A LOCAL school has become the first in Bendigo to offer the International Baccalaureate for Year 11 and 12 students.<\/p>\n
Nine students at the school are currently completing the program and will become Creek Street Christian College\u2019s first year 12 cohort.<\/p>\n
Principal Coral Maxwell said parents have been asking for the school to deliver an extended program, and the IB suits the school\u2019s values.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of parents really wanted their children to stay here within a Christian environment and a lot of the young people wanted to stay too, so now we have that opportunity for them to stay with us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The IB is an internationally recognised diploma alternate to VCE, which prepares students for future studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives students a really well-rounded holistic education,\u201d Ms Maxwell said. \u201cThey do a number of normal subject content areas, but they need to choose something from each of six different areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s core subjects above that teaches them about how they learn, require them to be part of a community, to be in active in the community and it\u2019s some really great preparation for university.\u201d<\/p>\n
Students choose subjects from English language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics and the arts, while completing core subjects extended essay, creativity, activity, service and theory of knowledge.<\/p>\n
IB students at Creek Street Christian College will study in a brand new $3 million building, funded in part by the State Government.<\/p>\n
Ms Maxwell said the school now offers stability for families, as the school offers a program from three-year old kinder through to the end of high school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI say once you\u2019ve enrolled into our kindergarten, you\u2019re enrolled into our school there\u2019s no other enrolment process at any stage and parents look quite relieved actually,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s really important to parents these days that they can find a school that suits their family and they can just stay in that community.\u201d<\/p>\n