H.D. Cooke Elementary

[Anonymous]

sybersus wrote:All of this information is really helpful. I heard that Cooke has begun its IB program. I've heard of htis before for high schools, but not in the elementary school context -- what exactly does that mean? Thanks!

IB doesn't mean anything until HS. Certification is a cash-cow for the organization until the Diploma level.

[Anonymous]

That's absolutely untrue. Cooke has been teaching in the IB fashion for at least the last three years as they go through the IB certification process. IB is now intertwined in all aspects of the program.

You can find out more about the program at http://www.ibo.org/pyp/ . Cooke's next open houses are 2/24 and 2/25 at 9:00 AM, and the principal will talk about the IB programme. What I love about it is the integrated learning. When they're learning about the marketplace in the classroom, they do art projects related to the market in art class and learn the Spanish words for buying and selling in Spanish class. Not to mention learning math skills through actual buying & selling scenarios. The kids are becoming really well-rounded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But, after two years in the school and a rising Preschool-3 child, I can say that we are happy there and it is working for us.

Ditto. My pre-K son has been attending HD Cooke for two years now and loves it. The homework he gets is completely reasonable and he actually enjoys doing it - it gives us a chance to see what he's learning about (afternoon reports about what he learned each day are sketchy on the walk back home) and he feels important and proud to do it and turn it in. The teachers have all been phenomenally attentive and encouraging - even going above and beyond to identify children who require more challenging work and to provide them with advanced projects and reading. They plan field trips, integrate the IB principles into the daily regime (for example, when the marketplace was the theme of the month, the pre-K students held bake sales and hot chocolate sales to understand the concept of money and exchanging goods and services), and generally provide an excellent academic and social education for our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's absolutely untrue. Cooke has been teaching in the IB fashion for at least the last three years as they go through the IB certification process. IB is now intertwined in all aspects of the program.

You can find out more about the program at http://www.ibo.org/pyp/ . Cooke's next open houses are 2/24 and 2/25 at 9:00 AM, and the principal will talk about the IB programme. What I love about it is the integrated learning. When they're learning about the marketplace in the classroom, they do art projects related to the market in art class and learn the Spanish words for buying and selling in Spanish class. Not to mention learning math skills through actual buying & selling scenarios. The kids are becoming really well-rounded.

It IS true. The PYP is merely a pedagogical approach, it is not a curriculum. Ergo, it is not academically or intellectually challenging. It's a gold star sticker that doesn't mean much of anything. If it did, you couldn't enter the prestigious IB Diploma Programme without it, or it should at least confer some sort of an edge. However, you can and it does not. Unless your school has a truly international flavour (a la WIS) or has a continuous immersion program, the PYP is an expensive way to attract middle class parents who look for labels over substance.