Montessori De Sagrada Familia Inc. has reinforced its curriculum framework anchored on joyful, active learning this school year, 2025 to 2026. MDSF also appointed a new vice principal to oversee its consistent implementation from preschool through senior high school.
Dan Angelo Bagadiong was appointed Vice Principal for Curriculum and Innovation, a role designed to ensure that the school’s instructional practices align with its target outcome across all grade levels and subject areas.
According to Bagadiong, the direction centers on project-based learning and real-world tasks that mirror the community in which students live. The goal: to make learning meaningful, collaborative, dynamic, and real.
Joyful learning, as defined in the framework, arises from movement, connection, and relevance. In classrooms, students tackle real-life problems as teachers structure lessons to reflect lived experiences, turning learning into an active, shared pursuit.
“We have to build a sense of community and belongingness,” Bagadiong said.
The redesign aligns with the school’s constructivist philosophy, anchored in a responsive and relevant curriculum driven by active learning and 21st-century teaching. At its core, MDSF views the learner as an agent of discovery and transformation, supported by four pillars: learning that extends beyond the classroom through people, technology, and environment; teachers as nurturing guides; inquiry-based instruction; and meaningful, growth-focused assessment.
Teachers have responded with excitement, saying they feel empowered by the trust given to them to “play” around the curriculum—to experiment, innovate, and design meaningful experiences.
Leadership also emphasized that this flexibility is paired with support and recognition, fostering a culture where educators are trained and encouraged to lead with creativity and intention.
“We hope to see more authentic learning emerge as project-based learning becomes a core part of how we shape learning experiences,” Bagadiong added.
Bagadiong’s appointment also ensures a cohesive educational narrative from early childhood to high school graduation. The aim is to nurture a learning environment where students feel safe to express ideas.
“They learn to connect, to show care, to solve problems that matter,” he said.
He described the classroom as a microcosm of society—one that must remain rooted in malasakit (compassion) and kapwa (shared humanity) even as technology continues to evolve.
“As the world shifts,” Bagadiong said, “we have to keep learning more human, more real.”