Graduation

[rgar]

I was wondering what your schools do for graduating IB diploma canidates? Our class of 2010 will have its first IB Diploma canidates ever. I am one of three. Though we are not sure until July if we have recieved diplomas, is it too much to ask for the three of us to get special sashes for graduation?

[Abu]

We had navy blue robes instead of the royal blue ones that the common folk at our school wear. The only diploma that we got was our standard school diploma, the IB diplomas follow in late August/early September.

[Sandwich]

We didn't do anything (well except for not turning up to school any more and getting our certificates in the post when they came through) but if your school does usually do something, even if there's only 3 of you, I suggest you insist on it. Fight for your rights!

[soadquake981]

rgar - I'm in the same situation as you (albeit with about 9 IB diploma candidates). I think all we're getting is a special "cord" to wear on one shoulder, in addition to the cords for various honor societies and such.

[__inthemaking]

We had a special IB graduation that was completely different from the high school graduation. Our high school graduation was in June and the IB graduation was in October, so everyone came home from university that weekend for it. It was just IB teachers, admin and parents, so much smaller. We got our IB diplomas then and we had IB awards given out then.

[DJ CAS]

We normally have a very big graduation. My IB school has nearly 90 students for each grade so you can imagine why. My graduation is on May 27th and we only receive our High School Diplomas which are based on the Mocks that we wrote in January. We also receive awards based on our academics, sports and community service.

[Tilia]

We just graduate like the other programmes at my school, even though we don't know if we've passed or not. Then in September, there's a Diploma Award Ceremony, where we get the diplomas.

[McCaffeine]

There's an IB pinning ceremony at my school before graduation, where the 10th grade pre-IB students who are moving into the real IB program are given the IB pin and have to light candles or something (it's been a while). At this ceremony the graduating IB students are also recognized; we have to wear our graduation gowns and they say what our plans after graduation are.

Also, for this ceremony and for the actual graduation ceremony, we get these super-speshul silver IB stoles, which in my opinion just make us look like something out of a low-budget sci-fi film or something, haha.

We actually have a lot of weird ways of recognizing academic achievement at my school, despite the fact that it's generally the same group of students making such academic achievements (namely, the IB kids, and a few others who probably should have been in IB). There are color-coded robes for top 4% and top 10%, and a ridiculous amount of ornaments for different extracurriculars and achievements. I think part of it is trying to show that even though we're one of the poorer schools in our district there's no lack in scholarship, or something like that. x)

Oh, and then in the December of our graduating year, the IB Coordinator has an IB party for all the graduated IB students. That's when we finally get our diploma.

Edited May 15, 2010 by McCaffeine

[karenzae]

So, I've always wondered why my school does graduation in November (called "Commencement")... now it makes a little more sense. It's for the entire graduating class, IB and not, so we all have to come home from university/college/whatever for a weekend. We get our regular high school diplomas as well as our IB diplomas at that time. I don't think IB kids wear different robes, though. They just get the extra sheet of paper.

[~vola]

Maybe it's because the typical graduating class at my high school consists of 500-600 students, about half of whom are IB, but the only special recognition we get at graduation is the words "International Baccalaureate" read after our names (and, usually, "summa cum laude"). I speak in the present tense despite the fact that I graduated a year ago.

We're also responsible for coming back to campus to pick up our IB diplomas in the fall. There is an IB Banquet during Senior Week in the days leading up to graduation, where we get a certificate of achievement from the school and a sheet containing photos of our fellow IB classmates.

[kingdomx]

W dont have anythung amazing. just a senior school assembly where those who have passed the ib diploma get their certificate. and they have a lunch thing for them afterwards. those who get above 40 get commemorated for that acheivement and we also have this cup for those who acheive the highest score out of 45.

[Sonneteer_Trombonist]

We don't have anything special at the graduation ceremony, but there is an awards ceremony in October for the whole school, and right at the end of the ceremony they give a book to all of the IB Diploma students. Each book is signed by all the IB teachers and they can write comments specific to the student. The diploma student with the highest IB score gets an Oxford English Dictionary.

Edited August 11, 2010 by Sonneteer_Trombonist

[JoeG]

I think that my school has some type of special sashes to be worn with Graduation, but I don't know if that's based on GPA, or type of classes taken (Honors, AP, IB, Dual Enrollment)

Although, my school does give three "types" of graduating for all students; Regular Graduation, Graduation with Honors (3.0 weighted GPA) and High Honors (3.8+ weighted GPA)

Edited October 24, 2010 by JoeGuff

[simplisticwonders]

All our IB candidates get a stole.

Certificate and Diploma.

When they announce the name of the student, they announce if the student is ib diploma or certificate candidate, and note it in the program.

Helps our average graduating class size is 200-300, with 20 max IB students right now.

We're going into our 3rd year of IB, 2nd year of grads, 1st year of people taking it seriously and really trying for diplomas.