Why are DP students treated differently at SISQ?

SISQ welcomed its first cohort of IB Diploma Programme (DP) students in August after two years of intense preparations. Teachers spent time choosing DP options, planning well-paced courses and advertising their subjects to ensure they ended up with a healthy cohort. The leadership team and DP coordinators, meanwhile, ran sessions for students and parents in order to help the future Grade 11 make the best subject choices for their future. On the facilities front, a whole new area of our West Building was repurposed and is now dedicated to our DP pioneers. New classrooms were equipped, a comfortable common room was furnished and DP students even have access to their own kitchen, where they can heat their lunches or make hot drinks in the personalised mugs we gave each of them as a welcome present. Our 26 DP students are allowed access to areas no other students can go to, they have special privileges, and they benefit from the attention of both a DP coordinator and an assistant DP coordinator. As a result, younger students often end up asking: why are DP students treated so differently?

First of all, we want our DP students to feel like young adults rather than children. For example, they no longer wear school uniform: instead, they follow a dress code that is helping them understand how to dress in a professional manner. This includes wearing a lanyard that is similar to that worn by adults in the building, thereby identifying DP students as part of the adult community as well as the student body of the school. We believe that responsibilities like dressing smartly, remembering their lanyard, keeping their common room tidy and sharing a kitchen with friends will help students transition into university life more successfully.

Secondly, we give our DP students some home comforts because we know how challenging their last two years of school can be. The DP is rigorous and demands excellent organisation from students. Although it is the best possible preparation for life after school, there are times when it can be tough and tiring. We want to make sure that we are a strong and supportive presence in our students’ lives for the duration of the programme, so that they can flourish and learn from the challenges they face instead of feeling overwhelmed. Giving them extra attention - which sometimes just takes the shape of a comfortable space and a mug of tea - is our way to let them know that we are here for them and that they will not go through their DP journey alone.