Sandy Springs Schools Earn IB Primary Years Programme Status

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Three Sandy Springs elementary schools have received their official certificates of authorization for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. The new PYP status of Heards Ferry, High Point and Lake Forest elementary schools makes Riverwood International Charter School the first cluster to be entirely IB authorized in Fulton County School System.

Riverwood International Charter School was the first to offer the IB Diploma Programme in 1999 and saw its first group of diploma candidates in 2002. Its middle school feeder, Ridgeview Charter School, followed in 2009 with their authorization for the IB Middle Years Programme. The schools are now a part of the IB World Schools global community.

“We are absolutely thrilled that we are now IB PYP World Schools," Heards Ferry principal Lisa Nash said. "It was a long process to get to this point, but certainly worth the hard work and determination.”

The Primary Years Programme focuses on the heart and mind of the child, and addresses social, physical, emotional and cultural needs as well as academic ones. Six trans-disciplinary themes help teachers and children explore knowledge across content areas. Each grade develops a central idea and lines of inquiry for each theme to drive learning.

Five years in the making, the three schools began the authorization process by conducting feasibility studies involving discussions with staff, parents and community members to determine if the IB philosophy was consistent with that of the individual schools. Application for candidacy required approval from the Fulton County School Board, followed by an implementation of the program.

Each school has dedicated staff, PYP coordinators, who helped drive the application process and program integration. Teachers wrote units of inquiry for each theme, and reviewed, revised and continued to develop conceptual learning opportunities for students. Finally, the International Baccalaureate Organization sent verification teams to each school to determine their progress toward meeting a set of requirements set forth in the organization's standards.

"I am so proud that three Fulton County Schools in Sandy Springs have now been officially named International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Schools," said Fulton School Board Member Gail Dean, whose District 3 includes the Riverwood cluster. "Heards Ferry, High Point and Lake Forest Elementary Schools now join with Ridgeview Charter and Riverwood International Charter School to make up the first IB Pre-K through 12th grade feeder group of schools in the district.”

Lib Roberts, High Point’s PYP coordinator, anticipates that in offering the more rigorous program throughout a student’s school career, the cluster will see increased student performance and provide unlimited opportunities for students post-graduation.

“The greatest benefit will be that entire generations of students will begin to see the world as a more connected place where people with varied heritages and cultures are able to celebrate and embrace our human commonalities rather than our differences," Roberts added.

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Photo: First row (seated): Celebrating their certification for IB authorization are Lake Forest Principal Taylor Barton, High Point Principal Carrie Pitchford, FCS Board Member Gail Dean, Heards Ferry Principal Lisa Nash, and High Point PYP Coordinator Stephanie Solodo. Second row (standing): High Point PYP Coordinator Lib Roberts, FCS Central Learning Community (CLC) Executive Director Kirk Shrum, FCS CLC Area Superintendent Dr. Nathalie Henderson, and Lake Forest Elementary PYP Coordinator Amanda Hamilton. Credit: Fulton County Schools