MITIS Garden Project: We Produce What We Consume

Prosume.

This word, coined by the renowned futurologist Alvin Toffler in 1980, simply sums up how MIT International School (MITIS) promotes urban gardening today.  With the purposeful garden located at the school’s rooftop, the idea of producing what one consumes is believed to echo among MITIS students and the whole MIT community.

The MITIS garden was inspired by the Muntinlupa City government’s School Garden Program which was launched during the Youth Month Celebration in September this year. Not making it to the competition during the city-wide Youth Month campaign did not hinder the school to continue with the project and make it a springboard for a more sustainable and practical initiative.

The garden nurses seeds and sprouts of vegetables such as pechay, okra, eggplant, and chili pepper. Recently, the school has harvested about 15 kilos of pechay which were distributed to some classes, faculty members, and school assistants.

At the moment, the school uses the harvested vegetables in Home Economics classes where students are taught to cook, and at the same time eat vegetables. Moving forward, MITIS is looking at tapping the Science Department to make the school garden a hands-on project for students where they can apply science and technology in growing the plants.

“The school plans to double the size of the garden to accommodate more plants, not ornamental, but edible ones. We also want to explore on growing some medicinal plants,” said Dr. Bienvenido V. Santos, MITIS President and Principal. “This effort is a showcase of ‘what should be done can actually be done’. Also, our children have to learn and realize their responsibility to return back what they borrowed from the environment,” added Dr. Santos emphasizing on the term “prosume”.

School organizations such as the Student Coordinating Board (SCB) and the Creative Social Outreach (CSO) have signified interest to help in enhancing the school's gardening program. SCB hopes to mobilize its members to work out their green thumbs and take part in the actual cultivation of the plants, while CSO is excited about the idea of donating vegetables to their selected beneficiary community in Barangay Sucat, Muntinlupa City, during the Gift Giving Activity this December.

The construction of the MITIS garden is in line with the school’s Expected School-wide Learning Results Program where it aims to develop its students to become socially responsible and collaborative global citizens. With this project, the school believes that the students will imbibe environmental consciousness and practice towards ecological conservation and sustainability. 


Photos:

Vegetables at the MITIS garden ready for harvesting

MITIS SCB Officers Peter Hyung and Tommy Dong showing their green thumbs up for the MITIS Garden Project

Mr. Mar Rebollos, the MITIS Administrative Services and Liaison Officer who took the lead in making the MITIS Garden Project possible

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MITIS Promotes Global Competitiveness thru Japanese University Education

In this era where the world is getting smaller because of fast technological advancements, competition among college graduates in the global industry arena has become tougher.

With this crucial consideration, MIT International School (MITIS), in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) – Muntinlupa Division and Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) Philippine Office, hosted a forum on tertiary education on November 17, 2011 to help high school students obtain undergraduate degrees of high quality and international standards.

 The forum, with the theme “Exploring the Opportunities for University Education in Japan for Gifted Students”, presented study opportunities and scholarships in top universities in Japan considering various routes, one of which is a six-year secondary education curriculum. Ultimately, the forum sought to encourage the students to dream big and explore options and possibilities beyond the local universities towards rewarding and high-paying careers.

Kyoto University, Kyushu University, and Doshisha University were the key presenters in the activity. These schools pride themselves on being part of the Japanese government’s Project for Establishing Core Universities for Internationalization, also known as the G30 Program, along with 10 other universities in Japan.

The G30 Program is an initiative of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) through Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). In line with this project, the 13 selected universities that received a grant from the Japanese government are expected and anticipated to be the country’s principal internationalization centers by bringing in more foreign students, providing high quality level of education, and creating a learning environment suited to students both from Japan and from other countries including the Philippines. The project also highlights and promotes the offering of classes in English, improved system of admission for foreign students, promotion of international cooperation, and nurturing of students, teachers, and researchers to achieve worldwide competitiveness.

MITIS, being the lead organizer of the forum, believes that this is a good venue to introduce broader options for exceptional students by providing them with the information about admittance policies and criteria of prime universities overseas. With its K-12 curriculum, the school opens its enrollment for Grades 11 to 12 to students from local high schools as a six-year secondary curriculum is essential for admission to foreign universities such as those in Japan. MITIS also offers scholarship grants to poor yet deserving students as part of its social responsibility.

Top performing private and public schools particularly Science high schools within the National Capital Region attended the special event. With the comprehensive presentations delivered by the selected universities’ outstanding professors and representatives, this occasion  marks the beginning of understanding and interaction among the academic communities of Philippine high schools and Japan universities towards students’ guaranteed success here and abroad.

More photos:

MITIS Assistant Director Mr. Andre Kwon introduces the objectives and  targeted output of the activity

Dr. Amelia Hizon of Kyushu University enlightens the students about the benefits of  taking their undergraduate degrees in Japan, particularly in Kyushu

Dr. David Uva of Doshisha University answers queries from students during the open forum

PAREF South Ridge student asks a question about foreigners' way of life in Japan

MITIS student clarifying other application and admission policies of the G30 universities

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Unifying Nations Across Borders

Hello. Mabuhay. Annyeonghaseyo (안녕하세요). Ni hao (你好). Namaste (नमस्ते). Privet (Привет). Konnichiwa (こんにちは). Salam (سلام).

Who would think that these greetings and more could come together at one place at the same time in spite of geographic distance?

Through fancy traditional costumes, creative country-themed classrooms, luscious delicacies, and ingenious mascots, the MIT International School (MITIS) faculty and students symbolically brought nations together and made the 2011 United Nations (UN) Month simply unforgettable.

The UN Month is one of the most anticipated programs of the school. With this year’s theme “Three Rs to Save the World”, MITIS through its Social Science Department conducted several activities in line with the program to impart environmental awareness among its students and stakeholders on top of the UN Millennium Development Goals of 2015.

The month-long celebration kicked off with an Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speech Contest on October 12 and was followed by an Annual UN Quiz Bee on October 21. Hyung Jun Woo (Grade 12), Michael Andre Barbarona (Grade 8), and Dong Kyu Hyung (Grade 12) placed in the top three of the Impromptu Speech Contest while Charles Denver Opague (Grade 5) and Jannigje Nena Louisa Bezemer (Grade 9) bagged the title for the UN Quiz Bee.

One of the highlights of the UN Month was the International Food Festival and Inter-Cultural Exhibition held on October 28. Students and teachers put forth their best effort to depict select UN member countries through making their classrooms into mini-museums in various creative yet waste-free fashions. Dressed in their unique and colorful costumes, Grades 5 to 12 students impressed the guests and the judges with their mouth-watering dishes carefully and meticulously arranged in distinct setups.

The extra challenge of the waste-free food festival was for students to mount their exhibits and food stalls without using disposable materials and utensils. The students were also tasked to observe cleanliness all throughout the exhibit proper including the ingress and egress of their materials. The Grade 12 class, which transformed its room into Boracay-inspired beach scenario and served authentic Filipino foods to represent the Philippines, won the title for Category B while Grade 7, which represented South Korea, won the title for Category A.

Adding to the fun of the celebration was the Mascot-making Contest where the classes were challenged to create an icon for the country they represent through the use of recycled materials. Students exhibited their resourcefulness and artistry by coming up with varied creative outputs. Grade 7 bagged the award for the best mascot as they astounded the school with their giant Samsung Galaxy S2. Grade 8’s dragon symbolizing Vietnam, Grade 6’s totem pole representing Canada, and Grade 10A’s statue of Lord Shiva as a symbol for India were also the best attractions of the competition.

The winners of the Mascot-making Contest and other citations were awarded during the UN program where students and teachers dolled up in traditional costumes to represent various UN member countries. Students of different grade levels offered musical and dance performances during the program and as a close, Grades 1 to 4 performed a song interpretation number of Michael Jackson’s "Heal the World" that underscored the significance of the event.

This is the second year that MITIS made the UN Month a memorable experience not only to the students but to the whole MITIS community. Anchoring the message of unifying the nations towards peace and development with environmental sustainability, the school believes that the impact that the celebration has made to its students will form part of their character as responsible global citizens.

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Photos:

Preparations for the UN Culminating Activity

Grade 10A (India)

Grade 7 (South Korea)

Grade 6 (Canada)

Grade 8 (Vietnam)

Grade 5 (New Zealand)

UN Program

Teachers and students flaunt their colorful costumes

The Gods and Godesses of Grades 3 and 4 (Greece)

Teacher Sharon Zhang shows some of her Kung Fu moves

Grade 11 turns back time through their Korean Dance Revolution number  

Grades 1 to 4 students call for unity and change through a song interpretation of Michael Jackson's Heal the World

Grade 8's dragon to symbolize Vietnam

For Grade 12, it's Pinoy's Lechon Baboy that depicts the unique Filipino culture

Grade 7 shows how high-tech yet very traditional South Koreans are

Grade 10A's Lord Shiva as an icon for India

Grade 9's Komodo Drago to represent Indonesia

Grade 9's Garuda impresses the crowd

Grade 9 and their delicious Indonesian cuisine

The cute little Russians of  Grades 1 and 2

Dr. Bienvenido Santos and Mr. Mar Rebollos taking a "taste-test" of South Korean delicacies

Students of various grade levels preparing food and drinks during the waste-free food festival

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Creative Social Outreach: Learning in Giving

Learning certainly does not only happen in the four walls of the classroom.

Some 60 students and teachers from MIT International School (MITIS), through the school’s Creative Social Outreach (CSO) Program,  extended their learning experience outside the campus and proved that there is so much to learn, discover and understand even in areas deprived of riches.

On October 22, 2011, MITIS volunteers successfully conducted their first CSO activity for the year in Barangay Sucat, Muntinlupa City. Through the donations from the school, the teachers and the students themselves, and with the help of the Muntinlupa Youth and Sports Development Office, MITIS volunteers were able to provide porridge, bread, juice, and candies to more than 100 children in the area. More than the food distribution, the activity was made memorable by the interaction among the volunteers, the barangay youth leaders and the residents. Games, songs and dance numbers also added to the  fun and excitement of the half-day event.

“Feeding the community with breakfast for a day is definitely not a big help, but spending our weekend with them is truly fulfilling. Through this activity, we, the teachers and the students, hope to make the community feel that we care. We hope to make them feel that we are one and the same regardless of our social status,” said  Ms. Lei Pangilinan, MITIS Student Activity Coordinator.  “All our volunteers learned a lot from this experience. The realization that our students have imbibed as they mingle with the residents is truly worth the visit. We are looking at conducting our annual gift-giving activity in December in the same community so that our students can visit the children and the residents again,” added Ms. Pangilinan.

MITIS CSO is part of the school’s community service and social responsibility that aims to engage its students to activities outside the school to make them become active and collaborative global citizens. This highlights the Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) that the school purposefully instills in all its academic and extra-curricular programs.

Photos:

Barangay Captain Mamerto Sevilla delivered a short speech to welcome the MITIS volunteers in their community and to express his deep appreciation of the activity. 

 

MITIS student-volunteers served the community with porridge for breakfast prior to the program proper.

With the help of the community’s youth leaders, MITIS student-volunteers also distributed some bread, juice, and candies to the children.

Some students even went beyond the distribution of food by taking care of the children.

MITIS student-volunteers took the opportunity to interact not only with the children in the community but also with the adults to learn about their way of living.

After everyone had had their meals, games were facilitated for the children.  

MITIS student-volunteers also performed a dance number for the community.

Of course, the community got talents to showcase, too. Children from Barangay Sucat performed a dance number as their way of thanking MITIS for the fun and memorable CSO Activity.

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MITIS Distinguishes Its Best Communicators thru an Impromptu Speaking Contest

It is more than English language skills that distinguishes the best speaker from the rest.

This is what transpired during the Impromptu Speaking Contest conducted by the MIT International School (MITIS) through its English Department on October 12, 2011. Packaged in support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG) for 2015, the contest underscored the school’s vigorous efforts to develop and produce critical, reflective, and competent communicators and promote active global citizenship.

Ten brave and exceptional students from Grades 7 to 12 demonstrated their fluency in English as well as their social awareness as they expressed their knowledge and socially significant insights on different issues such as poverty alleviation, universal primary education, gender equality and women empowerment, and environment sustainability. Hyung Jun Woo (Peter) of Grade 12, currently the STRIPES (the school’s official publication) Editor-in-Chief, won the first place while Michael Andre Barbarona of Grade 8 bagged the second place. Dong Kyu Hyung of Grade 12, currently the Student Coordinating Board (SCB) President, placed third.

“We in the English Department believe that competitions like this will encourage and inspire the students to not just be good in the English language, but to become excellent and competent communicators,” said Ms. Mae Malanum, MITIS English Coordinator who is leading the school’s English Programs.

Dr. Bienvenido V. Santos, MITIS President and Principal, also added that to enhance the standard benefits that students gain in the academic and extra-curricular programs of the school, MITIS firmly highlights and promotes the Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) in all possible venues. “We are keen on producing only the best [graduates] and that’s why we have to embed the concept of ESLRs in everything that we do,” said Dr. Santos.

The Impromptu Speaking Contest is in line with the school’s Speak English Campaign, a year-round program that aims to promote appreciation for the English language among its staff and students as a medium for bridging cultures and a tool for global advocacies.  More activities such as the oratorical, story-telling and poetry writing contests, writing workshops, and the Play Festival await the students in the succeeding months. Meanwhile, the Best English Speaking Class contest, where Grade 10-A was cited the winner for the first quarter, and the Weekly Trivia Contest are ongoing activities that students are encouraged to participate in until the end of the school year.

Photos:

Hyung Jun Woo, Grade 12, talks about lack of education being the primary cause of poverty among developing countries.

Michael Andre Barbarona, Grade 8, shares his ideas on how he and his schoolmates, in their own little ways, can promote gender equality. 

Dong Kyu Hyung, Grade 12, enlightens his schoolmates that education contributes significantly to a country’s development.

MITIS English Coordinator Ms. Mae Malanum talks about the UNMDG program prior to the contest proper. The Impromptu Speaking Contest questions were drawn from the Millennium Development Goals for 2015 to align with the Social Science Department’s efforts to support the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The judges listening attentively to the contestants as they inform, convince, and at the same time impress the audience with their substantial speeches. The Panel of Judges includes former MITIS Math and English Teacher Ms. Gabby Buencamino (Chairman of the Board of Judges), MITIS Public Affairs and Communications Specialist Mr. AJ Tapia, and MITIS Foreign Language Teacher Ms. Anke Marie Morsheim.

MITIS President and Principal Dr. Bienvenido Santos handing over the certificates to the contest participants. 

The contestants, together with Dr. Santos, filled with thrill as they wait for the announcement of winners. The criteria for selecting the best speakers include grammar and delivery, content and organization, audience impact, and the speaker’s and the speech’s overall appeal.

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MITIS and Me (A Reflection from Teacher Val Angeline Ungson)

It has been a long journey for me trying to find a school that would fit the kind of perspective I have of education. I have been to several schools before and I noticed that very few of them give high value to each and every student. It has been an ongoing disease that most educators just teach and do not care if the seeds of knowledge that they plant on their students are absorbed well enough for them to grow, bloom, and move to the next level. 

I admire MITIS for its student-centered atmosphere. I cannot agree more with the line quoted by Dr. Santos from Ralph Waldo Emerson that “The secret of education is respect for the child.” For me, children are like sponges. They absorb what is readily given to them. They also learn best from example. If we respect our students, they will likely respect us in return and carry the same attitude when they are on their own. 

I think that students are the most essential part of the school. It’s true that we, teachers, are working for them. However, this idea is not in any way to make us feel inferior but to make us develop a heart that aims and hopes for the good of each student. In times when we feel down and we ask ourselves why we have entered into this kind of profession, we can just go back to the fact that students depend on us. 

Early on at this stage, I have already seen that MITIS really works for the learners. Most of the ideas included in the philosophy as well as the mission and vision of the school are well thought of to cater to the needs of the students. The whole school community is focused on how it can help achieve its students’ dreams and aspirations. 

I see that students are happy in this school. Happiness is such a common word but is not so commonly found in each individual. For me, happiness, more than just being a concept of having fun and enjoying school, serves as a fuel that make the students feel motivated. To motivate our students, we must also try and understand each level of learning as well as concepts and ideas that can get their attention most efficiently.

My main philosophy of education is to meet the needs of the students in all areas of learning as well as in experiences they would go through within the school. With MITIS, I have now found a partner in meeting this goal.

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Success for Every Learner (A Reflection from Teacher Carmina Ambrosio)

Learning can be achieved when individuals have the drive or the desire to learn.  Anything is possible for a person with a burning desire to learn and the passion to achieve whatever goal he sets for himself. A person who is highly motivated wouldn’t be easily distracted by setbacks and other extrinsic factors such as socioeconomic status, cultural differences, peer pressure, and many others that may affect him along the way. A properly motivated person sees an opportunity in every setback and circumstances.

However, it is also the role of the school, the teacher in partnership with the parents to help the students uncover their potential and develop them holistically. The learning and the development of a child will not be a success if one of the essential factors is lacking. The school, the teachers and the parents should work hand in hand for the student to achieve success.

The role of the school is to provide a safe environment where the students feel secured, welcomed and respected whatever their race, color and nationality may be. The school also provides the curriculum that is suited to what every child should learn. 

The role of the parents is to provide unconditional love and support. Parents should supervise their children's development because children do well in school when parents are involved and aware of their children's progress.

The role of the teacher is not just to transmit knowledge but to ensure that learning is taking place inside the classroom. Teachers make the students realize their dreams and help them develop their full potential. They push and motivate the children to be the best they can possibly be.

Therefore, the school, the teachers and the parents play an important role in learning and achieving success.

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