IB Results of the Class of 2012 The International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations are held every May over a three week period. This past May, 34 students, 14 of which were Grade 12 Diploma Candidates, sat IB exams. Nine juniors, all Diploma Candidates completed the Math SL exam as an anticipated subject and one of these juniors also sat the Japanese B SL exam also as an anticipated subject. In order to receive the IB Diploma, the Diploma Candidates needed to successfully earn at least 24 points on six exams; successfully complete the Creativity-‐Action-‐Service (CAS) requirement of 150 hours over two years; successfully complete the Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course; and successfully complete an Extended Essay (EE), which is an independently written academic research paper of 4000 words or less. The maximum point total is 45 (a maximum of 42 points from six subject exams and up to three bonus points for work submitted for the ToK course and the EE). This past year, 12 Diploma Candidates successfully completed all requirements to earn the IB Diploma with an average score of 33 points out of 45. The average subject grade obtained by candidates who passed the diploma was 5.26. In particular, congratulations to the two Diploma Candidates who earned more than 40 points. They were Ashna Mukhi (41 points) and Rika Akimoto (42 points). The Bilingual Diploma recognizes Diploma Candidates who studied a second language at the A2 level or studied two A1 languages. Congratulations to Rika Akimoto, Ami Kanzaki, Mari Kobayashi, Chae Young Moon, Arisa Oshika, and Mikako Tsukazawa for achieving the Bilingual Diploma this past year. Results were just as pleasing for the 20 Diploma Course students who averaged 5.13 points per subject exam. Of all courses examined, our overall student average grades exceeded the world-‐wide average grade in 14 courses. Of the 20 Diploma Course students, nine were juniors taking the Math SL math exam as an anticipated course. Their results were excellent. The average score was 6.8 points with seven students scoring the maximum score of seven. Congratulations also goes to current grade 12 student Howe Lim who also sat the Japanese B SL examination and scored a perfect 7.
THANK YOU to all for the collaborative efforts which allowed our recently graduated seniors the opportunity to move forward with their post-‐secondary aspirations. We wish them the best in their future educational endeavors around the world.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) RESULTS and AP SCHOLARS
The Advanced Placement (AP) program is administered by the College Board to award college credit and advanced standing in college classes to students who have taken demanding, rigorous college-‐level courses while still in high school. AP exams are given world-‐wide, mainly to students at the end of Grades 11 or 12. Universities throughout the U.S., Canada, and other English-‐speaking countries accept AP results, often giving students the equivalent of a semester or a full year of credit. Saint Maur students have taken AP courses and exams for many years, and last year 16 students (including seven seniors and nine juniors) took a total of 21 AP exams in eight subjects. This accomplishment was due to ambitious students who were willing to challenge themselves with a demanding exam and to dedicated teachers who offered to
help prepare them for these exams. In most cases, students who are taking IB courses cover much of the curriculum that they must know for the AP exams; but they still have to learn the AP exam format and some material which is not included in the IB curriculum. All of the students deserve recognition for their hard work and success! In May 2012, students in Grades 11 and 12 took AP exams in the following subjects: English Language, English Literature, French Language, Calculus AB, Macro-‐Economics, Micro-‐Economics, Biology, and Chemistry. Scores range from 5 to 1, with a score of 5 equivalent to college credit for at least one semester (and often a full year) in the subject. The results included 15 scores of 3 or higher, including six students who received the highest score of 5. The Advanced Placement program has announced its annual AP Scholar Awards, including two Saint Maur students who graduated in June 2012. To be eligible for the award of AP Scholar, a student must receive grades of 3 or higher on at least three AP exams. Two graduates of the Class of 2012 were awarded the title of AP Scholar: Takahiro Abe, currently attending the University of British Columbia in Vancouver; and Hitendra Khemani, currently attending the University of Rochester in New York. Among the Grade 11 students who achieved high scores, Sakura Takahashi stands out for receiving the highest score of 5 on both of the exams that she took. Congratulations to all of the students who earned AP scores, including credit in university courses and advanced course placement in those subjects!
IGCSE Results of class of 2014 The IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations for the tenth graders are held in two sessions every year: October/November and May/June. The results for the May/June session were issued towards the end of August, while the October/November results were issued earlier in the year. The passing grades in IGCSE exams are A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. An unclassified grade or “U” is equivalent to a fail. C grades and above are generally recognized as "good" passing grades. Among the 106 subject exams sat by 19 students through the two exam sessions, 94 (i.e. approximately 89% of the total) were at least a C grade or above . Moreover almost 100% of the students achieved at least a C or above in four or more subjects. The top grades of an A or A* were achieved in 31 exams (i.e. in almost 30% of the total exams). Particular mention should be made of five students who gained an A or A* in 50% or more of their subjects. They are Lisa Himuro, Alisa Koegel, Gowtham Mohan, Shigeru Nishitani, and Ami Uotani. Congratulations to all the students in the class of 2014, who are now embarking on their IB courses in Grade 11 on a solid foundation.