Nashville’s Hillsboro High first in Tennessee to earn IB career certification
Hillsboro High School has officially been authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate (IBCC). Hillsboro is the first school in Tennessee and one of just 27 schools nationwide to receive this certification from the IB organization in The Hague.
“Having the IB career-related certificate will further Hillsboro High students on their academic and career paths so every graduate is college and career ready,” said Jay Steele, Metro Schools’ chief academic officer.
IBCC will increase access to Hillsboro’s IB education and provide a flexible learning framework to meet students’ needs. For IBCC students, IB Diploma Programme courses will provide theoretical and academic rigor. Career-related studies support the program’s academic strength and provide practical, real-world approaches to learning. To earn the IBCC, students must complete their chosen academy pathway and IB courses in addition to the IBCC core, which are: language development, approaches to learning course, reflective project, and community and service.
Hillsboro High’s class of 2015 will be the first to be able to earn the IBCC.
“We’re thrilled to add the IBCC to our IB program offerings. As a wall-to-wall academy school, we really feel this is the perfect union between career academies and IB curriculum,” said Allison Delano Bateman, Hillsboro’s IBCC coordinator. “The Hillsboro faculty and staff worked for months to meet the rigorous IBCC standards of practice.”
Hillsboro High School is one of two Metro Nashville high schools to offer the IB Diploma Programme. The other is Hunters Lane High School. Eakin Elementary, Julia Green Elementary, Bellevue Middle, Goodlettsville Middle, J.T. Moore Middle, Neely’s Bend Middle and West End Middle offer IB programs targeted to younger learners.
About IBCC
As the IB’s fourth programme, the IB Career-related Certificate (IBCC) provides a comprehensive link between the academic challenge of the Diploma Programme and the international-mindedness of the IB classroom into a tailored, career-focused pathway. The IBCC is an innovative education framework for students aged 16 to 19 incorporating the vision and educational principles of the IB into a unique programme specifically tailored for students who wish to engage in career-related learning. The aim of the IBCC is to provide students with both an academic and practical foundation to support both their further studies and specialized training, thereby ensuring their success in the workforce
Metro students are volunteer leaders with Hands on Nashville
Hey there, volunteer superstars.
Two Metro high schoolers are transforming into community leaders this summer, with some help from a new program at Hands on Nashville.
Corey Wu (Overton High School) and Runze Zhang (MLK Academic Magnet High School) are two of the four Hands on Nashville Summer Youth Leaders.
From Hands on Nashville:
Starting this week (and for the rest of the summer) these four incredible volunteers are making their mark on the community in a BIG way. They will lead 10 volunteer projects each addressing one of four issue areas: Homelessness, Hunger, Health and Wellness, and Environment.
Read which issues Corey and Runze will tackle and all about the program as a whole over on the Hands on Nashville blog.
If you want your high schooler to get off the couch and actually do some good this summer, it’s not too late to sign up for several of the Hands on Nashville summer programs. Check them out and apply!
Expanded leadership roles will strengthen arts education
Dr. Nola Jones
After a stellar school year for visual and performing arts in Metro Schools, we’re proud to announce expanded leadership roles for the educators who made it happen. With Laurie Schell and Dr. Nola Jones at the helm of all arts education, the arts will remain strongly supported and integrated across curricula.
Dr. Nola Jones is our new coordinator for visual and performing arts. Previously the coordinator of music, Dr. Jones will take on an expanded role working in close collaboration with principals, assistant principals and arts teachers in promoting the teaching and learning goals for dance, music, theatre and visual arts. She will provide on-going support and resources for teachers as a troubleshooter, coach and advisor for everyday instruction.
Laurie Schell
Laurie Schell will continue her role as the director of Music Makes Us, which is a public-private partnership between Metro Schools, the Mayor’s Office, the Music City Music Council and music industry leaders in Nashville. Her primary responsibility remains the advancement of Music Makes Us, as well as oversight for the Visual and Performing Arts Department. She will manage the administration and direction of arts education in Metro Schools, working closely with educators across the district to align the arts with district teaching and learning goals.
“Dr. Jones and Ms. Schell have been invaluable in leading music education,” said Chief Academic Officer Jay Steele. “I know they will bring the same passion and expertise to all of the arts.”
Both Schell and Jones came to Metro Schools in 2012, helping lead the transformation of music education that came with the Music Makes Us initiative. Their experience in teaching the arts will ensure they remain a central part of every child’s education in Metro Schools.
North Sports Report – Year-end Wrap Up
Graduation: It’s All About the Walk
The North Sports Report attended several graduations last month and was thrilled at the number of student-athletes I recognized as they received diplomas. I witnessed amazing athletic performances and thrilling competitions this year, but nothing compares to seeing the scholars, decked out in their caps and gowns, stroll across the stage for that diploma. Preparation and hard work lead to that all important walk for the sheepskin! Priceless!
Track: State Champions
The North Sports Report attended the state track championships in Murfreesboro as MNPS athletes brought home the gold.
Boys’ Track
Team: MLK’s Boys Track Team won the State Championship, and six MNPS schools finished in the top twenty in the state.
- 1. MLK; 7. Pearl-Cohn; 11. Whites Creek; 14. Maplewood; 16. Hume-Fogg; 20. East Nashville.
Individual:
- 1600m – Sam Klockenkemper, MLK – State Champion
- 300m Hurdles – Justice Wooten, MLK – State Champion
Girls’ Track
Team: Six MNPS schools finished in the top ten in the state.
- AAA: 3. Antioch; 8. Hillsboro
- A-AA: 3. MLK; 6. Hume-Fogg; 8. Maplewood; 9. East Nashville
Individual
- 4X100m Relay – Antioch – State Champion
- 4X400m Relay – Antioch – State Champion (AAA)
- 4X400m Relay – MLK – State Champion (A-AA)
- 3200m – Bailee Dean, Cane Ridge – State Champion
- Pentathlon – Jada Curbeam, East Nashville – State Champion
- 100m Hurdles – T’Kesha Hagens, Maplewood – State Champion
- 300m Hurdles – T’Kesha Hagens, Maplewood – State Champion
- 400m – Paige Farrow-Davis, MLK – State Champion
Alumni Alert: Mychelle Cumings of Hunters Lane – All-American
2011 Hunters Lane graduate Mychelle Cumings, a sophomore at Liberty University, earned All-American honors and is one of only 24 athletes to qualify for the NCAA National Championships in the discus. By the way, she can throw a discus farther than I can throw a Frisbee.
Read the blog post about Mychelle by the Tennessean’s Maurice Patton.
Alumni Alert: Dominique Hannah of Overton – National Player of the Year
Overton alumnus Dominique Hannah, a sophomore left fielder for the Lee University softball team, was named NAIA National Player of the Year after batting .482, hitting 9 Home Runs and driving in 56 runs.
Hold on… I want to be sure you read that right…I said “National Player of the Year.”
Read the blog post about Dominique by the Tennessean’s Maurice Patton.
History: Records Still Stand for Track Greats
While studying for the state track meet, the North Sports Report snuck a peek at the state track & field records according to the TSSAA website. Here is some of what I learned:
- Whites Creek’s Jeff Powell set the state record in the 110m Hurdles in 1981, and that record still stands. I think 1981 was the first year the TSAA measured the races in meters rather than yards. If so, Jeff Powell’s record has stood since the beginning of time!
- Goodlettsville’s Larry Cantrell holds the state record in the 100m Dash (10.40 seconds) and the 400m Dash (46.6 seconds). He won the state championship three years in a row in the 100m, 200m, and 400m from 1983-1985 and his time improved each year. In 1984, his junior year, he also won the long jump. He was the only athlete from his school entered in the state track meet and single-handedly won the Team state championship. Larry Cantrell now serves as a minister for the Nashville Inner City Ministry.
- Hillwood’s Ralph Thompson still holds the 300m Hurdles state record (36.58 seconds) he set in 1990.
- The Hillsboro 4X800m Relay team (1982) and the Antioch 4X200m Relay team (2006) hold their respective state records.
When you know history, the next step is to make history. Now you know!
MNPS: The First Choice for Making History
Scholarship Alert: tnAchieves wants to help 1,600 Metro students
Wow, how’s this for driving our students toward college? tnAchieves is expanding into Nashville with a goal of offering 1,600 Metro seniors scholarships to attend community college.
From the tnAchieves release:
While fundraising efforts continue, thanks to the generous support of Joe and Dorothy Scarlett as well as United Way of Metropolitan Nashville and Mr. Boyd, tnAchieves will launch in the public high schools with the lowest college-going rates this fall. tnAchieves’ mission of providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance to ensure all students have the opportunity to pursue higher education aligns with the state’s “Drive to 55” campaign which seeks to increase the post-secondary attainment rate to 55 percent.
Each student will be given a mentor to give him or her guidance for the application process, help with financial aid paperwork and the encouragement needed to get to and succeed in college. What a program!
Find out how you can be a tnAchieves scholar or a tnAchieves mentor on the tnAchieves website.
