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 community and belonging that's felt throughout the campus and really in everything that we do,” she said.

Program structure and classroom practice Nesbitt staff described eight subject areas that middle-school students will study across three years: language and literature; language acquisition (Spanish for all students); individuals and societies (history/social studies); math; science; physical fitness and health; plus design and art embedded across courses. Teachers said students receive about 50 hours per year working through the IB design process and that design and art projects are shown publicly across the campus and in community venues such as SamTrans buses.

Teachers said the site uses a statement-of-inquiry approach for units, and that IB approaches to learning (research, thinking, communication and self-management) are taught across subjects. Science instruction will align to the California Next Generation Science Standards but include more inquiry and project-based learning, staff said.

Schedule, electives and extracurriculars Nesbitt described a seven-period day with eight classes rotated across the week; language and literature is a two-period block. Students take three different electives over the school year; sample electives include leadership, fine arts, Adulting 101 (financial-literacy), graphic design and social-media literacy. Staff said art and design hours are embedded in subject-area work rather than scheduled as separate daily periods.

Athletics and after-school activities were also described. Nesbitt competes in the ADAL Athletic League and fields traditional seasonal teams (girls volleyball, flag football, cross country, basketball and spring boys volleyball), plus clubs such as robotics and a homework club. Staff said most sports seasons run roughly 10 games and are scheduled after school.

Supports and accessibility Education specialist Tina Ferrell described supports for students with 504 plans and IEPs: “we push into the classrooms, and that allows us to be accessible to them to make sure that we're modifying or accommodating in real time,” she said. Staff said the IB model gives multiple ways for students to demonstrate learning and helps students with diverse needs show strengths across different assessment formats.

Enrollment process and deadlines Principal Ryan Hansen reviewed enrollment steps for current BRSSD fifth-graders: families will receive the choice form by email on Feb. 7; the form is due Feb. 21; and the district will post middle-school assignments for current fifth-graders on April 4. New students who enroll later were told assignments will be issued by June. Staff asked families to check spam folders and contact teachers or principals if they do not receive the choice form.

Numbers and status Staff said Nesbitt’s total enrollment is “just under 600 students” this year and that the middle-school program currently has about 37 students with a target of roughly 50. Teachers noted the site’s small size shapes routines such as not having locker rooms for physical education and using staff guidance to help students prepare for PE days.

What’s next Presenters said the program will post the Q&A and the recorded presentation on the Nesbitt website; families were encouraged to review unit overviews and contact staff by email with questions. The school reiterated that it is a candidate IB MYP school and will seek validation at the end of next month; staff will update families about validation status and next steps after that review.