Our first semester closed on Friday - and it represents some significant "firsts" in the life of the students and staff at Deal. Over the last semester, our teachers and students in the 6th grade have implemented the International Baccalaureate program in its revised form. While we have been an IB Middle Years school for almost five years now, the revised IB has allowed us to use a more standardized approach to assessment practices and student learning than ever before. When educators and policy makers speak of "inquiry-based learning" and a "student-centered approach" as well as more "real-world connections," the new configuration of the MY Program really moves us down that road. It has by no means been an easy task, but it is an important one...[read more]