First in the district: Alachua County to launch elementary IB program
Alachua County Public Schools has selected the site of the district’s first International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP).
The program — which will launch at Williams Elementary School — is designed for elementary school students and is a whole school program, meaning all students at the school will participate. It is in place at many schools throughout the world, including in Florida.
The inquiry-based program operates across subject areas and grade levels. The International Baccalaureate Organization says IB PYP “offers a stimulating, challenging learning environment that nurtures the whole child and fosters a lifelong love of learning for all.”
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The IB PYP will launch at Williams Elementary this fall. Any students currently enrolled at the school as well as students zoned for it next year will automatically transition into the PYP, including students in the existing magnet program. It also will be offered to elementary school students throughout the district as a magnet program.
"I’m excited about the opportunity for Williams Elementary to pilot the program in Alachua County Public Schools," said Anyana Stokes, Williams Elementary principal, in an email. "I like the focus on the whole child, the language immersion, the inquiry-based learning and the other elements of the IB PYP that will support and enhance our efforts to provide all our students access to a rigorous curriculum."
Stokes was selected as principal of the year in 2023 and represented the district in statewide recognition programs.
Superintendent Shane Andrew has advocated for an IB program throughout his time at the district. He previously proposed, amidst funding and rezoning troubles, to turn the vacant Prairie View Elementary School campus into a new east Gainesville magnet school.
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School Board members expressed concern with this plan and how the district would fund it. The Sun previously reported that other than being used as a “swing” or temporary school, Prairie View — which can hold about 700 students — has remained vacant since 2008.
“I’ve been a principal at an International Baccalaureate school, and I’ve seen the benefits it offers students,” Andrew said in a press release. “I’m very excited about the opportunities that the IB PYP will provide for all students at Williams to learn, thrive and grow.”
Andrew formerly led Eastside High School, which has had a successful IB program for decades, for five years.
The district said in a press release that it decided to establish the IB PYP program “at an existing school with a diverse student population, staff and infrastructure already in place and room for students zoned for other schools who may be interested in applying.”
The district’s 2024-25 school year magnet application window runs through Feb. 13. The magnet application, along with additional information, can be found at www.sbac.edu/magnet.
An open house about the program for families in the district who may be interested in applying will be held at Williams Elementary on Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. The district says additional informational sessions will be scheduled in the future.
More information is available at www.sbac.edu/WilliamsPYP.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Alachua County International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme
