Parent Info Session Series: The MYP at Branksome Hall Asia
Ms. Pat Long,
Head of Middle School
This year's program of Middle School Parent Information Sessions will cover an extensive range of topics, including adolescent development, language development, managing technology, how to support student learning, and understanding curriculum.
We launched our program last week, when Dr. Swartz and I welcomed nearly 90 Middle School parents to the first in a three-part series of information meetings entitled 'The MYP at BHA'. This set of sessions is specifically designed for those parents who are either new to the MYP, or who wish to increase their understanding of how it works in practice.
The Middle Years Programme of the IB is a very distinctive element of the continuum. With its emphasis on inquiry and learning skills, it is excellent preparation for the rigors of the DP, without sacrificing any of its own high standards. In our first session, parents were able to experience an MYP-style lesson by working through the components of the Learner Profile in addressing the question 'What are the characteristics of the ideal learner?' Unsurprisingly, what we consider the important elements of being a learner here at Branksome Hall Asia are the same as schools everywhere, and are replicated in the IB Learner Profile.
Parents enjoyed learning through a variety of collaboration activities and new technologies, and experiencing learning 'as a middle schooler' gave valuable insight into the engaging and enriching lessons their children experience every day at Branksome Hall.
Our next session will cover that essential component of all IB programs, the Approaches to Learning (ATLs): the skills that are required for successful learning both in school and in life beyond. We will also consider the subject groups in the MYP and the Personal Project and how they are directly related to the experiences of the DP. Our final session, in October, will be on the topic of assessment and reporting, and promises to be very well-attended! Session materials will be provided for all Middle School parents at the end of each presentation.