The Department of Education City Schools Division of Dasmariñas signs a Memorandum of Agreement with Permethrin Kwell, a brand under Aspen Philippines, for a two-year partnership to promote health and hygiene in schools, March 1.

The program dubbed as “Kwella sa Eskwela sa Dasma” aims to prevent and treat pediculosis (head lice) and scabies among pupils, which is a health concern in schools in Dasmariñas city. Based on the data from the Division Health and Nutrition Unit, 7 out of 10 pupils at the elementary level, while 3 out of 10 students at the secondary level are afflicted with head lice. To address this issue, Kwella sa Eskwela sa Dasma will conduct health awareness campaign integrated in Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd and distribute health kits including Kwell products during the annual health inspection of learners in all public schools in the city.

“We at DepEd value the support of our partners in helping us sustain the different programs and projects for our students. In terms of health, we know the importance of hygiene in schools and how this relates to student performance and achievement,” noted Mr. Christopher Diaz, Schools Division Superintendent. He thanked Aspen Philippines for being one with DepEd Dasmariñas in ensuring that pupils are lice-free and healthy.

The representatives of Aspen Philippines and Kwell expressed their support for the partnership. “We hope to raise more awareness on preventing pediculosis in schools and we are happy to pilot this program in DepEd Dasmariñas,” shared Mr. Joey Santos, Marketing Manager and Mr. Reynato Munar, Product Manager.

The partnership is an initiative of the Health and Nutrition Unit and the Social Mobilization and Networking Unit under the School Governance and Operations Division.

Bautista Elementary School and its partner organizations work together to bring the joys of reading to visually impaired pupils.

Bautista Elementary School has been a home to students with special learning needs since the establishment of its Special Education (SPED) program about 9 years ago. At present, the school has catered to more than 110 SPED students including those who are visually impaired (VI).

In 2015, Bautista Elementary School together with its partner organizations Resources for the Blind (RBI), USAID, Australian Aid, and World Vision, launched Project ACR (All Children Reading). The project aims to develop reading literacy in early primary grades and improve the reading scores of pupils with visual impairment.

The partner organizations donated instructional materials including Braille, computer and printer sets, and provided teacher training support. One SPED teacher, Ms. Jennifer Polo, completed specialized studies for SPED at the Philippine Normal University with a full scholarship grant from RBI.

Six visually impaired pupils at Bautista Elementary School made full use of the assistive learning devices from Project ACR. In the end, they improved not only their reading ability, but also their confidence in interacting with other people.

“Natuto po talaga akong magbasa at mas maganda na po ang naipapakita namin sa ibang kaklase po namin.” - Sean Michael, VI pupil

“Mas napagaan ang aming pag-aalaga sa aming mga anak. Mas nagkaroon kasi sila ng tiwala sa sarili nila at mas kaya na nilang gumalaw mag-isa.” - Nanay Mylene, parent of Alexa, VI pupil

“Parents are more cooperative when they see the support of partners. This encouraged me more to look for more partners who are willing to extend their help to address the needs of our learners and bring inspiration to parents.” - Mary Rose, Bulanadi, ASP Coordinator

Pintong Gubat Elementary School works with partners to create engaging and innovative learning environments for grade school pupils.

PINTO Education (Partners in INnovation Towards Outstanding Education), the school's banner partnerships program has brought together partners from the private sector to promote literacy and enhance the learning experiences of more than 5,000 pupils in Pintong Gubat Elementary School (PGES).

In 2017 and 2018, PGES launched projects focused on improving the school library and enhancing instructional delivery. With donations from alumna Josie Gonzales who now resides in Canada, the school library was furnished with story books and other reading materials. Its varied book collection allowed students to rediscover their love for reading. This effort was recognized when PGES won the 1st place in the Division’s Search for the Most Functional Reading Area.

After the successful renovation of the school library, PGES worked to enhance the learning experiences in the classroom. Adopt-a-School Program Coordinator Mr. Richard Fonte tapped Tai & Chyun Philippines, Inc, an international engineering company, to introduce educational technology resources to the school. The partner donated 25 SMART TVs worth Php 400,000 to PGES in April 2018. The students of PGES, accompanied by the teachers and PTA officers, received the SMART TV donations with big smiles on their faces. Tai & Chyun committed to support PGES for three years.

Exciting times lie ahead. The doors to innovative education are opening at Pintong Gubat Elementary School.