The arduous path through the International Baccalaureate (IB) program is now a little less treacherous. With the sponsorship of IB coordinator Eston Melton, Junior Faby Chaillo has created a new club which seeks to ?help [the students] out mentally, [and] help them deal with…stress and frustration,? Chaillo said. Supporting IB Students (SIBS) will host discussion and study groups typical of collaborating IB students. The SIBS Facebook group is the primary means of communication between members.
?I think it?s a very good idea,? junior club member Mackie Quirk said. ?[It] gives a sense of security.?
Chaillo also seeks to introduce episodes of kickball, yoga, board games and mental toughness training into the club?s meetings. The club aims not to simply help IB students with their homework but to ?get your brain away from school,? Chaillo said.
?[A club of this nature] has been talked about for a long time by everyone,? IB coordinator Eston Melton said. According to Melton, one of the biggest requests at the junior/senior IB orientation night was help with the students? stress. Chaillo is the first student to take the initiative on this. Because the club will deal directly with students? stress levels, the Department of Student Services has expressed an interest in SIBS. The department has noticed an uptick recently in stress-related complaints from students, counselor Kim Upadhyaya said. They plan to distribute a survey to all History of Americas (HOA) classes to gauge the stress levels of IB students. HOA serves as a barometer for the IB program because almost every IB student is required to enroll in it.
The department may be planning to offer stressrelief activities, depending on the results of the survey.
?[It] would be awesome if we could teach yoga,? director of Student Services Cindy Blakeley said.