International Baccalaureate Program
IB Graduating Class of 2010
IB Induction and Recognition Ceremony
November 16, 2009
Junior and Senior IB Students Honored
Class of 2011
Class of 2010
Monday evening, November 16th, saw the first ever IB Induction and Recognition Ceremony at CCC. IB and pre-Diploma students from grades 9-12, along with parents, faculty and friends, witnessed the 32 IB juniors officially welcomed into the IB Class of 2011. Each student received a certificate of enrollment in IB as well as a CCC IB pin.
The 15 senior IB students were recognized for their efforts and hard work by receiving the stole that each of them will wear with their caps and gowns at graduation in May 2010. The titles of each of the senior’s IB Extended Essays was read out to the assembled crowd as a symbol of how much they have accomplished and how far each of them has come.
The IB graduates of the Class of 2009 were also honored.
As Mr. Hamacher, IB Coordinator, commented in his introductory talk, “it is students who make IB a reality at this school. Students who have taken a risk to allow themselves to be challenged. Tonight is all about recognizing those challenges and those efforts – and commending the young people who have put themselves out there.”
One parent commented afterwards that even though her child is only a freshman in the pre-IB Diploma program, she found the event quite moving and inspiring.
After the ceremony, participants and their guests moved to the McLaughlin Center for a continuation of the celebration with two beautiful cakes decorated with the IB logo. This is the beginning of an annual tradition that will celebrate student accomplishments and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Clearwater Central Catholic High School is approved by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization and thereby offers its students an advanced degree in high school education. CCC joins the world’s most prestigious secondary schools in certifying its students for university placement, not only in the United States, but worldwide. The IB is the only globally recognized high school degree and will prepare CCC students for an internationalized. CCC is the only private educational institution in Pinellas County to be approved for this program.
In offering a curriculum focused on an international education, this program includes: mastery of a second language, Theory of Knowledge classes that teach students critical thinking, along with more traditional science and fine arts classes. In addition, students with an IB diploma will usually receive approximately 30 college credit hours, a large financial incentive for students who are already motivated to do well academically.
Dr. John A. Venturella, president of CCC, says: “The IB Program is a proven entity with more than 500,000 graduates. Universities and colleges throughout the world recognize the high academic standards of the IB Program and the edge it gives students in the competitive world of higher education.”
The International Baccalaureate Program was established in 1968 by a group of schools looking to create a common curriculum for geographically mobile students. The founders of the program felt that designing a curriculum that emphasized critical thinking and an exposure to various points of view would promote an intercultural understanding among young people. The IB Program requires a service component as well, enabling the students to focus on life outside the immediate academic environment. It is also recognized that the general student body of a school benefits, as the SAT scores and overall grade point averages improve in a school that offers the IB Program.
