Pacific Beach Middle School offers the eight International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) subject areas. All children are part of the IB program and all teachers are trained in the IB philosophy.

IB Subject Area Departments include: Math, English, Science & Design Technology, Humanities & Arts, Physical Education, and Spanish.

PBMS has a one-of-a-kind GATE Program and a Seminar Program. In addition to meeting regional certification, the PBMS GATE and Seminar teachers meet the IB training requirements, as well as hold an additional GATE Certificate. PBMS GATE and Seminar teachers meet the social/emotional and academic needs of the GATE/Seminar child by designing differentiated and accelerated instruction, and adhering to the requirements of criterion-referenced IB assessment. PBMS GATE/Seminar Department offers unique learning experiences for our students including a Festival of the Nile Interdisciplinary 6th grade Arts and Humanities project; World Café Discussion and Debate; a Science/Arts/Humanities Interdisciplinary 7th grade unit on Medieval Renaissance and Disease, online access to GALE Reference e-book Library; access to Class webpages and subscription databases; curriculum compacting and much more. Please visit the GATE/SEMINAR webpage to learn more about our innovative and challenging programs.

The school is a comprehensive site. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are provided with a variety of services through Specialized Academic Instruction in the general education and/or special education classrooms as designated in their IEPs. The teachers in the Special Education Department are credentialed to provide variety of specialized services to students with IEPs. Services may include academic support, Speech-Language Pathology, Psychological Assessment, Occupational Therapy, and Adapted Physical Education.

All students are supported by a fully-staffed Counseling Department, also trained in the IB philosophy. Caring counselors and counseling staff focus on the well-balanced, social-emotional health of the adolescent child.

PB Middle also offers advanced classes for qualified students. Offerings include Pre-Algebra for 6th graders, Algebra for 7th graders, Geometry for 8th graders, and Spanish for Spanish Speakers. Students may qualify for these classes based on grades, standardized test scores, and placement tests.

All departments integrate and support the attributes of the IB Learner Profile: 

All departments and academic areas focus on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) fundamentals of:

• Communication

• Intercultural understanding

• Holistic learning

Teachers and specialists are encouraged to integrate the IB MYP areas of interaction when designing curriculum lessons/units, assessment, school programs, and school events.  The five areas of integration include:

Approaches to learning (ATL)
Through ATL teachers provide students with the tools to enable them to take responsibility for their own learning, thereby developing an awareness of how they learn best, of thought processes and of learning strategies.

Community and service
This component requires students to take an active part in the communities in which they live, thereby encouraging responsible citizenship.

Human ingenuity
Students explore in multiple ways the processes and products of human creativity, thus learning to appreciate and develop in themselves the human capacity to influence, transform, enjoy and improve the quality of life.

Environments
This area aims to develop students’ awareness of their interdependence with the environment so that they understand and accept their responsibilities.

Health and social education
This area deals with physical, social and emotional health and intelligence—key aspects of development leading to complete and healthy lives.

Teaching and learning is directed by the framework of our IB Middle Years Programme  in accordance with local, state and federal policies and regulations.