IB Africa/Europe/Middle East - February 2006 Newsletter

IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East Staff

Although the IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East staff is quite stable, we do have changes from time to time and attached is a chart reflecting our current structure.

Newcomers

A warm welcome to the following newcomers, some of whom joined us at the beginning of the year while others are about to join us.  I wish them an interesting experience in IBAEM!

Yvonne Berliner, DP associate regional manager who I introduced in my September 2005 newsletter

Paul Ellis, DP associate regional manager: Paul is from the UK and before coming to IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East was head of modern foreign languages in Felsted School in the UK

Jorge Garcia Tarodo, events unit assistant: Jorge comes from Spain and previously worked in the finance department of a multinational company in Geneva

Jane Taylor, PYP associate regional manager, will join us at the end of February 2006.  Jane is a New Zealander and has worked in international education in New York, Munich and Auckland

Patrick Le Roy, finance/business manager who is Swiss, Hélène Imai-Girard, finance officer who is French and Christine Cochet, finance officer who is both French and Swiss, joined the IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East team on 1 January 2006.  Previously they were part of the IB Headquarters office in Geneva

Moves and Changes

Svante Ingler, DP associate regional manager, currently located in the Stockholm office, will join the Geneva office in August (see Stockholm office item below)

Danielle Boiston and Anil Rikhye have both been re-graded to the position of associate events manager

Beverley Rousset, who was formerly with us on a temporary basis, has now been appointed as events administrative assistant

Goodbyes

We have to say goodbye to the following people.  I should like to thank them for their work and commitment.  We wish them an enjoyable and successful future!

Patricia Berner, DP administrative assistant, leaves at the end of March 2006 and intends to study Spanish in Spain

Fiona Kalinowski, PYP associate regional manager, will leave in July to take up the position of head of academic affairs in a school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Hannele Malmström, administrative officer, is leaving the Stockholm office in June

Maureen McGilvray, PYP associate regional manager (ad interim), leaves at the end of February 2006 to join the International School of Toulouse

Massimo Rosa, events assistant, also left in December 2005 to go back to his home country of Italy

Phil Thomas left us in December 2005 to return to his retirement

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IBSW - IBAEM'S Stockholm Office

The office in Stockholm will close in June 2006.  The main reason for this decision is due to IBAEM’s action plan and goal to ‘identify and put in place an effective regional structure which will best serve the geographic needs and the growth of programmes across the region, optimising the use of staffing resource both existing and projected‘.

The Stockholm staff, Hannele Malmström and Svante Ingler, were offered the opportunity to join the Geneva office.  Svante, as mentioned earlier, accepted the offer and will move to Geneva in August 2006.  Hannele, for personal reasons, declined our offer.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her long, committed and professional service to the IB.  Over the years it was always a pleasure to work with Hannele and we wish her all the best for the future.

The Geneva office already looks after the MYP and PYP for schools in the Nordic countries and in Eastern and Central Europe as well as professional development for all three programmes.

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Newly Authorized Schools in the Region (from October 2005)

DP

MYP

PYP

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IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East Action Plan

The majority of you are now familiar with the IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East action plan for the next three years.  However, newcomers can see the regional office goals featured in my September 2006 newsletter, but for everyone’s information here are some updates in the plan:

Goal 1

Some regional tasks have been planned across two or all the three of the programmes, such as the science conference for DP/MYP we held in Barcelona in October 2005, an information day and workshops for DP/MYP/PYP held in Johannesburg in January 2006 with joint plenaries for the opening and closing of the event, a joint DP/MYP/PYP evaluation visit to the American International School of Lusaka scheduled for April 2006, training for leaders of all three programmes due to take place in Geneva in April 2006.

Goal 2

We have conducted training for those who assist the regional office in DP authorization visits.

Goal 3

There is no change in the main thrust of our banding exercise.  However, the situation concerning the impact of our programmes in some areas/countries evolved slightly.  For more information, see the sections on Recognition and Promotion.

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Professional Development

Science Conference in Barcelona, October 2005

As announced in an earlier newsletter, we wanted to introduce a conference format for experienced diploma teachers to alternate with the traditional workshops and also in consideration of the curriculum review cycle.

The first conference of this kind was held in Barcelona in October 2005 and was designed for experienced DP and MYP science teachers.  Invited guest speakers gave a lecture on each of the three days.

The conference format gave a wide choice of sessions for teachers to choose from and the opportunity to present themes common to all science subjects in both the MYP and DP.  In addition there were programme specific and cross programme sessions on particular IB topics.  Sessions were held in English and Spanish.

The overall evaluation was very positive but there is certainly room for improvement.  We thank participants for constructive suggestions which we will consider when planning a similar conference for DP group 3 teachers in November 2006.

MYP Workshops for Teachers and Administrators, Amman, November 2005

Many of you would agree if I say that our workshops and conferences provide participants with a forum to share, comment and learn about good teaching and learning practice within a truly international atmosphere.  However, sometimes this is not without some risk.  This was the case during our MYP workshops in November 2005 in Amman.  I would like to pay tribute to participants, organizers, hosts and all their families who faced such difficult moments.  It is our profound hope that no-one will ever have to face such a tragedy again.

DP Programme Team Leader Training, Geneva, December 2005

The IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East DP unit held training workshops in Geneva,
8-9 December 2005, for experienced DP practioners.  The objective of these training sessions was to ensure that the team members who help the regional office staff with authorization visits were aware of and updated in the whole IBDP authorization process.

The two days were well spent and all participants went away with a better and more professional outlook of what the process entails.

IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East Information Day and Workshops for DP/MYP/PYP, Johannesburg, January 2006

The Regional DP/MYP/PYP Workshops were held at the Indaba Hotel and Conference Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 11-14 January 2006.  The event was supported by the American International School of Johannesburg who provided logistic and material support.

The workshops for the three programmes were treated as separate events in the traditional workshop format but there were common opening and closing plenary sessions.  A total of 179 participants attended 16 workshops for the three programmes.

In connection with the workshops an Information Day for interested schools was held on 11 January.  Staff from IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East made general presentations on the IB, its educational philosophy, structure and the services it offers. Programme specific issues were then discussed in break-out groups to give participants a complete picture of the “IB World”.  This was the first time that four separate events were "rolled into one" and held concurrently.

MYP Assessment "Think Tank", Geneva, February 2006

On 3-4 February 2006, the IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East MYP unit in Geneva hosted a meeting to discuss MYP assessment issues. The meeting included school practitioners, IBCA and IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East representatives, 11 people in total.  It was a privilege to have this opportunity to share and debate assessment related issues.

One of the objectives of the meeting was to clarify some dimensions of assessment in order to better advise schools when they contact the regional office. A report about the meeting will be circulated internally to see how it can inform future MYP curriculum review/ development.

Training of Workshop Leaders, Geneva, April 2006

From 9-11 April 2006, the PYP and MYP units will offer experienced workshop leader training.  Workshop leaders for the two programmes have been invited to further develop their understanding of the programme but also to learn from the other programme about

• threads across the programmes
• issues pertaining the transition between the programmes
• training methods used by the other programme which can enhance our workshops

Approximately 10 workshop leaders for each programme will meet in Geneva for 2½ days.

Parallel to the PYP/MYP training there will also be training of new workshop leaders for the DP.  This is yet another event where we bring the three programmes together and we hope it will be a good opportunity for workshop leaders to meet across the programmes.

We intend to further strengthen this holistic approach in a similar event in 2007

Summer Workshops

The following summer workshops have been scheduled

PYP Workshops, Bucharest, 2-7 July 2006

MYP Workshops for teachers/coordinators new to the programme, Basel, 3-7 July 2006

DP Workshops for teachers/coordinators new to the programme, Athens, 27 June-1 July 2006

DP Workshops for teachers/coordinators new to the programme, Athens, 3-7 July 2006

Athens Conference for Educational Leadership Teams, October 2006

The biennial conference will be held in Athens, 12-14 October 2006.

You will very soon be receiving a form requesting presentations for the conference sessions and we look forward to receiving your responses.

So far the following guest speakers have been invited: IB's new director general, Jeffrey Beard, and the writer, Apostolos Doxiadis.

In response to the wish expressed by many coordinators, we have set aside one day as programme specific to enable coordinators and heads/administrators to meet in smaller groups to focus on their most relevant issues.  The other two days will offer plenary sessions and concurrent sessions and we will invite people from the outside and schools to submit presentation proposals.

Workshops in Cooperation

The demand for workshops sometime exceeds what the regional office can offer in a given year.  We have created the possibility for schools or sub-regional associations to organize workshops for experienced teachers.  We call these workshops in cooperation with the IB.  Please contact Arlina Traanberg at the regional office so we can send you the appropriate information material.

This year there have been two PYP workshops held in Hilversum in January 2006 ("Math in the PYP" and "Early Childhood in the PYP"), one PYP workshop in Paris in February 2006 ("PYP as an Inclusive Programme"), two DP workshops are scheduled in the UK for June ("DP Workshop for Experienced Diploma Teachers: Biology, Chemistry, English A1, TOK and Physics / Business and Management, Psychology, Economics, History and Mathematics") and DP Theatre Arts workshops are on the drawing board for October 2006 which will also be held in the UK.

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Recognition

Kazakhstan

We are happy to announce that the MYP certificate has been recognized by the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science as equivalent to Kazakh Standards Certificate (Directive #175-17March2005)

Spain

As a continuation in our efforts to improve the present situation in Spain concerning the recognition of DP by the Spanish authorities, we had a meeting in November 2005 with representatives from IB schools and the Ministry of Education.  A proposal concerning an "integrated curriculum" was submitted by the representatives of IB private and state schools.  Another meeting is scheduled at the Ministry for April 2006 to discuss this proposal further.

Greece

In January we had a meeting with Professor Andreas Karamanos, Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs in Athens together with two heads of Greek schools representing the IB community in Greece.  During this meeting information on the IB programmes was provided and possibilities for a pilot project with a state school were mentioned.  A follow-up visit is envisaged for July 2006. 

Morocco

During my visit to Morocco in February 2006, I participated in two conferences held in Casablanca.  The first was organized by the three IB schools in Casablanca and was attended by about 500 people.  The main focus of the conference was on the three IB programmes and was interspersed with performances by IB students.  The other event was organized by Mr Andaloussi, a member of our RAC, and was attended by Moroccan educators, ministries and representatives from industry.  The theme of the conference was "New Methods and Pedagogical Approaches to Improve the Quality of Teaching".

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Promotion

World Conference for Heads of IB Schools

This conference was held in Bangkok in October 2005.  I had the pleasure to meet many of you from the IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East region but it was also a good opportunity to become familiar with other contexts and situations.

MEIBA

In November 2005 I attended the Middle East International Baccalaureate Association (MEIBA) conference held in Doha, Qatar.  Once again the IB schools from the region met to discuss common issues, developments and specific concerns  I also met officials from the Ministry of Education of Qatar as there is great interest in introducing the IB DP in some state schools.. I visited and met with the staff and administrators of one of these schools.

CERN

I was invited in November 2005 to visit CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and to attend an event organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the Science on Stage Festival.  Apart from an exhibition on sciences from a range of countries, there was a live radio link with the International Space Station and students from different countries had the opportunity to pose questions directly to the astronauts.  The ESA later provided us with International Space Station (ISS) Education Kits for the PYP and MYP age groups.  Further details of their kits are available from the ESA ISS website.

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Coordinator Notes

Important reminders from the DP Coordinator Notes, November 2005

• there are new rules concerning the use of calculators from May 2006
• the coordinator is responsible for providing access to OCC for teachers in their school
• classical languages: schools should be aware of the suggested previous knowledge of Latin and Greek before commencing the subject
• from May 2006 please note the changes in the internal and external assessment for Economics
• there is a new glossary for ITGS
• Psychology: your attention is drawn to the internal assessment requirements
• Visual Arts: there is an important change in the internal assessment commencing in May 2006

Important reminders from the PYP Coordinator Notes, January 2006

• from July 2006 the PYP coordinator notes will be available as an online publication only, from the OCC and IBNET/IBIS

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Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) /
Regional Heads Representative Committee (RHRC)

The fundamental role of the IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East RAC is to support and work collaboratively with the regional director, and through this office offer suggestions to the director general that will enhance the awareness and knowledge of the Africa/Europe/Middle East region, and thus, further the development of the educational goals of the IB in this region.

The maximum number of members is 11 and the current membership of the RAC is as follows

Mr M’hammed Abbad Andaloussi   

President, Attijariwafa Bank Foundation, Casablanca, Morocco

Mrs Anja-Liisa Alanko    

Head, Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu, Helsinki, Finland

Dr Hani Dabbagh

E-Channels Manager, Hewlett Packard, Geneva, Switzerland

Mr Gareth Jones

Headmaster, International School of Paris, France

Mr Michael Matthews

Head, Inter-Community School Zürich, Switzerland

Dr Waddah Nasr 

Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Ms Sema Kan Ozkaya

Principal, Eyüboglu High School, Istanbul, Turkey

Dr Peter Stoldt 

Formerly at KMK, Weyhe, Germany

We are in the process of nominating new members to fill the current vacancies on the committee.

The purpose of the RHRC, whose membership is limited to eight members, is

1. to reflect as professional educators the needs and concerns of IB schools in the region

2. to propose, react to and assist in the development and evaluation of the policies of the IB through its representatives on the IHRC

3. to liaise with the regional director on matters of common interest

The RHCR membership is as follows

Mr Ian Andain

Headteacher, Broadgreen School, Liverpool, UK

Mr Michael Matthews

Head, Inter-Community School Zürich, Switzerland

Mrs Haifa Hajjar Najjar

General Director, Ahliyyah School for Girls, Amman, Jordan

Mr Gareth Jones

Headmaster, International School of Paris, France

Mr Neil McWilliam

Headmaster, International School of Dusseldorf e.V., Germany

Ms Sema Kan Ozkaya (last meeting April 2006)

Principal, Eyüboglu High School, Istanbul, Turkey

Mrs Kathy Ricks

Headmistress, Sevenoaks School, UK

From October 2006, the following will also be members of the RHRC

Mrs Samia Al Farra

Principal, Amman Baccalaureate School, Jordan

Mr Teuvo Laurinolli

Head, Oulun Lyseon lukio, Finland

Two of the four heads on the RAC must come from the RHRC.  Efforts have been made to achieve an appropriate representation in the RAC membership to reflect the cultural and geographical diversity of the region.  It is hoped that the same diversity can be achieved in the RHRC membership.

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IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East Units

See who you are talking to or emailing when you next contact the regional office!

	Administration Arlina Traanberg, Nélida Antuña Baragaño, Åke Sörman, Jane Marin
DP Unit Yvonne Berliner, Proserpina Dhlamini-Fisher, Paul Ellis (Patricia Berner absent)
	MYP Unit Christine Bierer-Armfield, Roy Whittet, Luz María Gutiérrez Vittini (Heleen Tims absent)
PYP Unit Sandra Sutter-Tompkins, Ann Hickey ( Fiona Kalinowski, Maureen McGilvray absent)
	Events Unit Beverley Rousset, Anil Rikhye, Batchuluun (Zula) Munkhzul, Jorge Garcia Tarodo, Françoise Bel Merabet, Danielle Boiston
Finance Unit Hélène Imai-Girard, Mehdi Keddari, Christine Cochet (Patrick Le Roy absent)

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