North Fulton School Named International Baccalaureate School

ALPHARETTA/ROSWELL, GA — A local North Fulton school, The International Charter School of Atlanta, is starting the new school year off with the honor of being the first International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) located in the county.

The IB Primary Years Programme is a curriculum framework that incorporates local and global issues into the curriculum, asking students to think about "who we are," "where we are in place and time" and "how the world works."

The school has been implementing the IB Primary Years Programme for the past few years. For example, this past school year, fifth graders worked in groups to develop strategies to address the United Nations’ Human Rights Goals. They presented their projects to parents, students, and community members in both English and their second language. Exhibition projects included ideas to eliminate hunger, improve the environment, and promote gender equality.

ICSAtlanta is also the first state-commissioned charter school in Georgia to become an IB World
School. The school, with a Lower Campus in Roswell (kindergarten – third grade) and Upper Campus in Alpharetta (fourth - eighth grade), has been authorized to provide the IB PYP for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Known for rigorous academics and promotion of character traits in the Learner Profile, the International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

ICSAtlanta is a public charter school authorized by the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia that offers dual language immersion in French, German, Mandarin, and Spanish for K-eighth grades with a statewide attendance area. All students experience inquiry-based learning, and beginning in fourth grade, students are able to study a third language.

The school has been implementing the IB Primary Years Programme for the past few years, and students have benefited greatly from the transdisciplinary approach to learning. For example, fifth graders graduated in May with an exhibition, working in groups to develop strategies to address the United Nations’ Human Rights Goals. They presented their projects to parents, students, and community members in both English and their second language. Exhibition projects included ideas to eliminate hunger, improve the environment, and promote gender equality.

"As our world continues to change rapidly, our children need skills to think independently, become problem solvers, and engage with diverse groups of people,” said Marisa Kashapov, ICSAtlanta Governing Board Chair. “IB helps students become more culturally aware and equipped to grow into the effective leaders our community needs."

"When we first designed the educational program for ICSAtlanta, we committed to becoming an IB World School because we believe the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) prepares students both academically and socially for success in school and in life,” continues Kashapov. “The official IB World School designation is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and vision by the ICSAtlanta community, and we are proud of this accomplishment."

For more information about the International Baccalaureate Programme, see their website.