Bishop Amat Memorial High School

International Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate Programme

"I am pleased to inform you that your school's application to participate in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme has been accepted to teach the programme on 1 August 2005. You may now state that your school is authorized by the IBO to offer this programme."

Congratulations to Bishop Amat's FIRST IB Cohort of the Class of 2007

(l-r top row:) Joshua Tang, Fernando Meza Gutierrez, Matthew Saucedo, Joshua Cui, Nathaniel Quintana, Scott Lozynsky and Vincent Macias; (l-r bottom row:) Kathryn LaBouff, Jessica Herrera, Zitadel Anne Perez, Claire Guevara, Julia Carrillo, Alison Tamayo, Amanda Ragano, Nicole Dominguez, Abigail Sabalburo. Not-pictured: Michelle Franco

Bishop Amat's Second IB Cohort, IB Diploma candidates, Class of 2008.

The Third IB Full Diploma Cohort of Bishop Amat High School, Class of 2009.

The International Baccalaureate Curriculum

To participate in the IB Program means participating in a challenging, broad-based curriculum that opens a student to issues affecting the community and the world. Choosing this program allows students:

To be prepared for a rigorous course of studies offered at the finest colleges and universities
To earn college credit and advanced standing at many colleges and universities
To enhance chances of admission to those institutions
To work toward earning an internationally acclaimed diploma
To attain an international perspective throughout all disciplines
To enhance a sense of community and global awareness

To Earn the IB Diploma:

Complete EE, TOK, and CAS
Complete all classroom work (Take all six courses and all six exams)
Exams are scored on 1-7 scale (Must accumulate 24 points total on six exams)
TOK : stimulates critical reflection on knowledge and experience; students examine the grounds for moral, political and aesthetic judgments .
EE : Acquaints diploma candidates with the kind of independent research and writing skills expected by universities.
CAS : helps students become responsible, compassionate citizens; arts activities, Participation in individual and team sports but also taking part in expeditions, local and international projects; also creativity shown in designing and implementing service projects; community and social service activities.
EE : Acquaints diploma candidates with the kind of independent research and writing skills expected by universities.

Diploma Course Offerings Starting fall 2005-2006

IB Subject Group	Grade Level	Courses Offered	Higher / Standard Level
Group 1 : Language A1	grade 11	English Language, IB
	grade 12	English Literature, AP/IB	HL
Group 2 : LanguageB, A2 , ab initio, Classical Languages	grade 11	Spanish Language, AP/IB	SL
	grade 12	Spanish Literature, AP/IB	HL
Pending	grade 12	IB Latin
	grade 12	IB French	SL
Group 3 : Individuals and Societies	grade 12	Macroeconomics, Microeconomics	SL
	grade 11	AP US History	SL
	grade 12	History of Americas	HL
Group 4 : Experimental Sciences	grade 11/12	Advanced Placement Biology	SL
	grade 11/12	IB Biology / Anatomy	HL
Group 5 : Mathematics & Computer Science	grade 11/12	Honors Math Analysis (Math Studies)	SL
	grade 12	Advanced Placement Calculus AB (Math Methods)	SL
Group 6 : Arts	grade 12	Advanced Placement Studio Art	SL/HL
	grade 12	Advanced Band / Music solo	SL
	grade 12	Theatre Arts	HL
Theory of Knowledge	grade 11-12	Theory of Knowledge

< Course Descriptions >

Brief History of IB at Amat

On May 29, 2003 Bishop Amat Memorial High School made a formal application to the International Baccalaureate Organization office in New York to be accepted as a member of the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma granting institutions.

Filing of the application does not guarantee acceptance. The school first underwent a rigorous procedure to determine if the school community was ready and had the appropriate resources to support this unique international curriculum. Representatives of IB in the New York office read the school's application and determined that the school was sufficiently prepared to warrant a site visit. The site visit was conducted in the spring of 2004. Following adjustments based on that site visit, Bishop Amat was authroized and approved to begin offering IB courses in the fall of 2005 for students in the Class of 2007. In the application the school proposed to commence with teaching the courses listed above.

In the 2005-2006 school year 21 members of the Class of 2007 started the rigorous IB Program taking a selection of courses. By the end of the year 18 students remained as candidates for the Full Diploma. For the Class of 2008 15 students have agreed to commence the program in the fall of 2006. The initial cohort of IB candidates will graduate in June, 2007, although final results will not be posted until mid-July.

The IB Curriculum is an intense two-year course of study for students in grades 11 and 12 that leads to the IB Full Diploma. Students must take IB courses in six different subject areas. Each course concludes with an external assessment composed of the IB exam taken in May. In addition, Full Diploma candidates take a course in Theory of Knowledge, complete 150 hours of community service, creativity, and participation in school activities, such as sports. Finally each Full Diploma candidate must write an original research essay of 4000 words on a topic of their choice. Students who meet all these requirements and earn the full diploma are considered to have the finest University preparation in the world. Many Universities admit these students as advanced, believing the IB Full diploma demonstrates the student has completed the equivalent of the freshman year of college.

In May of 2007 seventeen Bishop Amat seniors sit for their final assessments en route to earning the first International Baccalaureate Diplomas for students also graduating from Bishop Amat. Congratulations Lancers.

< Amat's FIRST IB Art Show >

< Amat's SECOND IB Art Show >