Middle Years Programme - September update
MYP annual memo
Please note that the MYP unit at IBAEM has discontinued the MYP annual memo as it is being replaced by our regional newsletter.
New MYP publications
As anticipated in previous correspondence, new MYP publications are being released during August and September 2008. We strongly encourage MYP coordinators to consult the OCC for these publications. The new guide MYP: from principles into practice includes the new MYP unit planner. For schools undergoing a programme evaluation visit between January and June 2009, the expectation will be to develop 1 unit per subject taught at the school using the new unit planner. Following that this process will be phased in ensuring schools have the time to incorporate the new developments of the planner.
MYP WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS NEW TO THE PROGRAMME AT IS BASEL 30 JUNE- 4 JULY
The sun just shone and shone on the 300 participants at the Basel MYP workshops in the summer. Workshops in ten different subjects were offered, with many running in parallel because of the large number of participants.
The Head of IS Basel Lesley Barron and her onsite liaison manager Jenny Dunning made us most welcome. The sessions ran very smoothly and the feedback has been positive. Basel is an excellent location for the MYP workshops, as frequent trams run between the hotels and the school and the city itself offers many varied cultural experiences. This year, many Participants spent evenings by the River Rhine, watching the swimmers float downstream in the strong current and enjoying the final matches of the World Cup football on the large screens lining the river.
The regional director Andrew Bollington opened the workshops with an outline of recent developments in the MYP. The content of the sessions was challenging, with many of the MYP documentation being new this year. Participants really appreciated the opportunity to develop units using the new unit planner, to increase their understanding of the programme philosophy and to plan for MYP teaching with the support of the recent publication, MYP: from principles into practice.
The efforts of the school and the workshop leaders were much appreciated, and we look forward to our next visit to Basel.
See the photos
Workshop leader and school visitor training
In July the MYP held two training events in Lausanne Switzerland. During this training 25 new workshop leaders were trained and 15 new team members for authorization and programme evaluation visits. We were impressed with the level of experience of participants and their commitment and enthusiasm throughout the training. Please note that the regional office will shortly publish new training opportunities for December 2008 and later in 2009.
Recognition of the MYP
As the programme grows in the region and in some countries in particular the regional office is developing relationships and investigating ways in which the programme can be recognized by local educational authorities. The IB MYP has published A guide for universities, colleges and governments which is available on our website. We welcome any developments, contacts and useful advice in the area from schools.
Changes in school details
Considering some schools have new MYP coordinators, heads of school,etc, please ensure the following procedure is followed:
- Authorized schools: inform regional office and change details on IBIS
- Candidate and interested schools: inform the regional office
Any changes in the school name, structure, legal status, new campus should also be communicated to the regional office.
Updated information about schools facilitates our communications and enables us to provide a better service.
Application as an MYP candidate school
We would like to remind interested schools that 1 October 2008 is the deadline to apply for MYP candidacy. Please remember to submit complete applications and refer to the Guide to school application to identify the documentation required.
