When I think of home, I think of a place,
where’s there’s love overflowing,
a place where there’s peace, understanding, and serenity,
a place where there’s love and affection …
SOMETIMES not often enough, I do write about something personal rather than political, and usually it’s about experiences that are close to the heart. So just indulge this sentimental old fool as he shares with you stray semantic memories of one.
A decade ago, we decided to come home to “I Am Iloilo City” after almost 30 years of living and working in Metro Manila mainly because I just retired as Director of an international animal welfare NGO. I was looking for peace and quiet away from the hustle of Manila and our grandkids are growing up and pretty soon will go to school.
Our granddaughter went to Assumption Iloilo, of course, and she’s now a teenager in Grade 9, a true blue Assumptionista like her father, an “old boy”, also her Titas and Abuelas who were “old girls”.
A concern for us is our grandson who’s in the spectrum with mild Autism and we were looking for the proper special education school.
It seems like divine providence that we were brought into the gates of St. Mary’s Academy of Iloilo City (SMAIC). True enough, the staff were very accommodating and welcoming, guiding us through the whole process of evaluation, interviews and enrollment.
Our grandson was enrolled in SPED (Special Education) with a program specially tailored for his needs along with proper interventions and therapy.
And that was 10 years ago, he’s now a teenager, graduated from SPED and into PREVOC Intermediate 3, hopefully into regular Grade 9.
Since then, he has found a home, his niche, a place where he belongs and can be himself and progress with his teacher’s loving guidance and care.
But what is St. Mary’s Academy of Iloilo City, “Where Learning and Fun Become One!”?
St. Mary’s Academy is a premier inclusive school dedicated to nurturing both regular students and children with special educational needs.
The school is located at #41 Hechanova St., Nabitasan, La Paz, Iloilo City, Philippines.
It is not only the premier inclusive school dedicated to nurturing both regular students and children with special educational needs, but one of the most recognized if not the only recognized one in its level in Iloilo City.
In 2010, SMAIC received official recognition from the Department of Education for their outstanding programs:
* Preschool: DepEd Recognition No. ER-046, Series of 2010
* Elementary: DepEd Recognition No. ER-047, Series of 2010
* Special Education Program and Pre-Vocational Intervention and Practical Skills Program for Adolescents with Special Needs: DepEd Recognition No. ER-048, Series of 2010
In 2016, SMAIC’s Junior High School program was also recognized under DepEd Recognition No. SR-006, Series of 2016.
Currently these are the Programs the school offers:
* SPED One-on-One
* SPED Class
* Early Intervention Program (EIP)
* Behavior Intervention Program (BIP)
* Prevocational Life Skills Intervention Program
* Preschool (Nursey, Kinder 1, Kinder 2)
* Elementary (Grade 1-6)
* Junior High School (Grade 7-10)
What really stands out or perhaps the school’s signature image is the commitment of management, teachers and staff to providing a holistic and inclusive education where every student thrives.
Indeed, SMAIC is place where there’s love overflowing, a place where there’s peace, understanding and serenity, a place where there’s love and affection.
Finally, “Home” is a song from the 1975 Broadway musical, The Wiz (Wizard of Oz). It was written by Charlie Smalls and was performed by Stephanie Mills in the stage production and by Diana Ross in the 1978 film adaptation and released on the soundtrack album in 1978./PN
