ABOUT XAVIER

Vision, Mission and Goals

Xavier School envisions its students and graduates to be "MEN FULLY ALIVE, ENDOWED WITH A PASSION FOR JUSTICE AND THE SKILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT."

We want our students to be dreamers-men with great and holy desires, who feel driven to develop their God-given gifts in order to use these gifts in the service of others and for nation-building.

Our school motto best expresses the MISSION of the entire Xavier community: "LUCEAT LUX! LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!"

Our faculty and staff interpret this mission primarily as the task "TO NURSE THE LIGHT": To form our students into our vision of the ideal Xaverian. Our students have been entrusted to our care. We are called to recognize in each student the light within him-even if still but a flicker-to help each student recognize that light, and to make that light grow.

With our students, our mission is "TO BE A LIGHT": We are called to live and work as one Christian community in joy and in peace so that we may be a sign of God's love and a source of hope in this world. God has also entrusted us to one another, to be one community, to help in one another's work and one another's formation, and to be a witnessing community to the rest of the world.

Our vision of the Xaverian is summed up by the PROFILE OF THE XAVIER GRADUATE:

          "A man for others
               missioned by Christ
                    to be an instrument of change
                         through service, leadership, and Christian witness
                              especially to the Chinese-Filipino community
                                   and to the poor."

The Xaverian is an "instrument of change" because he is God's instrument, and he considers the improvement of society as his mission from God. As a Christian, he is missioned especially to improve the lot of the poor. But as a Xaverian, he is called in a special way to influence the Chinese-Filipino community into becoming a positive and Christian force in the country.

GOALS: Qualities of the Xaverian - The 6 C's

The 6 C's are an elaboration of our Vision and Profile of the Xavier Graduate. They embody the qualities of the ideal Xaverian, and serve as the GOALS of all that the school is doing. The qualities of the Xaverian, as captured in the 6 C's, are the fruits of many years of reflections and discussions, as gathered from documents created through the years.

CONSCIENCE   Spiritual Self

"Conscience" refers to the Spiritual Self of the Xaverian, which includes-but is not limited to-his moral life.

MORAL REASONING: He is ruled by a well-educated conscience. He is familiar with the moral teachings of his faith and tries to understand them. He knows that moral reasoning is not simply a case of applying universal rules to particular situations. He understands that given the gray areas of life, moral reasoning requires careful discernment, but must begin with a desire and commitment to do what is good and right.

HABIT OF REFLECTION: In a world of fast-paced living and excessive stimuli and information, he knows the value of reflection. He realizes that "experience is the best teacher" only if accompanied by the necessary reflection on experience. For this reason, he tries to nurture the habit of slowing down, pausing, and taking a stepback to reflect about meaning and consequences.

A LIFE OF PRAYER AND DISCERNMENT: He strives to keep close contact with God and to seek God's Will in his life, especially when he makes the more important decisions in his life.

A CLOSE FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST AS LIVED OUT WITHIN THE CHURCH AND ITS SACRAMENTS: Because of his religious knowledge and experiences, he has made the choice of a fundamental orientation to Christ, regarding Him as his leader, model, guide, and friend. As a Catholic, he lives out this friendship with Christ within the life of the Church and through its sacraments.

Hence, he tries to "find God in all things."

CHARACTER   Psycho-Emotional Self

By "character," we mean the Psycho-Emotional Self of the Xaverian. Equally important in one's growth, after all, is his emotional intelligence (or EQ).

SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPTANCE: The Xaverian possesses a realistic knowledge and acceptance of himself. He appreciates his God-given gifts and as a sign of gratitude, develops them to the fullest. At the same time, however, he is conscious of his weaknesses and shortcomings, and accepts these even as he tries to improve himself in every way that he can.

SELF-MASTERY AND DISCIPLINE: He possesses self-mastery and exercises self-discipline. He is learning to appreciate the value of order, harmony, and efficiency in life, and continually makes an effort to attain these in his own life. He tries to acquire a more mature sense of responsibility for his actions, lending support to external structures, as well as finding support in them.

SELF-TRANSCENDENCE: For one to be able to transcend himself, he must first accept himself. At a certain point in his development, however, the Xaverian knows that he must learn how to manage his own individual needs and emotions, maintaining a proper balance over and against the needs of others and the larger community.

In this manner, he tries "to be Christlike"

COMMUNITY   Social Self

"Community" refers to the Social Self of the Xaverian, his ability to be with people and to work with them.

ABILITY TO WORK WITH OTHERS: In an increasingly interconnected world, the capacity to work with others becomes a most important art. The Xaverian is someone who can live with others comfortably and work with them effectively. He has developed his interpersonal skills to the degree that not only has he learned to be comfortable with people who may be different from him, but just as importantly, he is able to work with them in a peaceful and effective manner.

ABILITY TO INFLUENCE AND LEAD OTHERS FOR THE GOOD: The Xaverian is trained to be a leader, skilled in managing group processes. Moreover, he uses these skills to lead others to recognize and to do what is good and what is right.

ACCEPTANCE OF-AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS: Ultimately, his desire to get along with others and his smooth interpersonal skills are rooted in a fundamental recognition of every human person's dignity.

In this way, he is a true "Man with Others"

COMPETENCE   Functional Self

"Competence" refers to the Xaverian's Functional Self, his knowledge and skills that enable him to perform diverse tasks and carry various responsibilities.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Like other good schools, Xavier School seeks to prepare its students for the world, with knowledge and skills that will make them fit to succeed. The Xaverian is committed to the pursuit of academic excellence. By the time he completes his studies in Xavier, he shall have acquired the habit of logical and critical thinking; a certain ease and facility in expression, both oral and written; a capacity to adapt and apply himself to the task at hand, at the same time giving evidence of his knowledge and mastery of those subjects which shall prepare him for further studies. Through the Jesuit charism of "MAGIS," he has a certain allergy to mediocre work and has the spirit of a generous striving to do more.

WELL-ROUNDEDNESS: Xavier's academic program recognizes that each person has multiple intelligences; hence, we try to develop-and build on-these intelligences as much as we can. As a truly well-rounded individual, the ideal Xaverian's sensibilities go beyond merely academic concerns and include the following: an awareness and appreciation of music, literature, and the arts; a familiarity or even mastery of basic athletic skills through participation in sports and other athletic activities. All of this must lead to the formation of a total person who is the product of a truly liberal, humanizing, and well-rounded education.

OPENNESS TO GROWTH AND LEARNING: The Xaverian matures in a way that reflects some personal responsibility for his own growth. He is beginning to reach out for further development of his full potentials, and is continuously seeking opportunities to develop his personality, sharpen his intellect, broaden his imagination, explore his feelings, refine his tastes, and deepen his own religious convictions and other sensibilities. He realizes that in life, what is important is "learning how to learn."

CULTURE   Historical Self

By "Culture," we mean the Xaverian's Historical Self, his identity as shaped by his roots and his present culture. Xavier School has a special mission to the Chinese Filipinos because it is a Chinese-Filipino school founded by Jesuit missionaries for the education and evangelization of the Chinese-Filipino community.

ROOTEDNESS IN THE CHINESE-FILIPINO CULTURE: Most Chinese Filipinos in Xavier go through a stage where they are (a) unfamiliar with-and/or (b) uncomfortable with their Chinese heritage. Some even go through a stage when they "disown" it. It is hoped that the Xaverian will have a growing appreciation of his Chinese-Filipino culture, with a working knowledge of Chinese history and some facility in the language. He eventually acquires a better understanding and a deeper appreciation of his own cultural heritage.

INTEGRATION INTO PHILIPPINE SOCIETY: The Xaverian is also conscious of himself as a Filipino-even as he is of Chinese ancestry. He feels that he belongs-and must contribute-to Philippine society. He has begun achieving personal integration of the various cultural influences in his life, enabling him to understand and better appreciate his unique role within the Chinese-Filipino community, the role of that community within the Filipino nation, the role of the Philippines in Asia, and indeed in the larger human family.

ACCEPTANCE OF THE DIVERSITY OF CULTURES IN THE WORLD: As a Chinese-Filipino living in an increasingly global world, he is becoming more conscious of his own unique cultural identity, and is growing more deeply aware of all the values, the customs and traditions that govern and influence his personal life. He is at home with the diversity of cultures in the world. In this age of globalization, he is nevertheless able to retain his Asian soul.

Hence, true to the spirit of the "Incarnation," he believes that Christ is already present in every culture and seeks to uncover and proclaim this presence.

COMPASSION   Societal Self

"Compassion" refers to the Xaverian's Societal Self-i.e., his orientation to service and his preferential option for the materially poor and marginalized. This C is to be distinguished from "Community" in the sense that "Community" refers to living and working well with others, while "Compassion" refers to the dimension of service, especially the service of the poor.

LIFE OF SERVICE FOR OTHERS: As in all Jesuit schools, at Xavier, excellence in education has a higher purpose-the service of others. Towards this end, the Xaverian is acquiring considerable knowledge and familiarity with the needs of the local as well as the larger Filipino community. He is preparing himself for his own future participation as a competent, concerned, and responsible member of these communities. He understands that his personal well-being is interrelated with the well-being of other people.

PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR: For the Christian, the expression "neighbor" includes in a special manner the poor and the needy. The Xaverian strives to be a neighbor especially to those most needy and most marginalized in imitation of Christ's preferential option for the poor. He also tries to live a life of SIMPLICITY to be in solidarity with the poor.

FAITH THAT DOES JUSTICE: Most of all, the Xaverian understands that his faith can be complete only if he works for justice-i.e., when he recognizes unjust structures and works towards eliminating them. While he recognizes that charity ("helping the poor") is good, he also knows that something more is demanded of him: justice which is more than simply "giving to the poor," but working-and at times, even fighting-to improve their lot.

In a sense, the mission of the Xaverian is "to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable." In this manner, he tries to live as a "Man for Others."

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Resources
• Gaudium et Spes
• Justice in the World
• Men for Others