Nesbitt outlines International Baccalaureate Middle Years program and choice deadlines for rising fifth-graders

Nesbitt School staff on a district information night described the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme, explained how the program’s courses and grading work, and reviewed enrollment deadlines for current Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD) fifth-graders.

Principal Ryan Hansen said Nesbitt is a candidate for the IB Middle Years Programme and expects to seek validation next month; if validated, staff said it would be the first IB MYP in San Mateo County. Hansen and other presenters outlined the program’s eight course areas, how design and art are integrated across subjects, and how the school reports student progress.

The IB framework will be paired with local grading: the school will issue IB objective-based grades each semester alongside traditional local grades for participation and daily work, IB coordinator Cassandra DeWood said. Teachers described a “dual grading system” designed to show both rubric-based IB outcomes and the local letter grades families use for high-school applications.

Assistant Principal Christina Spicker emphasized the school culture: “My favorite thing about Nesbitt is really the sense of…