Author: khin mascardo

From Teachers Mia and Janice, SSC Heads and the Chaperones of SSC’s HMCA 2024 Delegates:

Harvard Model Congress Asia’s current President, June Park, articulated it best in her closing remarks about how the event brought in a “diverse tapestry of voices with different cultural perspectives.” We are privileged to have accompanied 11 SSC delegates to Seoul, Korea this past week as they engaged in democratic processes, serious yes, but also with a lot of fun.

If you could just hear how our delegates prepared, analysed, and strategised and made connections with many other delegates, you would be proud of them, too! Hats off to SSC’s Charlene Jessica Lim for getting Honorable Mention for the Committee of UNICEF.

And yes – we got to have fun and build connections while doing the touristy stuff! But more importantly, it was a transformative journey. Again, to quote Ms Park: “take the skills and enrich your communities, make an impact, be the future leaders we need!” Let’s go SSC!

It’s time to give more evidence of SSCians doing hard things via their ECAs (Extra-Curricular Activities)! And do take a look as they also share their experience and takeaways!

Deandra Gothong (P6) demonstrated once again her unwavering passion for ice skating by winning 15 Gold Medals and being named the Most Bemedalled Skater in the Freestyle Category at the Skate Philippines Championship held on 23-24 Nov at SM Mall of Asia.

Kudos also to Danial Darshan (P1) and Pepe Tan (P2) for being part of the Champions team in the #GoalForNoel Football Competition last 25 Nov.

In academics, Shiela and Hermione Tinga (P4) earned Bronze Medals at the Vanda Science Global Finals held in Bali, Indonesia last 08 Dec. Shiela ranked #1 among Philippine delegates, 14th for Global while Hermione ranked #3 and 26th respectively.

Keep doing hard things, SSCians! #SSCWeCanDoHardThings

It’s good to be out of the campus for some BCL (Beyond Classroom Learning)! Not only is a new venue refreshing but so are new Teachers (for the day)!

Thanks to iAcademy for extending our Upper Secondary’s tech knowledge and skills! SSCians had a great time immersing themselves in the realm of mobile app development and navigating the intricacies of coding! And the delighted cheers of accomplishment reverberated throughout the room after the successful execution of their apps.

Here’s another extraordinary experience outside the four walls of the classroom, as witnessed by Teacher Camz, IB Psychology Teacher!

Diving into environmental stewardship with a passionate team, led by Pre-U 2 Pupils – Philippe, Moira, Sam, Lexie, and Raisa!🌿

Last 13 Jan, 13 of our Pre-University SSCians embarked on a Mangrove Planting CAS Project entitled ManGroove With Us in the shorelines of Inoburan, Naga. 🌱They, including their CAS supervisors, planted 1000 mangrove seedlings! Through this activity, they planted the seeds of change, taking one small step to foster a thriving ecosystem, maintaining biodiversity, along this coastal area of Naga. Not only did these SSCians tick off from their IB list the required CAS Project, they had done an activity that contributed to Naga’s environmental protection efforts; Inoburan houses the largest protected mangrove plantation covering at least 40 hectares of land area!

SSCians, we can indeed do hard things for our Mother Earth. 🌏💙

P1’s Pancake Party, yes in class!
Learning to follow instructions is one key skill taught in P1 English.
And Teacher Caryl had the best lesson plan on how to teach it!
It was fluffy and tasty and our little chefs made sure to follow instructions so they can go yum yum yum after!

“I know how to crack eggs”, volunteers one pupil.
“This smells so yum”, exclaims another but this was still during the mixing process.
“I want more”, said most after gobbling up what they created from following instructions in English class!

It’s been an extraordinarily-spirited week at SSC!

SPIRIT WEEK 2024 began with MI MUNDO MONDAY as SSCians, Teachers and Staff proudly wore their nation’s attire, celebrating unity and diversity at the same time!

Then Day 2 was a TENACIOUS TUESDAY, as SSCians brought careers and ambitions to life! Not to be outdone, our Admin Staff joined in on the fun dressing up as MEN IN BLACK complete with FBI badges!

By the way, SPIRIT WEEK wasn’t just being united in what we wore but also included coming together to learn some more and reflect as well too! And that was just 2 days, 3 more big days to feature next!

#SSCwecandohardthings!

And then there was Day 3, 4 and 5 to wrap up SSC’s SPIRIT WEEK 2024!

Wacky Wednesday brought out the creative side of our kids with mismatched outfits (including shoes) plus the crazy hair and the wacky socks!

Tasty Thursday turned our school into a culinary playground, where Pupils, Teachers, and Staff adorned food headgear and indulged in picnics, pizza making, and sandwich crafting, creating delicious memories.

Finally, Fortune Friday added a touch of mystique as the school community donned costumes reflecting their Chinese Zodiac signs, parading through a captivating fashion show, and engaging in the art of fortune cookie making.

Supermassive burst of gratitude to our Pupils, Parents, Teachers and Staff for that wonderful week filled with laughter, flavor explosions and a glimpse into the future!

From SSC: Xin Nian Kuai Le 新年快乐 (Happy Chinese New Year)!

Xie xie to our Mandarin Team for preparing all the fun learning activities to celebrate this special holiday! Kids from Pre-K to Pre-U, including Teachers and Staff, were busy and very engaged! Here’s to welcoming the year of the Dragon this 2024!

“How to make friends in Uni(versity)” came as a very refreshing topic for our upcoming Pre-Universty graduates as most talks and orientations for them focus on admissions and academic qualifications!

Thanks to SSC Alum Chloe Suarez (Class of 2021) and her friends from HKUST, Summer, Elysha and Muskaan, for sharing some great tips such as putting yourself out there, the importance of finding your (supportive) tribe and balancing your social and academic life (including the expenses that come with it)!

From SSC’s Pastoral Care Department, celebrating GRATITUDE DAYS coinciding with Valentine’s week. With the goal of radiating positivity and appreciation for the incredible souls who make our journey brighter, we asked our Pupils and their Teachers to distribute heart-shaped stickers in various colors, each carrying specific meanings, to members of the school community as a symbol of their gratitude for their support and friendship.

Thank you for your gift of person, SSCians and Teachers!. Together, let’s amplify the joy of GRATITUDE!

#SSCyeswecan!

Feeling pumped (physically and mentally) after our 2nd IN-SERVICE DAY last 16 Feb (Fri)! 💪🎉 From gaining new insights about SUSTAINABILITY (THANKS TO DR JESTONI BABIA) collaborating on the subject of MINDFULNESS (THANK YOU SSC FACULTY & PCD) and ending it with a full hour on PHYSICAL FITNESS and WELLBEING (THANKS TO CROSSFIT SUBTERO), TEAM SSC tackled it all with gusto!

‘Twas one of the best ISDs to date by and for SSC! #SSCwecandohardthings! #sscInServiceDay!

95-96-97-98-99-100!

Hooray! It’s PreSchool’s 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL! Things kicked off the moment our PreSchoolers arrived at the SCHOOL lobby, with everyone donning their favourite PYJAMAS! Team PreSchool worked all week to transform the Merlion Centre into a dreamy landscape with the moon and stars! Why, the Teachers themselves cooked the tasty treats and prepared the delightful games that resulted in endless fun and laughter that made this event, yet again, truly unforgettable.

Traditions like the 100-Day Calendar Count, 100-Second Challenges, and the energetic 100th Day MOVE continued to bring joy! However, this year’s celebration also went far beyond the fun. This Pyjama Party often reminded celebrants of being brave and that they can do hard things! And this remains, for SSC PRESCHOOLERS, ‘The Best Day Ever!’

Here’s advocating Lifesavers among our youth! Initiated by Pupils themselves, SSC’s FAST (First Aid Ssc Team) Club organised a full-day intensive Basic Life Support Training by ERUF Cebu. Club Members showed eagerness and determination to learn the essentials such as vital signs, CPR and abdominal thrusts for both adults and babies. The training equipped them with the skills and readiness to handle critical life-saving moments, earning them a certification at the end of their training. Thumbs up to SSC’s FAST Club and the value they add to the school community!

#SSCWeCanDoHardThings

Last 14 Feb, Valentine’s Day – guess where our Volleyball Club had a date? ‘Under the bridge’ (Pajara Park) with the Umapad Elementary School Volleyball Team! Then a week later, another date, this time at Singapore School Cebu!

Check out some of the reflections and takeaways from our SSCians from this experience!

#SSCcares!

What a jam-packed week-ender it was last 23-24 Feb 2024, which saw the leaders of SSC’s Pre-University and some Teachers fly to Manila to attend a planning session with the School President and, the day after, join the IB JOBS-ALIKE event organised by International School Manila!

Both in-person and online, IB Teachers in Manila and Cebu with similar roles and responsibilities came together to share best practices, discuss common issues and challenges, and come up with solutions.

SSC is the first and only school in Cebu that offers both the IB Diploma Programme and Cambridge’s International General Certificate of Secondary Education, considered the world’s most recognised university qualifications.

🔥 Primary 4 SSCians had an unforgettable experience last 01 Mar, diving into Beyond Classroom Learning with the “Learn Not to Burn®” Be a Fire Safe Kid programme organised by the Cebu Filipino-Chinese Volunteers Fire Brigade at SM Seaside Cebu. From sliding down fire poles, crawling through a simulated smoke chamber, to learning Stop, Drop and Roll, they gained essential fire safety skills in an engaging way! What a fantastic start to Fire Prevention Month, and an essential life skill to learn beyond the four walls of our classroom!

A big shout out to the Cebu-Filipino Volunteers Fire Brigade for being such a great community helper and Teacher! 👩‍🚒👨‍🚒

The exchange of best practices is at fever pitch this past school year as SSC hosted another 2 groups of Singapore Educators and Heads last Mar 06!

🔥Igniting educational synergy with 28 educators from Singapore and 22 from SSC, eager to listen, demonstrate and share approaches to teaching and learning for Maths, Science, English and Mandarin subjects! Also fervently discussed was what we do for Pupil and Staff development and support.

A Filipino Boodle Fight Lunch, in the end, encapsulated the common goal for educators around the world, so here’s to more collaboration and exchange in the future for the betterment of future generations!

Cebu is blessed to have you, Coach Adrian Ding. Here’s hoping every teen gets to attend your summer programmes! You can go to www.exteens.org to know more.

Meanwhile, thank you for blessing SSC’s Parent community with your parenting advice, especially about Parenting in Today’s Times! It was a great SATURDATE that also saw our School President, Tita Trixie – present generational characteristics of our current school-aged children (from Gen Z and Alpha), so the sooner we know, the better we understand and adjust to being effective Parents and Teachers!

SSC’s Pastoral Care Department was also on deck, doing role-plays to showcase how to actively listen.

How was this SATURDATE, you asked? Well, it was a sip, learn, laugh, and cry kind of date! Thank you to all that participated!

#SSCwecandohardthings!

Coach Nestea served! Had the GenZs at Hello. Thank you Coach Nestea for another informative session with today’s teens! That was incredibly educational, from learning the GenZ slangs to ABCD Strategies on how to overcome challenges down to the sharpener and glowsticks analogy on becoming a better individual. As the Gen Zs would say it, ‘Coach, you slayed! Fax, no printer!’

From Teacher Mae Ann, SSC’s Teaching and Learning Centre Head: Experience the essence of our recent Leadership Workshop with these snapshots capturing transformative insights and shared visions of our Senior Leadership Team (SLT), held at Bai Hotel! Last 09 Mar, the SLT dived deep into SSC’s Vision and Mission during an enriching workshop – Creating Collective Clarity, guided by facilitators Ms Anne Ordoña and Ms Krist’ll Tañedo. With diverse perspectives aligned, we’re propelling SSC’s goals forward, ensuring every action makes a meaningful impact. Join us on this journey of understanding, reflection, and purpose-driven progress!

SSC is most proud of these 2 homegrown pupils who grew up right before our eyes and were just recently offered places at the top univeresities in the world. Both from the Class of 2024, Patrick Steven Yu was accepted at the University of Pennsylvania for study at the Wharton School while Chung Bi Yoon was offered a place in Brown University for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology study!

SSC is most proud of these two homegrown SSCians who grew up right before our eyes and were just recently offered places at the top universities in the world, notably the Ivy League!

Both from SSC’s Class of 2024, Steven Patrick Yu was accepted at the University of Pennsylvania to study Finance at the Wharton School, while Chung Bi Yoon was offered a place at Brown University for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology study!

Given that the US results are out, their university acceptance list also included highly selective schools like UC Berkeley, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern and the University of Michigan, among others.

#SSCwecandohardthings! #SSCyeswecan!

In line with the theme of SSC’s BRAVEFEST SCHOOL FAIR last 06 Apr (Sat), our PreSchool and Primary School Pupils have been working hard with their Teachers to deliver a magnificent performance on the big stage that depicted acts of bravery.

And so they did, despite the heat, despite having to overcome fear and getting out of one’s comfort zone. Because at SSC, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!

Way to go PreSchool, Primary School SSCians and Teachers!

It would have been EASIER to get food and drink tenants for our School Fair.
Assigning Secondary to Pre-University SSCians to work together and create a variety of food, drinks, games and merchandise booths would be HARDER.
We chose the latter because of the many teachable moments this extraordinary experience brings.
Thus, SSC’s BRAVEFEST School Fair last 06 April 2024 became a big memorable day for our Secondary and Pre-University pupils.
With 1500 visitors in attendance, they exerted all effort, working tirelessly as a Team for their assigned task.
Thank you to the Teachers for their help and support.
Big thanks also to some households who helped prepare the food, for example.
This was another major evidence that at SSC, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!

SSC’s BRAVEFEST SCHOOL FAIR was also an opportunity to herald, in front of the whole school community and guests, 8 outstanding Team SSC members for their 10 years of loyalty and service to the school!

With tributes from colleagues, pupils, parents and fetchers, the recognition brought a lot of heartwarming moments, including some laughter and tears. We also recognised the awardees’ family members in the audience, for indeed, this wouldn’t have been possible without their love and support.

Once again, THANK YOU, XIE XIE, SALAMAT, to our 10-year SERVICE AWARDEES for all the hard work and dedication you have poured into the school. Your feat is something we all truly admire and look up to!

Still on BRAVEFEST… it was also bout stamping a sustainability goal by requiring the event to go BYOR!
As in, BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLES (BYOR) to the SCHOOL FAIR!
For those who didn’t, we had BYOR Start Kits ready!

It wasn’t easy but you can already spot the difference.
Despite a crowd that reached 1500, trash cans were not overflowing with disposables and there was hardly any trash on the floor!
#SSCwecandohardthings!
#SSCyeswecan!
#SSCisaBYORschool!

Here’s our 5th post about our BRAVEFEST SCHOOL FAIR.
And we saved the best for last; the top purpose of Bravefest being a fundraiser. All admission receipts plus net proceeds from the pupil-run booths will go to CHARITY.
We are delighted to share that we have secured another year of funding for SSC’s FRIENDS FOR UMAPAD, which feeds 60 academically performing but economically challenged Grade 5 & 6 pupils from Umapad Elementary School.
What’s more, the Singapore educators who visited SSC last March 04 (who also dropped by Umapad Elementary School) wanted to join in on our fundraising efforts. Thank you to Teacher Maggie and her colleagues for raising SGD 1200 for Friends for Umapad!
Together, we can make a positive change in our community and beyond.
#SSCyeswecan!

After BRAVEFEST, we catch up on the many other happenings in school, including some sports feats by SSCians!

Specifically, with FOOTBALL & SWIMMING, we are proud to share these achievements!

A full-page feature in a local daily, still crediting SSC for where her extraordinary journey in football started, we remain incredibly proud and supportive of our dearest JELLY SOON, who is part of the National Women’s Team for U17 and continues to make waves in the football world while balancing being a Senior High student! Go Jelly!

Meanwhile, our budding Footballers, namely Danial (P1A), Pepe Tan (P2A), Marq Dy (S1A) and Dhaeyyansyah (P5A), have been winning in their respective tourneys held locally and in Singapore!

We also have Deanna Darshan (P4A), who participated in an Invitational Swim Meet held last 16 Mar. Congratulations on your gold win in breaststroke and silver in freestyle.

Whether on the field, in the pool, or inside the classroom, balancing sports with academics, we wish our SSCians to continue doing hard things!

Thank you to our Classroom for the Day last 13 March 2024: COMMONLY UNCOMMON
Thank you to our Teachers for the Day last 13 March 2024: Mr & Mrs Park + their awesome staff!

Learners: SSC’s Primary 3 Class
Activity: Beyond Classroom Learning
Lessons: Maths (measurements), English (following instructions), Others (how a coffee shop works, taking orders, clean up after)!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this experiential BEYOND CLASSROOM LEARNING!

With so much to be grateful for, at the same time, worry about – the Catholic community of SSC came together last 19 Apr to pray the Rosary together.

SSC is a non-sectarian school but offers optional religion classes and organises milestones such as an annual Living Rosary.

Strong is the reminder of the power of prayer as we gathered to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary and ask for her intercession through the Holy Rosary.

Thank you to those who organised this, be a participant of and came to pray together. Our SSC Catechists were very eager to do their part and complete the formation of the Rosary through LED candles. Let’s continue to #SSCpray!

Learning to follow instructions is an everyday thing, but our P2 Pupils took it up a notch in their Beyond Classroom Learning (BCL) activity at Shakeys on 14 March 2024. It was a delight to make their own pizzas, realising it’s not easy to stretch the dough, but the joy on their faces after taking the first bites of their creations said it all! Both life and academic skills in action! Good job, P2! Thank you, Shakeys for being our classroom for the day!

From Teacher Mark, IB DP Theory of Knowledge Teacher: Last April 25th and 26th, Pre-U1 SCCians dazzled at their TOK Public Exhibition held at SSC’s Merlion Centre and Mantawi Hall. Parents and Teachers flocked in and gained valuable insights into the significance of TOK and its practical application in daily life.

Entitled “ChatGPTOK”, the exhibition was a showcase of critical and analytical thinking, leaving the audience enriched after hearing the various presentations. To derive more interaction, our Pre-U 1 SSCians also did well in preparing activities and treats.

Kudos to the Class of 2025 for a job well done and for the support received from stakeholders to make this year’s exhibition a huge success. More importantly, I look forward to the continued application of thinking skills learnt as our pupils progress in their school journey and beyond. #SSCwecandohardthings!

Go SSC Class of 2024, who are currently sitting for their IB DP externals! Go SSC Secondary 4 cohort, currently sitting for their Cambridge IGCSE exams!

It’s genuinely admirable how you have prepped for this extraordinary milestone and faced the challenge. You know not everyone has this opportunity; therefore, here you are grabbing it! What a show of GRIT and GROWTH MINDSET of an SSCian. Moreover, beyond desired marks, it’s good you recognise the other valuable benefits of this journey, specifically how being there and supporting one another is just as important.

Go Go Go!

It’s been buzzin’ at SSC’s ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT with CLUB CULMINATIONS happening one after the other as we near the end of this School Year!
Kudos to all SSCians, Coaches and Teachers of the following CLUBS for a journey of growth collaborating with those who share the same interests and passion!

Football Club
Robotics Club
Arts Club
Volleyball Club

Still coming… more Club Culminations.
#SSCwecandohardthings!

“Eager Thinkers, Problem Solvers” – this was our tagline for SSC’s Academic Olympiad 2024 held from 29 April to 10 May 2024. And activities like the Daily Trivia and even the elimination round made sure everyone (from PreSchool to Pre-University except S4 and Pre-U 2 because of their externals) got to join as we put the spotlight on learning Mathematics, Science and English!

Thanks to the organisers and congratulations to all the medalists; what an invigorating past 2 weeks it has been in the campus, with less than a month to go before we end what has been a vibrant 13th School Year for SSC!

#SSCwecandohardthings!

ELECTRIFYING (but not literally, of course) is the best description of Primary 6’s Beyond Classroom Learning (BCL) at Visayan Electric Company in Banilad last 16 May 2024 (Thu). Thank you to the VECO Engineers for being the Teachers of the Day. It was a very engaging learning session with fun games and tricky trivia! Our P6 SSCians got to foster even further being eager enquirers and confident communicators! ‘Twas truly one of the best ways to learn more about electricity! Thank you, VECO!

The excitement continued with more CLUB CULMINATIONS!

Kudos to all SSCians, Coaches and Teachers of the following CLUBS for a journey of growth alongside those who share the same interests and passion!

Taekwondo Club – (Belt Promotion)
Chess Club – (Pupils vs Parents & Teachers, guess who won?)
Badminton Club – (Pupils vs Pupils)
Basketball Club – (Friendly match vs Wholehearted & Tigers Ball Club; SSC won by 2 points!)

Looking forward to next School Year with more Club activities!

STRONG ACADEMIC FOUNDATION is one common feedback from others as they describe SINGAPORE SCHOOL CEBU. Still, when you ask SSCians who recently received medals for their feats in the Academic Olympiad 2024 and international benchmark assessments and competitions like SASMO (Singapore & Asian Schools Math Olympiad) and AMO (American Mathematics Olympiad), they also say it is fun, challenging, a healthy amount of pressure but a journey they are willing to take and are proud of! Way to go, SSCians! #sscWeCanDoHardThings

The School Year is about to end but we managed to squeeze one more BCL or Beyond Classroom Learning activity, this time for our Primary 5 cohort who went to explore HISTORY at Casa Gorordo! SSCians embraced the opportunity to bring the past to life, sparking curiosity and connecting lessons in Social Studies to real Filipino heritage. As a result, HISTORY came alive in a very vibrant way. Thanks to the Casa Gorordo Team for the informative, engaging museum educational tour!

After producing 5 cohorts of graduates so far, SSC is proud to share that majority do get offers from PH’s Top Universities, namely Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. SSCians actually are able to apply via the IB Diploma route (ADMU) and the SAT (DLSU), which takes out having to sit for the University’s Admission Test.

In addition, SSC Graduates continue to make the top list among applicants and are offered scholarships.

From SSC’s Class of 2024, congratulations to Philippe Mikhael Limquiaco for making it to ADMU’s DIRECTOR’S LIST with an Annual Scholarship Grant of P100k under the course: BS Management Engineering. The same goes for Steven Patrick Yu for being offered DLSU’s ARCHER ACHIEVERS SCHOLARSHIP which comes with FULL SCHOLARSHIP for the course: BS Accountancy. #SSCyeswecan!