Transformation is not easy. It takes vision and a commitment to change. The community of St. Philip the Apostle Parish and School in Pasadena understand this very well.

After almost 80 years of serving children in the parish and community, a new St. Philip School facility is being designed and built that prioritizes safety. When fully realized, it could provide a blueprint for others in the archdiocese to do likewise.

St. Philip's parish school first opened its doors to students in September, 1927, six years after the parish was founded. The original south school building, which was built in the 1920s, was joined in the 1960s by the newer north school building, opened to accommodate the growing population. The two buildings are separated, however, by the driveway, parking lot, church and rectory.

The school also faces a heavily traveled traffic thoroughfare (Hill Street) and a busy junior college (Pasadena City College) located directly across the street. Over the years the number of strangers and cars that are in direct proximity to the school has increased the seriousness of the situation.

And, having led VIRTUS® Protecting All God's Children for Awareness Sessions for Adults at St. Philip's, it was clear to Heather Banis --- a facilitator in the VIRTUS® program, and chair of St. Philip's Safeguard the Children Parish Committee and the Master Planning Committee for the new school --- that a newly-designed school was a priority, though she and the committee members knew that it would increase the financial commitment from the parish.

"Creating a safe environment for children and youth influenced our decisions from the get-go," says Banis, noting that committee members had numerous insights about how to plan the "new" St. Philip School. The safety features that will be a part of the school's transformation include the following:

---The south building is being renovated with the addition of a new wing to replace the old north building, which will eliminate the public exposure of children who previously had to cross the driveway, leave the campus and walk down the busy street to go between classrooms and activities.
---All school functions will be contained in buildings on the south end of the parish grounds, which will be enclosed with security fencing.
---Access to the school building will be limited to one entrance, which will be monitored at all times.
---Windows are planned for all classroom doors.
---The new streamlined floor-plan will facilitate visual supervision up and down hallways.
---The Kindergarten will have their own bathrooms within their classrooms.
---"Bubble" mirrors are under consideration for placement in the upper corners of classrooms, so that every angle of a room can be viewed from the hallway.
---The school playgrounds will be partitioned from the parish parking lot with sturdy security fencing and gates, so that cars will not be able to enter the playground during school hours or other times when children are present.
---The multi-use facilities adjacent to the school will provide direct and secure access to the new parish hall for school events or activities.

Carrying out this new master plan called for the removal of St. Philip's old rectory, convent, church hall and a small apartment building that had been a part of the parish for years. It is, clearly, a significant transformation; it is also the kind of permanent transformation that A Plan to Protect God's Children® calls us to when we think about the safety of our children and youth.

As a mom and parishioner, Banis says she is pleased that their school will be child-safe, and she is not alone. The people of St. Philip the Apostle have responded to the need for increased child safety measures, and are proud that their new school is being designed so that children will be protected for the next 80 years and beyond.

This weekly series of feature stories, commentary and analysis is compiled and edited by an advisory group to the Media Relations Office of the Archdiocese, through which the articles are distributed.