Room: Missouri
presented by Anthony di Battista, Superintendent of Schools, West Morris Regional High School District
Alyce Hunter, Director of Curriculum, West Morris Regional High School
Kathleen Kremins, Diploma Programme Coordinator, West Morris Regional High School
Debbie Gonzalez, Diploma Programme Coordinator, West Morris Central High School
The West Morris Regional District has created a strong and supportive IB team, uniting all of the participants in the IB process: administrators, faculty, students and parents. We will explain the creation of vertical teams for curricular development, Extended Essay supervisor training for the full faculty and staff, an IB mentoring program, an IB Parent Boosters group, an IB retreat for faculty and another for incoming sophomores as well as ongoing staff development in IB pedagogy. Administrators and IB coordinators embrace the philosophy of a collaborative approach and open dialogue between team members in order to encourage excellence as a habit of mind in teaching and learning. All session participants will receive a CD that includes our IB Handbook as well as memos, calendars, letters, news articles and PowerPoint presentations that we have used effectively in the district.
Anthony di Battista, Superintendent of Schools, West Morris Regional High School District
Anthony di Battista holds a doctorate in Medieval and Renaissance history from Rutgers University. He is the recipient of Fulbright fellowships, a Gilder Lehrman Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Humanities award. He has taught history for over twenty years at the secondary and university level. He first became interested in IB when members of his school community urged the district to explore "another level" of educational commitment. As a result, he has worked as an IB Diploma Coordinator, Theory of Knowledge teacher, and on the curriculum revision process. He presently works as the Superintendent of Schools in the West Morris Regional High School District and teaches courses in medieval history at Rutgers University.
Alyce Hunter, Director of Curriculum, West Morris Regional High School
Alyce Hunter received her doctorate in Foundations of Education from Lehigh University. She has been a teacher and administrator in New Jersey for 28 years. Currently, Dr Hunter is director of curriculum and instruction for the West Morris Regional High School District in northwest New Jersey. She also teaches at the Graduate School of Education of Wagner College in New York. She has written numerous journal articles, contributed chapters to edited books and has authored three education books.
Kathleen Kremins, Diploma Programme Coordinator, West Morris Regional High School
Kathy Kremins has taught for twenty-six years at the high school, college and middle school levels. She has taught English and TOK at West Morris Mendham High School for the past twenty-four years. She has been the Diploma Programme Coordinator there for the past two years. She also has extensive coaching experience on the high school and middle school levels. She is a published poet and essayist. Kathy holds a B.A. in English Literature, an MFA in Writing and a doctor of letters in the Humanities.
Debbie Gonzalez, Diploma Programme Coordinator, West Morris Central High School
Debbie Gonzalez has completed her first year as IB Diploma Programme Coordinator at West Morris Central High School. She has spent her entire career there, teaching English, TOK, advising clubs and coaching field hockey. Debbie holds a B.A. in Literature and a master of letters in the Humanities.
