Students who are ready for life
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 08:43:00 12/01/2008
Filed Under: Education, Schools
MANILA, Philippines—At Reedley International School, a private, co-educational, and non-sectarian school founded by Nellie Aquino-Ong in 2000, no one believes the notion that being bullied builds character.
As the headmaster Jerome Castro, puts it, “We tell our students, ‘Don’t be a bully, don’t be bullied, and don’t be a bystander.’”
This is because the school’s holistic curriculum includes Life Skills, a unique program anchored on Sean Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens,” and purposely designed to equip Reedley students with values, habits, and life skills that will help them deal with challenges in a more positive and productive manner, both in and out of school.
“This is very impressive,” said author Sean Covey after looking over Reedley’s Life Skills Program brochure. He was visibly elated that the program that was originally put together for schools in the United States has found its way to this country.
It is not just in the social scene where the benefits of “The 7 Habits” manifest themselves. Even in the classroom, Reedley students are proactive about their learning, unafraid to ask questions and to participate in class sessions.
While the school’s revolutionary integration of values formation with its curriculum is something that parents wish all schools would be able to provide, Reedley also has its limitations.
“We can’t accommodate students with learning disabilities or special needs,” admits Emil Ong, director for school development. “We allot a maximum of 25 students per class so teachers and counselors can provide ample attention and personalized guidance to each student. For new enrollees, aside from exams and interviews, we check if a new enrollee and the school would make a good fit, if we are the school that is right for them.”
“The Reedley vision of its ideal graduate is one who is a critical thinker, a problem solver, an articulate speaker, and an excellent writer,” quotes Castro.
Prime examples of the school’s vision that has come to fruition are the two Reedley graduates invited to US President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20.
Paul Michael Thomas Cruz and Anna Marie Liwanag, now in college at the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines, respectively, were selected for their outstanding performance at the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in Washington and New York in 2007 when they were still Reedley high school seniors.
“It’s not just the honor of students developing into the kind of young people we dream them to be,” says Castro. “We have a lot of turnaround stories, of wallflowers who went on to become student council presidents and the like. They are the best testimonies to how a holistic education, personalized guidance, and the practice of good habits can actualize the full potential of every student.” September Mahino
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