Jefferson students learn keys to success
June 9, 2009 was an historic day in Carlsbad Unified School District.
On that day, Jefferson Elementary School became one of only 13 elementary schools in California to receive accreditation as an International Baccalaureate (IB) school.
The IB program addresses students' academic and social needs through a global lens. Established in Switzerland in 1968, IB is intended to encourage students around the world to become active, compassionate learners through intellectual understanding and respect.
Academic subjects are taught around six universal themes embraced by the entire Jefferson faculty school: who we are, where we are in place and time, how we express ourselves, how the world works, how we organize ourselves and how we share the planet.
The themes are designed to stimulate thinking, questioning and exploration of issues that have global significance. In keeping with the global emphasis, students study foreign language from the beginning of the program to the end.
Currently, the school uses Rosetta Stone to teach Spanish, French, Mandarin and German.
All Jefferson teachers are trained in the IB curriculum and many are also bilingual.
Student Leadership and Responsibility
When you step onto the Jefferson campus, the core attitudes of Appreciation, Cooperation, Curiosity, Independence, Respect and Tolerance are everywhere. In 2011, Jefferson mom and artist Tamara Moody brought these attitudes to life by painting a 10-by-40-foot playground mural as a daily reminder. Students take great pride in the way they treat one another and their school.
Over the years, the Jefferson community has demonstrated its commitment to social responsibility, student leadership, and global awareness. For example, Jefferson parent Jill McManigal founded Kids for Peace, which has grown to more than 100 school chapters spanning six continents. Kids for Peace also became the springboard for the highly successful Great Kindness Challenge in which students throughout Carlsbad Unified and beyond keep track of all the kind deeds they can perform in the same week.
Pathway for Success
Jefferson's IB Program offers an internationally-recognized pathway to generate knowledgeable, open-minded and caring learners.
The school's Academic Performance Index (API) has risen steadily year after year, from a respectable 804 in 2007 to an impressive 852 in 2012.
Principal Chad Lund credits the dedicated teachers, committed parents and eager students for the program's success.
"It takes an incredible team to develop every learner's mind so that he or she is a contributor and problem-solver in tomorrow's world," said Lund. "Our IB program and what it encompasses is successful because of the people who believe in it and lead it."
At Jefferson Elementary, students aren't just learning how to "be smart." They're learning how to "act smart" as they shape a better future for all of us.
June 9, 2009 was an historic day in Carlsbad Unified School District.
On that day, Jefferson Elementary School became one of only 13 elementary schools in California to receive accreditation as an International Baccalaureate (IB) school.
The IB program addresses students' academic and social needs through a global lens. Established in Switzerland in 1968, IB is intended to encourage students around the world to become active, compassionate learners through intellectual understanding and respect.
Academic subjects are taught around six universal themes embraced by the entire Jefferson faculty school: who we are, where we are in place and time, how we express ourselves, how the world works, how we organize ourselves and how we share the planet.
The themes are designed to stimulate thinking, questioning and exploration of issues that have global significance. In keeping with the global emphasis, students study foreign language from the beginning of the program to the end.
Currently, the school uses Rosetta Stone to teach Spanish, French, Mandarin and German.
All Jefferson teachers are trained in the IB curriculum and many are also bilingual.
Student Leadership and Responsibility
When you step onto the Jefferson campus, the core attitudes of Appreciation, Cooperation, Curiosity, Independence, Respect and Tolerance are everywhere. In 2011, Jefferson mom and artist Tamara Moody brought these attitudes to life by painting a 10-by-40-foot playground mural as a daily reminder. Students take great pride in the way they treat one another and their school.
Over the years, the Jefferson community has demonstrated its commitment to social responsibility, student leadership, and global awareness. For example, Jefferson parent Jill McManigal founded Kids for Peace, which has grown to more than 100 school chapters spanning six continents. Kids for Peace also became the springboard for the highly successful Great Kindness Challenge in which students throughout Carlsbad Unified and beyond keep track of all the kind deeds they can perform in the same week.
Pathway for Success
Jefferson's IB Program offers an internationally-recognized pathway to generate knowledgeable, open-minded and caring learners.
The school's Academic Performance Index (API) has risen steadily year after year, from a respectable 804 in 2007 to an impressive 852 in 2012.
Principal Chad Lund credits the dedicated teachers, committed parents and eager students for the program's success.
"It takes an incredible team to develop every learner's mind so that he or she is a contributor and problem-solver in tomorrow's world," said Lund. "Our IB program and what it encompasses is successful because of the people who believe in it and lead it."
At Jefferson Elementary, students aren't just learning how to "be smart." They're learning how to "act smart" as they shape a better future for all of us.