Conquering English thru Speak English Campaign 2011

Speaking English at MIT International School (MITIS) on this day forth is now more than just a school policy. It will soon connect students of every class to work as a team and will eventually form part of MITIS students’ habit as ‘Speak English Campaign’ unfolds every activity lined up for the rest of the school year.

The Speak English Campaign is a year-round program initiated and led by the MITIS English Department that aims to promote appreciation for the English language as a medium for building bridges across cultures. More than the purpose of motivating students to become competent communicators in English, the program also seeks to promote the language as a tool for advocacies such as peace, love for the country and the environment, and many others.

In line with the theme “Let’s Conquer English Together,” here are the programs and activities that MITIS students shall look forward to for the school year 2011-2012:

English Plus Grammar

It is a program offering non-graded English grammar classes for Grade 7 and 8 students. The classes will be offered two-hours every week and will run for six months beginning October.

Survival English Class

This is the official support class for ESL students. Beginning 2^nd quarter, class sessions will be held twice a week from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. Survival English Classes are non-graded; they are conducted to help students to eventually adapt to their mainstream classes.

Weekly Trivia Contest – October, 2011

Contest mechanics:

1. There will be two categories – Category A (Grades 1 to 5) and Category B (Grades 6 to 8).

2. Different questions will be posted by the English teachers at the bulletin board twice a week.

3. Students shall write their answers in a piece of paper and put them in the box provided before lunch.

4. Winners will be announced every Monday assembly. Exciting prizes will be given during the announcement.

Impromptu Speaking Contest – October 12, 2011

Contest mechanics:

1. This contest is open to students from Grades 7-12.

2. Each year level will have two (2) representatives.

3. The chosen speaker will be given a topic and five (5) minutes to prepare his/her speech.

4. The speaker will then be given 3-5 minutes to deliver his/her speech.

Oratorical Speaking Contest – October 12, 2011

Contest mechanics:

1. The contest is open to students from Grades 9-12.

2. Each class will have three (3) representatives.

3. Participants will write their own speeches beforehand and deliver them on the day of the contest.

4. Detailed mechanics of the contest will be given to the participants.

Best English Speaking Class

Contest mechanics:

1. The contest will be divided into three categories:

Category A: Grades 1 – 5

Category B: Grades 6 – 8

Category C: Grades 9 – 12

2. Each class automatically receives 100 points at the beginning of the month.

3. Every time a student speaks a language that is not English, points will be taken away from his class.

4. The assigned subject teacher signs a monitoring sheet posted in the class along with the date of the offense.

5. Classes that have retained the most number of points at the end of the contest shall be declared winners and will receive a special prize.

Other activities within the school year:

• Poetry-Writing Contest - October
• Spelling Bee - November
• Reader’s Theater - December
• Storytelling – December
• Writing Workshop - January
• Play Festival - February
• English Exhibit - February
• English Month - February
• Get Caught Reading! - March
• MITIS Anthology - May

Interested students may coordinate with their respective English teachers to sign up for the enrichment classes or to participate in the contests. Updates will also be announced during the Monday assembly. 

Photos

During its launch on September 16, 2011, Speak English Campaign pins were distributed by the MITIS English Department to symbolize the teachers’ and students’ cooperation and commitment towards achieving the program’s goals. The campaign pins state “I’m from MITIS and I speak good English.”

MITIS students also performed poem interpretations and a special song number to show appreciation for the English Language.

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MITIS Pupil Bags Award in National Art Contest

MITIS Pupil Bags Award in National Art Contest—MIT International School (MITIS) Grade 2 student, Pia Jamei Camacho, recently won first runner up honors in Category B of the 3^rd National Art Competition sponsored by Global Art Philippines on September 18, 2011 at Glorietta 4, Makati City.  Global Art Philippines introduced the Globalart Creative Learning methodology in 1999 and is now the largest chain of art centers in Southeast Asia serving ten countries and over 100,000 students worldwide.

With the theme, “My World, My Future”, the art competition aimed  to promote creativity skills of children as well as to exhibit the works of students enrolled in the system. More than a hundred Global Art and Non-Global Art students in the Philippines participated in the competition and only the best artworks were chosen among the categories A (for children 4 to 6 years old), B (for 7 to 9 y.o.), C (for 10-12 y.o.) and D (for 13-15 y.o.).

Pia, together with her Art teacher and trainor Mr. Lyle Mampolino, received a trophy from Global Art Founder Mr. Mahair Goh during the contest awarding  held on the same day.  Also on hand to witness Pia’s successful participation was her proud mother, Mrs. Josephine Camacho, who is the MITIS Finance Officer.

Another MITIS student, Monica Felizardo, also performed well in Category D of the competition but failed to garner an award.

MITIS gives strong emphasis to Mathematics, Science, and English and a special place to the lively appreciation of the arts.

Photo shows Pia Camacho and Art teacher-trainor Mr. Lyle Mampolino (center right) together with MITIS President and Principal Dr. Bienvenido Santos (left), Pia’s mother Mrs. Josephine Camacho (second from left), and MITIS Founder and Director Mr. Hyock Chu Kwon.

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MITIS Learns the Enfakid A+ Learning Formula

Just like how Enfakid A+ is formulated to give children the adequate nutrients they need, Mead Johnson, in cooperation with Youthopia Media Philippines, Inc., has fortified the knowledge of MIT International School (MITIS) students with a unique formula towards enhancement of their overall learning skills. Last Saturday, September 17, 2011, MITIS was among the selected schools within the areas of Muntinlupa and Las Piñas that attended the “Enfakid A+ Learning Adventures” held at Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City.

Enfakid A+ Learning Adventures is an interactive workshop that aims to give the children and their parents an experience of the different expert-endorsed activities that introduce the L.E.A.R.N. formula. L.E.A.R.N. stands for Language, Entertainment, Art, Recreation, and Nutrition as effective tools for childhood education.

Some 30 MITIS students, parents, and teachers, as well as some of the MITIS administrative staff and their children, enjoyed the two-hour workshop filled with fun and educational activities such as origami-making, storytelling, and educational games. Through the activities in each of the different stations designed with eye-catching themes such as beach, barn, and carnival, students learned new things about art, nutrition, and physical education. The children also received a gift pack from the event sponsor and had their photos taken for free as a remembrance. 

The Learning Adventures Experience

The first batch of students’ first stop was the Barn Station where they sang songs and played the “matching game”. Afterwards, the parents were given tips on how they can facilitate their own fun and effective learning activities with their kids at home. 

The kids then learned how to make fish and crabs out of paper through the 20-minute origami-making class at the Beach Station.

  

The stop at the Carnival Station was a bit challenging yet very enjoyable to the children as they had to sing and dance together with their parents. After the storytelling and some physical exercises, the parents were taught about the importance of the Entertainment and Recreation learning tools.

After having their pictures taken at the photobooth for free, the kids were given a lecture on how milk is made and fortified, and how important it is to drink milk and eat healthy foods. Parents were also taught and reminded of the right kinds of food that they need to feed their children to keep them healthy and away from illnesses.

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Stirred, Not Spoon-fed (A Reflection by Teacher Johanna Manuel)

"Students are not mere receptacles of information." I believe that students are capable of acquiring knowledge on their own; they don't need to be spoon-fed to learn and understand various concepts and ideas.

However, the teacher still serves an important role as a facilitator of the learning experiences which are essential in the development of the students. Under the guidance and supervision of their teachers, students must be given the freedom to contest, if necessary, old ideas and explore new ones.

The first time I read the philosophy of education of MITIS, I found myself nodding in agreement. I learned that in addition to the student-centered education, it recognizes the role of the community in shaping the learners into competent and responsible individuals. The students and their schoolmates, their families, their teachers and the school all play an important part in the holistic development of each student. Consequently, success can be achieved only when all these collaborate with each other.

Knowing these, I am eager to be one of the factors that would inspire and help students achieve their goals and succeed in life. Hopefully, I will be effective enough as a teacher to stir them up and motivate them.

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MITIS Opens Scholarship Program for S.Y. 2011-2012

The anticipation of welcoming additional treasures to the school fills the whole MIT International School (MITIS) community with excitement as the MITIS Scholarship Program for the school year 2011-2012 opened last week.

A Scholarship Examination was conducted last Saturday, September 10, 2011, and was participated in by seventy four (74) pre-selected students from various public and private schools from Las Piñas and Muntinlupa areas. Schools include Muntinlupa National High School, Alabang Elementary School, CBC Integrated School, Cupang Elementary School-Annex, Bayanan Elementary School, Victoria Homes Elementary School, Peter Paul Academy, Buli Elementary School, and Filinvest Day Care Public School. The Scholarship Exams are still open until September 17, 2011.

The test results, which will be used to assess the applicants’ English, Math, and Non-verbal Reasoning skills, will be ranked and the top three for each grade level will qualify for the scholarship.  A total of thirty three (33) deserving students from Grades 1 to 11 will be granted a full scholarship by the start of the second quarter.

The MITIS Scholarship Program, now on its third year, is part of the school’s social responsibility to offer quality education to poor yet gifted students. For more information, interested applicants may visit www.mitis.edu.ph.

Prior to the examination, the students together with their parents were given a brief orientation at the MITIS lobby.

Actual tests were facilitated by MITIS teachers with the assistance of MITIS Scholars. 

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ESLRs and STRIPES: MITIS Commitments towards Excellence (A Reflection by Teacher Richmond Calunsag)

Education, as pointed out by H. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, must not be one-sided. It must not undermine students’ other potentials but help in the equal development of its varied aspects. With this in mind, MIT International School believes that it must be guided by its ESLRs (Expected School-Wide Learning Results) and its core values best known as STRIPES, aside from its PVM (Philosophy-Vision-Mission). These guiding principles only portray MITIS’ dedication for multi-faceted learning and development of students. 

The beauty of these fundamental principles lies not on the carefully selected and arranged words but on its meaning and delivery in classrooms. From these, two ideas stood out over the others: the preparation of students as informed decision makers and problems solvers and the emphasis for truth.

MITIS students as informed decision-makers and problem solvers -

This ESLR envisions students to use the things they acquired from school in making sound and justifiable judgments and in finding possible solutions for existing difficulties. In a very demanding world, citizens must know various avenues where they can get information, be skilled in characterizing its credibility, and use it wisely in undertaking steps or choices. This principle can be integrated essentially in Science subjects where most of the activities aim to make students as critical decision-makers and solvers.

MITIS students as searchers for Truth –

A value worth emulating, the school believes that its students should know how to gather reliable facts and make good assessments out of them. Amidst a world dominated with deception, a person must be able to separate lies from the reality. He must be able to act proactively with things and issues that need immediate response. This can be employed into classroom where teachers give activities related to information gathering such as making position papers, reports and others.

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AP and Up: An Up-close with the MITIS 2011 AP Scholar Awardee

Having a clear and positive vision of the future sets one’s direction and boosts his motivation. This proves to be an effective motto that has driven our very own Hyung Jun Woo, a.k.a. Peter, to be one of MIT International School’s (MITIS) consistent honor and model students.

Peter was among the first batch of students who enrolled at MITIS in 2007 when the school was newly established. Since then, he has consistently topped his classes and received numerous Year-End Excellence Awards in different subjects including English Language and Composition, Academic Writing, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, Spanish, AP Comparative Government and Politics, Microeconomics, and Computer. He has also participated and won in various contests and school activities such as the Physics Olympics held in Ateneo de Manila University last year and the Philippine-Korean Basketball League in Alabang last 2009.

Among his notable achievements in school so far is the AP Scholar Award that he received from the College Board for his excellent test results in the AP examinations held last May. He got above-average scores in the three tests that he took including Calculus, Chemistry, and Comparative Government and Politics. With this academic distinction that is granted only to students who excel in AP exams comes the distinction that Peter has exemplified among his schoolmates: a focused vision armed with a determined personality and a positive attitude towards learning.

 “I didn’t graduate elementary with academic honors, but I joined and won in various contests where I have proven to myself my personal capacity. I remember winning a National Creative Science Contest held in South Korea back in 2004 and this made me feel good about myself. From there, I’ve drawn inspiration,” Peter recalled. “Some people think they are good at nothing because they never try anything. I believe that everybody has the capability to do something but only a few stands out because of their determination and will to explore what they can do. We have to do our best even in simple things, push ourselves beyond our limits and aim to achieve more than what we can normally do,” he added.

With a clear vision in mind, Peter manages himself to stay focused and passionately works on every task that he undertakes. “At this moment, I am envisioning myself studying in a top university; I also dream of becoming the Secretary of the United Nations someday,” he excitingly shared. He said that once a vision is set, everything will have a direction. One may be swayed from time to time by some unavoidable circumstances but the way to achieving one’s goals will always set his plans straight.

“Live tomorrow,” Peter contemplated when asked to give an advice to his fellow students. “It is self explanatory, but living tomorrow is a way to motivate one’s self,” he continued. He explained that people normally set their targets on a daily basis, thus, it sometimes frustrates them when they are not able to achieve their daily goals. “What happens in your day does not determine you as a person, it is your dream of a bright tomorrow that shall stimulate and inspire you to stand up, continue, and move up.”

Peter’s aggressiveness and exceptional attitude towards school work differentiate him from other students. Time management and scheduling of tasks form part of his system. He would go to his teachers’ desks during breaks and class dismissals only to consult for his essay revisions. He would have long conversations with them to help himself be more comfortable in learning and to appreciate their teaching styles. He also stays up late for school projects and school reports. “One must be fierce and willing to exert an effort if he wishes to excel. I spent almost 20 hours straight to study Chemistry a day before the AP examination because I wanted to be prepared,” Peter cited as one of his unforgettable study efforts.

As the current Student Coordinating Board’s Vice President and the Editor-in-Chief of MITIS school paper at the same time, Peter hopes to set a good example among his organization members and classmates. He is also keen on honing his strengths with the help of his teachers and friends and now more focused on improving his weaknesses especially when it comes to personality and relationship development.

Truly a pride of MITIS, Peter serves to be one of the exceptional personalities that give honor and inspiration to the whole school community.

Photo above shows Peter reviewing for an AP quiz.

Peter playing the lead guitar in a band performance during an event at MITIS

Peter (middle) with his friends 

attending a MITIS event

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