SM Prime donates 2nd building to Olongapo school
OLONGAPO CITY – SM Prime Holdings Inc. through SM Foundation, recently turned over a fully furnished two-story school building – including 200 armchairs for students, four sets of teacher’s table/chair, 16 wall fans, eight blackboards, four wall clocks and four toilets – to Kalalake Elementary School in Olongapo City.
Chairs designed especially for left-handed students were also provided, an innovation by SM Foundation to address the difficulties and discomfort of left-handed students using desks designed for right-handed students.
Like other SM-donated school buildings, it is person with disability-friendly with a PWD ramp and toilet exclusively for PWDs.
The edifice is also emergency-ready with a fire alarm bell, a staircase on both of its sides and emergency lights at the landings of both staircases. Two spotlights were installed outside the new building.
All other classrooms at the Kalalake Elementary School also received wall clocks in support of the Department of Education (DepEd)’s Project WATCH or We Advocate Time Consciousness and Honesty.
The SM school building program not only give benefits to students, but it also empowers members of the Foundation of These-Abled Inc. who make the armchairs and other furniture for the donated school buildings, thereby providing them a source of income.
Along with the school building donation, SM Prime turned over a book corner with shelves, chairs and 2,000 books. Twenty computer units were also given to the school.
Kalalake Elementary School is one of DepEd’s Centers of Excellence. It has a student population of 2,000 students from Barangays Kalalake, Pag-asa, East Bajakjak, Asinan and Tapinac, 115 of which are children with special needs and intellectual disability, hearing impaired, visually impaired and those with behavioral problems but many of whom are in the socalled transition class.
These special education classes cater to pupils not only from Olongapo but also from San Marcelino, Zambales and Bataan.
The school also has classes for intellectually gifted children, who are considered fast learners. The 259 gifted children are from Grades 1 and 2 (two sections each); Grades 3, 4 and 5 (one section each) and Grade 6 (two sections).