All 80 students taking Pre-International Baccalaureate (IB) classes at Rockville High School will participate in a ceremony celebrating the new IB opportunities at the school. The students will be joined by Superintendent Jerry Weast and members of the Board of Education at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, September 25, in the Rockville High School media center.

The event also will highlight the growth of the IB program to 12 schools in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). In the last six years, the number of MCPS students enrolled in IB programs has grown by approximately 450 percent. IB is a rigorous college prep program that encourages students to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and responsible global citizens.

Rockville is the most recent high school to apply for IB status. Three middle schools and one elementary school also are in the process of receiving IB authorization—Francis Scott Key, Newport Mill and Silver Spring International middle schools, and College Gardens Elementary School.

MCPS already has seven established IB programs in its schools, and is one of only four school districts in North America to offer IB courses at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

NOTE: Opportunities to shoot B-roll in a Pre-IB biology class will be available from 10 to 10:30 a.m.