IBMYP Kick-Off Event

The November 2007 IBMYP kick-off event was a great success. We began the day with a k-8 assembly that included a celebration of the AEA elementary school's authorization as an IB World School. This significant achievement is the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration by teachers and staff in the elementary school.

After the school-wide assembly, which included a number of exciting cultural and student presentations, the middle school students were given the challenge of designing, building, and marketing a chair for Principal Sciarretta. The one caveat--the chair must be built solely from newspaper and masking tape. After several hours, the nine advisory teams presented their creations. Chairs were judged based on functionality and creativity of design and marketing. Chair names ranged from the "Paper Sciarretta" to the "Decaffeinator" and designs featured cupholders, footrests, cushions. Some groups created dozens of cylindrical bricks, while others built solid cubes and others triangular trusses. While only one team eventually took the top honors, all students benefited by collaborating in the creative process. This approach to learning exemplifies the risk-taking and exploration that AEACMS teachers promote in their classrooms.

Thanks to all the AEACMS teachers and students for your enthusiastic participation in this activity. Finally, a heartfelt congratulation to the AEA elementary school for their IB World School status--the middle school looks to you for inspiration as we proceed down the road toward eventual IBMYP authorization.