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Christian Hall Fourth grade president of the Coretta Scott King Magnate School Junior Council, addressed an audience of over 500 people during the school's celebration of achieving accredited and authorized IBO Primary Years Programme status.
Coretta Scott King Magnate School celebrates IBO status achievement  Share
A large crowd of parents and community members gathered in front of Coretta Scott King Magnate School in University Park the morning of May 21 to participate in the celebration of the school's achievement of being the first accredited, validated, and fully authorized International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme school in Illinois. Coretta Scott King Magnate School came into existence when Hickory Elementary School was forced into reorganization in 2005 for failing to meet achievement levels established by ''No Child Left Behind.'' Three key elements to the reorganization plan were 1: to adopt the IBO curriculum and secure recognition as an authorized IB school, 2: to gather a heterogenous student body by lottery from throughout the entire district, and 3: to organize as the district's only K-8 building. With a letter of intent sent to the IBO as the school was being formed, CSKMS began the process of becoming an IBO school. With leadership from Principal Erin Debartolo, hard work from the staff, and complete support from the central administration and the board of education, the school achieved IBO recognition in record time.
Those same elements have resulted in high student achievement levels on standardized tests. Another element of the reorganization plan when CSKMS was being founded was to move on to seeking recognition as an IBO Middle Years Programme school once the Primary Years Programme designation had been achieved. That process has now begun. The letter of intent has been sent and initial application has been made. Crete-Monee School Superintendent John Rodgers spoke at the celebration to recognize CSKMS's achievement and to give perspedtive to what it means to be an IBO school. ''The mission of the IB organization,'' he said, ''is unique in that its goal is not just to create students who are academically prepared for their secondary educational experience, but to also develop students who truly will be able to function in a global society. ''Global society preparation will require our future generations of young people to be extremely knowledgeable and accepting of diversity. It will require students to be immersed in the knowledge and understanding of world cultures, world economies, world geographies, world governmental and political structures, and world languages as represented in history, as well as within oral, written, and abstract arts.'' He went on to say, ''What I love most about the mission of the IBO and the philosophy that drives her schools is that they conclude that it is not enough to simply be knowledgeable about the world that we live in, but that the world will never become a better place without citizens who are united by a common vision for the world and are willing to serve, and act accordingly to ensure that vision comes to fruition.'' The other major speaker at the celebration was Christian Hall, the fourth grade president of the junior student council at CSKMS. Hall was asked in February if he, as the student council president, would like to speak at the ceremony. According to Principal Debartolo, he immediately responded, ''Absolutely.'' Debartolo said he was not only quick to say he would like to do it, but was equally quick to identify the message he would like to deliver, ''I would like to tell them of the ways our school makes a difference.'' At the celebration, the young man began his speech with, ''Today, I will be talking about the many ways I feel that our school has touched the lives of numerous people, including people we know and people we do not know.'' He spoke of the school's Attitude Ambassadors program, ''As students show positive attitudes and behaviors, they are acknowledged as Attitude Ambassadors....[such students] have worked hard to demonstrate their IB attitudes which include respect, tolerance, cooperation, and empathy. Attitude Ambassadors are making a difference in their own lives, as well as in the lives of others.'' He spoke of how the school makes a difference through completion of the units of inquiry, ''These units have helped us to understand the many ways in which our world works, as we explore and focus on different parts of our world system. ''Students have become more open-minded and creative as a result of engaging in these units.'' He also talked about how the school makes a difference through its community service projects, citing the example of the $400 students collected for Pennies for Peace, a charity that ''helps kids around the world who lack everyday resources, including education.'' He concluded by making reference to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King Ð for whom the school was named Ð for making a difference in our world. Hall said, ''If we all lived by the same attitudes [tolerance and empathy], we could be like Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and truly make a difference.'' The celebration continued with several songs, including the new school song, sung by the student body. Also, a light buffet was served that underscored the world view focus of the school by offering dishes from cuisines from around the world. Tom Thompson is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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