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We have run the first university orientation event for our D2 2021 leavers, thus getting the university application process underway. The D2s are also in the final stages of completing Extended Essays. Every IBDP student must write a 4,000-word research project on a topic of their choice as part of the mandatory ‘core’ element of the IB Diploma Programme. To support the D2 cohort in finishing their EEs, the IB team have been running special Saturday morning writing sessions which the students have found to be productive and rewarding.

This year’s D1 students have brought enthusiasm and positivity to the classroom as they start their new courses. During the one-day IB induction event that we ran in the first week of term, the D1 cohort set out their academic hopes and aims as they embark on the IBDP. In 2021, we will be running  reflection sessions for this cohort to monitor how their goals change and develop over the course of the next year. The Pre-DP students, meanwhile, have begun the skills-focused foundation year which will enable them to begin the IB Diploma Programme in September 2021. They have also started on their ‘CAS’ (Creativity, Action, Service) journey, notably filming a video to honour International Peace Day on 21 September.

This year we have welcomed new students from many parts of the world, including Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and Central America. Almost all of our IB students have now returned to campus. Those who are stuck in limbo, as they await visas that will get them back to France, are continuing to receive their education remotely and are joining in live lessons alongside their peers. This is one of the logistical challenges posed to international schools like École des Roches by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, both teachers and students have managed to quickly and successfully adapt to these challenges as well as to the new sanitary protocols put in place by the school over the summer in response to the global health crisis.

We look forward to keeping you updated about the activities and events involving IB staff and students as the academic year progresses. For questions relating to the content of the IB Diploma Programme or the Pre-DP foundation year at École des Roches, please feel free to get in touch with the Course Coordinator, Ms Simone Lemstra.