A School that offers quality education for resilient learners

I am so blessed and so lucky to be a part of San Roque Elementary School, my alma mater. The school where quality professionals succeeded in the different field of endeavor. Some of them served the school while others were employed in the public and private sector. Hence, with pride, honor and salutations, they come back to offer their success with a helping hand.

San Roque Elementary School in this pandemic situation, participated voluntarily on project WEB which connotes simple but significant meaning.

Working hand in hand is progress. It is a way to establish good rapport between and among others. It is the best t6imes for everyone to passionately focus in work-related activities. Amidst pandemic crisis, we extend our precious time to assist parents and learners at risk. Because we care for others, no child is left behind. One way to carry out the department`s advocacy, we used other means of communication just to reach out the less fortunate ones. In doing so, our service is beyond what is expected.

Excellence is what we`ve been longing for. Thus, we work with dedication to fully support the DepEd`s vision and mission. We work collaboratively with LGU and other department just to augment the need of our learners. The life of teacher is risky and incomparable. No one could replace their work as frontliners of quality education. They are the most essential tool in directing quality outputs. While learners are the products of our good labor. Believe on learner`s skills and capacitate them to develop to the fullest. Boost their capacity to learn. Our role as teachers plays significance on the total well-being of children. We act as second parents and lift their moral. We seek solutions to their problems just as we relate their plight to the saying “Beyond a stormy weather, the sun still shines”.

I thank God for guiding us in all our endeavors. With Him everything is made possible. My gratitude to the initiator/supporter of the project WEB. Also, thanks to the staff of San Roque Elementary School for providing and gathering the necessary data to comply with such project. Indeed it is a great job for all of us.

At present, the global community confronts a major crisis. An imperceptible and deadly opponent, Covid-19, has upended societies and dramatically altered everyday life all over the world, and the Philippines was never an exemption from its aftermath. As a result, the education sector is one of the sectors most affected by the crisis because of lockdowns. At the onset of the pandemic, many schools have remained closed for months. The dramatic rise of positive cases has been reported every day, and deteriorating fears have grown among parents about the learning and health of their children. Thus, seeing no signs of the pandemic slowing anytime soon has worsened the current situation that ushers the new normal in education.

Much has been written about the new normal as the virus continues to ravage the entire world. Having not yet reached the total herd community of vaccination, the risk of a resurgence of the disease will continue. Despite this, learning cannot stop. Through the diligence and collaborative efforts among stakeholders in the education sector, they have found feasible ways to apprehend the crisis and have charted a path forward for education to continue amidst this alarming situation. To address the challenges, the Department of Education (DepEd) came up with the Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) for basic education. The LCP became the emergency response and commitment to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the learners, teachers, and personnel in this pandemic. More so, DepEd launched an online study platform called DepEd Commons, accessible to both private and public schools, to help students continue their lessons. Concurrent to this, TV and radio-based solutions were also launched in areas with limited Internet access, which allowed 15 percent of the total daily air time in a broadcast network to child-friendly content.

In the wake of the crisis, everyone transitioned to a new normal that brought exceptional circumstances that served as a change for the educators, students, and their families. However, change brings opportunities as well as challenges. Consequently, teachers struggled from the traditional face-to-face interaction to a modular approach and blended learning with technology integration. Despite the threats faced in the new normal, teachers responded with an immense amount of preparation and overworked for the printing and distribution of modules to cater to the educational needs of every student. More time was also allotted for their professional growth to attend free webinar training. As a result, it helped them to recalibrate their pedagogic practices towards rebuilding education in the new normal setting of classes. To remain relevant, teachers re-oriented their strategies towards crafting learning tasks and episodes that challenge students to discover and apply existing knowledge anchored in the non-negotiable competencies. Considering the equity, access, and economical status of students, teachers have used multiple delivery modes and flexible learning options apt for the student's needs. Now that learning is taking place in personal spaces, parents have become helpful partners as the entire household acted as learning facilitators, assisted in making the learning process pleasant for their children. This pandemic has urged teachers and other stakeholders to think outside of the box and harness their collective creativity to imagine innovations that reach all learners in diverse contexts.

Despite the social dilemma and adjustment to a different time, teachers remained unsung heroes. No one is prepared enough to face this crisis; however, it taught everyone to learn, reflect, improve and get better together. As the virus continues to spread, the education sector relentlessly delivers quality education in the new normal.