IB World School

Spokane's First International Baccalaureate World School

Saint George’s School will prepare your student for college and for life. From Kindergarten through 12th Grade, we reinforce strong values and provide academic challenges.

On December 17, 2013, Saint George's was authorized as an official International Baccalaureate World School -- the first one in the Spokane area. We offer the IB Diploma Programme for 11th and 12th grade students, with the first students earning their IB Diploma in May 2016.

IB World Schools share a common philosophy -- a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Saint George's believes best prepares your student for success in college and careers. The IB also fits well with Saint George's mission of Inspiring scholars, athletes, and artists to serve and lead others!

Since coming to SGS, CAS has encouraged me to both seek out and create my own opportunities to better myself and my community. What I have learned through CAS has even translated into the classroom, making me a better student and person.

GABRIELLA CUNNINGHAM
CLASS OF 2021

IB Links & Documents

-> IB Diploma Program
-> 12 General IB Questions - English
-> 12 General IB Questions - Chinese Translation

SGS Alumni Talk About the IB (2019)

2021-22 IB Handbook for Parents & Students
IB CAS Overview 2020-21
IB CAS Handbook 2020-21
Study Travel Mag - IBDP Article includes SGS
IB Learner Profile

PBS Report on IB Curriculum 9-29-18
Newsweek Article on IB Education (2018)
YouTube Video on Education for a Better World (2016)
IB Program Benefits for Schools, Parents, Students, Etc.
News About the IB

IB News

IB Highlights: Running, Kayaking, Mixing Cement

CAS Experience Highlights: Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) experiences that Upper School Students posted this past week included the Freshman outback trip, running cross country, playing soccer, kayaking, helping David Demand mix cement, pouring cement for the fence posts, taking piano lessons, and the Harrison Lake trip.

IB Question of the Week: What is the difference between a full Diploma candidate and a course candidate?

A full Diploma Candidate is a candidate who is trying to earn the full IB Diploma and will complete all requirements to do so. A courses candidate is a student who is enrolled in IB Diploma courses, but not all components of the full IB Diploma. The course candidate takes the IB exams in May of senior year and hopes to gain college credits for specific courses by earning IB certificates. The courses candidate has reduced CAS requirements and does not take TOK or complete the EE.

Please refer to the International Baccalaureate page on the SGS website and to the IB Resources page in PowerSchool Learning for detailed IB information. As an overview, the Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum for grades 11-12 is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and the extended essay (EE).

• CAS Experiences: All of our Upper School students, pre-IB (grades 9-10), full diploma candidates and course candidates, complete CAS experiences with reflections.

• CAS Project: Our full diploma students complete CAS projects that follow an 18-month portfolio, full of reflections.

• EE: Seniors spend a year researching and writing a 4000-word extended essay on a topic of their choice.

IB Highlights: Why IB?

This week we will begin including IB Highlights in the website news section. Please refer to the International Baccalaureate page on the SGS website and to the IB Resources page in PowerSchool Learning for detailed IB information. As an overview, the Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum for grades 11-12 is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and the extended essay (EE).

Weekly Highlights may include information regarding:

• Weekly Question: Please email Elizabeth.tender@sgs.org with any IB questions you may have, otherwise she will pick one to answer. We will highlight one per week.

• CAS Experiences: All of our Upper School students, pre-IB (grades 9-10), full diploma candidates and course candidates, complete CAS experiences with reflections.

• CAS Project: Our full diploma students complete CAS projects that follow an 18-month portfolio, full of reflections. We will highlight one per week, with student permission.

• EE: Seniors spend a year researching and writing a 4000-word extended essay on a topic of their choice. We will highlight one per week, with student permission.

CAS Experience Highlights: CAS experiences for all of our Upper School students this past week included volunteering at the Spokane Humane Society, cleaning the Saint George’s trail, attending the Freshman campout, attending the Sophomore campout, engaging in the ropes course at Camp Reed, attending the Senior overnight, helping with the 5th grade float, learning to fish, modeling, organizing a goodbye party, and hiking.

IB Question of the Week: Why IB? (Elizabeth Tender, SGS IB Coordinator, asked IB alumni and others in a Facebook group and these are the responses from across the world.)

• IB is a way of life.

• IB is a tool to build the characteristics or learner profile to become an effective individual in our world.

• Students are life-long learners who adapt to the needs of the real world.

• IB learning is not the usual traditional learning, but rather places the learner into real world situations, developing both knowledge and skills to be able to overcome the challenges in the world.

• Students have strong voice, choice and ownership in IB learning.

• IB students develop strong academic, social and emotional characteristics.

• Students learn how to learn.

• Students become self-regulated learners.

• IB learning forces students to think outside the box.

• IB learning is not the cookie cutter style or one size fits all.

• In IB, you can have 12 different ways to the same problem, and they can all be correct.

• IB lets students find the how and why things work, not just memorizing facts from the teacher.

• IB learning combines knowledge with exploration through a global lens.

• With IB learning, students practice self-assessment, adjusting perspective, and bouncing back for correction.

• IB learning is inquiry based.

• Students are encouraged to think critically and solve complex problems.

• Students drive their own learning.

• IB learners are able to engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world.

• Ultimately, students will need to decide who they want to be in this world. There are many things outside of school that will influence that choice, but school is still very influential. Critically thinking about their own beliefs and decisions, and the beliefs and decisions of others puts them in a good place to make a better decision about who they might want to become.

• The world has changed; educators are no longer needed to tip content into our students, but to create environments for conceptual teaching and learning so that students can learn beyond the boundaries of traditional subjects. Knowledge is transfer - the ability to see patterns and make connections. Concept based teaching and learning in the IB is such a powerful tool.

• IB demands that students engage in inquiry and investigate. It lets them give their own perspective, makes life-long learners by making them responsible for their own learning and teaches them to take action and reflect on their learning, keeping in mind the learner profile.

• IB is a way of transforming societies through individuals for the good of the whole of mankind.

• Because of Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), IB creates an opportunity to learn skills through real life experiences.

• I changed careers to teaching after sending my kids to an IB school - the creativity, passion, and push towards independence for students sold me!

• IB checks the understanding of a concept.

IB Highlights: Donations for Liberian Students

CAS Project: Our full IB diploma students complete CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) projects that are part of an 18-month portfolio, including reflections on their experiences. Junior Chase Foster’s CAS Project is to collect donated items for students in the West African nation of Liberia. The items – warm weather clothing, new and used shoes, sports equipment, children’s book, and school supplies – will be sent to Liberia through the Lutheran Church this summer and distributed by Chase’s grandparents when they arrive in November to build schools in that country. See Chase’s Liberia Donation Flyer for more details on the items he’s collecting, which can be dropped off in the green bucket by the Upper School courtyard stairs through Friday, May 21.

CAS Experience Highlights: CAS experiences for all of our Upper School students (in the US and in China) include helping sick animals, making meals for grandparents, working in the yard, running, walking, and playing basketball.

CORE Update: The juniors are working on Extended Essay outlines and getting ready to do some writing of their EE before the end of the year. In Theory of Knowledge, the students are exploring theme of knowledge and politics to continue their quest for TOK in the real world around us. They are also preparing for their final exhibitions, which they will share with sophomores on May 20.

IB Question of the Week: Who is the new Director General of the IB? Olli-Pekka-Heinonen was just named the 8th Director General. You can see a video here: https://vimeo.com/543632524/10d9a0d5f3

IB Overview: The Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum for grades 11-12 is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) and the Extended Essay (EE). Please refer to our IB webpage and to the IB Resources page in PowerSchool Learning for detailed IB information.

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