HELEN C. PEIRCE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
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​IB MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME (MYP)

The Peirce Middle School is designed to guide students through the transition from the self-contained elementary classroom to greater individual responsibility in high school. The middle school follows a schedule with 10 classes taught over the course of two days. Students follow individual schedules that allow them to work with a variety of different teachers and students.
  • IB MYP is a curriculum framework with emphasis on critical and reflective thinking, and on connections between school subjects and the real world.
  • MYP is a 5-year program for 6th-10th graders.
  • The MYP is designed to meet the developmental needs of all adolescent students, regardless of special learning needs. All students in 6th-8th grades at Peirce participate in the MYP.​
  • Students are assessed on their progress toward MYP learning objectives in each of the eight subject areas.
  • Students receive regular feedback on their progress toward the MYP objectives through classwork, formal assessments, and an MYP report card, which is issued in January and June.
  • Peirce is proud to partner with Senn High School to offer the full five-year continuum of the MYP.

Senn-Peirce Partnership
During the spring of 2010, CPS announced its support for the implementation of a new IB Middle Years Program (MYP) partnership between Senn High School and Peirce. The MYP is a model that precedes the prestigious Diploma Programme in the IB continuum of academic programming. While the Diploma Programme is offered to high school juniors and seniors around the world, the MYP is a program for students in grades 6 through 10.
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Peirce will provide the MYP to its 6th, 7th, and 8th graders; Senn will offer the program in the 9th and 10th grades. Faculty from the two schools collaborate to ensure a smooth and meaningful transition for students academically as well as personally and socially.

The Senn MYP on its own will benefit students entering from other academic programs/schools, particularly as a preparation for the IB Diploma Programme. However, Peirce MYP students will especially gain from the collaborative planning between the two schools.

Course of Study

The MYP requires at least 50 hours of instruction in eight subjects of study for all students. Those courses are as follows: 
  • Reading (daily)
  • Math (daily)
  • Humanities
  • Science
  • Language Arts
  • Spanish
  • Physical Education
  • Arts: Visual Arts & Music
  • Technology: Computers & STEM

In addition to the MYP-required coursework, students participate in a Global Studies and Learning Communities class.
Teachers develop the curriculum based on Illinois State Standards, Common Core State Standards and MYP objectives for each subject. Peirce teachers collaborate with Senn teachers to align the curriculum across the five years of the program. 

MYP Course Outlines

Year 1 (6th Grade Syllabi)
​Language & Literature 
Individuals & Societies
Mathematics 
Music
Science 
Dance
Drama
​Visual Art
Language Acquisition-Spanish 
​Physical & Health Education 
Year 2 (7th Grade Syllabi)
Language & Literature 
Individuals & Societies
​Mathematics  (Under Revision)
Music
​Science
Dance
​
Drama
Visual Arts
Language Acquisition-Spanish
Physical & Health Education 

 
MusicYear 3 (8th Grade Syllabi)
Language & Literature 
Individuals & Societies  (Under Revision)
Mathematics (Under Revision)
Music
Science 
Dance
​
Drama
Visual Art

Language Acquisition-Spanish 
Physical & Health Education  
MYP creates and revisits units on a yearly basis.  Last updated review was done in 08/2022.   If you have any questions about a particular syllabus, please reach out to the teacher.

Assessment
In the MYP students work toward developing knowledge and skills in each of the eight subject areas. Each subject has aims and objectives to guide students’ study of the curriculum. In order to help parents and students understand their progress toward these goals, we issue an MYP Report of Student Progress twice a year. The IB report card is in addition to the regular CPS report card.

MYP grades look very different from the typical A-F grades. Students are assessed according to criteria that relate to each subject area. For example, in Humanities students are assessed based on Knowledge, Concepts, Skills, and Organization & Presentation. For each criterion there is a different rubric. On standard report cards students are given a grade based on the percentage of correct answers. In the MYP assessment, teachers match students’ achievement level to a descriptor on the rubric. The points on the rubric do not correspond to grade percentages, so a 9 on the rubric does not equal an A. While it is always possible for students to reach the highest level of achievement on the rubric, it is expected that it make take several years to attain these levels.

After teachers assess students according to the criteria for their subject area, all the points are added up and translated into an MYP grade according to grade boundaries. Students strive to reach the highest levels of achievement over the course of the five years of the program.



​IB Middle Years programme @ PEIRCE

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Mr. Samuel Lee, Peirce MYP Coordinator 
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Academic Honesty Policy Senn-Peirce
Assessment Policy Senn-Peirce
Language Policy Senn-Peirce
School wide book list


More about IB

International Baccalaureate Organization (website) 
IB Overview (video)
What is an IB education? (video)  
IB Middle Years Programme (video)  
​The Learner Profile

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 Helen C. Peirce
School of  International Studies
1423 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago IL, 60660
Phone: (773) 534 2440
Fax: (773) 534 2577

PK Branch
5300 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone:  (773) 534-2234
​Fax:  (773) 534-2235

Fax: (773) 534-2577 
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Non-Discrimination Statement It is the policy of the Board to prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on the basis of any protected category by the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances, including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), specifically, but not limited to, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation, gender or sex (includes gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and pregnancy-related medical conditions), race or ethnicity, ethnic group identification, ancestry, nationality, national origin, religion, color, mental or physical disability, age, immigration status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, political belief or affiliation (not union-related), military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in the educational programs or activities the Board operates.

Concerns or inquiries regarding sex discrimination, harassment, or retaliation can be made to the Board’s Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP) or the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

For information on mental health, go to Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources
  • Home
  • About
    • Our History
    • Mission & Vision
    • School Tours
    • Enrollment Information
    • Policies & Forms
    • Staff Directory
    • Local School Council (LSC)
    • Continuous Improvement Work Plan
    • Support Peirce
    • Branding Guidelines
  • Family Information
    • Before & After School Programs
    • Case Management
    • Student Door Entry
    • New to Peirce
    • Family Communication
    • Parent Organizations
    • Principal's Newsletter
    • Volunteer Opportunties
  • Academics
    • International Baccalaureate >
      • IB Primary Years Programme
      • IB Middle Years Programme
      • IB Learner Profile
    • Pre K
    • Art
    • English Learner Program
    • Counseling Department
    • Dance
    • Garden
    • Music
    • Physical Education
    • Restorative Practices
    • Spanish
    • Sports Programs
    • Technology
  • Calendar