The Hall County Board of Education has authorized an open application period for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs at Johnson High School, North Hall High School and West Hall High School.

Applications, available on each school’s website, will be accepted until June 4, 2012, from any rising 11^th-grade student who is eligible to attend a Hall County school. Limited seats are available. Parents of students who live outside the school’s attendance zone must provide transportation.

The IB Diploma Program is a rigorous pre-university program of studies that meets the needs of highly motivated students in grades 11 and 12. IB is accepted worldwide as a superior high school curriculum, giving students access to university-level coursework and examinations, which can earn participants a significant number of college credits.

In the United States, the IB Diploma Program is valued as an honors program that leads to advanced standing and college credit at the finest universities. Potential IB student should either have the skills listed below or be intent on developing them:

•     Possess critical thinking skills

•     Be willing to develop modern language skills

•     Develop good time and stress management skills

•     Be self-motivated

•     Challenge themselves academically

•     Read and write well

•     Communicate clearly and effectively

•     Be open to new ideas

Academic pre-requisites for entering IB:

·     9^th Grade Literature/Composition

·     American Literature

·     Minimum of  Spanish I*

·     World History

·     American Government (1/2 unit)/Economics (1/2 unit)

·     Physical Science**

·     Biology**

·     Chemistry**

·     Accelerated Math I & II OR

·     Math I & II

·     Health/Personal Fitness

*   WHHS offers IB Chinese and Spanish ab initio (for beginners) and Spanish A1 for Native Speakers. Spanish I is not a prerequisite.

**  Students who have not had Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry prior to their junior year may have to double-up on a science or take a science through an alternate avenue, depending on the IB science they choose. Students who are missing any other pre-requisite course may have to take it during their elective periods or via an alternate avenue (e.g., summer school, online, etc.).

For additional information, contact:

Dr. Sally Krisel, Director of Innovative & Advanced Programs – This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Johnson High School – http://www.hallco.org/johnsonhs/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28&Itemid=39&limitstart=2 (Ms. Amanda Griffin, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

North Hall High School – http://teacherpages.hallco.org/webpages/acox/index.cfm (Ms. Anita Cox, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

West Hall High School – http://teacherpages.hallco.org/webpages/lecke/index.cfm (Ms. Laurie Ecke, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )