PVCICS Authorized to be an IB World School (February 11, 2015)
Bringing an international education to the Pioneer Valley
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School achieves International Baccalaureate World School status
February 11, 2015 – The Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (PVCICS) was informed by the International Baccalaureate Organization that they have successfully completed the authorization process to become an International Baccalaureate World School. PVCICS will begin offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program in their high school in the fall of 2015.
PVCICS’s mission is to graduate students bilingual and biliterate in English and Mandarin Chinese. Most students enter PVCICS with no background in Mandarin in Kindergarten, 6th grade or 9th grades. As a public charter school, entrance is by lottery and there is no tuition.
Principal Kathleen Wang said, “We wanted to offer our high school students a college preparatory program that is a logical extension of our Chinese immersion program. The IB Diploma Program is an internationally recognized program in the 11th and 12th grades. Our students and teachers will become part of an international network of schools around the world. We are delighted to become an IB World School and we look forward to giving students in the Pioneer Valley an international education.”
“PVCICS is nationally known for its Chinese immersion program”, said Executive Director Richard Alcorn, “Offering the IB Diploma Program is part of our mission to prepare well-rounded bilingual and biliterate students. With the IB Diploma Program, we expect our students will be prepared for success beyond high school in the United States and abroad. “
About the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (PVCICS)
PVCICS is a tuition-free regional public charter school located in Hadley, Massachusetts, which has roughly 400 K-10th grade students from nearly 30 communities in the PioneerValley. PVCICS prepares students for academic and cross-cultural success through rigorous study and instruction aligned with state and federal standards, augmented with Chinese language and culture. PVCICS will be adding grades 11 and 12 in 2015 and 2016 respectively until full K-12 grade span is reached. PVCICS focuses on graduating students with excellent scholarship, high proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and English, and sensitivity to multiple cultures. For more information, please see www.pvcics.org .
About the International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate is a not-for profit foundation, which offers four high quality and challenging educational programs for a worldwide community of schools. For over 40 years, IB programs have gained a reputation for their high academic standards, for preparing students for life in a globalized 21st century, and for helping to develop the citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world. Founded in 1968, currently there are over 1 million IB students at 3,800 schools in 147 countries across the world. For more information about the International Baccalaureate please visit www.ibo.org.