Welcome! My name is Barret Bell, and I am the Director of the International Baccalaureate Program at Purcell Marian High School. Since joining PMHS in 2017, I have been involved with bringing IB to our school and shaping it into a program that reflects who we are as a community.

In schools around the world, the IB Diploma Programme offers 11th- and 12th-grade students an academic program designed to develop strong thinking, writing, and problem-solving skills through inquiry-based coursework. IB courses emphasize depth over memorization, invite students to engage with multiple perspectives, and connect classroom learning to real-world questions.

What makes IB at Purcell Marian distinctive is that all students experience IB, but no two students experience it in the same way. Every upperclassman enrolls in at least one IB course—Language and Literature—and many opt for additional IB courses. Others enroll in all six IB courses in pursuit of the IB Diploma, our most demanding academic pathway. Because we believe every student is different, and that these differences strengthen our community, we support students in taking ownership of their learning and making IB their own.

Whether you are just beginning to explore IB or are already part of our community, this IB Program Hub is designed to help you understand how IB works at Purcell Marian—from course pathways and expectations to support structures and next steps.

And if you still have questions, please reach out!