St. Mary's Academy of Pasay

St. Mary's Academy Alexandria, Virginia
Escuela Catolica de Pasay
Address
Padre Burgos St.,
Pasay City
Philippines
Information
Type Private RVM Catholic school
Motto Latin: Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini
English: ("The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.")
Established 1922
Founder Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo
Grades K to 12
Enrollment approx. 3,000
Campus Urban
Color(s) Blue and white          
Athletics Pep squad, badminton, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, taekwondo, aikido, sepak takraw, high jump, long jump, soccer, baseball
Nickname Ignacian/Marian
Accreditation PAASCU
Grade school Level III
High school Level III
ISO 9001:2000
Affiliations CEAP, RVM-EAP, PC PRISA
Hymns "Hail Saint Mary's.."
"The School We Love.."
Website www.sma.org.ph

St. Mary's Academy of Pasay, (also known by its acronyms SMA and SMA-P), is a private, co-educational Catholic school institution owned and operated by the congregation founded by Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo known as the Religious of the Virgin Mary or the RVM. It is located in the Philippines, in the heart of Pasay, a city in Metro Manila. The school stands from across the historical Santa Clara Parish Church, and is set in a busy commercial district, near the City Hall, and amidst historical, as well as new buildings and residences.

Because of its location, the school is a big part of the community. Generations of families in the area send their children for Catholic education, from Kindergarten to high school. It is not uncommon that children will be taught by the same teachers who taught their parents. The student body's Catholic education include attending masses and other religious activities held in the school proper, or in other environments.

Approach and reach

St. Mary's is founded upon the Ignacian-Marian approach and philosophy of promoting solid Christian faith and service to the Catholic Church and to society.

Name's meaning and history

The school's new name which endures today—St. Mary’s Academy—honors the school's patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary. This name replaced the "Escuela Catolica de Pasay", or " Catholic School of Pasay, the original name upon its founding in 1922.

Management

St. Mary’s Academy is run by the Religious of the Virgin Mary or ("RVM"). It is the Philippines' first pontifical Filipino Congregation for women, founded in 1684 by a valiant Filipina, Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo. It started as an exclusive girls school, which evolved with time into admitting boys into its classrooms.

THE HISTORY OF ITS BIRTH—In 1922, St. Mary's was established as the “Escuela Catolica de Pasay”, managed by the parish priest, Reverend Fr. Egmidio Trinidad. In its infancy, St. Mary's offered Primary Level instruction, from 1922 to 1939. in 1939, the Archbishop of Manila, the Most Reverend Michael O’Doherty, turned the school's management over to the RVM Sisters. The following year, "Escuela Catolica de Pasay," was officially renamed as "St. Mary's Academy, through the leadership of the First Superior, Mother Maria Josefa Avendaño.

ST. MARY'S EVOLUTION -- In March 1946, the School's Elementary Course was recognized by the government, leading to the commencement of the school's General Secondary Course the following year.

In 1947, the school presented its first 10 high school graduates with their certificates of graduation.

Today St. Mary's Academy is known as an accredited Catholic School, providing education, in the levels of Kindergarten, grade school, high school, and senior highschool curricula for boys and girls.It also provides vocational education via MICHD or Mother Ignacia Center for Human Development.

School symbols

St. Mary's Academy, was renamed in 1922, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from its original name "Escuela Catolica de Pasay". The new name symbolizes the virtues of Mary the mother of Jesus, and also that of the venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo. The school motto is "Initium sapientiae timor domini" which means "The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom".

Facilities

All school's facilities and school offices including school's hallways and corridors are equipped with Closed-Circuit Television Cameras or CCTVs.

Athletic facilities

St. Mary's Academy Gymnasium - This facility is designated for sports events, and also for practices for basketball, volleyball, badminton, athletic performance(s), table tennis (separated in a room - HS) and sometimes for socialization activities.

  • St. Mary's Academy Grade School Gymnasium (For Pre-school & Intermediate levels only)
  • St. Mary's Academy High School Gymnasium (For High School students only)

Quadrangle

St. Mary's Academy Quadrangle located in the center of the school, and within full view from classrooms, is the venue for major events such as Family Day, intramurals, sport events, practices & P.E classes, community day, flag ceremony (by level) and a lot more.

Educational facilities

St. Mary's Academy eight major buildings house Pre-school, Grade School, High School, and vocational students.

  • St. Therese Building
  • St. Joseph Building
  • Holy Child Building
  • Marian building
  • Sacred Heart Building
  • Assumption Building
  • MIDES building
  • MICHD building

Classrooms

At St. Mary's Academy, each classroom is air-conditioned, and equipped with state of the art projector, OHP, white screen, blackboard, lockers, bulletin boards, and about 40 to 44 desks. Some classes, especially in Grades 6-12, also have a Smart TV. They also have a crucifix, images of Mother Mary and Mother Ignacia, and most of the time an altar.

The classrooms at the high school department are fitted with a platform, bulletin boards, and lockers, White Screens, Projectors, and above all, the Holy Cross of Jesus and images of Mother Mary and Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo.

Libraries

St. Mary's Academy has two libraries, one for the grade school department and the other for the high school department. Both are air-conditioned and each equipped with an Internet Station.

Laboratories

The Grade School Department has a total of seven laboratories: two science laboratories, one Art laboratory, one H.E.L.E. laboratory, two Computer laboratories.

The school has two Model House, fully furnished and equipped with amenities. It is used for home economic classes, and for other special purposes.

The High School Department has four laboratories for general science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Physical science. It has one Computer laboratory, one T.L.E.

Aside from the Model House, St. Mary's has a sewing laboratory, used by both grade school and high school students

The school has two Speech laboratories, one for grade school department and the other for the high school department. It is used during English class by students of both departments.

Both Grade School and High School laboratories are fully equipped with computers. Two computers are designated for Grade School and three for High School. Each laboratory provides an aid kit, Tips on "what to-do and what not to-do", Projectors, Televisions, Board and White Screen.

Other learning rooms

  • A.V.R - One in the Grade School Department and Two in the High School Department (A.V.R - A&B). Each one contains 40-50+ seats, contains blackboards, Projectors, White Screens, Platforms, computers and televisions.
  • T.I.I Room - In the Grade School Department (A & B) it contains a touch board, white board, computers, and armchairs. In the high school department it contains a touch board, white board, 40-45 desks, extra chairs, and flat screened computers.

Cafeteria and canteens

SMA-P consists of 1 Cafeteria and 3 Canteens (2 Currently in service) for the Grade School and High School students.

Chapel

For the grade school department, they have 1 prayer room, though it is often used by the pupils. It contains seats preferable similar to the church seats, a table, status, kneeling tables, and crucifix of Christ. In the High School Department, in contains seats similar to the church, statues, Table, Platform, and Crucifix of Christ.

Auditorium

It contains seats per student, a stage with curtains each side, air-conditioned, windows covered with dark blue curtains (now in beige color), audio center, white screen, dressing rooms, and a computer. It is used for graduations, presentations per class, activities, socialization and a lot more.

Health Center

Since the old health center was small, it was moved in a much bigger room in the assumption building. It contains beds, seats, main desk, dental office, doctor's office, restrooms, and crucifixes and a few more.

Archives

It contains old documents, pictures, school's newspaper, magazines and other historic data and documents connected to the school.

Museum

Located at the Centennial Bridge, You can see old pictures of the school and it explains the history of St. Mary's Academy Pasay. It also contains a small miniature of the buildings of St. Mary's Academy – Pasay.

Elevator

The elevator connects Ground Floor up to 5th Floor to assist students, parents, and especially senior citizens.

Student Activities

Clubs helps each student, to improve their skills such as in sports, arts, media, logic, technology, mathematics, science, English, and leadership.

Varsity Team

The school also have a varsity team, which represents the school both local, regional and international level competitions such as Basketball, Swimming, Badminton, Volleyball, Taekwondo, Dance Sport and Table Tennis. The school is a member of the Pasay City Athletic Division Meet and the Pasay City Private School Association in which it sends players to compete and to represent the school. The school also sends its delegates for friendly competitions and tournaments for both local and international. The varsity team of St. Mary's holds many championships and titles in different fields and aspects of sports both local or regional competitions and division meetings.

Marian Student Government (MSG)

The Marian Student Government helps, and disciplines the students for the High School Department. They also make project proposals for the benefit of the school especially in the High School Department. The student council also promotes and manifest the value of commitment and service not only inside the institution but also outside the community together with the Marian Graders Barangayette of the Grade School Department. The Marian Student Government is a member of the Pasay City Youth Development Council together with its other student council counterparts within Pasay City. The organization is also a core member of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines in which they are the delegates to represent St. Mary's - Pasay together with other student council throughout the country.

These are the elected officers through the desire vote of each student & pupils. In the High School Department the elected officers will handle the Grade 7-12 they are consist of:

Secretary & Undersecretary of

  • Cleanliness
  • Discipline
  • Journals
  • Treasury

Marian Graders Barangayette (MGB)

The counterpart of Marian Student Government (MSG) in Grade School is the Marian Graders Barangayette. The Grade School Department elected officers and handles the Grade 1-6. Where in it helps to disciplines the students, They also promote and handles the whole cleanliness of surroundings through discipline for the Grade School Department only.

Co-curricular in the Grade School Department

  • Booklovers Club
  • Children's Music Ministry Club (CMM)
  • Cooky tips Club
  • Earth Force Club
  • Junior Girl Scouts
  • Glee Club
  • Grader Barangayette
  • Little Marian Publication
  • Marian health Volunteers
  • Microbial Club
  • Peer Facilitators Club
  • Sadulaw Club
  • Aiki Club
  • Dance Club
  • Dance Troupe
  • Traditional
  • Modern
  • Spikers Club
  • Taekwando Club
  • Media Club
  • Think Good it's Math
  • Yearbook club
  • Young English speakers club (YES)
  • Young Masters' Club
  • Ministry Of Altar Servers (MOAS)

Co-Curricular for the High School Department

  • Badminton Club
  • Basketball Club (Boys)
  • Soccer Club
  • Booklovers Club
  • Chess Club
  • Creative Arts Club
  • Dance Club
  • eQuest Society A Club
  • eQuest Society B Club
  • Earth Savers Society
  • English Prowess
  • Glee Club
  • Homemakers Club
  • Knights of the Altar
  • Marian Health Volunteer
  • Marian Math Wizards
  • Marian Post
  • Marian Student Government
  • Marian Math Circle
  • Marian Advocacy Club (Formerly known Marian Truth Crusaders)
  • Media Watchers Guild
  • Ministry Of Altar Servers (MOAS)
  • Mother Ignacia Club
  • Peer Facilitators Club
  • PILANTIK
  • SALAMIN
  • Science Wizards
  • AIKI Club
  • Dance Troupe Club
  • Table Tennis Club
  • Taekwondo Club
  • Volleyball Club (Boys)
  • Volleyball Club (Girls)
  • Yearbook Club

Affiliated Organizations

St. Mary's Academy Pasay Alumni Association (SMAP-AA)

They are in-charge of the events concerning to the Alumni of St. Mary's Academy – Pasay. They are also in-charge of the Alumni League, It is an annual sports fest for the former students of St. Mary's. They are grouped according to their school's batch year of graduation. In addition, They are also the one who's in-charge of the distribution of St. Mary's Academy – Pasay Alumni Cards exclusive only for alumni of SMA-P.

St. Mary's Academy Parents' Auxiliary (SMAPA)

It is an organization of parents of the students of St. Mary's concerning to the program of school. They are in the partnership with the school's administration. They are also the one who assist and plan events for the school including the Family Day, and/or the annual SMA-P Fun Run.

St. Mary's Operators, Drivers, Service Association (SMODSA)

An Organization for School Service Operators and Drivers of St. Mary's Academy – Pasay.

Mother Ignacia Center for Human Development (MICHD)

Located at the MICHD Building, St. Mary's Academy helps by reaching out the quality of education thru vocational courses for the less fortunate or for our brothers and sisters that wants to study other technical or vocational courses.

List of Courses offered by MICHD:

  • Dressmaking/Tailoring
  • Cosmetology
  • Typing and Computer
  • Hi-Speed Sewing
  • Electronics
  • Cooking and Home Management

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/celeb2/maricelsoriano/aboutmaryatrivia3.html
  2. ↑ http://namesdatabase.com/schools/PH/PS/Pasay%20City%20Makati%20Metro%20Manila/Saint%20Mary%27s%20Academy

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