Smoky Hill IBPA

Freshmen:

14 – IB MYP Freshman Boot Camp 1:00 – 3:00pm in Cafeteria

Sophomores:

24 – Parent Meeting for Personal Project from 6 – 7:00pm in Lecture Center

26 – Big Meeting #1 for Personal Project from 7:35 – 8:15am in Lecture Center

28 – Personal Project Contract Signed & Dated due to Mrs. Bacan in the IB Office II–320

Juniors:

28 – Mandatory CAS Junior orientation meeting at 7:30–8:15am in Lecture Center

28 – EE Contract due to Library

Seniors:

17 – EE Meeting - Formatting, Citations, & Rubric - 2:00-3:00pm in the library **NEW**

TBD – Mandatory Senior CAS Meeting

100 out of 150 hours should be completed and 40 reflections entered in ManageBac

(incoming Grade 10 or 11)

• Algebra 2 Honors

• Advanced Precalculus

• AP Calculus

(incoming Grade 12)

• Students will need to complete one studio piece over the summer. There are two check-in dates where students have to e-mail evidence just once during the weeklong check-in window:

• June 29 - July 3

• Sketchbook work demonstrating brainstorming, artist research, thumbnail sketches, reference images. Same structure as previous studio pieces.

• July 26 - July 31

• In progress pictures, active reflection, and picture of almost finished piece.

• Incoming Seniors

• Over the summer, continue to write and revise the EE rough draft based on individual needs, and feedback from the supervisor. Students return in August with a final paper completed, and then attend the formatting, citation, and reflection workshops to make final edits and polish for submission by September 1.

• EE Meeting - Formatting, Citations, & Rubric - August 17, 2:00-3:00pm in the library

• Incoming Juniors

• No official EE coursework over the summer. In August, students (juniors) begin the EE journey.

**In order to access the links above, you must be logged into your student's CCSD account.**

The summer coursework is also posted on our SHHS website.

**There is no summer coursework for incoming freshmen.**

Hello, Smoky Hill community! My name is Emily Heinrich, and I am thrilled to join Smoky Hill High School as the Instructional Support Administrator and MYP Coordinator. I bring more than 20 years of experience in education, including teaching math and science and serving as an instructional coach, digital learning coach, and IB MYP coordinator. Throughout my career, I have been passionate about supporting teachers, building meaningful relationships, and creating learning environments where every student feels known, challenged, and supported.

Outside of school, my husband and I are new empty nesters. We have two sons who reside in Colorado Springs with our furry granddogs. In my spare time, I enjoy fishing, reading, crafting, thrifting, and spending time near the water. I am excited to become part of the Smoky Hill community and look forward to getting to know our students, families, and staff. Go Buffs!

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decision

“Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence.”

Thomas Szasz

Families,

Thank you to all of our IB community members (staff, students, and families) for their feedback on the updated IB policies. We have taken your feedback and have finalized the policies.

You are encouraged to review the policies, as these are in effect as of February 2026.

• IB Academic Integrity Policy (Next review January 2028)
• IB Access and Admissions Policy (Next review February 2028)
• IB Assessment Policy (Next review March 2028)
• IB Complaint and Concern Process (Reviewed contingent BOE policy updates)
• IB Inclusion Policy (Next review April 2028)
• IB Language Policy (Next review January 2027)

They are also available on the Smoky Hill Website's International Baccalaureate page, on the right side.

Mr. Chris Ritchie

critchie@cherrycreekschools.org

Know an incoming 9th grade student that could benefit from the MYP/IB Program, or one that would be a good fit? Encourage them to apply now!

Have any pictures from the MYP or DP events? Does your child have any pictures with their IB friends?

Submit them to Mrs. Bacan for a chance to be featured in our recruitment and event flyers!

abacan@cherrycreekschools.org

IB Council meets 3:40-4:15 pm room #1-31 every Wednesday.

This optional club plans events/hangouts/ fundraisers and connects/supports our IB students. For students who want to be involved please join us (no need to sign up just show up!).

If you have questions please email the current

IB Council President: Jacob Xu

jxu4@cherrycreekschools.org

IB Council also has an Instagram for events

and reminders: @shhsibcouncil

IB Council Prime Minister:

Mrs. Melissa Roberts-Brysh

mrobertsbrysh@cherrycreekschools.org

The IBMYP personal project is a student-driven inquiry into an area of personal interest, culminating in a significant product and a detailed report. This long-term project encourages students to become principled, lifelong learners by providing them with the opportunity to explore a passion and reflect on their growth. Ultimately, the personal project showcases their ability to plan, create, and evaluate a meaningful piece of work independently

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our Personal Project Coordinators and Liaison:

Mr. Corrado

mcorrado2@cherrycreekschools.org

Mrs. Skowronski

kskowronski2@cherrycreekschools.org

Mrs. Kourey

akourey@cherrycreekschools.org

Extended Essay (EE) is an independent, self-directed research paper on a topic chosen by the student. It is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery, and creativity while engaging students in personal research. This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing of up to 4,000 words. This is completed during the student's senior year with the supervision of a teacher whom they select.

The coordinators meet with the IBDP Juniors once a month in their IB English 11 class (1st semester) and in their TOK class (2nd semester). Please refer to the Schoology class for Extended Essay and PowerSchool.

Coordinators

Mrs. Harmon

kharmon4@cherrycreekschools.org

Mrs. Keller

ckeller12@cherrycreekschools.org

IB Students are required to have Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) experiences for and 18-month timeframe. This requires students to take part in a range of student service-learning experiences, activities, and projects. During the span of their junior and senior years, students must document CAS experiences in ManageBac.

The coordinators hold meetings at the beginning of the year to provide information about CAS to the students. They are always available via email or in their offices when not in class. Please refer to the Schoology class for Epic Volunteer and PowerSchool.

CAS Coordinators:

Mr. Hirschfeld for Class of 2027

chirschfeld@cherrycreekschools.org

Ms. Sheil for Class of 2028

ksheil@cherrycreekschools.org

Critchie@Cherrycreekschools.org

IB DP Coordinator

Mrs. Emily Heinrich

Eheinrich@cherrycreekschools.org

IB MYP Coordinator

Mrs. Lexie Bacan

Abacan@cherrycreekschools.org

IB Administrative Assistant