St. John's Academy  

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St. John's Academy is a small school that started as a big dream of seven Marquez sisters who were all educated to be teachers.The school is located on a one-hectare lot on Valenzuela Street (now Jose Gil Street), in the residential hub of San Juan town. It is not named after St. John the Baptist which explains why it is a non-sectarian school. Since it was going to be put up in San Juan and the Marquezes all resided here, they thought that the English name for the town would do, so St. John's was it.It was in 1930 that the Marquez sisters decided to open a school of their own. Teaching was their profession and the hobby, too, of Concepcion. The idea was backed by their father, the late Gregorio Marquez, who was himself a public school teacher. He gave his daughters the money needed to rent the building and lot that was to become the first St. John's Academy.The building used to be the vacation house for the Recoletos Order. It was on a lot on Pinaglabanan Street near the Old Manila Waterworks reservoir. After some renovations, the school was opened. It offered a complete elementary course, four years of primary and three years of intermediate, and a secondary course with second year as the highest class.The school has grown since then. It has produced many graduates who became successful in their chosen careers. There are prominent figures in our society as well who were once a part of this institution.Beginning this school year 2016-2017, it will offer the K-12 Program.