The IB Advantage at SHA
Sacred Heart Academy is a Proud International Baccalaureate (IB) World School
As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, Sacred Heart Academy provides holistic, global education for all students at all grade levels.
Our students master core content, which is the baseline of any college prep school. But they also learn and develop 21st-century skills and character traits they'll need to succeed in our ever-changing world.
Guide on the Side, not Sage on the Stage
Sacred Heart teachers do not stand in front of the classroom and impart information for students to memorize and repeat on a test.
- They guide students through engaging, concept-based learning that fosters experimentation.
- They teach them how to research and analyze information and apply their learning across different subjects and to real-world situation.
- They equip students with the tools they need to become resilient, lifelong learners.
Freshman and Sophomore Years
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an IB program that serves as the framework for teaching, learning, and assessment practices for freshmen and sophomores at SHA. The MYP encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. It is designed to prepare students for success in college-level courses.
What does this mean for your daughter?
She will take English, Math, Science, History, World Language, Theology and a mix of elective courses. What's different at SHA is that she won't be memorizing data and definitions for tests.
Every unit in every class will begin with a "statement of inquiry." That's fancy language for beginning with the end in mind. What question will I be able to answer after completing this human geography chapter, reading this memoir, and mastering this math skill?
Everything she learns will be tied to real life and connect to what she's learning in her other classes. It's higher-level thinking. She's learning how to learn - not how to memorize, how to think more deeply, and how to make valuable connections. THIS learning sets her up for success in life.
Approaches to Learning (ATL)
She'll come home talking about ATL skills - which stands for approaches to learning. Every teacher in every class emphasized the same skills - thinking, researching, self-management, and social and communication skills.
SHA sophomores complete the MYP Personal Project. This capstone project (in her sophomore year!) provides each student with the opportunity to demonstrate her growth in ATL skills. Each student chooses her topic and develops a Personal Project independently, with the support of a faculty advisor, producing a truly personal and creative piece of work. The culmination is a public celebration and exhibition of student projects.
"It has been amazing to see my daughter's self-confidence grow through her time at SHA because she's learning to understand and make connections instead of memorizing. She's only a junior, but I feel like she's ready to take on the world already."
~parent of a current SHA junior
Junior and Senior Years
SHA students continue to nurture the skills and traits acquired in their MYP experience throughout their time with us. Each student can choose from - and is prepared for success - in college-level courses and career-related electives. SHA's academic dean and advisors assist in building a course schedule that meets each student's individual academic and career-related needs and aspirations. When she sits down to discuss her schedule in the spring of her sophomore year, she will not just set her junior year goals - we encourage her to plan for her senior year as well.
Your daughter may choose a combination of AP, IB, and Dual-Credit college-level classes and she may choose to become a full IB Diploma candidate. Either way, we will work diligently to ensure that she makes the very most of her time at Sacred Heart. Her options are limitless, and she will be more than prepared for whatever comes next.
"On a small scale, they are empowered daily in their classrooms. They have the confidence to try new things, make mistakes, have the wrong answer, speak up, present, disagree respectfully, and learn."
~ Parent of a current senior and two graduates
IB Diploma Candidates
The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is a rigorous college preparatory curriculum that includes college-level courses and further requirements, including an in-depth extended essay, a theory of knowledge course, and elements of creativity, activity, and service. The DP is a two-year program beginning in junior year and is recognized and respected globally by the world's leading universities. The average ACT score of our DP candidates in the 21/22 school year was 31.
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.
Inquirers
Students nurture their natural curiosity and develop a life-long love for learning.
Knowledgable
Students explore knowledge across a range of disciplines and engage with issues of local, national and global significance.
Thinkers
Students learn to think critically and creatively in order to tackle complex problems.
Communicators
Students understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively, including a second language. They work in collaboration with others.
Principled
Students are honest, fair and act with integrity. They take responsibility for their actions.
Open-Minded
Students embrace other cultures, seeking to understand and appreciate the personal histories, values, and traditions of others.
Caring
Students have a commitment to service and act with empathy, compassion, and respect.
Risk-Takers
Students are brave when faced with challenges. They explore new ideas and innovative strategies and understand that failure is part of learning.
Balanced
Students understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being.
Reflective
Students give thoughtful consideration to our own learning and experiences and are able to assess their strengths and limitations for greater personal development.
The idea of being in service to the world aligns with our Ursuline values of Community, Reverence, Service and Leadership. As IB Learners rooted in the legacy of a long Ursuline history of Catholic education, we are ready to change the world.
Sacred Heart Academy is excited to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) to our 9th and 10th grade.
The MYP is designed for students aged 11-16. It provides a framework of learning that encourages students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. Students explore the themes of identities and relationships, personal and cultural expression, orientation in space and time, scientific and technical innovation, fairness and development, and globalization and sustainability.
The framework emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world. Classrooms are student-centered and inquiry-based with a focus on conceptual understanding for the transfer of knowledge. So, instead of focusing on the “what,” we focus on the “why.” 21st-century skill development is also part of the MYP framework, so our teachers are deliberately teaching and assessing communication, thinking, research, self-management, and social skills –essentials for the 21st-century learner. Assessments are authentic, real-world opportunities for students to demonstrate the mastery of skills and the ability to transfer what they have learned to new and unique situations.
The culmination of the MYP is an independent Personal Project that all sophomores complete. In collaboration with our Jean Frazier Leadership Institute, students have a capstone experience that showcases their communication, research, self-management, and thinking skills.
As members of an International Baccalaureate (IB) School, students at all grade and academic levels will benefit from this high-quality, globally-minded, comprehensive approach to education.
In our commitment to offer the most rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum, SHA offers the IB Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12. The DP is an academically challenging and balanced program of education that prepares students for success in college and beyond. It encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills with an emphasis on responsible citizenship. Full diploma candidates study a balance of the humanities and sciences in six subject areas: language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics and the arts.
IB Diploma students complete three additional requirements: the Extended Essay, the Theory of Knowledge course and 150 hours of Creativity, Activity and Service. Students who successfully complete the program receive an internationally recognized high school diploma.
Students may choose to take specific IB courses without being diploma candidates. Additionally, SHA offers a variety of AP and dual-credit courses.