IN LINE with the growing awareness for environmental protection coupled with the continued pursuit for holistic education, the Children’s Paradise Montessori School (CPMS) is embarking on several green projects and programs.
Green school buildings, promoting a healthy lifestyle in the school curriculum, and introducing healthy diets are among the plans of the CPMS, according to school founder and president Marivic Bathan.
Earlier this year, CPMS broke ground for a four-story school building which will have a roof deck and will feature green elements integrated into the structure.
It is targeted to be completed by July this year, in time for school year 2019-2020. The new school building will be used for the preschool and elementary classrooms as well as administrative offices.
The new school building is part of the CPMS 2025 masterplan, which was unveiled by the school’s management last January.
Under the masterplan, four new school buildings will be built by CPMS, which will be undertaken in three phases.
The school tapped the Guanzon, Sanchez, Guanzon (GSG) Architects for the masterplan and building designs as well as the management of the construction.
CPMS has also tapped architect Joy Onozawa as consultant. She has already started providing the school’s architects with inputs on the design and has conducted a workshop for their teachers and employees.
“Our thrust is really to live a green and healthy lifestyle to make it sustainable. Hence, we have enriched the curriculum with activities for children, teachers, and even parents for this purpose,” Bathan said.
Seeing how this is a major investment and long-term plan for the school, CPMS recently partnered with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) in pursuing these expansion plans.
The school is in talks with BPI to include their projects in their Sustainable Energy Finance (SEF) Program which aims to help fund green projects. CPMS officials met with BPI executives on February 21 to formalize the partnership.
“Since this is a big and long-term project, we would need to source funds. BPI has been our business partner,” Bathan said. “We might just be the first school in this program of BPI,” she added.
Meanwhile, CPMS has collaborated with Anne Dala of Toniq to help the school promote healthy living among their students, teachers, and their families.
They plan to create a well-balanced, healthy menu for the monthly snacks being served by CPMS to their students starting this April.
Another green project being pursued by the school is teaching their students how to plant and grow food like vegetables and herbs and for them to prepare food to eat out of what they harvest from the garden.
CPMS will celebrate its 20th year of operation in 2025. Bathan said they foresee a population of 400 to 500 students from toddler to Senior High School.
The masterplan also aims to expand CPMS’ programs to open Junior High in school year 2021-2022 and Senior High after two years.
CPMS has been a grand slam awardee for Montessori School of the Year in the Business Achievement and Recognition Awards for 10 straight years since 2010.
Bathan credits this recognition to their adherence to the educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori.
The classrooms of CPMS are fully-equipped with the prescribed Montessori materials while their staff are given trainings by internationally-trained Montessori educators.
The school also has a smaller teacher to student ratio at 1:15. This helps teachers follow a personalized and individualized approach which has been proven to be very effective in the students’ learning process. (PR)