IB Happenings Newsletter

Education is one of the only industries where we get to celebrate two "new years," one in August and another in January. August brings a brand new school year. Juniors are entering the IB Program and our Seniors are beginning their final year of high school. There is excitement coupled with anticipation of how it will all play out. I think the beginning of second semester is an even more powerful and hopeful one. Juniors have had a semester to "figure it out." They now know the habits that benefited them and those that caused them to flounder. They know what to expect from teachers and have a better picture of IB exams. Seniors know exactly what it takes, but they are digging deep to overcome any symptom of "senioritis" and find that final bit of gusto required to perform at their best for the last 80 days of their secondary schooling. They are simultaneously establishing those habits that will carry them into their post-secondary years.

I hope you will find time as this second semester begins to talk with your student about the goals they've set for themselves and the steps they are committing to taking to reach those goals. Great time for a fresh start ... or just a renewed focus!

Many IB students will tell you they chose to pursue the IBCP or IBDP for the challenge and preparation it provides for their future endeavors; however, most also hope that the work they do during their junior and senior year of high school will also pay off in the form of college acceptance, credit, and scholarship dollars. The International Baccalaureate Organization has been working very hard over the past few years to create a database of colleges and universities around the globe and the IB credit they award. We encourage you and your student to use the link below to research the IB recognition given at the universities they are considering. Heck, they may begin considering new universities after seeing the recognition given. 😀 The second link shares research on IBDP student acceptance rates at some of the nation's most selective universities.

Students will soon begin enrollment for next year’s courses, and all students will complete the enrollment process for the 2026-2027 school year prior to Spring Break. While many IB students will be continuing in their classes from this year, we just want to offer some reminders of what current juniors need to take during their senior year.

DP STUDENTS

• Group 1: Language and Literature SL 2, Language and Literature HL 2, or Literature HL 2, aligned to the SL 1 or HL 1 course in which you are currently enrolled.
• Group 2: Spanish SL 2 or French SL 2 (Students taking an ab initio exam will enroll in their next course in the sequence)
• Group 3: If you are in HL 1 of Psychology, History, or Social and Cultural Anthropology, then you will take HL 2 next year. If you haven't met your Group 3 requirement, then you will enroll in an SL course.
• Group 4 – If you are in Biology HL 1 or Chemistry HL 1, then you will take HL 2 next year. If you haven't met your Group 4 requirement, then you will enroll in an SL course.
• Group 5 – If you are in Pre-Calculus or Math Applications and Interpretation SL 1 this year, then you take Math Applications and Interpretation SL 2 next year; if you are in Calculus, then you will take Math Analysis and Approaches HL2 or SL2 next year
• Group 6 – If you are in Visual Arts HL 1 or Theatre Arts HL 1, then you will take the HL 2 version of that course next year; if you’re in a second Science (Group 4) HL 1 or a second Social Studies HL 1 (Group 3), then you will take HL 2 next year. If you haven't met your Group 6 requirement, you will take IB Music SL or a Group 3 or 4 SL course next year.
• TOK – Everyone should take TOK 2!

CP STUDENTS

Career-related Study You will continue with your Career-related study. For many of you, that’s your pathway class, but for some of you it might be something different. If you’re planning to do an off-campus program for your CRS (NCAPS, NCC, PIP), please make sure to confirm that with Dr. DeVries.

IB Courses

• 2-year IB class: Most of you are taking IB English as your 2-year class, so you will continue in either HL 2 or SL 2 of that class next year. If you are not in IB English, continue in whatever 2-year IB course you are in at the SL 2 or HL 2 level.
• Additional IB classes: If you are in another 2-year IB class, take SL 2 or HL 2 of that class next year; if you test in a 1-year class this year, you may choose to take additional 1-year classes next year to ensure you receive a score of 3 or higher on at least two IB assessments

PPS – Everyone should take PPS 2!

Additional graduation requirement – IBCP students must take AP Government for graduation

IBDP and IBCP students

All students need to keep in mind they have graduation requirements outside of IB. Most students have been ticking these off throughout high school; but, as we enroll for next year, students should double check they have met these.

• 1 year of a fine art (Music, Art, Theatre)
• 1 year of a practical art (Business, Foods, Woodworking, Computer Science, Engineering, Journalism, etc.)
• 1 year of Physical Education
• 1 semester of Health
• 1 semester of Personal Finance

If you have any questions about what you should take next year, we encourage you to schedule a meeting with Mrs. Nessa, IBDP coordinator, or Dr. DeVries, IBCP coordinator.

On Wednesday, January 28, North Kansas City High School will host its annual "Planning Your Future Night." We will be holding two meetings for IB famillies that night:

• 6:00-6:45, Enrollment for Rising Juniors (Families of current 10th graders)
• 7:00-7:30, IB Scoring and How to Earn the Diploma (Families of current 11th and 12th graders)

All meetings will take place in the Auditorium.

Dr. DeVries and Mrs. Nessa are part of a larger group of IB Coordinators across our area, known as the Midwest Association of IB Schools. Each year, this organization awards four $750 scholarships to IBDP and IBCP seniors. Those applications are now open and due on Feb.9. We hope you'll apply for one of the following:

• IBDP Merit-based Scholarship
• IBDP Need-based Scholarship
• IBCP Merit-based Scholarship

• IBCP Need-based Scholarship

Please find the link to the scholarships below.

On Monday, January 5, we welcomed back many former IB students and staff members. It was wonderful to reconnect and hear all about the tremendous lives our IB alumni are living. In addition to some casual conversation during a pizza lunch, we also had the opportunity to hear from IB graduates on the impact being an IB student has had on their lives. They were able to share insight and advice to our current IB juniors and seniors.

An important aspect of self-management is goal setting. In the midst of the busy schedules IB students experience, they sometimes overlook the process of setting goals that help them to reach their fullest potential.

• Long-term goals – Big future goals help guide decisions and keep us looking forward; however, because many of them are so far out in the future, like a certain college, scholarship, or career, it can be difficult to stay motivated.
• Medium-term goals – We set these goals for specific seasons in life; it might be a semester goal, a unit goal, or a project goal. These goals require consistent time commitment to reach, and as we make progress toward them, we can start to see the results show up in grades, teacher comments, or skill improvement.
• Short-term goals – This should be our focus of high school students because when short-term goals support medium- and long-term goals, the magic happens! A short-term goal might be as simple as completing A-day homework every A-day evening to be well prepared for the next class without feel rushed for time. Meeting short-term goals makes meeting medium-term goals possible. Even though they might feel insignificant at first, as you continue to meet them day after day, the results really start to pay off.

Having a long-term goal without setting smaller, more manageable goals, along the way is more like making a wish rather than setting a goal. Imagine if someone wanted to become an Olympic athlete in a sport like figure skating. At some point, they had to have a goal of skating across the ice without falling. Without meeting that goal, and many others along the way, becoming an Olympic-level figure skater could be a wish, but it would never be possible.

As we enter a new semester, it is appropriate to re-evaluate your goals. Ask yourself what you really want to achieve and what regular tasks you need to complete to move closer to that goal. Starting small helps build confidence and habits that will help you reach those medium- and long-term goals.

Here are some questions to answer as you consider your goals:

• Is it possible to achieve my goal?
• What actions do I need to take to achieve it?
• How will I monitor progress?
• How will I manage setbacks?
• How will I know I’ve met my goal?

Finally, it’s important to consider who your support system will be as you try to reach whatever goals you set for yourself. People do not accomplish greatness on their own. Identify your support system and then allow people the opportunity to support you. Maybe it is a friend in math class, and you check in to see that the practice problems are finished before the quiz. Maybe it is a family member who brings you a snack while you’re reading a novel for English class. Find your people; let them support you; and then invite them to celebrate your successes, big or small.

Twelve months from now, we will be closing out 2026. Between now and then, see what you can do to transform your dreams into real, achievable goals.

Our IBDP Seniors will be submitting final drafts of their extended essay this month! This is a HUGE accomplishment for these 26 students.

The extended essay is one of the three "core" components of the IB Diploma Program (the other two are the Theory of Knowledge course and CAS). This 4,000-word research paper is conducted independently by each student under the guidance and support of an extended essay supervisor. The process is broken up into 3 phases: research, writing, and reflection. Students explore a topic of interest aligned to one of the DP subjects. This exploration allows them to practice independent research, intellectual discovery, and creativity. The extended essay allows students to experience and practice independent research and writing skills expected at the collegiate level. Much of the planning of the EE is carried out in the TOK (Theory of Knowledge) course and takes place over the junior and senior years, including the summer in between when they are issued a MacBook to support this work.

The IB organization shifted the expectations and guidelines for the extended essay somewhat this year, so our junior class is operating under a few different parameters. Those are outlined in the subject briefs below. Juniors have determined their extended essay research questions and are currently seeking out their supervisor.

Please remember that you have access to "all things IB" in our International Baccalaureate Canvas course. As a parent observer, you also have access to all of your student's classes, as well as this course. We keep meeting presentations, important dates, exam information, course syllabi, program policies, and so much more in this course. Please take a moment to dig into all that's available to you!

As a program, we regularly visit our program's policies to revise and update them to ensure they are current and relevant. These policies are housed in the International Baccalaureate Canvas course; however, we also wanted to share them in this newsletter for easier access.

• Academic Integrity Policy
• Admissions Policy
• Assessment Policy
• Inclusion Policy
• Language Policy

Do you have topics you'd like to see covered or questions you'd like to have answered in an upcoming edition of the "IB Happenings" newsletter? If so, please take a moment to share those with us here: https://forms.gle/3gJM6DLqJTj5NAXf8

Email: jourdan.martinez@nkcschools.org
Website: https://nkhs.nkcschools.org/programs/ib
Location: 620 East 23rd Avenue, North Kansas City, MO, USA
Phone: 816.321.6508