retaken during summer school to satisfy this criterion are: CHV2O1, GLC2O1, PPL2O1, ADA2O1. All other courses are special Parkdale PreBac courses which are specifically designed to prepare students for the IB Diploma No more than 2 documented instances of academic dishonesty (all instances of academic dishonesty are reported to the IB Coordinator and documented) On the Gr10 June Report Card: No more than 1 mark below 65% No more than 2 marks below 75% No more than 4 Learning Skills of N or 8 Learning Skills of S (across all subjects) Overall Average of all courses is above 75% Recommended: 0 documented instances of academic dishonesty Student attends on a daily basis (over 90% attendance) and is punctual (over 90% on time) Student arranges with teachers for missed work, and to reschedule tests Student is attentive and engaged in classroom learning, activities, and tasks Homework is completed on a daily basis (over 80% homework completion frequency) Assignments are handed in on time Student initiates extra help from classroom teacher when needed Student uses their PCI Agenda to balance school work with extra-curricular activities Student models the Parkdale CI Mission Statement and the IB Learner Profile On the Gr10 June Report Card: No more than 1 mark below 70% No more than 3 marks below 80% No Learning Skills of N or S Overall Average of all courses is above 80%

9 Are you ready to become an IB Student? You will be expected to... Attend Class Every Day o IB classes are more demanding and challenging than regular classes o Teachers cover material faster and it is harder to make up material o If you must miss a class, please talk to your teacher to get make-up material Be Prepared o Always have your notebook, textbook, pens/pencils, and materials in class o Do all of the assignments, homework, class work, and projects Once you fall behind, it will be much harder to catch up Ask Questions o One of the most important characteristics of the IB Diploma Programme is that the student is in charge of their learning ask questions of your teachers and classmates if you want clarification o Teachers are facilitators, not the sole dispensers of knowledge Form Study Groups with your friends o Learning with friends sometimes offers different insights/views to a topic and may help you understand it better o Find at least 2 friends/classmates in each class that you can go to for help Keep an Up-to-Date Calendar o Being an IB Diploma Candidate requires organization and time management o Use your Parkdale CI Student Agenda o Keep track of deadlines, assignments, and meetings o Check AW, and your , regularly for information from teachers and IB Coordinator Do your homework and Review your notes o Students should do ~2 hours of homework each night o Always review your notes before class, before tests, before quizzes o If no homework has been assigned, it is important to review notes and concepts from previous lessons and classes o It is better to study 4 times for 10 minutes each than to study once for 40 minutes o During weekends, holidays, and breaks, additional homework/reading/assignments may be given in order to satisfy the requirements of the IB Diploma Programme or PreBac Programme Make Time for Fun o PreBac and IB courses can be difficult, challenging, and rigorous. If you work hard, the learning you will do in the courses will yield great rewards o There is more to life/school than IB. If you are too focused on work, you may burn out o Balance is important: school work, extra-curricular activities, family responsibilities, community activities, personal life.

10 Exercise! Activities! o IB students are sometimes stressed and fixated on work. Exercise and activities will help alleviate the stress. It is important to have outlets - a team sport, an activity, a community organization, family time, etc. Stress can also cause a student to lose sleep! Plus, these activities may lead to becoming CAS activities for your IB Diploma! o Participate in at least 1 club each year o Participate in at least 1 sport, athletic activity, intramurals per year SLEEP!!! o IB students are notorious for not making time for sleep, but sleep is very important! Students do not function well if they do not have enough sleep. Make sure to get enough sleep every day, especially before major tests, assessments, and IB Exams. Reflect on your learning o It is important to understand yourself as a learner o Think about your progress and development over time o Recognize your deficiencies and act to improve on them o Don t forget that this is a learning process and you will have ups and downs, and that is normal. Learn from your struggles and your mistakes so that you can adapt and handle future situations better Are you ready to become an IB Parent? Helpful hints... Be actively involved in and supportive of your child s education o Communicate often with your child and be aware of their progress, successes, and difficulties o Students may get discouraged at various points during high school. Remind them of the benefits of the program and their strengths Provide an environment conducive to learning and working o Set aside a dedicated area for concentrated study o When possible, help your son/daughter by talking about and discussing the topics and books being studied o Help develop the study skills and a sustained commitment to work Contact subject teachers directly with subject-related concerns Contact the IB Coordinator with other concerns of inquiries

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