Smiley International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) Candidate School

Frequently Asked Questions
2009/2010

Q: What is the Middle years Programme (MYP)?

A: It is a comprehensive five-year (6th – 10th grade) designed to meet the diverse needs of students who are entering into the mid-adolescence phase of their lives. IB has granted Smiley the opportunity to provide a three-year program for grades 6th-8th. This period is a critical time of personal and intellectual development. The program is based on three fundamental concepts (holistic learning, intercultural awareness, and communication), and five Areas of Interaction (approaches to learning, community and service, health and social education, human ingenuity, and environments). Through this program, teaching styles vary, providing students more hands-on, creative, individualized instruction.

Q: How will this program benefit my child?

A: This program answers the “why do I have to know this?” question for students. Through the learning process, students learn how what they are learning will affect their lives. Also, it emphasizes use of different instructional techniques, so it is inclusive for all students who learn best by hands-on instruction or visual cues, not just focusing on auditory learners. Research shows that students who go through the MYP are more prepared for high school and college.

Q: What are the requirements to be in the program at Smiley?

A: The MYP is school-wide at Smiley; therefore, all students who attend Smiley will automatically be entered into the program. We ask that students come prepared to participate in their learning and be willing to explore a variety of ways to approach their learning process.

Q: Is the program a prescribed curriculum?

A: The program is not prescribed in a sense that all schools who have this program teach the same lessons at the same time. The program is more philosophical in nature, with specific components integrated into the DPS curriculum.