Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 3, 1993 TAG: 9306030424
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Salem and only one other school in Virginia offer the two-year program that requires extensive extra achievement by students. The other high school is George Mason in Falls Church.
"The program is growing," said Betsy McClearn, Salem's coordinator. "We have students from all over the Roanoke Valley."
Seniors getting International Baccalaureate diplomas are the valedictorian, Henry C. Tien, and four other honor students - Todd D. Gleeson, Kristy Phlegar, Lesley Davis and Melissa Taylor.
To earn a diploma in the program, a student must successfully complete courses in literature, language, social studies, history, sciences, math and theory of knowledge, do 200 hours of supervised extracurricular activities and write a 4,000-word research paper, McClearn said.
The program gets "international" in its name because it is worldwide, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and has more than 450 participating schools in more than 60 countries.
Exam papers are always graded in a foreign country.
In addition to the five getting diplomas, McClearn said Salem High administered 99 International Baccalaureate exams to candidates for certificates that are awarded to students who complete part of the diploma program.
In the regular program at Salem High, the two top academic students found that high achievement did not come easy.
Tien, the valedictorian, and salutatorian Paula Goodwin said they had to work to achieve their high grades.
"English was the toughest class I had," said Tien, who is of Chinese ancestry and speaks Chinese, along with English, at home with his family.
But Goodwin, a native Salemite, said English was her easiest class and the one she liked best.
Tien and Goodwin are among the 257 seniors who will receive diplomas in Salem High School's graduation exercises June 11.
by CNB