On the night of Thursday, April 10th, current and future International Baccalaureate students, teachers, and family members met in Harriton’s courtyard to share desserts and conversation. Along with another dessert social and a trip to New York, this annual event is one of just three opportunities during the year for IB’s junior, senior, and incoming classes to mix.

Next year’s junior class numbers about 58, with the majority of students entering the program from Harriton, but six entering from Lower Merion or another school, either local or foreign. Mr. O’Brien, the IB coordinator, says this class size falls into a pattern with the last few years’ enrollments – fifty to sixty students seems to be a good number for the program, he observed.

These new IB students got an opportunity to socialize with their classmates and receive advice from older students about what they would face next year. When asked about the workload, a common worry for future IBers, junior Becca Shapiro said, “Don’t worry about the work yet. You can face that when it comes. There are bad times and not-so-bad times, and I guess you learn to make the not-so-bad times into good times.”

Meanwhile, parents reconnected with acquaintances, comparing notes on their IB experiences and chatting with the small number of principals and teachers who had attended. Ms. Marcuson, Mr. Eveslage, Ms. Matsko, Ms. Donze, Mr. O’Brien, and Dr. Marseille, next year’s interim superintendent, were seen amidst the circles of friends and classmates.

Then, after an hour of conversation and eating brownies amidst the chilly April evening, Mr. O’Brien spoke to the crowd, thanking and recognizing sections of the IB program: the seniors, who had worked hard for two years; the juniors, who will take their first-ever sets of IB exams in May; the incoming juniors, whom he welcomed into the IB family; and the administrators inside and outside of Harriton who supported the program. Mr. O’Brien gave a special shout-out to Dr. Marseille, who had already expressed his philosophical and practical backing for IB to Mr. O’Brien.

When the speech ended, everyone resumed eating, laughing, and talking. Gradually the crowd thinned, not to reunite again until next year, but the night ended in true IB fashion with a spontaneous and lively game of “Duck, Duck, Goose” on the courtyard grass. A group of over thirty participants cheered as runners succeeded or were tackled in the elementary school game. As one student quipped, “This is IB. People cheer when you run.”

The dessert social, “Duck, Duck, Goose” and all, was a short respite from everyone’s inescapable homework, but armed with name tags and common courseloads, students and parents made new connections and continued existing friendships during the April 10 event.