International Baccalaureate

Forty years ago, a group of talented teachers from international schools around the world created the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. What started as a single programme for internationally minded students has today grown to be three programmes for students aged 3 to 19, experienced by half a million students from state and private schools in over 139 countries.

As the only private school in Orange County to offer the IB Programme from Preschool through Eighth Grade, St. Mary's mission embodies the importance of developing strong and capable leaders through programs that prepare students for positive interaction in a global setting. Through experiences in the classroom, field studies, participation in arts, music and athletic programs, and engagement in community service activities, students experience the fundamentals of leadership.

St. Mary's is authorized as An IB World School and offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). The PYP and MYP both emphasize the dynamic combination of knowledge, skills, independent critical thinking, and the appreciation for the richness of life through international awareness.

Primary Years Programme → For students aged 3-12, focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside.   

Middle Years Programme → For students aged 11-16, provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, becoming critical reflective thinkers.

Both programmes:

• have a strong international dimension.
• draw on content from educational cultures around the world.
• require study across a broad range of subjects.
• include both individual subjects and transdisciplinary areas.
• give special emphasis to learning languages.
• focus on developing the skills of learning.
• provide opportunities for individual and collaborative planning and research.
• encourage students to become responsible members of their community.