Everest Academy’s integral formation is secret to raising country’s future great leaders
Bonifacio Global City, Philippines (March 8, 2014)—A premier school at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is attracting parents and educators alike. Everest Academy Manila (everestmanila.com), a Catholic international school present in over 20 countries worldwide, boasts not of its international curriculum, highly qualified faculty and staff or exclusivity. Its most important feature, says school principal Rosano S. Landar, is a strong focus on “integral formation.” Integral formation consists of four pillars from the intellectual formation (academics), the human formation (character, virtues and behavior), the apostolic formation (leadership and social awareness), and the spiritual formation (faith and prayer).
“Everest Academy puts a lot of emphasis on human formation, which is why we have specific programs to help cultivate virtues, values and character,” says Grades 1 to 2 dean of students, Pinky Garrovillo. “Our virtue program revolves around the school’s core values: Integrity, Commitment, Accountability, Respect and Excellence or I-CARE. We want our students to care about being the best person they can be.”
“Sometimes conversations with students and parents become apostolic projects that the children come up with on their own, such as a Grandparents’ Day, Yaya Appreciation Day, or assorted party games with Everest’s sister school, Mano Amiga, where the fortunate Everest kids help and play with their less fortunate counterparts,” says Garrovillo.
Sabrina, mother of first grad student Sebastian, said she enrolled her son to Everest Academy when she observed that her neighbors’ kids who went to that school were very kind and well-behaved. Now, Sabrina said her son is always happy to go to school.
The best part of going to school for Grade 5 student Amara is when teachers mix fun and learning and being a part of the community. “I like my school because the teachers are very nice and know what they are doing. They make each class fun and we really learn a lot. Also we have clubs that teach us things outside the usual subjects… The school has helped me a lot not only in the academic aspect but also in leadership, human and spiritual formation. It has helped me become a well-rounded young girl.” Five years after her parents enrolled Amara to Everest Academy, her little sister has already started schooling as a first grader.
Transferee student Weenter said it’s not simple to choose a school for one’s self. “I wanted a school with a small class size, teachers with impressive credentials, a school that teaches good Christian values, a school that has nice students (and no bullies), and most importantly, a school where I would be happy… So in April 2012, I made the best decision of my life. I chose a great school over a good school. I chose Everest Academy.”
Often parents working in schools transfer their children where they work for convenience. For Corinne Medrana, manager of admissions at Everest, the reverse happened. “My three older kids were students here and I really liked how the school was helping us raise and form our kids. Most schools teach your child to be a good student. We teach your child to be a good person,” says Medrana, who decided to help out with Everest since August 2013 after being a parent in the school since 2007.
Medrana explained the child’s individualized plan that the Everest faculty works on with his or her parents. Each of the school’s four pillars of human formation has sample goals which the parents may choose to want to develop more in their child. The personalized mentoring and relationship that comes from a small yet great school contributes to its holistic approach to teaching.
Founded in 2007 in Manila, Everest Academy belongs to a network of more than 200 schools around the world directed by the Regnum Christi Movement and the Legionaries of Christ, a priestly congregation. The curriculum is designed by the National Consultants for Education (NCE) in the United States, and is now being framed to blend with the Department of Education’s K-12 curriculum and an advance placement program for high school. Starting with just 19 students in Grades 1 and 2, Everest Academy has grown to 287 students from Grades 1 to 8. For this school year, Everest is opening their campus to high school students for those who’re graduating from their class or who wish to transfer from other schools at 13 or 14 years old. They also expanded the school to accept Kindergarten levels for kids 4 or 5 years old.
The Everest Academy Manila is located at 3846 38th North Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634, Philippines. Visit www.everestmanila.com or contact Corinne Medrana at (+632) 882-5019 and[email protected]
