Monday, June 16, 2008 Beyond borders By Arch’t. Karl A.E.F. Cabilao, UAP
Beyond borders: These words are among those conspicuously etched in this fledgling school’s logo. It is not only due to its tag as an international school but also of its strong and sincere commitment to their young students.
Youthful couple Jackson and Samantha Tudtud are the steel-willed school administrators of the two-year-old South Hills International School, located at Salvador Extension, Labangon. Other than being both industrial engineering graduates from the same university, they are also one in their passion for giving the best quality of education to their eager pupils.
With their eyes set on that, they also thank their school principal, Ela Salvador, who is constantly helping them realize their goals armed with her more than 30 years of experience in the academe. “We look after the total development of the child.
We want to make them feel loved and cared when they are in school by making learning a happy experience,” says Ms. Ela.
Indeed, it is a homey atmosphere which makes school life one that every kid would look forward to, considering the children’s common abhorrence of going to school. The mentally stimulating classrooms, with its vibrant hues, are just the right size for a class of 12-15 students each with two accommodating teachers. It also has playgroups that encourage lively interaction among pupils.
“Just like any other businesses, we had some birth pains,” shares Samantha.
Asked about their main challenge in laying the foundations of the school, she pointed out how to spread the word about the newbie in the education community. “When we started last November 2006, we only had 20 students.
Last school year, it ballooned to 85 students. That was so much growth than we expected,” she continues.
She enjoys her pupils very much especially during special events on campus.
“It’s very nice to watch some foreigners’ children don native attire and sing local songs in our native tongue during the Linggo ng Wika together with the Cebuano kids. And with them, you could just imagine how colorful it is when United Nations Day comes,” she enthuses.
Occasiuons like these inspire the people behind the school to further evolve by keeping pace with the student needs. “For the coming years, we are planning to add more classrooms, a football field, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a state-of-the-art auditorium and a lot more. We would also like to establish partnerships with other sectors of society and expose our students early to the possibilities of what the world has to offer,” she said.
Moreover, the administrators believe that “substance in curriculum” is the most compelling need in the educational system these days. And they are working hard to attain their goals of going beyond borders and eventually become a premier school in the southern part of the city.
