Thank you for visiting the former website for the IB Program at Maynard Jackson High School. However, this site is no longer in service. For our current IB website, please visit:
https://maynardjacksonib.weebly.com
This site was operable from 2015 to 2020. But, if you like, feel free to take a stroll down memory lane. Thank you
About the Courses…
Can you pick and choose IB classes? Do you have to take all of them?
In the IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM:
There are choices within some subject areas (like science, the second language, and the IB elective). There are not choices for other subjects (like English, History, and Math). However, if you mean, “Do I have to take all six IB subjects (plus TOK)?” the answer is YES.
In the IB CAREER-RELATED PROGRAM:
You can take two or more IB courses, but you must complete a CTAE Pathway, take a Personal and Professional Skills class, and complete a language requirement outside of class.
Why?
The IB Program is, as its title suggests, a whole event. It’s intended to address you as a whole learner/person/citizen of the world. IB teachers, especially as they gain experience, recognize the totality of the program and recognize that students are engaging on a high level across 6 disciplines. AP classes do not have to consider each other, so the experience of taking 6 of them should be significantly different than studying 6 IB subjects.
How do I have a social life? An athletic life? An artistic life?
It’s all about balance. In IB, you’re not expected to be a walking brain. You’re expected to be a whole person. That means you have to stay in touch with your sports, your friends, your art, etc. Let’s be honest. You won’t have as much time to “just chill” as much as your friends who are as capable as you but chose not to do IB. But if you need to spend 3 hours a day in front of the TV or on the phone, or 6 hours every weekend at the mall or playing video games, then this might not be the right program for you. But you don't have to abandon doing what you love to do. You might have to step up your time management skills and learn to read/study/work harder. But that is not a bad thing!
About Scheduling…
How many electives do we have for senior year?
You mean non-IB classes? One or two, depending on the Georgia graduation requirements and the courses that you have taken previously in high school or over the summer in order to get ahead. Some people have none, some have one, and some have two. There is also an IB elective that you would need to take both junior and senior year.
Do we have to take the Georgia Milestone Test?
Yes. Your eleventh grade English and History teachers will cover IB material and the material that will be covered on the applicable Georgia Milestone Assessment.
About the Extended Essay…
When do we start our Extended Essays?
Toward the end of the first semester of your junior year, we’ll start working on the EE. You’ll get lessons in TOK and your teachers will help you choose your topic and your mentor. The EE Coordinator would be your initial resource. It is usually due at the end of the first semester of your senior year.
About CAS…
When are CAS records due? What if I don’t do my journals?
Meetings will be held regularly, and CAS reflections are due at those meetings. You must complete record keeping and reflections in order to get credit for your CAS program. We ask you to complete the reflections one experience at a time, instead of writing about all your experiences at the end.
What if I don’t complete my CAS experience?
If you haven’t made a SIGNIFICANT EFFORT and reported hours by fall of your senior year, the IB Coordinator will need to have a conference with you and your parent/guardian about whether or not we will register you for the IB exams. Not completing CAS means you won’t be eligible for the IB Diploma.
My younger sibling’s school needs help with their yearbook. Could this count towards my CAS hours?
Yes! As long as you are not being paid or receiving school credit, this sort of activity absolutely counts towards CAS. The main idea of CAS is that you are learning experientially by taking on new roles and trying new tasks. If helping edit your little brother’s yearbook is a new role and a new task for you, it is the perfect CAS experience.
About the IB Diploma...
I heard that the IB Diploma is only good if you want to study overseas. I don’t. So what good is it for me?
That’s a myth. The IB might be necessary if you want to study overseas, but if you’re staying in the US for college, there are many benefits to completing the IB Diploma Program. You’re doing the most challenging program your school has to offer. That will help you develop as a thinker, writer, and doer no matter what you do when you graduate. And by the way, it’s not true that the IB Diploma is only good if you want to study overseas. It’s good if you stay in the States too. For instance, some colleges offer a year’s credit for IB Diploma holders. Have you heard about today’s college prices? This is very meaningful. If you’re dedicated now, you’re potentially getting some college credit for the cost of a public education (i.e. free).
If I don’t pass the IB exams, what happens?
The IB courses all have several assessments that contribute to your final score, which is calculated on a 1-7 scale. Unlike AP courses, which have only one exam, IB courses offer several opportunities to show your strengths. If your final scores in your IB program do not add up to enough to get you the Diploma, you’ll be a “Certificate Graduate.” IB courses are most often treated like AP courses, with credit granted for IB grades of 5, 6, or 7 and AP grades of 3, 4, or 5 being a common scenario. Variations on this scenario are: - some colleges only grant IB credit for Higher Level courses (for you that’s English, History, and most likely, the elective). Some colleges give credit for all IB courses at scores of 4 or more. Read up on different colleges’ policies when you start your college research.
About your future…
With whom do I talk to about my career choices and college interests?
Any of your IB teachers would love to talk about your future plans and dreams as well as help you find pathways to realizing them. Speaking with the IB Coordinator and your assigned school counselor is also helpful.