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IB Program This Week

Week of October 7

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” (Charlie Chaplin, English comic actor)

And we don’t waste any days in IB! Being balanced is one of the 10 IB Learner Profile attributes. While IBDP students work extremely hard, they must also understand the “importance of balancing different aspects of [their] lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for [themselves] and others.” Remembering to laugh and upholding the joy of the learning process is crucial to IB work and integral to a balanced approach.

In addition to being balanced, the other 9 IB Learner Profile attributes are: inquirer, knowledgeable, thinker, communicator, principled, open-minded, risk-taker, balanced, and reflective. These traits are encouraged and developed in all IB Diploma Program (IBDP) students throughout the program and, in fact, are aspirational qualities for all people.

In the first year of the IB Diploma Program (IBDP), juniors are introduced to IB philosophy, requirements, and concepts through their work in the IB Core: Inquiry course. Taken in the first term, this one-mod class not only establishes a basic foundation for student skills and work expectations in the program but also supports students as they begin work on the three required IBDP core components—the Extended Essay (EE), Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), and Theory of Knowledge (TOK)—all of which “aim to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills.”

With so many interests and extracurricular opportunities, GS students easily fulfill the IB Core requirement for Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) work. This term, students in the IB Core: Inquiry course have completed experiences in the Creativity, Activity, and Service strands, and this work invariably highlights IB Learner Profile qualities. As Kim McGlynn (IB Coordinator) always says, “GS = CAS!”

Check out photo highlights from GS IB CAS work!

 
 
 
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IB Highlights

Anne-Catherine de Ghellinck d'Elseghem ('26) and Haviland Brown ('26) exchange smiles as they work on a CAS experience in the Creativity strand.

Jackson Ellis ('26) and Diana Zhang ('26) can't help laughing as they work on each other's portraits for this Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) experience in the Creativity strand. CAS doesn't have to be so serious...In fact, CAS is always more fun with friends!

How well could you draw someone's portrait in 4 minutes? IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 1) students prove that they can do so pretty well, indeed!

Junior IBDP students find Creativity: 4-minute Portraits a challenging CAS experience but also an interesting exercise in perspective as they draw portraits of their peers.

It's International Baccalaureate for a reason! Cardz for Kidz sends uplifting cards to individuals around the globe and IB Core: Arrangement 1 can certainly help with that!

Baron Cheng ('26): "You are one in a million" (Chinese)

Ben Pham ('26): "I'm proud of you" (Chinese)

Majd Abu Tahoun ('26): "I've traveled the entire universe and its every corner, yet I found no one as beautiful or strong as you!" (Arabic)

Jagat Singh ('26): "Don't worry, be happy" (German)

Kavya Gounder ('26): "You are beautiful" (Tamil)

Zoe Morrison ('26): "Shine bright like a diamond" (French)

Allie Betancourt ('26): "Thank you for your service--you deserve all the honor for your work and sacrifice" (card for a veteran, Spanish) and "You rock exactly how you are" (Spanish)

Jillian Yao ('26): "You're turtle-ly awesome" (English)

Sarah Zhu ('26): "Because of you, the sun shines brightly" (Chinese)

 

These cards won't be lost in translation! IB Core: Arrangement 2 creates cards for Cardz for Kidz, an organization that sends uplifting cards around the world.

Arthur Dao ('26), front: "You are a pretty soul" (French)

Evan Kim ('26), front: "You are the best" (Spanish)

Isabella Puisor ('26): "I'm very proud of you" (French) and "I love you so much" (French)

Kai Howell ('26): You rock my world" (Spanish)

Mira Abu Tahoun ('26): "I'm very proud of you" (Arabic) and "I'm brave" (Arabic)

Julia Gluschuk ('26): "You are smart, brave, loved, and talented" (Ukrainian)

Rowan Grim ('26): "You're one in a minion" (English)

Cardz for Kidz sends cards to individuals around the world. GS students are up for the challenge!

Laith Abu Tahoun ('26): "Smile" (Arabic)

Isabelle Coleman ('26): "You're so incredible" (Spanish)

Elias Alawadhi ('26): "Aim high and you'll go far" (Spanish)

Cardz for Kidz is an organization that lifts spirits by sending cards around the world. Whose spirits wouldn't be lifted by Rowan Grim's ('26) card attesting that they're "one in a minion"?

Margaret Massengill ('26), Kristine Jatnieks ('26), and Jillian Yao ('26) show off the colorful and uplifting cards they made for Cardz for Kidz, a CAS experience in the Service strand.

Julia Gluschuk ('26) shows off a card written for Cardz for Kidz, an organization that sends uplifting cards to individuals around the globe. This CAS experience in the Service strand embodies the IB Learner Profile attribute of caring.

"You are smart, brave, loved, and talented" (Ukrainian)

First page of the PDF file: IBCoreArr1-MajdAbuTahoun

Majd Abu Tahoun displays the inspiring card he created for Service: Cardz for Kidz.

"I've traveled the entire universe and its every corner, yet I found no one as beautiful or strong as you!" (Arabic)

Lois L'Oiseau ('26) displays a handmade card created for Service: Cardz for Kidz.

First page of the PDF file: IBCoreArr1-SawyerBernessandDianaZhang

Sawyer Berness ('26) and Diana Zhang ('26) display the thoughtful card designs they created for a CAS experience in the Service strand. Cardz for Kidz is an organization that sends uplifting cards around the world.

What did you accomplish by 9:30 am last Wednesday morning? IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 1) completed the GS ropes course!

Could you complete the GS ropes course in under 2 minutes? I don't know but...I do know that Mia Woodruff ('26) can!

A former participant in American Ninja Warrior-style activities, Mia made a difficult ropes course look, well, easy. But as soon as she finished, she immediately went over to help her classmates, offering them strategies for individual obstacles or literally lending a hand. Mia may be an expert at this course, but she is also a leader with humility, one who naturally demonstrated her caring nature, one of the IB Learner Profile qualities.

Isabelle Coleman ('26) strides confidently across the GS ropes course.

Elspeth Rudiak ('26) weaves her way through the GS ropes course.

Anne-Catherine de Ghellinck d'Elseghem ('26) traverses the GS ropes course with grace.

After Activity: GS Ropes Course, students were asked to be reflective, one of the IB Learner Profile qualities, as they contemplated their approach to the challenges faced in this CAS experience. Which obstacles were easy and which were more difficult? Students wrote their CAS reflections in class the next day and will submit them for the next official CAS check.

Diana Zhang ('26) and Mia Woodruff ('26) lend a helping hand to Jackson Ellis ('26).

IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 1) was challenged to see if everyone could make it around the course without falling off, but there were no restrictions on offering assistance. One lesson everyone learns throughout the IB program: sometimes, you have to ask for help. The class met this challenge together.

IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 2) gets ready to engage in an energetic Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) experience...dodgeball!

Dodgeball All-Stars Simone Giorgino ('26), Harry Degnan ('26), Rowan Grim ('26), and Arthur Dao ('26) had such impressive skills that they took on the entire IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 2) class!

What's IB without some friendly and fun competition? Rival volleyball teams engage in some silly trash talking and posturing while Khalilullah Saidu ('26) leaps gleefully through the frame.

IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 4) chose to do their CAS experience in the Activity strand by playing volleyball together.

It's all fun and games for the winning team!

Students in IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 4) completed the CAS experience, Activity: Volleyball, and while they enjoyed some collaborative exercises, they also engaged in some spirited competitions as well.

This team may have lost the match, but everyone supported each other, demonstrating the IB Learner Profile quality of caring.

Students in IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 4) completed the CAS experience, Activity: Volleyball, and even when engaged  in spirited competition, they always found ways to collaborate and support each other.

Majd Abu Tahoun ('26) goes up for the shot in the CAS experience, Activity: Volleyball. IB students work hard to rise above!

IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 1) displays a collaborative mural that students created during a CAS experience in the Creativity strand.

The class selected a picture of the rainbow that appeared over George School last week, made a grid of the photo, and then individual artists drew specific sections, each bringing their own perspective to the work. This experience focused on the IB Learner Profile quality of being balanced amongst other skills, as students had to uphold their own vision yet recognize the interdependence with peers.

Students in the IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 4) class work together on a CAS experience in the Creativity strand. 

Drawing a collaborative mural required the IB Learner Profile quality of being open-minded as each student had an individual perspective and something to contribute. Students also demonstrated a reflective approach as they evaluated different strategies for their work.

IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 4) shows off the collaborative mural that they created for a CAS experience in the Creativity strand.

The class selected a picture of George School, made a grid of the photo, and then individual artists drew specific sections, each bringing their own perspective to the work. The following day, they wrote a CAS reflection on the experience, which they submitted for their very first CAS check!

Ben Pham ('26) and Baron Cheng ('26) work together on the CAS experience, Creativity: Group Mural Project.

Zoe Morrison ('26) and Kristine Jatnieks ('26) share the space as they jointly draw a panel for a group mural project, a CAS experience in the Creativity strand.

Clara Chen ('26), Kavya Gounder ('26), and Margaret Massengill ('26) are happy to collaborate as they develop a group mural project for CAS.

Jackson Ellis ('26), Diana Zhang ('26), Mia Woodruff ('26), and April Hernandez ('26) get ready to work on the CAS experience, Creativity: Group Mural Project.

Harry Degnan ('26), Simone Giorgino ('26), and Chino Achebe ('26) enjoy seeing their portraits as drawn by peers.

IB Core: Inquiry (Arrangement 2) drew portraits of each other, each one on a 4-minute timer. This was a challenging experience not merely due to the difficulty of completing drawings in such a short time but also due to the vulnerability experienced by both artist and subject. The IB Learner Profile quality caring was in full effect--students were thoughtful in their artistic approaches and gracious in their interactions. And there was still plenty of space for laughter as portraits were revealed. 

School is back in session! Held the first week of school, the 2024 GS club fair offers folks a wonderful way to make new friends and get involved. Here, Evan Kim ('26) and Vera Kim ('25) invite students to join the Southeast Asian Student Union (SEASU).

With so many interests and extracurriculars, George School students easily fulfill the IB Core component requirement for Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) work. There's a reason Kim McGlynn (IB Coordinator) always exclaims, "GS = CAS!"

Halaylah Lewis-McGlothan ('25) holds up UMOJA, the Black Student Union, at the club fair. GS = CAS!

Harry Degnan ('26) and Dallan Reimels ('25) represent the Legal Equality Advancement Foundation (LEAF) at the GS club fair. GS = CAS!

Arka Agarwal ('26) leads the South Asian Multicultural Student Association (SAMOSA). GS = CAS!

Mia Woodruff ('26) presents for Model United Nations (MUN) at the GS club fair. GS = CAS!

Keshav Sabapathi ('25) shows up for Investing Club at the GS club fair. GS = CAS!

Peter Tang ('25) and Alina Pang ('26) take care of Red Cross Club. GS = CAS!

Anica Bush ('25) is a leader of two clubs! Joy Reflected fosters relationships between GS students and residents at Pennswood, a neighboring retirement village, while Unicef is a humanitarian aid organization.

In effectively managing both clubs, she demonstrates excellent self-management skills (one of the IB Approaches to Learning skills) as well as a balanced approach (an IB Learner Profile trait). GS = CAS!

Take a moment to scroll through the happenings of our IB students and their accomplishments!

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The IB at GS is a lived experience. 

Learn how current students are "letting their lives speak" through IB with their Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) and Extended Essay (EE) work.

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IB Mission Statement

"The International Baccalaureate 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 organization 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."