Four educators from Lawrence Elementary School showcased their innovative teaching practices at the Guild of International Baccalaureate Schools (GIBS) conference in Mystic, Connecticut on October 21-22, 2024. The conference brought together IB schools from nine northeast states spanning eastern Pennsylvania to Maine.
Library Media Specialist Kerry Darby and Physical Education teacher Wes Ruimerman presented "Single and Ready to Mingle," exploring how specialty classes can enhance student development through transdisciplinary integration. Their session demonstrated how these subjects build learning resilience and develop crucial skills in social interaction, self-management, critical thinking, and communication—a marked contrast to traditional school models where specialty subjects often remain isolated.
In another session, fourth-grade teacher Missy Middleton and Primary Years Programme Coordinator Denise Kraft presented on the Building Thinking Classrooms approach, specifically focusing on Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces in mathematics instruction. Their interactive presentation showed how this method creates inclusive learning environments while strengthening classroom community, connecting directly to IB Learner Profile attributes like Risk-Taker and Thinker, and core skills including social interaction and communication.
Lawrence School's leadership in Primary Years Programme implementation continues to grow throughout the northeast. Beyond the GIBS conference presentations, the school has become a model for other institutions, hosting visits from Naramake School in Norwalk, CT, with upcoming visits planned from The Whitby School in Greenwich and candidate schools from Syracuse. This aligns with IB Standards and Practices' emphasis on community engagement, fulfilling Lawrence's goal of increased collaboration with other IB schools.
Further strengthening these connections, Denise Kraft has been appointed to the GIBS Board of Directors as Director of Conferences. Her expertise in educational event planning includes coordinating the successful Igniting Inquiry conferences for Middletown Public Schools in April 2023 and June 2024, which drew educators from eleven countries both in-person and virtually.
