Welcome to the thirty two new students of Northfield and their parents, sixteen in Grade 1 and the other 16 spread through other grade levels.  For those of you who were there with us yesterday during the Student Assembly when the new students were sorted into the Anchor and Vinta Houses, we really had fun didn’t we? And certainly those boys did, when their team mates from Anchor and Vinta Houses welcomed them with high fives.

I'm delighted to welcome you all. We are on a new academic year, a new journey together, I'd like to introduce our theme for the year: Level Up.

"Level up" is a term commonly used in gaming, signifying progress, achievement, and overcoming challenges. In the context of our school, it represents our commitment to providing a learning environment that fosters growth, development, and continuous improvement.  Level up is a natural extension of Fortuna favet fortibus … Fortune favors the brave, the Northfield School motto.  That motto isn’t just for the students, by extension, it also includes the parents, the NFD families, and so Level up is very much for you and me.

This year, we aim to equip our students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to excel in their academic pursuits and beyond. We believe that by setting high standards and encouraging our students to push their limits, we can help them reach their full potential.

Visit the school and you’ll see the library repositioned beside the Chapel, and the new librarian, Mr. Earl Monakil.  Visit the school and you’ll see the functioning computer laboratory with Mr. Caoile, the new IT Teacher. When your son gets sick, he can visit Dr. Ramon Pondoc, our new school physician.

And some of your sons will tell you that their new teacher is a veteran PAREF educator, Mr. Ronnie Gilles who spent 25 years in Westbridge, Iloilo … he grew up in Quezon City but has stayed so long in Western Visayas that he already sports an Ilonggo accent.

Our teachers are dedicated to creating engaging and inspiring learning experiences that will challenge and motivate your children. They are committed to providing individualized support and guidance, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

That is why we appointed Mr. Jom Pascual as the new Student Success Officer. Himself a Northfield alumnus, Mr. Pascual’s primary concerns are the school activities and culture that nourishes, fertilizes your son’s holistic growth, that the NFD students thrive and yes, level up.

I know some will also ask … are the facilities I mentioned the only ones that have leveled up?  What happened to the covered court and is the road fixed?

The covered court has been boarded up because construction starts in September and yes, September starts in two days.  We paused for just a little while in the past few weeks because … as you know we delayed onsite classes after Carina eroded the sidewalk of the road … and because of that Mr. Johnson Ong, the developer of Sun Valley and Highland Park, offered to let us build a circumferential road leading from Highland Park Avenue directly into the school through the present basketball court.  

That very tempting offer which we studied well, will have to happen sometime in the coming years - but not in the immediate future - that road will really ease traffic, make it easier to drop off and pick up your sons, and in general, improve general access. But we can’t do it right now; still that offer made a week after Carina, made us pause and reconsider what is and what could be.

And the road, ok na ba?  We can’t see it but the riprap has been completed and the cement needs to be allowed to cure so we were told to expect normal usage to return in two weeks.

As parents and guardians, your involvement is crucial in helping your children level up. Please stay connected with your child's teachers, attend mentoring chats, and provide a supportive home environment. Together, we can create a strong foundation for your child's academic and personal growth.

This year you will also see a level up in Personal Formation.  We are committed to meeting you for the mentoring chats, we are implementing a new Character Education program, every student will have the opportunity to regularly attend Holy Mass in their sponsorship days, sports and clubs will be the channels where your sons learn about virtue and the thrill of victory as well as the times they need to be humble and hungry to work even harder after a defeat.  Together with our fellow PAREF Schools we are organizing Building Bridges, an international conference for parents and educators, to be held at the end of February 2025.

I encourage all of you - parents and teachers -  to take for yourselves the theme level up and to embrace the spirit of "level up" and to approach this school year with enthusiasm and determination. Let us work together to create a positive and nurturing learning community where your son and his classmates step up and push forward.

Thank you, and together with my fellow Mancom, Messrs. Wong and Fietas, we wish you all a wonderful year and end with the reminder: Fortuna favet fortibus.

GERARD BENJAMIN R. FORTUNATO
Executive Director