MATER CARMELI SCHOOL, NOVALICHES

HISTORY OF MATER CARMELI SCHOOL, NOVALICHES

Mater Carmeli School at Sacred Heart Village, Novaliches, Quezon City is owned and managed by the Carmelite Missionaries of the Province of Fr. Francisco Palau, Philippines. It was founded in 1986 on a piece of property adjacent to the Novitiate House of the Province. In 1982, when the Novitiate House was transferred to Sacred Heart Village, Quezon City, the sisters did not have in mind the founding of the school beside the Novitiate. It was because they wanted to situate the Novitiate in a quiet place that has an atmosphere of solitude. Once the house stood, people passing by the highway mistook it for a school. There were a lot of inquiries as to what grade levels were offered. The homeowners in the village constantly prodded the sisters to put up a school that was near and efficiently managed by a religious congregation. The Sacred Heart Village Homeowners Association formalized its appeal by sending a letter of request to the Provincial Council. It was granted by the General Council in Rome. A feasibility study was made and Mater Carmeli School-Novaliches was born.

The school started its operation in June 1986 with 20 Kindergarten pupils under the tutelage of Sr. Flordeliza Presquito, CM, Sr. Assumption Villalba, CM, and Reynaldo Duremdes (janitor). They kept the preschool going for the school year 1986-1987. While construction of the school building in the adjacent lot was going on, morning class was held in a lent one-storey, two-room building intended to be classrooms for novices and junior sisters. Committed to its mission of promoting quality education in the light of Blessed Francisco Palau’s charism and Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s inspiration, the Carmelite Missionaries generously approved the completion of the school buildings. This paved the way for the full operation of the Grade School levels in 1991 and the High School levels in 1995. This institution provided conducive places for teaching and learning for the benefit of all learners, teachers, staff, and parents. The finished buildings were named Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Teresa of Avila, Blessed Francisco Palau, and Sinon Building (in honor of the school engineer, the late Engr. Leonardo Sinon).
In compliance with RA 10533, also known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K to 12 Law), the St. Therese of the Child Jesus building was constructed in 2015 for Senior High School. In its first year of operation in 2016, the school offered the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand under the Academic Track. In the following years, the Senior High School Department offered Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMMS, 2017) and Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM, 2018) strands.

In order to accommodate the increasing enrolment every year, more school facilities were added and made available for quality and standard education. These facilities were fully furnished with equipment and other necessary materials required for effective utilization that would promote better teaching and learning conditions. Due to the rapid changes in society that challenged all Carmelians, the school was motivated to develop formation programs that would mold the learners to become “small churches” who are passionate lovers of Christ and His Church. The curriculum was revised to inculcate the knowledge, skills, and values among learners shaping them to become true practicing Catholics who are witnesses of the charism of Blessed Francisco Palau and emulators of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Outreach activities of the school were strengthened and extended to the parents and guardians of the learners for the service of the community. The parents’ council and the alumni of the school have become strong partners of the institution particularly in the programs that enhanced both the academics and values formation of the learners.

Today, Mater Carmeli School of Novaliches continues to serve learners with excellence and dedication in order to become globally competitive, peace-loving individuals, protectors of God’s creation, and servants of our neighbors for the glory of our Almighty Father.