Considered an avenue to promote holistic Lasallian education, DLSU’s Senior High School (SHS) program officially opened its doors to its first batch of students on June 1 this year.
Discussions on the SHS were first made known early August of last year and were reported to be finalized last October. Both parent and student orientations were successfully conducted last December, when admission schemes and other logistical concerns were tackled. Furthermore, discourses on the SHS’s admission curriculum were addressed in February early this year in preparation for the June opening.
A month after its opening, The LaSallian provides a collection of updates to assess students’ experiences, address bottlenecks, and anticipate future projects of the SHS.
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Fast numbers
Three specialized academic strands are offered at DLSU SHS, namely, Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Associate Principal for SHS Dr. Maricar Samson shares that the Manila campus currently has 784 senior high students, with 248 students enrolled in the ABM strand under six sections, 108 students in the HUMSS strand under three sections, and 428 students in the STEM strand under 10 sections. On the other hand, the Science and Technology Complex (STC) has 267 senior high students, with 59 students in the ABM strand under two sections, 50 students in the HUMSS strand under two sections, and 159 students in the STEM strand under four sections.
Some notable professors in the collegiate level also teach at the SHS. Dr. Samson listed Dr. Ma. Luisa Enriquez as a professor for Earth and Life Science, Dr. Angelyn Lao for General Mathematics, and Dr. Mariquit delos Reyes, also for Earth and Life Science. Both Dr. Enriquez and Dr. delos Reyes are currently in the Biology department of the College of Science, wherein the former is a distinguished professor and the latter is an associate professor. Dr. Lao is an associate professor in the Mathematics Department of the same college.
It has also been announced early on that DLSU offered scholarship grants to outstanding public school students under the Vaugirard Scholarship Program. According to Dr. Samson, DLSU-SHS has made 250 scholarships available to the incoming senior high students for this academic year. Out of the 250 scholarships, 191 slots were availed of by candidates, adds Dr. Samson.
Adjustments in accommodating SHS in DLSU
Since the start of the term, minor changes were implemented on campus to accommodate the SHS students last month. The third floor of the St. La Salle Hall (LS) officially holds all sections of the SHS. Moreover, a computer laboratory located on the same floor was also made exclusively available for the SHS students for their after-school work.
Another change implemented was the additional discipline officer under the Student Discipline Formation Office (SDFO) assigned specifically to monitor SHS students.
Dr. Samson explains that some issues initially encountered by the University with the SHS include a number of students changing their respective strands, and the late enrollment of some students.
Students’ experiences
On academic life, Bryan Santos (Grade 11, ABM) describes the faculty as fast-paced in terms of teaching styles. However, he commends them for managing to address students’ questions regarding lessons.
Abby Kim (Grade 11, STEM) echoes this sentiment, saying that she favors the consultation days offered by professors since students can ask questions regarding lessons they are unable to understand, in view of the “No Child Left Behind” policy. “May mga profs na nag-eeffort talaga para lang maintindihan namin kasi parang pang-college na raw ‘yung tinuturo nila sa amin,” she adds.
Asked about their evaluation on the available facilities for SHS, Aki Valdez (Grade 11, STEM) shares that, with the facilities available for the use of SHS students, she is assured that tuition and fees are put to good use.
Kim shares that the Learning Commons has been “really helpful” for the SHS students, especially for group studies. However, she admits that while the facilities are mostly in good condition, the air conditioning units (ACUs) in the LS building are not the best in terms of performance.
Dr. Samson explains that the malfunctioning ACUs in some classrooms have already been addressed by the University’s Physical Facilities Office.
Plans for the future
Dr. Samson shares that the SHS administration has a lot of projects in store for its students. One of these, she confirms, is the offering of clubs and organizations for SHS students.
Dr. Samson also notes a few more plans for the future, including the linking of outreach programs to research projects of SHS students, the launching of a culminating activity to showcase capstone projects of students in March 2018, the Junior’s Ball for Grade 11 students this year, and the Graduation Ball for Grade 12 students next year.
