Marivic E. Bathan receiving the BARA award.
On its 10th anniversary, once more, for the 5th consecutive year since 2011, Children’s Paradise Montessori School (CPMS) has been chosen to be the MOST TRUSTED MONTESSORI SCHOOL in Metro Cebu by the Global Management and Excellence Awards (GLOMEA) Council. The Awards Night was held at the Grand Convention Center on June 27. CPMS has also been Cebu’s Montessori School of the Year from 2010 to 2015, a six year consecutive recognition plum, by the Business Achievement and Recognition Awards (BARA) Council.
And this is an achievement in itself! Why? and how? CPMS President Ms. Marivic Evangelist Bathan admits that the school from its foundation has consistently adhered to Dr. Maria Montessori’s Philosophy and Principles and, just as consistently, exposed the students to real-world experiences and to the beauty and discipline of the arts. That’s how CPMS values children, “the makers of men” according to Dr. Maria Montessori, or “the hope of our future” to Dr. Jose Rizal
In a thoughtful moment, Marivic E. Bathan, perhaps not so unlike Dr. Maria Montessori, a little over a century ago, when she founded her “Casa dei Bambini” (Children’s Home) recalled how with just 13 small kids in 2006 she confidently started her own “Children’s Paradise”.
Now going into its 2nd decade, CPMS has truly come a long way and is raring to accomplish more and more beyond the usual expectations.
But just to keep track of what CPMS has garnered these first 10 years of operation, take note:
It started with the Preschool Program and has developed more programs to cater to children’s developmental needs. Now, CPMS is currently running 8 well-integrated programs, as follows:
1. Toddler (below 3 years old)
2. Inclusive Preschool (3-6 years old)
3. Intensive Montessori Environment (IME) Preschool
4. Inclusive Lower Elementary (Grades 1 to 3)
5. Intensive Montessori Environment (IME) Lower Elementary
6. Inclusive Upper Elementary (Grades 4 to 6)
7. Comprehensive Learning Needs Support (CLNS) – Upper Elementary
8. Student Service (In-house services to provide intervention for children with needs)
9. Child Care Program (to open in August)
International Training /Continuing Professional Education – Ms. Bathan went to Malaysia and Australia for further Montessori training; Annual in-house teacher training by a trainer-consultant with a Masters Degree in Montessori Education from the Loyola University in Maryland, USA
A dynamic trendsetter
- 2007 – Spearheaded the celebration of the Montessori Centennial by the Association of Montessorians in in Southern Philippines (AMSP) in Ayala, Cebu.
- 2008 – Opened a new program – The Intensive Montessori Environment
(IME) to prepare preschool children with needs to be mainstreamed - 2009 – Partnered with Cebu City local Government and DepEd to provide refresher and advanced courses of The Montessori Method to about 200 Daycare and Public School Teachers. Staged Psalty’s Christmas Calamity as its 1st Musicale Play Production
- 2010 –Opened its Montessori Elementary Program (starting with Grades 1 to 3) faithfully complying with the Principles of the Montessori Method
- 2011 –Opened its Student Services Dept. to provide the necessary intervention programs that children might need.
- 2014 –Children’s Paradise Montessori Choir, the only Philippine choir, joined Asia Cantate International Choral Competition in Hong Kong and won 1 gold and 2 silvers; and performed in Desneyland, Hong kong.
- 2015 – To open the 10th year celebration, CPMS produced the Cebu Premiere of Disney-Broadway Junior Musical: The Little Mermaid Jr.
In August, it will launch its Montessori Child Care Program – a more flexible and accessible Montessori early childhood care and developmental program
Bathan says, “It was a leap of faith that started it all. With so much passion in teaching, which runs naturally in our family, coupled with the love for children, I was inspired to pursue my dream of a Montessori school even at the peak of my corporate career. God made all things possible! What was once a dream has become a mission to fulfill for life. Witnessing how children can be transformed to becoming the best that they can be through the Montessori Education keeps me going even when the going gets tough. I thank God for the grace to allow me to find, embrace, and live the purpose He has for my life through the love and understanding of my family. It is really a vocation, a divine calling, which eventually will be a legacy of the Evangelista and Bathan families. ”
Bathan, second president of the region’s Association of Montessorians in Southern Philippines, also recently received the coveted Outstanding Woman Achiever of 2015 Award among ten women awardees from the organizers of the Business Achievement and Recognition Awards (BARA) during its annual recognition rites at Mandarin Plaza Hotel on the 21st of June, 2015. The yearly prestigious initiative is an enduring advocacy of a multi-sectoral and unaligned group of civic, non-government, and business entities and leaders designed to recognize companies that have excelled in their respective fields of business firms that are performing well.
Last year, the CPM Choir participated in the Asia Cantate International Choral Festival in Hong Kong and romped away with a gold medal in equal voices choir and two silver medals in the children’s choir and folklore categories surpassing the performances of 15 other secondary and tertiary level choirs from the different countries in the ASEAN region. The CPM choir made history as being the first participating group in the Philippines in the prestigious competition. The group was also given the rare opportunity to perform in Disneyland Hong Kong during their stay in the city.
In her brief response representing the other awardees of the event, she emphasized the need to put the passion to excel in giving the consuming public or community the highest quality of service or performing product over and above the desire for financial gains and security. It seemed everyone was inspired by the truly moving true stories from Sir Ken Robinson’s book The Element and the equally touching lives from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet that Ms.Bathan shared with her audience.
Bathan is a product of the University Of San Carlos (USC) College of Accountancy who graduated Magna Cum Laude and ranked 17 in the May 1993 CPA Board Exams.
