IBDP Graduates – Where Are They Now?
Recently we reached out to some of our IBDP graduates to see what they have been up to since getting their Diploma. From studying biomedical science and finance to managing...
A round up of the learning and community experiences that have taken place in the Diploma Programme so far this year.
2026 started with the excitement of welcoming our new year 11 students into the program. Many of these students were new to the school, the state, or even the country, so our year 12s got to work at making them feel comfortable and confident. In our first week, we had a shared lunch to get to know each other, and then a session where our new students could ask our veterans some questions about what to expect, and how best to approach the Diploma. Our year 12s began the year by spending time preparing themselves for their upcoming internal assessments. Year 2 of the Program is a busy time, with students applying the knowledge and skills they have developed over Year 1, and producing the work that will inform their final grades.
Throughout the term there were many engaging learning activities. Mr Wei’s year 11 Economics class spent the day at the Central Market, watching supply and demand in action (and eating delicious foods), in year 12 Core, students applied their Theory of Knowledge skills to investigate and appreciate the nuances of language and translation. A particularly exciting lesson was when Ms Johnson’s year 11 Psychology class took what they had learned about ethical psychological research and observation, and conducted an experiment on conformity on the year 12s (Don’t worry, no year 12 students were harmed during this process… though some of them did look a bit funny clapping for seemingly no reason). In Language and Literature, Ms Bacon’s year 11 class found some unlikely connections between the work of street artist Banksy and Australian children’s cartoon Bluey.
We also had the pleasure of celebrating the success of our previous graduates. We welcomed our 2025 graduates back for the Graduates Assembly, and while here, they dropped in to some year 12 DP classes to give some advice and encouragement. We also saw three of our past students be honoured at the IBDP SA Awards Ceremony. We love keeping in contact with our past students, and hearing about what they are up to – later in the year there will be a “Where Are They Now?” blog post sharing the diverse pathways of some of our alumni.
Looking to the future, we hosted the first event of 2026 for prospective Diploma students, with the IBDP Summit giving year 10 students the opportunity to experience what it is like in an IBDP classroom and chat with current students. There will be more events upcoming for students who are interested in studying the Diploma in 2027 or beyond, so keep a look out for any information if you are keen to know more.
To finish off the term, we held our annual Cultural Morning Tea, where students all contribute a dish that has cultural or personal significance to them. We feasted on dishes including Chinese hot pot, doroyaki (red bean pancake) and sushi from Japan, American apple pie, Indian fried chicken, South African Malva (a cake-like pudding served with fruit and ice cream) and a dozen others. We also announced the Theory of Knowledge Champions from the Goosechase Challenge that took place on the ToK excursion in week 9 – Congratulations Team Earth! Photos from this event can be seen in this post.
Term 1 was a busy, productive term that has set our students up for success and growth this year, academically and personally. Make sure you keep up to date with the happenings of the IBDP here on the blog, through Norwood International social media, and school newsletters.
