Where do I Find the International Baccalaureate ®(IB) in the Conejo Valley?

Origin of the International Baccalaureate ® Diploma Programme

Are you wondering whether you should do the IB (International Baccalaureate ®) program?

50 years ago (1968) Geneva, Switzerland, saw the creation of the IB Diploma Programme. The objective was and still is, to provide an international education to live, learn and work in a world which was and is becoming more and more connected. Currently, the program uses three official languages: English, French and Spanish.

The IB Diploma Programme first official exams occurred in 1970. To this day, this two-year program is the sesame to enter universities and colleges across the world. However, other programs, which were added in the 90’s such as the Middle Years Programme in 1994 and the Primary Years Programme in 1997, now prepare students in their early years from 3 years of age. Since 2012, the Career-related Programme offers an additional option to the 16-19 year old crowd.

If you’re French and wonder if the International Baccalaureate® is the same as the “Bac” that you get at the end of secondary school in France, well, not quite. If you’re planning in continuing your higher studies in France, you should probably follow the French curriculum. But if you’re planning on studying in the UK or the US, or anywhere else for that matter, you’re probably better off with the IB. You will find a bit more details here.

IB – International Baccalaureate’s Mission

Taken from the International Baccalaureate ® Organization (IBO) website, here is its mission:
“The International Baccalaureate ® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”

This short video presents the IB’s aims and spirit.

What does the Diploma Programme (DP) consist of?

I’ll only cover here the two-year program that prepares students to enter colleges and universities of their choice internationally called the Diploma Programme or DP. In short:

1) the program is for 16-19 year old students.
2) the program is delivered in schools who have been authorized to do so by the IBO.
3) The DP curriculum is composed of three mandatory elements called DP Core and I quote from the horse’s mouth:
a) “Theory of knowledge, in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know.”
                b)”The extended essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.”
                c) “Creativity, activity, service, in which students complete a project related to those three concepts.”
4) “The six subject groups are:
                 a) Studies in language and literature
                  b) Language acquisition
                  c) Individuals and societies
                 d) Sciences.
                 e) Mathematics
                 f) The arts.”

You will find all the details on their website.

People who are successful have a specific goal in mind and follow the needed steps with persistence which will lead them to it. “Specific”, “needed steps” and “persistence” are in bold as these points are paramount to success. This is nothing new, simply a reminder. Wishy-washy hope in any endeavor won’t get anyone anywhere and so it is for your high school diploma. To succeed, you’ve got to know why you’re doing it and what’s your purpose.

If you’re wondering whether the IB is for you, a good way to find out is to go to YouTube and watch some of the people who have done it successfully and listen to what they recommend. Just because they’ve been there, they know what it takes, and they will tell you. Start with Brighton below:

What schools deliver the IB in the Conejo Valley and have the French subject as a choice?

Below are the schools I found delivering the IB in the neighborhood. If you happen to come across my site and your school is delivering the IB but is not listed below, use the contact form on this site and let me know, I’ll add it to the list.

Royal High School – 1402 Royal Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93065. This school offers the IB French SL (Standard Level).

Newbury Park High School – 456 N Reino Rd, Newbury Park, CA 91320. The school offers the French IB.

Agoura High School – 28545 W Driver Avenue Agoura Hills, CA 91301. The school offers the French IB.

August 18, 2017April 21, 2023

Summer Days Drift Away. Back-to-School Blues.

Summer Nights, Music, and Fresh Air

Summer time in Southern California is the perfect opportunity to get outdoors. It’s your reward for long months spent locked in a classroom for hours a day. We need little encouragement to spend the warm nights outside when the heat of the day dissipates and the sun stays up until nearly 9.

Many cities offer outdoor concerts throughout the summer, and those in and around the Simi and Conejo Valleys are no different. Outdoor concerts go on all summer at local parks, as well as the Janss Marketplace, Simi Town Center, Westlake Promenade, and Camarillo Ranch.

Catch the Last Songs of Summer

As summer draws to a close, though, so do the concerts in the park. Over the next two weeks, these venues will be winding up the summer concert season, but there are still a few left before school starts. Don’t miss the last concerts before you go back to school.

August 16^th: Swing Night with Frank Sinatra at the Janss Marketplace.
August 19^th: Mirage-Visions of Fleetwood Mac at Rancho Simi Community Park.
August 20^th: Ghost in the Machine, a Police tribute band at Chumash Park.
August 23^rd: Live from Earth, A tribute to Pat Benetar at the Janss Marketplace.
August 26^th: Hollywood U2, a U2 tribute band at Berniece Bennet Park in Westlake Village.
September 4^th: Jerry Garcia Band at Conejo Creek Park in Thousand Oaks.

More Than Just Concerts

Concerts aren’t the only place we can enjoy our summer nights. CLU hosts the Kingsman Shakespeare Company which has been putting on two shows every summer for the last 21 years. And Hollywood Forever isn’t the only place to watch a movie under the stars. Simi*, Woodland Hills*, and Camarillo* all give you that Hollywood feel without the commute.

Fall and Winter Events

Fortunately, the end of summer doesn’t mean all outdoor events come to an end. Simi Valley Days runs from September 14^th-17^th. The annual event features a parade where the Royal and Simi High School bands get to show off all their hard work to the community. The music festival runs September 15th-17^th with a different musical genre each day.

Moorpark’s Country Days features their annual parade and carnival on October 7^th.

Let’s not forget Underwood Farms’ annual Harvest Festival which takes place every weekend from September 30^th to October 29^th. Click the link for the weekly themes and events.

Be sure to check out the Conejo Valley Events Calendar for more fun events and even a few educational ones. The list includes events throughout Ventura County as well as a few in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles through the end of 2017.

* Where to Find Movies Under the Stars

Simi: Rancho Simi Community Park, 1765 Royal Ave., Simi Valley, CA 93065
Camarillo: Constitution Park, 1313-1437 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo, CA 93010
Woodland Hills: Warner Ranch Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Bl., Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Expanding Your French Language Repertoire

Would you like help learning French? Contact me here or text me at 323-203-2616 for more information.

Photo courtesy of COD Newsroom via Flikr

July 29, 2017April 21, 2023

Celebrating French Culture in Santa Barbara

French In Our Daily Lives

The French language is so deeply intertwined into the English we speak that we hardly realize it’s there.

You and your fiancé send out wedding invitations asking the recipients to R.S.V.P. We go to a restaurant and order an hors d’oeuvre and a salad without thinking twice about the origin of the words.

French culture, too, has woven its way into our daily life. We see its influence in our food, fashion, art, music, and dance. Now in its 29^th year, Santa Barbara’s annual French Festival celebrates this beautiful and multi-faceted culture in a tree-filled park. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into the French countryside.

Bringing French Culture to Life

The two-day event coincides with Bastille Day. It offers visitors a small taste of the arts and cuisine of France. Proceeds support theater and literacy programs in Santa Barbara.

Stepping through the gates, you stroll past the booths where local artisans display their wares. You climb the stairs to the Moulin Rouge Stage. There, you’ll see dancers demonstrating everything from the elegant minuet seen in the salons of the 1800’s to the enthusiastic and sometimes bawdy can-can. Be prepared to join in when James and Cynthia from the Historical Ballroom Dance Club at UCLA teach the one-step, a simple dance which lets you express the best of yourself.

Traveling to France Without the Plane Fare

Wandering past replicas of the Mona Lisa (where you can take a selfie with your face in the painting) and a miniature Eiffel tower, you reach a tree-shaded expanse. Amidst booths offering food, drink, and factoids about the Festival, Chef Josette’s Café Normandie takes pride of place. She offers an amazing assortment of salads, sandwiches, quiches, breads, and pastries. Grab a snack or an entire meal to enjoy while experiencing a melange of musical entertainment at the Eiffel Tower Stage.

Travel back in time to the French Renaissance. Then meander back to the 21^st century by way of a 1930’s cabaret and the Hot Club of France. Artists perform tributes to Classic French music and artists but share some of their original work, and a bit of Cajun and Quebecois.

Medieval Knights Fight for Glory

A safe distance from the idyllic picnic atmosphere, gallant knights don armor to defend their castle’s honor. Armed with mace, axe, and sword, they beat each other into submission for the honor of being named the victor. But with that honor comes another battle. Others are anxious to unseat the current champion. The battles rage throughout the afternoon with the banner changing hands often. The competition is reminiscent of battles enacted today where honor is defended on the fields of football and soccer.

Expanding Your French Language Repertoire

Would you like help learning French? Contact me here or text me at 323-203-2616 for more information.

Feature photo used by permission. Courtesy of Heather Hewes

April 21, 2017May 5, 2023

French Conversation Conejo Valley

French Conversation Conejo Valley is a group of Francophiles of the area who meet regularly. Check for our next meeting in the Conejo Valley by clicking here for a fun evening of French conversation.

All those desiring to practice their French are welcome.

Just over 50 years ago all you would have found in the hills throughout would have been oak trees and cows. (No French conversation going on at that time throughout the prairies. :))

When it all came together

In fact, the oak trees are so numerous in the Conejo Valley that they gave their name to the first incorporated city: Thousand Oaks in 1964. The city proudly shows a large oak tree on its buses and lamp posts.

Then cam along the rest of the cities: Newbury Park was incorporated in 1977, Westlake Village in 1981, Oak Park is a community, Agoura Hills was incorporated in 1982.

Where French Conversation in the Conejo Valley May Happen

Many schools in the area teach French as part of their curriculum: Thousand Oaks High School, Newbury Park High School, Westlake Village High School, La Reina High School, Viewpoint School in Calabasas, the California Lutheran University and more.

What encompasses the Conejo Valley?

Below a map showing the area covered by the Conejo Valley. This is where you’ll meet rabbits galore (let’s not forget that Conejo means rabbit in Spanish).

Over the hills, northeast, you’ll find Simi Valley which was incorporated in 1969.

How long have cows live in the area?

To be honest, I don’t know and I don’t really care, but one thing that I do know, even though these cities seem young, caves in their hills show that Indian Chumash were living around and about as far back as 12,000 years ago! So much for the “New World” discovered by Columbus in 1493.

So what is new? People? No, but maybe the French language since the native language is Chumash, then Spanish came along with people from Spain and Mexico moving up the Californian coast. The good reason why Spanish is definitely prominent in the area. Per WorldPolulationReview.com 2014 figures, California had and I quote: “In 2014, estimates showed that the Latino and Hispanic population surpassed the population of non-Hispanic Whites. According to those estimates, taken in June 2014, 14.99 million Latinos resided in the state, compared to 14.92 whites. California has the largest minority population and the largest Hispanic population in the country.”

So why would French have a place in the State of California?

Well, did you know that California has around 200,000 French speaking inhabitants?

The last remaining area that I visit on a regular basis as a French Tutor, is the Moorpark area and Santa Rosa Valley. The Moorpark College does teach French and the Santa Rosa Valley is peacefully tucked away between Las Posas Hills and the Mountclef Ridge.

I’m hoping to see you for one hour of French conversation at our monthly meetings or to help you perfect your French!

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