Elonera Montessori School in Mt. Ousley is a fully accredited IB world school and plans to begin implementation of the IB deiploma program for Year 11 students in January, 2011. For enrolment information, please contact IB Programme Coordinator Sheila Brooks or High School Curriculum Director Alex Ioannou at (02) 4225 1000. During the Christmas holidays when the school is closed, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. Alternatively, contact the IB Programme Coordinator by email at ibinfo@eloneramontessori.com.au

Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) 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 IB
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. The IB promotes intercultural understanding and respect, not as an
alternative to a sense of cultural and national identity, but as an essential part of life in
the 21st century.

Size and Focus Areas
The IB is a non profit organization that works with over 3,000 schools in 139
countries offering three IB Programmes to approximately 876,000 students. It
focuses on four main areas: development of curriculum, assessment of students,
training and professional development of teachers and authorization and evaluation of
schools.

Programmes
The IB offers three programmes for students aged 3 to 19. The programmes can be
offered individually or as a continuum by IB World Schools.
· The Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students aged 3 to 12 started in 1997
and is now offered by 722 IB World Schools
· The Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11 to 16 started in
1994 and is now offered by 847 IB World Schools
· The Diploma Programme for students aged 16 to 19 started in 1968 and is now
offered by 2,181 IB World Schools

The IB Diploma Programme is an academically challenging and balanced programme
of education that prepares students in Years 11 and 12 for success at university and
for life beyond. It has an international, multicultural perspective that encourages
critical and evaluative thinking. The programme is normally taught over a two year
period and is highly regarded by universities in Australia and around the world as an
excellent preparatory course for higher educational studies. University credit is often
given for completed IB courses.

IB Diploma Programme students study six courses over a two year period, three at
standard level and three at higher level. Students must choose one subject from five
areas of study thus ensuring a well-rounded education including languages, social
studies, experimental sciences and mathematics. One further area, the arts, is included
as an additional but not mandatory subject area. In addition, all students are required
to complete a course in critical thinking (The Theory of Knowledge), produce a four
thousand word research paper (The Extended Essay) and become engaged in
community service, action and creative activities outside of school time (CAS).

The IB Diploma Programme promotes international education and intercultural
understanding. It is based upon a holistic view of knowledge that emphasizes
connections between the various fields of learning. In addition, focus is placed on the
education of the whole person, emphasizing intellectual, personal, emotional and
social growth achieved through a student-centred philosophy of education.

Assessment is carried out both on a continual basis throughout the two year period
and in the completion of the final IB exams. The smaller, internal assessments are
marked by IB teachers and moderated by external examiners. Final written
examinations taken at the end of the second year are marked by external examiners.
The diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, subject to certain
minimum levels of performance across the whole programme and to satisfactory
participation in the creativity, action and service requirement. The highest total that a

Diploma Programme student can be awarded is 45 points.
Further details about the IB Diploma Programme for both parents and students may
be found at www.ibo.org.