St. Mary’s Initial Learning Experience (better known as SMILE or SMILE School Davao), was founded in 1990 by Mr. Julius and Mrs. Ma. Livinia Suico-Bajo. Utilizing the garage and terrace of their family residence at 011 Pandango St., Lanzona Subdivision in Matina, Davao City, they started the school with only 20 preschoolers. Under the tutelage of Mrs. Bajo herself with other teachers, SMILE was able to put itself in the map as producing very fast readers, good leaders, musically- inclined learners and confident achievers.
Under the initiative of their daughter, Mrs. Julie Anne Bajo-Litob, SMILE began other co-curricular and spiritual programs beginning the year 2000. Aiming to evangelize Filipinos starting with children, SMILE opened the Grade School department in June 2007 by opening its doors to 35 Grade One learners. In May 2019, Secondary (Junior High School) Department was granted permit to operate. On its opening, the Junior High School had 20 learners – 14 Grade 7 and 6 Grade 8 learners. The school became known for interschool contests in Spelling, public speaking, and other academic contests.
Blessings continued to abound as the school strove to improve its curricular, co-curricular and spiritual formation program, as well as the its facilities. From 80 square meters in 1990, SMILE grew and is blessed with 2,000 square meters in 2017; from 20 to almost 300 students.
St. Mary’s Initial Learning Experience exists in response to God’s call to build a school for His poor in preschool, elementary and secondary levels of education, forming learners to become good Filipino Christian leaders.
Learners and personnel at SMILE will become good Filipino Christian leaders who authentically live out their identity as temple of the Holy Spirit, the best Filipino, and a follower of Jesus Christ.
St. Mary’s Initial Learning Experience (SMILE) is a loving community that provides outstanding Christian education in the complete preschool, elementary and secondary levels. It is our mission to successfully develop our learners through excellent academic, non-academic and spiritual programs to become GOOD FILIPINO CHRISTIAN LEADERS who bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit, exhibit good Filipino traits, submit to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His teachings, demonstrate desirable performance character traits, socio-emotional skills and 21st century skills, and efficiently shepherd others toward good goals.
Love
Faithfulness
Kindness
Self-Control
Peace
Joy
Gentleness
Goodness
Patience