With over 60 years of experience in education and an alumni cohort of more than 6,000, Saint Joseph School (SJS) is one of the major Catholic schools in Lebanon. The SJS curriculum is based on the official Lebanese curriculum and has developed along the years into a dynamic worksheet changing punctually with the emergence of new approaches to teaching and learning.
Today, we are pleased to announce to our community that we will be adding the IBDP to our program starting academic year 2022-2023.
For around five decades, the IB’s global curriculum has reached nearly 5,000 schools worldwide, teaching 1.25 million students the importance of multicultural understanding for a more peaceful world. With more than 75,000 new teachers being trained each year, IB certified schools, such as SJS, take students through rigorous assessment of international education, encouraging young individuals to be compassionate life-long learners who strive to be accepting of cultural differences and diverse world-views.
Our expert IB staff members have been following rigorous training with the IBO and are today ready to mentor students to excel in the Diploma Program which will be offered in our Secondary School for next year’s Second Secondary students. Although offered only at the secondary level, the program is challenging the whole school to embrace new teaching methodologies at all the levels and in all divisions.
The IB program allows students to develop depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding. Students participate in CAS projects (Creativity, Activity, and Service) which allow them to learn through experiments and take action in the service of others and the community. Our IB teachers will support students as they turn learning into action by unleashing the unique potentials of each. The program also offers two other elements crucial to the development of skills that equip students to thrive at university and in future careers: the Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge. These two elements require students to develop reflective thinking and independent research and organizational skills. The IB Diploma Program teaches students to be culturally aware and internationally-minded individuals prepared to compete on a global level with all students of their age.
At SJS, our students will be given a chance to choose 6 out of 10 academically rigorous courses. These courses are stimulating for students who want to challenge themselves into becoming self-confident young adults. The Learner Profile is at the heart of the IB’s program; it transfers the IB mission statement into action. The Learner Profile provides a set of 10 attributes which aim to inspire and motivate the whole school community. It exposes both teachers and students to multiple perspectives, communicating their own opinions, balancing academic work with activities, and allowing for personal growth.
All higher education institutions in Lebanon and all major universities around the globe consider performance in the IB program for the purpose of admissions. Universities world-wide understand the IB’s challenging course of studies and rigorous assessment procedures; thus, they know the skills that IB students have acquired during their course of study. As for the degree equivalence, the Lebanese Ministry of Education gives an equivalence of the Lebanese Baccalaureate to all student who have succeeded their IB Diploma Program in a recognized school in Lebanon.
On behalf of our IB educators and the entire SJS staff, we look forward to helping your children aspire to dare and go beyond whether they choose the Lebanese Program or the IB DP program.
Nancy Timonian, Ed. D.
Vice Rector for Academics
IB DP Coordinator
Saint Joseph School
Cornet Chehwan, Lebanon