Since the vaccination of the 12-17 years old is ongoing, the school administration of Montessori De Sagrada Familia (MDSF) is now preparing for the possible reopening of physical schools next school year.
Due to the downward trend of cases and improved hospital utilization rates in the province of Bulacan, the province is now placed under alert level 2. As reflected in the guidelines issued by the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolutions, the conduct of limited face-to-face classes is allowed in the basic education (K-12) with the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has started the implementation of the pilot face-to-face classes in selected public and private schools of the country last November 15, 2021. The said undertaking will run until the end of January 2022. Once the results of the pilot program have been studied, key officials will then propose its expansion to more basic education institutions nationwide.
The Local Government Unit of Baliwag Bulacan led by Mayor Ferdie Estrella has also created its Technical Working Group for the resumption of face-to-face classes in both private and public schools of Baliwag. The said group is composed of school administrators in basic and higher education and LGU officials responsible for the management of COVID-19. The members of the TWG will be working together in crafting localized policies that will guide all Baliwag schools to reopen their physical schools safely and to effectively mitigate the spread of COVID in their academic communities.
In connection to the recent developments and plans of the Department of Education on the conduct of face-to-face classes, MDSF has started to engage its stakeholders through a series of meetings about the possible reopening of the physical campus next school year. As discussed with the parents last Adviser’s Reporting Day (ARD), November 19, the school administration is looking into the utilization of four possible learning modalities. A survey for parents was also administered for the school to have a clear overview of the latter’s perspectives on face-to-face classes and their family’s preferred learning modality.
Pure Online Class. This is similar to the current programs of MDSF, the SAFE and FLY Programs, in which the students are attending virtual classes in the morning and they are accomplishing independent study tasks in the afternoon. This will be highly utilized if Bulacan’s alert level is raised.
Limited Face-to-face Classes. In this learning modality, the students will go to school on specific days in a limited time to accomplish laboratory works and other experiential activities and to have minimal interaction with their classmates and teachers. Strict health protocols will be implemented to ensure the safety of everyone. Meanwhile, in the rest of the days, the students will accomplish independent tasks using the Learning Management System (LMS).
Hybrid Flexible Classes. Parents can decide to have their child attend learning activities face-to-face (while observing strict health protocols) or join the class via online streaming of learning sessions which will be decided on quarterly or monthly. Meanwhile, the use of the LMS will be implemented and teachers will be facilitating virtual meetings and on-site classes simultaneously.
Pure Face-to-face Classes. With strict implementation of the health protocols, the students will attend classes to work on their tasks on-site in a limited time each day for one week. The use of technology will be allowed for the submission of outputs, information dissemination, communication, and perusal of learning materials.
During the meeting with the Sagradan parent representatives held last November 12, 2021, the school principal, Mrs. Maria Cristina Silamor emphasized that these modalities are still tentative. The reopening of schools still depends on the COVID-19 situation next school year and a set of policies and guidelines from the Department of Education (DepEd) after the conduct of pilot face-to-face classes in selected schools in the country. Mrs. Silamor also highlighted the importance of collaboration of all stakeholders in the preparation and implementation of face-to-face classes.