11/13 Holy Cross Academy IB visit
11/14 IB Survival meeting #1 for Pre-IB 9th & 10th graders during lunches in room 102 
11/15 Career & College Pathways Night at BPHS for rising 9th graders and their families
11/16 Pre-IB & IB Ice Cream Social 2:30-3:30 in the cafeteria--sponsored by our IB Boosters!
12/5 Gayle MS IB visit
12/6 Rodney Thompson MS visit
12/13 IB Survival Meeting #2 for Pre-IB 9th & 10th graders during lunches in room 102
12/19 AG Wright MS IB visit
1/3 IB Diploma & Certificate Award Ceremony for Class of 2018 @ 12:45 in the MVHS auditorium
1/9 IB Information Night and Senior Showcase
1/16 IB Survival meeting #3 for Pre-IB 9th & 10th graders during lunches in room 102
1/30 Rising Freshman Night @ MVHS

Our IB Exam registration process is under way!

This week, Mrs. Gaddy met with every student who is enrolled in at least one one-year IB course and/or the second year of a two-year IB course.  Students have been given a purple electronic consent form and have the yellow and pink copies of the exam registration form. Both of these documents need to be signed and completed by both parent/guardian and student and returned to Mrs. Gaddy (room 507), to any IB teacher, or to the main office (ask that it get placed in Mrs. Gaddy's mailbox, please) no later than October 12th.

This year the fee remains the same--$119/course. Six-month payment plans are available and can be requested by checking the "installment plan" box on the exam registration form.  If that box is checked, Mrs. Gaddy will provide the student with a payment plan agreement that the parent/guardian will need to complete.  Please return the white copy of the payment plan form to Mrs. Gaddy.

Any questions? Don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Gaddy--gaddytm@staffordschools.net or 540-658-6840 x1160.

A kind welcome to our new pre-IB class of 2022 and welcome back to pre-IB class of 2021!

By now, many of you are getting the hang of your new classes and are adjusting to this phase of your IB adventure. In the next week or so, IB juniors and seniors will be designing this year's IB Survival mentor program and will be offering support to our pre-IB freshman and sophomores.  Keep an ear out for announcements in early October and an eye out for fliers posted around school. Mrs. Gaddy (our IB Coordinator) will also be meeting with each pre-IB class during our pre-IB seminars--dates TBD.

IB classes of 2020 & 2021, here we go! 

All of the time management, study, and communication skills that you have acquired over the past 2-3 years here at MV will be put to the test. Our IB teachers are ready to stretch you and prepare you for the exciting challenges that lie ahead.  In addition to offering support to our pre-IB students through our IB Survival program, you will also be designing our IB recruiting program and spear-heading MV's multicultural committee.  Mrs. Gaddy will work with all of you on this through your TOK class and during some after school and/or lunchtimes--TBD but coming soon!

As always, please feel free to stop by room 507 (the IB/Gifted room) anytime to chat, ask questions, and get assistance of any sort. 

You can also reach out via email or phone: gaddytm@staffordschools.net or 540-658-6840 x1160.

Hello, IB exam-takers of May 2018!

 I hope your summer – for some of you, your first as a high school graduate – has been relaxing!  It is the end of June and two important dates are rapidly approaching re: IB scores:

• July 4– 5pm deadline for requesting IB exam results to be sent to a college/university in the US for free

o   If you submitted your results request in the form I sent out in April, I took care of this for you already.

o   You can do this yourself for free up through July 4; see instructions below.

• Please know that I am not completing this for any more students at this time.

o   After July 4 at 5pm, you can still request results to be sent, but there is a $17 fee to do so.  See below for details.

• July 6– scores become available at 11:15 am (simply viewing your scores is always free)

Even if you are thinking you don’t wish your results to be sent to a college, or if you simply don’t need that to happen at this time, please continue to read, as you never know what the future may hold!

Accessing your results for yourself:

1. To access your results any time July 6 or after, go to https://candidates.ibo.organd log in using the information on the login info sheet (or the photo you took of it, if applicable) that I gave you in April, which includes your IB personal code and PIN.  This was also the login you used to upload certain assessments like the written task / assignment, if applicable.

• To access your own results, you only need your personal code and PIN.

o   Do not use Safari.  Mozilla Firefox works best, but usually Chrome is ok, too.

• If you need to get this info because you cannot locate it, call the main office.
• To see how you did on your exams, click on the Results tab.  Remember, your results are not sent to you.
• To see which college or university you requested to receive your IB transcript of results, click on the Transcript tab.

o   If your desired destination for results has changed, see info below.

2. Because I put in your results request based on what you indicated to me on the form I sent out in April, there was no fee for this one initial results request; it is included in the subject fee you already paid. Results sent should include assessment scores from last year as well, if applicable.

Again, after the July 4 free request deadline, you can still add or change the destination of your results, but there is a small fee to do so ($17.00 – see details below).

Following are some notes regarding your results and some possible scenarios once you access them:

For 2018 graduates requesting an IB transcript of results to be sent to a college/university after July 4:

If any aspect of the information on the Google form I sent out needs to be updated (where you're going to school, your personal email, etc.)

  OR

If you did not complete the form indicating where you wanted your results sent before July 4

  OR

If you transfer to another college later and need your IB transcript sent,

Follow these steps:

1. Log in to candidates.ibo.org(see info above) if possible.
2. For a transcript request, you will also need your candidate session # in addition to your personal code and PIN. It also appears on the yellow sheet from April.
3. Go to the following link to request a transcript directly from IB (there is a fee, currently $17.00):

https://rrs.ibo.org/replacement_orders/index.cfm  

Joining the IB Alumni Network:

To join the network, click on the IB Graduates tab.  It takes about 30 seconds and will link you to other IB grads around the world who are doing cool and productive things – you never know what kind of connections you could make! 

IB’s note about the IB Alumni Network:

To date, more than 1.2 million students worldwide have graduated from the Diploma Programme (DP). IB students reflect diverse experiences and perspectives, attend IB World Schools in around 150 countries representing an even broader range of nationalities.

Subscribe to the alumni network to receive a quarterly newsletter with stories from inspiring IB graduates and updates on new initiatives. To join, send us your name, email address, and intended university.

That’s it!  It’s like LinkedIn for IB grads.  Go for it!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: When will I get my scores?
A: You are able to access scores online only (https://candidates.ibo.org) beginning on July 6. The scheduled score release time is 11:15 AM; you must have your personal code and PIN to access your scores (sheet mentioned above, given out in April).  Scores are not sent to you.

Q: What should I do if I lost the paperwork with the personal code, PIN, and candidate session code on it?
A: Call the MVHS main office.

Q: I am having trouble accessing the scores online. Can you just send them to me?
A: Scores must be accessed online by you. If you are having trouble accessing your scores, try Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome as the browser. Safari still just doesn’t work at all well. Also, make sure you are typing in the personal code and PIN correctly. Both are case-sensitive. 

Q: When will the college/university get my IB scores?

A:  Colleges and universities that have requested electronic versions of IB transcripts from IB will receive results by mid-July.  Those that have requested paper copies to be mailed should receive them by early August (they are mailed by the end of July).

Q:  Should I contact my university’s registrar office in mid-August to double-check that they received my scores so I can negotiate credit for qualifying IB scores?

A:  Absolutely, yes.  (Sometimes you can even negotiate credit for non-qualifying scores if you the school will give you a placement test or other measure of your knowledge in a subject area.)  It’s always best to double-check -- call or email the Registrar's Office (most likely Admissions does not take care of this).  Sometimes a school will let its contact information to IB Transcripts lapse and it becomes inaccurate, so if they have not received your results and you checked that the results went to the right school, ask them to check that the contact person for the registrar’s office to receive IB scores is up-to-date.

Q:  Can I request to have my assessments re-scored – or can I retake them?

1. Yes, see below for details on each option – contact me immediately if you are interested in either: 

• The deadline for a re-score request is Sept 1.My experience is that the score usually does not change, just FYI.  The fee is $120 per subject, and IA’s and multiple-choice components are not included in this option (i.e., the scores remain for those regardless of a re-score request and are factored in to the new score).  It’s also important to note that a score can go down.
• The deadline for a retake registration is July 29 for the November 2018 exam session, and Sept 15 for the May 2019 exam session.You can retake all components but the IA; that mark is carried forward to count again toward your next score.  You must come to MVHS to take the exams, either in November as an individual, or in May 2019 with the other students taking exams, on the schedule dictated by IB.   The fee has not been published yet, but will be in the neighborhood of $300 per subject.
• Both types of request must be done through the IB Coordinator.

Q: When will I receive my IB Diploma or IB Certificate(s)?

A: We traditionally hold an IB award ceremony during college winter break while most graduates are home after their first semester. You will receive an invitation by email around Thanksgiving for this event (I will use the email address given to me on the Google form – please remember to check it!). Graduates who have earned at 4 or higher ("passing") in at least one IB subject in 2018 will be invited to come receive their IB certificates, and this is when full IB Diploma candidates who earned the diploma receive it. If you are unable to attend, you may pick up the award(s) in the MVHS office after the award ceremony (date TBD, but likely early Jan).

Important dates to remember:

• July 6, 2018 – results became available at 11:15am
• mid-July 2018 – colleges/universities that request electronic results should receive them
• early August 2018– colleges/universities that request paper results should receive them
• September 1, 2018 – deadline for re-score request ($120 per subject)
• September 15, 2018 – deadline for retake registration for May 2018 exams (approx. $300 per subject)
• mid-December 2018 (or possibly early January 2019) – IB Grad Award Ceremony for all students earning at least one passing score (4+)

Have a wonderful summer, and good luck!

All IB applicants will receive decision emails on May 4th by the end of the school day.  Please be sure to look for that email, open it, and complete the Google form indicating your acceptance or denial of our offer to join the MVHS IB Class of '22.  Students who are denied admittance or deferred until end of the year grades are available are encouraged to reapply next year.

Parents and Students,

For your advanced planning, here is the 2018 IB Exam Schedule. Please keep the following in mind when scheduling appointments and/or events that will keep your IB student from attending school:

• Each student is responsible for knowing his/her exam schedule and arriving on time for each scheduled IB Paper. Students must sit for all Papers in a subject to earn weighted credit from MV and a score from IB for the subject. THERE ARE NO IB MAKE-UP EXAM DATES.
  
  Late/Missed Papers
• Up to 60 Minutes Late – Student may be admitted, but may forfeit time if adequate arrangements for supervision of late-running exam cannot be facilitated.
• Over 60 Minutes Late – Student will not be admitted unless extenuating circumstances exist and adequate arrangements for supervision of late-running exam can be facilitated.
• Absent – Student may opt to reschedule for next school year (2018-2019), at additional cost.

2018 IB Exam Calendar

The 2018 IB Application is available NOW!

Please click on "How to Apply" on the left-hand side of this page.  Read the directions, and then download the application by clicking on "Students may download the 2018 IB Application Packet Here." 

Out of district students, please email your completed application and any requested documents to gaddytm@staffordschools.net.

The deadline to apply for the IB Programme for the 2018-2019 school year is March 30th.  Exceptions will be made for students who register for SCPS after that date and other special circumstances.

Please email or call our MVHS IB Coordinator Mrs. Theresa Gaddy with any questions - gaddytm@staffordschools.net or 540.658.6840.

Attention IB Survival students: Due to the days missed and the upcoming midterm week, we will not be having a January meeting. Our next meeting dates will be Thursday, Feb 22 and Tueday, Feb 27. We plan to focus on IB course selection.

Attention Class of 2017 IB Diploma recipients and IB Course students who passed with a score of 4 or higher:

Within the next couple of weeks, an electronic invitation will be sent to each of you using the email address that you provided Mrs. Renard-Spicer last year.   In the meantime, here is the info for your advanced planning. 

Our IB Award Ceremony will be held on Thursday, January 4th at 1:15 in the MVHS Auditorium.  Please arrive by 1:00 to check in.  There will be a reception in the library following the ceremony.

When you receive the email, please RSVP so that we can plan for your attendance.

We are excited to see you again and look forward to celebrating your accomplishments with you!

Greetings IB and Pre-IB students!

After Thanksgiving break we will be having our November IB Survival meetings from 2:30-3:30 in rooms 102/105 (we go back and forth):

Thank you for your interest in the IB Programme at Mountain View High School.  It was wonderful to see so many families who are interested in learning more about the International Baccalaureate courses and Diploma Programme.

As promised, here are the resources that were handed out during our presentation.  

We look forward to seeing you all again for our IB Information Night on February 7th at MVHS.

College Credit Snapshot

IB and Global Competence

IB in SCPS Overview

IB as Strong Predictor of Success

Presentation Power Point