Journeying towards 2015

by Ms. Daisy C. Bejerano

The Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) has given its seal of approval to apply for formal survey one year after receipt of the report. This eligibility implies that CSZC has qualified after the consultation and preliminary visits to both elementary and high school. Subsequently, the formal visit will be sometime September 2010 for the next phase of the accreditation process.

            As the newly promoted English Department Head, I believe that “The highest result of education is tolerance,” as Helen Keller, once said.

             Despite the fact that we have a long way to go in our quest to create a truly excellent, just, humane and tolerant society, we remain optimistic. Though in the face of my friends, family and God, I am already married to my profession, I remain insanely obsessed just to make a splash not to make a personal rat race but to be an icon in inspiring others to move, to run and climb the highest mountain.

             Now I can say, we continue to journey to the fore. In fact, the Middle Administration of CSZC had set off its formulation of the grand vision in the pursuit of improvements in instruction, student services, facilities, and the wholeness of the institution. Its craving for excellence has been pumping all its educators’ brains to dig the best approaches and lines of attack just to meet a certain goal, a very striving goal. Hence, our school director, Fr. C. James dL. Castro, CMF, initiated an adventurous educational trip to Dakak with a sole purpose in mind-envision Claret School by 2015.

 In the morning of April 24, 2009, the director and the middle admin all stepped in to the paradise-like resort called Dakak. There, all our dreams focused to perfect tête-à-tête about each of our goals for the school in the next five years. All of us became so motivated, very optimistic and greedy of prestige.

 In the course of our discussion, brilliant ideas popped-out. Mr. Leopoldo A. Rojas, the High School Assistant Principal, shared his vision viva vocẻ for the year 2015. He dynamically said, “CSZC will be a PAASCU accredited school managed by young competent, committed, and value-oriented personnel, and will become the premier school in Western Mindanao” He also visualized, “The Claretian teachers will be trainers of Understanding by Design or UbD.” UbD is a new methodology of teaching which is similar to our method that will be required by the Department of Education by next year.

  As the discussion ran soundly Mrs. Aileen A. Enriquez, the new High School Science Department Head, gladly expressed, “The school must become the leading school in environmental education.” She was very optimistic and determined while giving more details about it. Another forceful idea came out that, “The school must focus also on the communication skills of the students and faculty and staff,” earnestly acknowledged by Mrs. Melinda M.  Masamayor, Grade School Department Head.

              Apparently, the initial journey of the CSZC’s middle admin in the expedition has just started. Thus, during the pre-opening activities in May, Fr. James solicited the help of the entire members of the school community. As usual, everybody in the institution was keen to make out what would ensue in this school year.

              Once again, the CSZC’s fervent faculty and compassionate staff convened to straighten out things. One of the many aspirations is to create a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG) for 2015. For the people who were involved in the formulation of the said objective, they really described it as a mind-boggling activity. Hence, the ideas of the different minds were fused into one when the school director and other administrators settled on this unwavering goal, which states that, “By 2015, Claret School of Zamboanga City, a PAASCU accredited DLP-UbD Basic Education School, is the premier institution in Zamboanga Peninsula for communication arts and environmental education.”  It is an astounding target. It is a striving one, however, the workforce positively contracted with.

             This is a very challenging goal for me as the head of the English Department. I don’t have a perfect gift of the gab but with the support of the administration and my very dynamic members, our department could throw caution to the winds just to realize this goal. As Abraham Lincoln said “I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.” It obviously implies perseverance.

 Beyond doubt, the school director is focused sharply in making the institution a paramount special than any other schools in Zamboanga peninsula. He used to say, “As the director of the school, I want to establish an edge- an edge that will create impact and difference to all the other schools.”