International Magnet School Programs

TCAPS International School at Bertha Vos

New IS@BV Teacher Lui Yiling

Meet Our Chinese Language Teacher

TCAPS has officially hired the Chinese language teacher for TCAPS International School at Bertha Vos. Her name is Lui Yiling. She will travel to Michigan in June, spend eight weeks at Michigan State University with other Chinese teachers, and then travel to Traverse City by August 15th.

Sister School Announced

Wangjing Nanhu Dongyuan Primary School to be sister school to TCAPS International School at Bertha Vos

TCAPS is pleased to announce that the Wangjing Nanhu Doingyuan Primary School, located in Beijing, China will be the official sister school to TCAPS International School at Bertha Vos. The International School at Bertha Vos and TCAPS signed a sister school agreement with the Wangjing Nanhu Dongyuan Primary School in Beijing for program development, faculty and student exchanges. The schools would exchange students for up to three weeks during the school year. Students would be hosted by families from each school. Chinese students could be visiting Bertha Vos as early as January of 2013. The schools will also collaborate on programming; sharing curriculum resources and instructional practices to the benefit of students in each school.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is International Baccalaureate (IB)?
International Baccalaureate offers three levels of programming: primary years programme, middle years programme, and diploma programme. International Baccalaureate is an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning, where learning is directed by teacher and student questions. The focus is on the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills, and attitudes using the required State of Michigan benchmarks. All Bertha Vos students will be considered part of the IB Primary Years Programme. (Candidate Status)

IB Learner Profile

image provided by http://www.ibo.org

What are the benefits of an IB programme?

Emphasizes multicultural understanding
Brings national and international credibility to our school
Promotes teacher communication within and between schools
Reinforces TCAPS' commitment to community, service, and the impact of our actions on the world
Develops the habit of reflection on our actions and learning
Connects classroom learning to the world outside the classroom
Learn more: http://www.ibo.org/pyp/

What does an IB Primary Years Classroom Look Like?

Environment celebrates international mindedness
Evidence of second language development - Chinese Mandarin instruction at TCAPS International School at Bertha Vos
Displays of student work and learning reflect IB Learner profiles and PYP themes
Culminating student learning exhibitions based on real-world issues
Click here to watch a short video on what a PYP classroom looks like

What Global Themes Guide In-Depth Investigations?
The following themes help guide in-depth learning in the Primary Years Programme:

Who we are
Where we are in place and time
How we express ourselves
How the world works
How we organize ourselves
Sharing the planet

What Underlying Concepts are used to Deepen and Broaden Student Understanding?
Big ideas which deepen and broaden student understanding beyond knowledge of isolated facts are often posed as questions:

Form: What is it like?
Function: How does it work?
Cause: Why is it like this?
Change: How is it changing?
Connection: How is it connected to other things?
Perspective: What are the different points of view?
Responsibility: What is my/our responsibility?
Reflection: How do we know

What is a Program of Inquiry?
A Program of Inquiry is WHAT the students learn; HOW they learn it; and WHEN they learn it. Michigan curriculum guidelines + IB approach = Program of Inquiry

A Commitment to Inquiry

Inquiry learning is the vehicle by which the essential elements of the Primary Years Programme are presented to students.
Inquiry learning:
- builds on students’ background knowledge and previous experiences,
- honors students’ questions, and
- empowers students to uncover new understandings.

Words to Know

Learner Profile - International Mindedness	Inquirers:I ask questions Thinkers: I use my mind to consider ideas and make judgments Communicators: I can express myself in many ways Risk-takers: I am willing to take chances for greater success Knowledgeable: I know a lot about many different things Principled: I understand the difference between right and wrong and make good choices Caring: I am compassionate and show concern for others Open-minded: I am willing to listen and consider everyone’s point of view Balanced: I have many interests. I work and play hard Reflective: I think deeply about myself, my learning and others
PYP	Primary Years Programme
Internationalism
Central Idea
Key Concepts
Transdisciplinary Skills & Themes	Those things that students need to be able to succeed in a changing world: Thinking skills Communication skills Self-management skills Research skills Social skills
Action	Student initiated demonstrations of deeper learning through service to fellow students, the school and community. Students learn to choose appropriate actions to take, implement their own action plans and reflect on the process and results of their actions. Self-initiated action is an authentic result of student learning in an IB school.
Attitudes	Appreciation Commitment Confidence Cooperation Creativity Curiosity	Empathy Enthusiasm Independence Integrity Respect Tolerance

TCAPS International School at Bertha Vos is a candidate school* for the Primary Years Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that TCAPS International School at Bertha Vos believes is important for our students.

**Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the Diploma Programme (and in addition, the IB Career-related Certificate). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org.