Focus on Education: International Baccalaureate meetings

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE:

Modesto High School's International Baccalaureate Program will have informational meetings for interested eighth-grade students and parents at 7 p.m. in the Modesto High School library, 18 H St., on these dates: Jan. 15, Jan. 23, Jan. 31, Feb. 5 and Feb. 13. The IB Program is a two-year course of study designed to prepare high school juniors and seniors for any university in the world. The program provides students with technical skills, while creating an environment of constant intellectual challenge. The pre-IB program addresses the needs of highly motivated freshmen and sophomores who love to learn and prepares those students for the demands of the rigorous IB curriculum. For more information, call IB Coordinator Lani Johnson at (209) 576-4406.

MEETING CANCELED:

The Wednesday meeting of the Schools Infrastructure Financing Agency board has been canceled. There is no business or action required of the SIFA board in January. It is expected the SIFA board will meet at its regularly scheduled Feb. 13 meeting. For more, call Becky Meredith, secretary to the board, at (209) 576-4032 or Yvonne Perez, clerk of the board, at (209) 574-5000, ext. 202.

PLANADA NOMINATED:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has nominated Planada Elementary School in Merced County as one of 35 California public schools to compete for the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program award. The winners will be announced in September. "Schools nominated for this significant recognition are performing at very high levels or are making impressive strides in student progress under challenging circumstances," Torlakson said. Schools qualify for consideration based on high test scores with a significant number of disadvantaged children. Planada Elementary School Principal Richard Lopez said he hopes to get a team of staff members together to complete the detailed application by the late February deadline. "It's fantastic for our school, school district and the community," Lopez said. "There has been a lot of work put in over the last six years getting teachers and staff on board and providing teachers with the tools they need."