HIGHLIGHTS

Holistically Speaking
Jose Cua (H2A), Stallion News Writer

Photos by Lorenzo Mangubat

Posted Friday, 06-Oct-2006 9:05 AM

      Last September 22, 2006, a formal exchange of ideas about the academic policies took place through XSpeak, the first ever dialogue spearheaded by Stallion.

      Students from different year levels, as well as teachers and administrators, filled the seats of the Media Education Center to join the said discussion.

      Representing the ranks of the students were SC Representative, Mark Gaw (H4), Debater Peterson Poon (H3) and sophomore student Diego de Ocampo (H2). The teachers were headed by Mrs. Jane Cacacho (HS Principal), Mrs. Elsa Santos (CLE Department Chairperson), Mrs. Irene Barcelon (H3 and H4 Team Leader) and Mr. Exxon Yu (Social Science Teacher and Xavier Alumnus).

      Mrs. Cacacho gave a reassuring message to all who managed to witness the event by saying, “Whatever transpires today, I am listening.”

      The honors system and the conduct and effort grades, took a great deal of the discussion, as these concern the students most at present.

      When asked why the honors system was only until second honors, it was explained that the administration wanted to raise the bars of excellence of the school thereby raising its standards. Moreover, Mrs. Barcelon explained that such a move could motivate students who had been satisfied with third honors to exert more effort inasmuch as they probably have the potential to do more.

      The panelists also emphasized the importance of distinguishing an awardee from the other students and the image of a real honors student of Xavier. In so doing, the principal stressed, “If you’re a Xavier School awardee, we want you to be a cut above the rest.”

      The students also had many questions regarding the new cut-off for conduct and effort grades as requirements for honors.

      CLE Department Chairperson Mrs. Elsa Santos responded to the audience about the formation grades, reiterating that since behavior and effort are put into studying, they should rightly be graded.

      Safeguards, such as the middle-level administrators’ assessment and the appeal system are in place to check for biases in grades.

      Moving further into the gist, the panelists had given the audience the idea of the awards mirroring the totality of the students receiving them, underlining the holistic formation of a Xaverian.

      The exchange of varied opinions elicited mixed feelings among the audience as well as in the panel, but through XSpeak , clarification made its way to all concerned.

      Ultimately, one question emerged from the myriad of views presented by members of the panel and the audience – Have the changes produced better Xaverians?

      Undeniably, the answer to this question lies in the hands of the students themselves.

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