IB Parent Newsletter

Hello to our Vandegrift IB families,

Welcome to our first IB Parent Newsletter of the school year! We are thrilled to have completed the first three weeks of school, and what a start it has been. Congratulations to our students on their hard work, energy, and enthusiasm—especially our new IB juniors, who have embraced the challenge of IB coursework with passion and excitement. The IB teaching staff is equally excited to work with this new cohort of students, and we can't wait to see what they'll accomplish this year.

This newsletter will be sent out once a month, and we hope it will keep you connected with what's happening in the program. We'll share quick updates and photos from IB classes and activities. As always, I am here to support you, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

A big thank you to all the parents who attended our Open House! It was a pleasure meeting so many of you. If you didn’t get a chance to attend, no worries—you can still access our IB New Student Pack with helpful resources about the program.

These accomplishments reflect not only the hard work and determination of our students, but also the outstanding support and guidance provided by our educators and the unwavering encouragement from parents like you.

The Extended Essay (EE) is an essential component of the IB Diploma Program, offering students the opportunity to conduct in-depth research on a topic of their choice, fostering critical thinking and independent research skills. Here are some specific updates related to the different cohorts:

Senior Updates:

Current seniors returned to school in August with their first full draft of the EE complete. Recently they have been meeting individually with our EE Coordinator, Ms. Lopez, to review formatting, proper citations, and planning next drafting steps. Seniors should next be scheduling a meeting with their personal EE Supervisor (assigned in the spring) to review their draft and consult on research progress.

Here’s a look at some of our amazing EE Research Questions for the Class of 2025:

• What effect does engine placement have on an airfoil’s overall lift generating capability and, consequently, its ability to operate efficiently relative to a baseline?
• To what extent has the introduction of Amazon’s 2018 “Minimum Wage Increase” policy greatly affected the company in terms of employee satisfaction and set the tone for other companies?
• How does difference in optimum temperature (°C) act as a determinant of percent identity in extremophilic microorganisms such as Methanococcoides burtonii and Pyrococcus furiosus?
• How are both traditional Aztec and western music influences seen in Los Cogelones, ‘Mexica?’
• To what extent was the Clean Water Act successful in meeting its primary goal of regulating the emission of pollutants into the waters of the US and regulating quality standards for surface water from 1972 to 1982?

Junior Updates:

All diploma candidates in the Class of 2026 are currently in our “IB EE Study Lab”. This semester-long course is intended to prepare students with the research skills needed for not only individual IB subject IA’s (internal assessments), but their eventual Extended Essay process that will begin in November. Juniors are currently working on their first Mini-Research Project! A full look at the semester calendar for this course can be found here.

College application season is officially in full swing! Many of our seniors are preparing their applications through the Common Application (CommonApp) and other platforms. As a reminder, there are several important deadlines approaching. Many schools have early action and early decision deadlines on November 1st, so it’s essential that students stay organized and keep track of all their individual application due dates.

For those who would like to request a Letter of Recommendation from me as their coordinator or teacher, it is important to complete the Google Form Request at least 30 days prior to your first application deadline. This will give me enough time to craft a thoughtful and personalized letter.

We will soon begin IB exam registrations for all seniors and some juniors sitting for “SL” exams, starting in early October. I will be visiting IB English and Science classes to assist students with their registrations. Please remember that, like AP exams, IB exam registrations and payments will be processed through Total Registration. Stay tuned for more detailed information.

A recent research study published by the International Baccalaureate Organization explores the postsecondary outcomes of IB graduates in the United States. The study highlights that IB Diploma graduates are more likely to attend college, persist through their programs, and graduate on time compared to non-IB students. Furthermore, IB students often attend more selective institutions and report feeling better prepared for college-level coursework. These findings emphasize the strong foundation the IB Program provides for our students' future success. Read the full report here.

• IB English Juniors to the Blanton: Mrs. Zaza and Ms. Warkentin will be taking all IB Juniors to the Blanton Museum of Art on the UT Campus. Students will experience a guided tour of the Blanton from a staff member, and will learn to analyze and engage with artworks to use for their later Paper 1 Practice Analysis Activity. More info coming soon!
  

In the first week of school, IB seniors participated in an activity called “See, Run, Do”. Students had to divide into different roles and essentially play a live game of telephone to try and recreate a poster without the “Do-ers” seeing the poster at all. Students had to try different strategies of communication and description to relay the proper information to their teammates.

Mr. Bargsley's 2nd Period IB History class split into groups to practice breaking an essay exam prompt. The groups were tasked with organizing their evidence from previous classes to support their perspective and argument. Groups then compared their theses and gave critical feedback to another group for improvement.

Both Juniors and Seniors recently combined classes to participate in the first “bonding” activity of the year. Teams worked through various puzzles/riddles to ultimately find puzzle pieces around the school and complete their final puzzle with the fastest time. This was the first opportunity for IB juniors to meet the seniors in the program.

Juniors in Mrs. Zaza's class engaged in a Mini Socratic Seminar centered around memoirs that explore the multifaceted theme of identity. Individual book club "Leader(s) of the Day" posed questions and led others in thoughtful dialogue, diving deep into personal narratives, and examining how identity is shaped by experiences, culture, and self-perception. For the final question, students regrouped and compared different books and identities as crafted by the author.