O. B. Montessori Center
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Operation Brotherhood Montessori Center Incorporated (or simply O.B. Montessori Center Incorporated) (Philippines) is an Italian-based school named after Maria Montessori and founded by Preciosa S. Soliven, wife of journalist and publisher of The Philippine Star, Maximo V. Soliven, which is sometimes called O.B.M.C. or O.B.M.C.I. It has pre-school, elementary, high school and college levels and is the first Montessori school in the Philippines.
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[edit] Mission & Vision
[edit] Vision
O.B. Montessori Center, Inc.envisions the emergence of a "new man" who will no longer be the victim of events but, thanks to his clarity of vision will become able to direct and molds the future of mankind.The school adheres faithfully to the educational method discovered and propagated through experience by the great Dr. Maria Montessori where MAN becomes the center of education, whose mental growth and development begins at birth. Guided by his "inner teacher," he can construct himself into a "citizen of the world,able to exercise freedom and self discipline, undistorted by fear."
[edit] Mission
To help the child help himself - "SEIPSUM FACIT PERSONA" Man Makes Himself. OBMCI's mission is to transform all students. into self-developing individuals by establishing the right relationship between the child and the adult and by providing him with a suitable environment for learning.
[edit] History
It started with a school established among the poor mostly relocated squatters in Sapang Palay, Bulacan. Its mother organization Operation Brotherhood International (OBI) was founded by Oscar Arellano in 1956 OBI provided medical help and community upliftment assistance to the war refugee in Vietnam and Laos. When OBI started operations in the Philippines in 1963, village projects became its first priority including schools for the poor. Preciosa S. Soliven who had been teaching young children in Vietnam and later worked with a Swiss Montessori preschool teacher in Makati was asked by OBI to manage these schools. The experience inspired Ambassador Soliven to pursue a complete Montessori course in Perugia,Italy and London in 1966. Upon her return to the country, she put up a school for the middle class while maintaining services to the poor. The first full-time Montessori Nursery School was organized and conducted at the Syquia Apartments in Malate, Manila It was named O.B. Montessori Children's House. Most of these Children Houses were established in rented mansions in Paco, Makati and Quezon City between 1966 and 1970. The Grade School level was opened In 1970 after Soliven completed her AMI Elementary course for 6-12 year olds In Bergamo, Italy. Due to the numerous requests of the parents of the grade school graduates, Amb. Soliven launched the O.B. Montessori Professional High School in 1983. She applied what she saw in the curriculum of various academic and technical schools in Europe, Australia and the US to the high school program, In 1995, Sollven set up the O.B, Montessori college to rest the mushrooming of false Montessori schools all over the country. After 40 years of making a difference In the lives of millions of Filipino families, this Montessori operation has become the largest in the world with nearly 5,000 students enrolled in the four branches in Manila, Las Piñas, Greenhills and Angeles, Pampanga, It has gone way beyond its academic programs and now Includes a multi-purpose theater that has a seating capacity of more than a thousand, an Italian restaurant with its satellite Cafes, an 11 hectare farmland In Alfonso, Cavite patterned after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Self Sufficiency Farm, several ecumenical shrines and a 23 year old Child and Community Foundation that reaches out to the rural communities through the Pagsasarili Schools and Mothercraft Literacy Course. lt is equally proud of its full military brigade of 700 high school CAT cadets and 100-member Marching Band, both of whom have won top honors in inter-school competitions. Inspired to be independent and motivated by a spirit of excellence, they stand out In various fields; culture, business, politics, communications or sports.
[edit] The Teachers, Staff and Students
The School offers quality education and highly-trained teachers. The students are known to be obedient, friendly to all, and they love to learn due to their Montessori methods. The staff on the other hand are always open for help and they do a good job at making O.B.M.C.I. what it is today.
The school offers many subjects that can't be found in other schools, like Agriculture, Horticulture, Botany, Zoology, Scouting ,Leadership Training (LT) , CAT and Performing Arts . Also, Geometry is taken up starting from Grade 1 which makes the students advanced than other students from different schools because Geometry is a subject usually taken up during High School.
[edit] The Branches
- Main Branch:Greenhills Branch;Greenhills,San Juan MM
- Branches:
- Greenhills Branch;Greenhills,San Juan,MM
- Sta.Ana Branch;Sta.Ana Manila,MM
- Las Pĩñas;Las Pĩñas City,MM
- Angeles Branch;Angeles City ,Pampanga [1]
- Mac Arthur Branch,MacArthur Highway Angeles City ,Pampanga
[1]Villa Gloria Branch and MacArthur Branch have been brought together and the school is functioning and now settles in the improve MacArthur Branch.
[edit] The Uniforms
[edit] Casa level
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- Boys: vest, brown and blue
- Girls: pink and yellow .
- They are required to wear leather shoes and civilian clothing under their vests.
[edit] Primary level
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- Girls: navy-blue skirt, with a white, sleeveless top, with red and blue on the collar they are required to wear a navy blue vest.
- Boys: they wear a beige brown polo, with a chinese collar, and brown cargo pants.
[edit] Intermediate level
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- Girls: wear a navy blue dress, V-cut but has a white cloth with red and blue stripes rimmed, so it looks like a shirt and a dress combined.
- Boys: light-toned brown polo with chinese collar, but now with brown slacks.
- Agriculture Uniform:Green T-shirt with Logo
- Section A-Golden Vikings
B-Red Indians
C-Orange Raiders
D-Blue Hunters
E-Green Cavaliers
F-Purple Knights
[edit] High-school level
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- Boys and Girls:grey and ,bluish grey small plaid polo.
- Girls: wear a grey, plaid skirt,
- Boys: wear grey slacks, they also share the same navy-blue vest, with collar, the vest has no sleeves.
- Senior students: wear a blue Shirt, brown pants, and tan blazer instead.
- The High-School CAT-1 Dress Uniforms :
loosely modeled after the cadet uniforms of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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- The High-School LT Uniforms :
White T-shirts with logo, straight,4-pocketed and no Design pants,cap,Leather Shoes,and white socks
[edit] All Levels
- P.E. uniforms: are all the same, though they have different shirts, they wear dengue-proof jogging pants, with the word 'O.B.M.C.' on the side and shorts for High-School Boys.
Shirts:
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- Casa level: white shirt, with the casa logo on the back and front.
- Primary and Intermediate level: they wear their O.B. Montessori Logo-ed shirt with the name 'O.B. Montessori Center Inc.' on the back.
- High School level, they wear a grey t-shirt, with their level logo on the front. Their Logos are the ff.:
- Freshmen - Green Hornets ;
- Sophomores - Yellow Tigers;
- Juniors - Red Bulldogs;
- Seniors - Blue Bears;
[edit] Academic Programs
[edit] Casa
Age 0-3 is characterized by the presence of an Unconscious Absorbent Mind, "a mind that is constantly absorbing impressions from the environment without knowing that he is doing so, and without willing it." The Montessori Toddlers' Class caters to the 1.5 to 3 year old children. The Toddlers' Program centers on the philosophy of : "Helping the Child, Help Himself" thru the Montessori Prepared Environment. The Toddler's Room simulates a house where the child is given freedom to work independently in a Prepared Environment that is complete, functional and orderly thus maximizing his potential to the fullest. The furniture and materials are also designed within the child's level that would enable the child to develop independence in movement and language. Age 3-6 is characterized by the presence of a Conscious Absorbent Mind which allows the child to consciously and willingly learn from his environment.
TODDLERS PROGRAMThis level caters to children from 1.6 to 2.11 years old.
THE CASA CURRICULUM
The Casa Curriculum makes use of 177 hands-on apparata for Practical Life Activities, Sensorial Life Activities, Language, Mathematics and Cultural Arts (divided into Botany, Zoology, Historyand Geography). All Subjects directly or indirectly help the child develop areas of his personal growth: physically...mentally...emotionally...socially...morally.
CASA (3-6 Years Old) - This level is classified into three groups:
- Junior Casa - corresponds to Nursery in other schools. This level consists of children aged 3 - 4 years old.This may include 4 1/2 years old children without previous schooling and who lack basic knowledge in Language and Math.
- Junior Advanced Casa - corresponds to Kindergarten in other schools and includes children who are 4 1/2 years old and who do not qualify for Advanced Casadue to academic difficulty and behavioral problems.
- Advanced Casa - corresponds to Preparatory Level inother schools. It includes children aged 5 to 6 years old. This level may also include those who do not qualify for Grade 1 (between 6 to 6.5 years old).
[edit] Grade School
The Second Stage of development from 6-12 years is a "period of uniform growth." This means that growth continues for a long period along the same line, preserving the same type of mind and the same group of psychological characteristics. In other words, it is a period of growth without much transformation. This period is characterized by great strength and robustness of the body and mind. Socially, it is marked by the development of the "herd instinct." Children at this stage seek one another's company and from themselves into gangs of all kinds.
THE GRADE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Characterized by a strong reasoning mind, the 7-12 year old children tend to be morally conscious, always examining whether one's action is right or wrong. Thus, the Grade School Curriculum, called the Cosmic Curriculum, follows Dr. Maria Montessori's philosophy, which is to make the child realize that he is a part of the Universe and that he has a special role to play in it. It teaches the child to appreciate the creation of the Universe from the atom, animals and plants to the coming of man and the universal responsibility of mankind to care for life. The Grade School curriculum makes use of 234 apparata so advanced that 4th grades are doing high school Math, Language, Filipino, Geometry, and Cultural Arts. The latter integrates Geography, History, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology. Even special subjects such as Home Arts, Agriculture, Physical Education, Scouting, Music and Religion have innovative programs. These special subjects absorb the child's full attention and enthusiasm.
[edit] High School
The third stage of development from 13-18 years is the adolescent stage when valorization of personality occurs as the individual prepares to enter adulthood by acquiring confidence. This is the period when emotion, no longer intelligence, becomes operational in his preparation for adult responsibility.
It is characterized by great physical, emotional, psychological and social transformation when self-consciousness is heightened and requires the performing arts, sports and para-military training to transform timidity to self-confidence. He is filled with creative energy and intensely seeks economic independence. Thus, the O.B. Montessori Professional High School Curriculum provides Food Service training where students are made to run the high school cafeteria, engage in kitchen, waitering and cashiering activities.
Dr. Maria Montessori conceived the "Erde Kinder" or youth settlements as the ideal farm community where students will raise animals and propagate farm plant products for economic self-sufficiency, consequently sharing the knowledge with the farmers in the neighborhood. In O.B. Montessori Professional High School the program not only provides academic preparation for college but also training skills in business reinforced with leadership and civic consciousness.
The Professional High School Curriculum
The Professional High School curriculum is composed of seven core subjects: Communication Arts, Social Studies, Science and Technology, Mathematics, Physical Education, Health and Music, Technology and Home Economic.To satisfy his need for economic independence field trips to publishing houses, the Senate and Congress, archives and museums, television and radio stations, food processing companies manufacturing firms, theater shows, farms, etc. are Science in the kitchen regularly scheduled throughout the year. Membership in various clubs such as the Glee Club, Math and Science, Business, Modeling, Art and Debating Clubs is encouraged. The Junior Operation Brotherhood Service Club, through the Mothercraft Program and the Project Kaibigan, satisfies the need to save society.The O.B. Montessori Professional High School Curriculum gives the adolescent and overview of the various fields of study at his disposal while preparing him for a more specialized study in college.
[edit] College
Dr. Maria Montessori maintains that the adolescence period can be divided into two stages: 12-15 years old and 15-18 years old. The first period of adolescence is characterized by some rapid physical development as well as the development of new psychological characteristics like doubts, hesitations, violent emotions, discouragement and an unexpected decrease in intellectual capacity. During the later part of adolescence, there is a time when the "socially conscious individual is created" (E.M. Standing p.16). For the first time he becomes clearly conscious of himself, not simply as an individual but as a separate member of human society. He feels a strong need to be treated with a "new kind of dignity and respect."
As he reaches the age between 18 to 24, the young adult begins to make his decisions in the choice of his career as he enters college. Likewise, he develops preference for a particular friend of the opposite sex. Clearly, this stage focuses in the preparations for a profession and for his future family life. With these in mind, Operation Brotherhood Montessori College courses have been designed for the adult to mature professionally.
FOOD SERVICE BACHELOR IN FOOD MANAGEMENT(Major in Food Service) 2 YEAR DIPLOMA COURSE IN FOOD SERVICE
The courses are patterned after the well-known culinary schools that thoroughly train students in baking, butchery, etc. The college boasts of a well- equipped Italian restaurant, Ristorante La Dolce Fontana, which serves as a hands-on laboratory for Food Service students.
EDUCATION
BACHELOR IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION(with specialization in the Montessori Method) This course puts emphasis in teaching college students the aspects in 'normalizing" children within the "Prepared Environment". It provides daily intense classroom practice in the junior and senior years. Trainees are closely monitored such that each trainee's ability to' "normalize" children is carefully rated. Graduates of this specialized course are expected to utilize acquired skills and knowledge either in private or government institutions. More importantly, his future family will benefit the most because the course is relative to its needs.
PROFICIENCY COURSE IN MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL EDUCATION (For Baccalaureate degree holders only)This post-baccalaureate course provides specialized Montessori training and can be applied to a second major in Montessori Preschool Education for Baccalaureate degree holders in Education. The course includes daily internship or in-service training.
[edit] Grading System
| Rate | Percent | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Bergamo 1 | 94.00%-100.00% | Excellent |
| Bergamo 2 | 87.00%-93.99% | Above Standard |
| Bergamo 3 | 80.00%-86.99% | Standard |
| Perugia 1 | 75.00%-79.99% | Needs Improvement |
| Perugia 2 | 65.00%-74.99% | Poor |
[edit] Trivia
- Statues of saints, angels and Jesus are found all around the campus, inside or outside.
- A large tarpauline of Angelique Victoria is found at the front of the school with the words "A dolore ad gloriam" beneath it. The tarpauline occupies at least 7 floors.
- The school's Philippine Flag was found at half-mast after the death of Maximo V. Soliven, the school's chairman and publisher and writer of The Philippine Star.
- "By the Way",'A Point Of Awareness" and "As a Matter of Fact" is required reading for High School students,Teachers and Staff.
