About DML: A School Founded by the Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca
Behind every school is a story. At DML Montessori, that story begins with a group of Sisters who believed, deeply and practically, that the earliest years of a child’s life are the most important.
DML Montessori School of Quezon City, Inc. was founded in 1970 by the Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca, a Catholic religious congregation dedicated to the education and formation of young children. For over five decades, they have carried that mission forward in the heart of New Manila, Quezon City.
This page tells that story, because parents considering DML deserve to understand not just what we offer, but who we are.
Who Are the Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca
The Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca is a religious congregation with a charism, a spiritual calling, centered on the education of children, especially the young and the vulnerable.
Their mission is not just academic. It is formative. They believe that a child who grows up in an environment of love, faith, and intellectual freedom becomes not only a capable person but a good one.
In the Philippines, the Daughters established DML Montessori as a living expression of that belief, a school where the Montessori method and Catholic values would work together in the service of children and families.
Our History in Quezon City Since 1970
DML has been part of New Manila, Quezon City for more than 50 years. In that time, it has welcomed generations of children, many of whose parents and grandparents walked the same hallways, sat in the same classrooms, and were shaped by the same community.
That continuity is rare. It speaks to something that cannot be manufactured: a genuine culture of care, consistently maintained across decades.
The school has grown and evolved over the years, but its core has not changed. The Daughters are still here. The mission is still the same. And every school year, new families choose to entrust us with the most precious years of their child’s formation.
The Mission Behind the Montessori Method We Practice
DML’s approach to education is grounded in the Montessori method, a child-centered philosophy that sees the child as an active learner, not a passive recipient of information.
In our classrooms, children choose their work, move at their own pace, and develop independence through purposeful activity. Teachers guide rather than direct. The environment is designed for the child, not the adult.
This approach aligns naturally with our Catholic values. Both the Montessori method and our faith affirm the dignity of the child, the belief that each person is created with inherent worth and deserves to be treated with respect from the very beginning.
Marian Spirituality and Its Place in Our Classrooms
DML Montessori has a particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a tradition rooted in the congregation’s spirituality and woven into the life of the school.
Children are introduced to Mary not as a distant figure, but as a mother, one who models gentleness, faithfulness, and love. This Marian dimension gives DML’s Catholic identity a warmth and tenderness that parents often notice and appreciate.
Faith formation at DML is not a separate subject added to the schedule. It is present in the way teachers speak to children, in the prayers that mark the day, and in the values modeled by everyone in the school community.
The People Who Care for Your Child Every Day
The Sisters of the Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca remain at the center of DML’s community. Their presence, in the administration, in the daily life of the school, and in their relationships with families, gives the school a character that is different from institutions run purely on management principles.
Our teaching and support staff are loyal and long-serving. Many have been at DML for a decade or more. They stay because this is not just a job. For most of them, it is a calling.
When you leave your child at DML each morning, you leave them with people who have chosen to be here. That matters more than any credential or facility.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
DML Montessori School is not simply a Montessori school, or simply a Catholic school. It is a community with a history, a mission, and a deep sense of responsibility to the families who trust it.
We are honored that you are considering us. We would love the opportunity to show you who we are, in person, on campus, face to face.
Visit us at 46 7th St., New Manila, Quezon City. Reach us at (02) 8722-4979 or [email protected]. Learn more and schedule a tour at dmlmontessori.edu.ph.