Holcomb Elementary kicked off the new school year by announcing its accreditation as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme campus.
The school, which serves 619 students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade, recently completed a demanding, four-year process that involved developing a rigorous, quality curriculum that emphasizes learning through student curiosity.
As a new IB World School, Holcomb joins an elite but short list of public elementary schools that offer the International Baccalaureate program for students in elementary school.
Focusing on the development of the whole child in and out of the classroom, the program serves all students, not just those who are gifted or high achieving, said Holcomb Principal Luis Chavez. It is open to all students in the San Bernardino City Unified School District.
“We work with students to develop their curiosity, which determines what students will be studying,” said Chavez, who has dedicated the past four years to bringing the program to Holcomb. “IB makes students lifelong learners who care about the world.”
The Holcomb primary years program is designed to prepare students for the rigors of the IB program offered at Chavez Middle School, Arroyo Valley, and Cajon High Schools.
For Chavez, leading one of a handful of IB primary years public schools in Southern California has been exciting, especially as he witnesses the transformation in students.
“Our students are more excited about learning,” said Chavez. “They’re more aware of what is happening in the world around them and the important role they play in society.”
For Rosalind Andrews, mother of twin girls who are Holcomb fifth graders, the IB primary years program is the perfect way to challenge her inquisitive daughters.
“Their thinking abilities have changed for sure,” Andrews said. “They’re not afraid to take chances because they know there’s no such thing as failure.”