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Transitions happen all throughout a students' academic journey here at Northbridge International School Cambodia. As an IB continuum school, Northbridge students go through important stages of development as they transition from the Primary Years Programme (PYP), to Middle Years Programme (MYP) and then from the MYP to the Diploma Programme (DP).
Furthermore, these programmes end with an accumulation of a substantial academic project, which includes successfully completing their PYP Exhibition in grade 5, exploring their passion in developing their Personal Project in grade 10 and mastering their research skills with their Extended Essay in grade 12. As a result of these transitions our grade 12 students have gained valuable skills and knowledge when they graduate with the IB Diploma at the end of their academic journey in grade 12.
As Willie Stargell pointed out “Life is one big Transition”, and our current grade 11s are experiencing one of these important transitions in their academic journey. They are realizing the rigorous leap they have to undergo moving from the MYP programme into the DP programme. To help in this transition, grade 11 students were recently welcomed into the IB Diploma Programme during DP Induction Day.
DP Induction Day enabled our grade 11 students to build cohesion as a cohort, developing an identity that revolved around the attributes of the learner profile. In this team building exercise, students were able to self reflect and evaluate which attributes they connected with most as a cohort. From their self assessment, it was evident that the majority of our students would like to be caring, balanced, thinkers and principled as they navigate through the Diploma Programme.
Moreover, DP Induction Day enabled our grade 11 students to understand the key components of the Diploma Programme. This includes Creativity, Activity and Service, Theory of Knowledge, and the Extended Essay. The students were explained what the learning outcomes they would need to achieve to complete their CAS journey which includes creating their own CAS Project. This is a transition from the expectation of just Service as Action (SA) in the MYP.
Students completed a scavenger hunt of the TOK guide to better familiarize them with the important elements and terminology related to TOK. TOK is a subject where students develop their critical thinking skills. In their Extended Essay session, our grade 11s were able to develop research questions and ask their EE coordinator elements of a successful Extended Essay.
Finally, our University Counselor Ms. Gill gave our incoming Diploma cohort an overview of the process of applying for Universities using our Unifrog platform. This is another important aspect of the transition from MYP to DP as students are now looking into their career pathways and start to evaluate their interests and their skills to understand what they would like to do post academic life at Northbridge.
The move from primary to secondary school is a big deal—not just for students, but for parents too. The transition isn’t something that happens overnight or in a single day. It’s a journey that stretches across the whole year, and it's one that should be taken very seriously. It's true that change can feel daunting, but when a transition programme is executed well and with the right support, this can be one of the most exciting and transformative stages in children's education.
World Children's Day (WCD) is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.