Singapore School Cebu’s expansion building perspective
Do you know the true measure of learning? This famous Chinese Proverb says “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere;” this means that learning is for a lifetime, and it can guide you daily wherever in the world you may be.
Every child has a place in this world to grow, to achieve and to share the knowledge that they acquired from their learnings. The best way to learn, therefore, is to learn by understanding as opposed to rote memorization, which is what Singapore School Cebu (SSC) aims for their students.
Just recently, SSC marked its 7th school year with an energetic and eager crowd of 280 pupils from Preschool to Secondary levels, all dressed in red as they participated in a special program entitled 七 qī (which stands for the number 7 in Mandarin).
Honored guests who were the school’s Advisory Board Members namely Mr. George Sycip and Ms. Rose Siow, flew to the city from as far as San Francisco and Singapore – to join the heartwarming celebration with SSC President Trixie See Suarez and Fr. Ernesto Javier who officiated the blessing of the robust 6-storey high additional new wing with student-friendly amenities such as the colorful Preschool wing on the ground floor, and a modern, well-equipped Merlion Centre on its top floor that can accommodate 3 badminton courts, a volleyball and basketball court, all fully air conditioned.
With a school mission that gets its students ready for the world, a Housemaster and the Head of the Physics Department from one of UK’s top boarding schools, Winchester College, Dr. John Cullerne also addressed the parents and students, reassuring the former how he believes they are lucky to have their kids in a school where the Faculty, whom he got to sit with 2 afternoons prior, is very much capable.
In fact, posters in the school show the latest results from international benchmark tests like ICAS (International Competitions and Assessment for Schools) which reveal how students in SSC fare against students in Singapore and the list of rankers is long. Ms. Suarez also further shared that there are certain grade levels in SSC whose average is higher than that of Singapore.
An unforgettable experience was also left in the hearts of the pupils as they concluded this past February 2017 the musical play on “Heroes We Can Be” which highlighted the plight of child scavengers at the Umapad Dumpsite and their dreams. This helped 225 participating pupils in the stage play understand the situation of less fortunate children in Cebu and use their skills and talents to support them.
Not only that, the play’s main cast also had a chance to immerse with the children and families in the Dumpsite.
Rich in both academic and values education, the future is indeed bright for these pupils who are enrolled in SSC’s two highly recognized international programs such as the Cambridge IGCSE for Secondary 3 and 4 (Grades 9 and 10) and eventually the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) Diploma Program for Pre-University levels 1 & 2 (Grades 11&12) which it earmarks to offer by School Year 2018-2019, after it completes its authorization process. At present, SSC is an official candidate to become an IB World School and will be the only campus outside of 2 international schools in Metro Manila to offer BOTH the Cambridge and IB diplomas.
To best prepare them not just for such educational achievements but for their future beyond school, pupils are exposed to modern and interactive learning strategies where they can develop key life skills and anticipate learning day by day. Ms. Suarez made it clear that both the blueprint of a school or its curriculum, plus its approach should meet the learner profile of the next generation for true LEARNING to be really achieved and applied in real LIFE.
You can find out more about this international school in Cebu through their website at www.singaporeschoolcebu.com.
