SSIS Blog : A Knight's Tale

A Vision of Empowerment

Chiara Alexie Angela C. Ylagan
Student Council President, AY 2021-2022

Hearing that the result of the student council election was already released almost made my chest burst from the fast beating of my heart. Really, it was as if my whole body was poured with ice-cold water. The word nervous would not even suffice to describe how I felt that time. When joining these types of activities, I always expect the worst because we could never really know what could happen. And finally, as I saw and the post of the school, it was as if the world stopped moving. My mind ceased working for a second as I couldn’t process what I saw - that I, Chiara Ylagan, am the Stonyhurst Southville International School Batangas’ newly-elected Student Council President.

I guess it took me a month to finally take the role in and realize that I now fully represent the whole student body. What made reality hit me? A task. A task from the heads was all it took for that big role to sink in. It was about a month after the elections that I received a message from Miss Ella that there was something that Sir AC had assigned me to do. Of course, I was, and I still am excited about it, but as I was already doing it, it wasn’t easy. There were a lot of things that I must consider before embarking on the task. It’s not as if I’m only making decisions for my batch, but I am deciding for the whole student community. After completing one small task, there were more responsibilities delegated to me as days went by.

Being the SC president is a role that I never expected to have, even in the past. Because when I was a lot younger, I always watched the students from the higher year levels and even my own older sister lead the whole student body. And right there, I already knew that it was definitely a huge responsibility and probably a role I could and would never assume. It was a role that won’t be done overnight. It wasn’t something that can easily be done by anyone. But here I am now, excited and ready to face the challenges of being in the frontline of an organization as big as the student body.

As the newly elected President, I envision the SC to be more empowered as they take on their roles during our term. I see them getting out of their comfort zones and trying new things without having to think about the “what ifs”. Instead of them having the “if only” thoughts, I want them to have shift to “at least”. The officers that I have with me are people who have a lot of potential in them that just need a little push to get them into action. I want them to remember that it’s always better to try then fail, rather than fail to try.

We already have a roster of activities for the students, so I challenge all Valiant Knights to be take part in these activities. Together, we will strengthen the SSIS community in its advocacy to overcome learning barriers presented by the pandemic. And by the end of the school year, we will all be empowered and proactive. This is what I envision for my term in the SC, this is what I envision our Valiant Knights to be.

As best as we can, Quant Je Puis!

TREKKING HIGHLIGHTS CGS OF PIONEER BATCH
By Bea M. Bernardo

The pioneer batch of SSIS, Grade 11 Sincerity had their first Senior High Comprehensive Growth Series (CGS) at Caleruega, Nasugbu on the 16th and 17th of February. This activity provided an opportunity for them to retreat from the challenge of schoolwork and responsibilities that senior high provides.

The first day of the CGS allowed them to reflect on the beauty of nature, as well as explore the meaning behind the overall theme of the series, “One Big Leap: Grit and Growth Mindset”. The class went through various activities and discussions that helped them understand the importance of this theme.

One such activity was the trust fall. This is where the importance of perspective comes in. Others breezed through the activity like it was nothing, while for some, not so much. Those who didn’t find it as easy know that it’s easy to tell someone to just fall knowing they’ll be in safe hands, but when you’re there on the spot itself, looking down, you’ll realize it’s easier said than done. It’s an internal battle between what you know and what you feel. You know they’re there, they’re going to catch you, they’re never going to let you get hurt, but you still can’t get yourself to fall. When it gets right down to it, how easy or difficult it is for them to fall would all just depend on their mindset. Experience, fear, and knowledge are all key factors of it. As one wise student reflected after the activity, “Even though you trust the others around you, trust is nothing if you don’t trust yourself.”

At the end of the first day, they discovered more about each other through a game of preference, in which they had to choose from a variety of options from something as simple as summer or winter, to choosing between mother and father. This went on through the night with unpredictable difficulties, but it helped them understand themselves as well as each other on a much deeper level.

However, the real highlight of the series would have to be the trekking across Mt. Batulao on the morning of the second day, which was almost cancelled due to the weather. This experience truly tested the grit of the students through the long walk they had to go through to get to the designated peak. The journey was taxing, with slippery slopes and uneven paths where one wrong step could potentially cost you your life. The weather was unpredictable; one moment it’s bright and sunny, while the next it’s raining with low visibility. It rained most of the time and as a result the trekkers were left with soaked hair and clothes. There were stop-overs along the way where they could rest for a short while, which was a great help since the journey was long and wet. But despite these difficulties, everyone still made it. While others found it difficult to keep up, they still kept going. At the end, everyone completed the journey with little to no complaints. And the result was definitely worth it. Right at the moment everyone gathered at the destination, the clouds cleared up from the mountains, and the view was breathtaking. Shadows of clouds dotted across the surface of the land below and the mountains across. Sunlight reflected over the top of the large body of water in the distance. It was a lovely present after the draining hike. If there’s one thing that can be said, it’s that life has similar attributes to this experience.

Though the journey may be long and perilous, if we don’t push our limits, we will be deprived of seeing the beauty that lies ahead. This hike made the students appreciate not only the breathtaking beauty of the mountains, but also the people that they encountered. On the way back they came across other hikers who didn’t hesitate to greet them a good morning, despite barely knowing each other. Some were amazed that the students were already on their way back while they were still starting their own journey. Some students were surprised that they were acknowledged by the other hikers and actually thought they were going to just ignore each other, like how a usual street would be. Perhaps there’s something about sharing a certain path that makes people somewhat connect with each other on a certain level.

This year’s SHS CGS was a long ride, but successful nonetheless. The students were able to reflect on themselves as individuals as well as experienced great triumphs together as a group, further proving that great things can be achieved through grit and growth mindset.

Valiant Knights
Alon Fabalina
Jerome Reyes Arellano
Hannah Jean Torralba

What I Wish for this Year
By. NESSA ALMI P. BORINGOT

Happy 2017!

This year is definitely going to be awesome because it’s a new life for everyone. But still, I would like to share to you my wishes for my country, my school, my family, and myself.

For the country, I wish that the war on drugs would no longer cause the loss of lives. Surely, there are others ways to do this. I wish that the Filipinos would be nicer to each other. Let us pray and help those people who lost their loved ones in the crackdown.

I noticed that students in SSIS are really helpful people. I transferred in SSIS last year and my classmates treated me well. All the people in this school are helping each other. I just hope that everyone in school will continue to support each other.

For my family, I pray for more blessings. Each member of my family are loved and I hope that this love will always be there. I also pray for other families that they may find happiness and contentment.

For myself, I wish that 2017 will be a good one. I will continue to do my best in school, to be a good daughter to my parents and a loving sister to my sibling, and, as they say in school – Quant Je Puis, to be the best that I can be.

Valiant Knights

Maneuvering the Mind

By Caroline V. Hernandez

Imagine cortisol slowly creeping into the brain matter. It gradually weakens the neurons like a predator chasing its prey. And finally, cortisol wins, leaving the neurons for dead, and making the brain susceptible to stress and other negativities.

This is what happens when stress takes its toll. Stress releases cortisol, which when accumulated in high levels is detrimental to the brain. Good news is, though the neurons are weakened, they can still recover, the harm done by stress can still be reversed.

Rick Hanson, a US based psychologist suggested the H-E-A-L method in one of his videos. H-E-A-L is a 20 second simple moment to condition the mind to overcome its negative bias.

H-E-A-L.

H is for HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE. “The brain is very good at remembering bad experiences,” says Rick Hanson, “because our ancestors pay a lot of attention to the bad situations they have survived and they remember it forever”. Thus, to counter the negative reactions, one has to focus on experiencing the positives, such that if one wants more confidence, one has to have more accomplishments and if one wants to be more loving, one has to make acts of compassion and kindness. These things do not have to be big, small things can happen, an instance that will make you feel a little wanted, a little appreciated. It could be a good kick at football, a free pizza, or a girl who smiled at you.

E is for ENRICHING THE EXPERIENCE. Make the good experience count. If you do something better, if you do something different, you will begin to feel better and more confident. The “kick” that you get from these positive experiences can make a difference in your brain and in your life.

A is for ABSORB IT. Let the good experience sink into you, let it weave into your system. Bit by bit, knead these resources into the fabric of your brain. If the positive experience is already there, there will be no more space for the negativities to occur.

L is for LINK IT. Link those experiences with something else, something you want to achieve and it will give you inner strength. The good kick? You can connect it with your lifelong dream of becoming a professional football player. As Rick Hanson said, “The mind can change the brain, but you have to have something experiential to achieve a positive mental state.”

In a nutshell, one has to work on taking control of his/her brain. Train your mind to focus on the positive. You may begin with this. Imagine those neurons finally recovering from stress. Imagine them finally HEALed.

(This article is written during the cliniquing for NSPC qualifiers for Feature Writing held at Tagaytay City, January 25, 2016.)

Caroline Hernandez
Valiant Knightst

The Six Values Teachers Need
By AlumKnight Janis Ynnozenzia Faith D. Amorado

Every year, new teachers graduate from college and start doing teaching jobs. Some teachers do this because they love teaching, while others do this to earn money. Whatever reason they have for going into this profession, they encounter the same trials and struggles, some noisy and rowdy students, deadlines, stress and many more. These things make teaching not only a test of a teacher’s mental aspect but also their social, physical, and emotional aspects. This is why teachers must always come prepare with a set of values to overcome these things. These are six values for every situation and aspects.

Confidence is the first value because this job tests your ability to cope with different kinds of students and situations. Some students are well-behaved and are model students, but others can be noisy, rowdy, disrespectful and arrogant. If you are an adviser of a class, it is your job to handle any conflict or problem in class. Sometimes when you are teaching and giving out an assignment or task, some students complain a lot or don’t pay attention to your lesson at all. That’s why you need to have confidence to stand up for yourself and to let them know that you are serious. You also need confidence so that you can believe in your skills as a teacher and so that you can have confidence in your students.

“Patience is a virtue” is what everyone says. This is true because it is very important in dealing with stressful deadlines or in staying calm in a situation. Some students can really get in your nerves or can be really hard to teach. You need to be patient so that you can keep teaching the problematic students until they understand your lesson. If some students continue to be a disruption to the entire class, instead of letting out your anger, you send that students to the guidance office and move on with your class. You also need patient for the long hours of checking papers and making tests.

The third value is discipline because you need to know how to control your students or else they won’t take you seriously. Discipline is a borderline between guidance and punishment because you let them know that what they did is wrong with seriousness rather than anger. This way, they won’t hold any hard feelings and will know that their actions will be punishable in the future. You can also use discipline for yourself so that you can focus on important tasks and manage yourself well. It is important to be able to focus because this job can keep you busy with the endless workload.

The fourth value is punctuality because time management is important. Teachers have a really busy schedule because they teach in many classes, handle some extra tasks, and check papers, and so on. Even though a lot needs to be done, if you finish some work early, then you can still have time for other things or for relaxing. You should be punctual also because it is bad to come in late for the classes you are teaching and this can disrupts your schedule for your class, thus wasting valuable academic time. You need to balance your time well so that you can decide how to use it. There will be times when you need to sacrifice time for the self to have time for others.
Commitment is the fifth value because if you love your job, then you could work happily and efficiently and overcome the problems you encounter. This can help you stay focused and determined on your goals and you do a better job while teaching. Without this value, your job will be more stressful and tiring because you have no energy and no drive. Some teachers just want to relax more since they lack commitment. Remember that your attitude could affect the way you teach and the performance and motivation of the students. You might lack so much energy and commitment to the point that your discussions could become boring and dull.

The final value is respect because if you show them that you have authority and that you are in charge, they pay better attention in class and follow the rules. Although not all students may participate in class there will be less noise, rowdiness, and trouble. This is important also because you need to respect your students so that they will respect you as well. In this way, your students will come to like and accept you by being considerate yet firm. It is also important to have the respect of your colleagues and superiors so that you will have a stress free and happy workplace. Most important is to respect yourself so that you can do what you think is best and you can stand up for your rights.
All of these values are important in their own way yet better when together. They are all important so that you have confidence in yourself, are patient for blessings and opportunities, can improve discipline, be punctual to better organize your time, be committed to your goals, and have the respect of the people around you. Just love your job, do what you can, and pray to God so that you can serve as an inspiration and guide for your students. You are now prepared to the challenges that may come and can be successful in what you do.

Valiant Knights

HOW I FARED ON MY FIRST S.L.C.
A Reflection by Laura Patrice P. Lira
8th Grade Student

This school year, our school has gone through numerous changes, so much progress and development.
This includes the introduction of a Growth Mindset approach to learning and the flipped classroom. However
one big change in particular that truly surprised me was the launching of Student Led Conferences (SLC). It is
somewhat similar to the usual Parent Teacher Conferences, however it allows not only the parents but the
students to interact and share their memories and milestones for the term. Because of the Student Led Conference,
information and explanations were not limited to my teacher’s viewpoint, I was able to give my stance on my
journey this term.

My experience was somehow nerve- racking, it was my first time, but I knew that it was everybody’s
first time and that there was nothing to be worried about. Like they say, embracing a Growth Mindset is key to
any challenging situation. When we first started, my adviser introduced himself to my mother for the first time.
This encounter seemed awkward, but as soon as we were able to warm up to him, it went fairly smooth and
well. During the conference, I was able to share my thoughts, but it was more of a reflection for myself last
term. I was able to talk about my strengths, achievements, and to dwell on aspects I need to improve on - my
weaknesses. I was able to exhibit my strengths and weaknesses using my portfolio binder. The binder summarizes
the perseverance and effort that I have consistently exerted throughout the whole term. I was given the
chance to explain, not just how I act, but also how I feel inside and outside the classroom. Although my mother
and I were just given a short period of time, I can ensure that my adviser and my parents know a lot of how I
behave and how I can improve.

Be Amazing! Be Stonyhurst Southville!




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Amazing achievements of our amazing students!
Congratulations...

Stonyhurst Southville International School - Top School in Batangas - SSIS Scores Twin Victories in International Math Competition Top School in Batangas

SSIS: Where Students Learn Beyond Boundaries

With the prevalence of technology, SSIS makes it possible for the students to learn beyond boundaries, to cross cultural borders, and to break communication barriers. Through video-conference, some learners met their counterparts from other parts of the globe.

Crossing Cultural Boundaries - Unity Over Diversity
By: ANNIKA GRACE D. ASI

Last August 28, 2016, a milestone was achieved by the stidents from 7th to 9th Grade by being the first batch to be able to hold dialogue through video conferencing. These selected students were chosen to represent the school an country to talk about their points of views while tackling the topics of faith, values, and community. This video conference was especially designed for the students to interact with other people from another country and to be able to learn from one another. Through this conference, the students were able to learn how diverse the Indian religion is yet, they are still united. In the course of discussion about values and beliefs, some students shared the Filipino traditions like the feast day of our saints. Students also shared how unity is seen in the country where Typhoon Yolanda hit the country yet our fellow countrymen got up and went on with their lives by helping one another. The students also learned that we don't have to agree on things to give respect. This dialogue did not only help the students learn about the differences and similarities of the cultures, traditions, and beliefs but also embedded in their minds that no matter who we talk to, we should always think of them as an equal-without prejudice, bias, and judgment.

BE AMAZING! BE STONYHURST SOUTHVILLE!



www.stonyhurst.edu.ph/batangas

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Stonyhurst Southville International School - Top School in Batangas - Enrique Gil, Liza Soberano join Southville Family Top School in Batangas