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Leland Public School Authorized as International Baccalaureate World School

Tuesday a Northern Michigan school reached a big goal they’ve been working on for years, offering a unique way to learn.

Leland Public School is now an International Baccalaureate World School in K-10th grades.

The International Baccalaureate learning model encourages global thinking, and stimulates curiosity.

It is also more rigorous for students.

Leland Public School is the third school in the state to have the I.B. program in both K-6th grade and 7th-10th grade.

“Especially in small towns like Leland are school is our community.”

Pushing students to new heights Leland Public School is now offering the International Baccalaureate program to K-10th graders.

Superintendent Jason Stowe says, “The philosophy of education is really the difference with I.B. than tradition teaching methods we’re trying to embrace the whole student.”

Three years of transitioning fills empty hallways with learner profiles and world discussions, creating a challenging, but thriving learning experience.

Stowe says, “It was a big transition, our staff had to work very hard, there’s unit plans that go along with it there’s getting on board with the philosophical change.”

Ella Knudsen, an elementary student at Leland says, “Our teachers were like well we’re trying to build up to be an IB school and they kept on challenging us and challenging us some more.”

Luke Klein is a junior at Leland Public School and says, “It was a new grading scale, a new way of learning and now that we’ve gotten through it it’ll be really great for the upcoming kids who will learn in a new way.”

While the shift towards I.B. learning starts in the classroom the lessons inspire students to have a global perspective.

Bridgette Duncan, another student says, “It’s kind of about seeing experiencing more of the world than what you would in a regular school that’s not I.B.”

Klein says, “I still think the way I know how to learn is much more different than I would at a different school so it’s not really about what you learn but it’s more about how you learn.”

Leland Public School hopes to expand to the full diploma program for 11th and 12th graders.

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