Southville International School and Colleges brought back again this year the Academic Induction Program for the International Baccalaureate Students recently. This is due to the lack of preparation before entering the I.B. program that most students find as a challenge. Because of the very different nature and status of the I.B. curriculum, present non-I.B. curricula scarcely prepare students for the academic rigors of the I.B. course. Another thing is, those students who finish their tenth-grade in March/April find themselves having too much time at their hands with their limited choices for academic preparation prior to entering the program.

This year’s Academic Induction Program has 7-course offerings:

• Pre-IB 100: Study Skills for the International Baccalaureate – This course introduced the students to a wide variety of ways that enhanced their learning. These included ideas on how to manage their time and workload; how to set realistic goals and how to reach them; how to deal with distractions and manage stress.
• Pre-IB 101: Introduction to Literary Appreciation and Literary Criticism – This course was introduced to students to the fundamental terms used in literary criticism and how these are used effectively in formal themes and compositions. This course is offered in English but the skills learned by the student can be applied in all Group 1 subjects.
• Pre-IB 201: Towards Liberated Expression: Intensive English Review in Writing and Reading – Designed for students who were enrolled in English B, this course focused on the development of the student’s ability to express himself/herself well in oral and written communication. This course is also accentuated with intensive review and strategies in effective reading comprehension.
• Pre-IB 401: Biology for IB Diploma Program – The course focused on developing students’ understanding of basic biological concepts. This course emphasized basic biochemistry, cell structure and function, genetic patterns of inheritance, plant form and function, evolution, ecology, animal physiology and the international nature of science.
• Pre-IB 402: Chemistry for IB Diploma Program – The course was designed to expand on the knowledge and experimental skills obtained in Chemistry and to prepare the student for further study of pure and applied sciences in higher education. It will also help the student to develop the ability to analyze scientific literature critically and to develop manipulative and experimental skills necessary to perform higher level of scientific investigations.
• Pre-IB 403: Physics for IB Diploma Program – The course emphasized the two basic scientific domains of knowledge and activity within the framework of understanding natural physical phenomenon.
• Pre-IB 501: Pre-University Mathematics/Mathematics for the Sciences – This course introduces students to pre-university mathematics and reviews the basic of secondary level math, including arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry and algebra. Further, this course introduced students to the fundamentals of the mathematics that will be used in IB sciences.

Most of the course offerings listed above were held within 2 hours. Mr. John Wraith, Ms. Virna Magbitang, Dr. Joanne Miranda, Mr. Jun Mendoza, Mr. Rey Nograles and I.B. Coordinator – Ms. Rina Gillegao were the instructors for every subject.  Most of whom are highly-experienced IB teachers and some who are even examiners themselves. The I.B. Academic Induction Program here in Southville focused on developing students’ confidence and personal growth. It also has rigorous courses offered to the students were designed to prepare students for I.B. Plus, there is English language immersion because most of the students that compose a class are foreign nationalities. There are also daily supported homework, written reports for parents, 45 hours of academic class time and small class sizes.