The Senior High School (SHS) department is only a few numbers away from meeting its enrollment target of 1,700 for this academic year. As of August 11, about 1,648 students are officially enrolled in the department. There are still pending applications for validation and evaluation.
More enrollees have also sent in their applications before the deadline on August 13. This is the third extension of the enrollment period to accommodate enrollees from public schools.
“Ito po ay nagpapatunay lamang na sa Holy Cross College, patuloy ang ating pamamayagpag at ang ating mga estudyante ay patuloy na nagtitiwala sa Holy Cross College dahil sa quality education na ating binibigay,” school President Atty. Dennis C. Pangan said of the news. He also shared that the college department has a thousand more students than last year, as of August 09.
Currently, the SHS department offers the following strands:
•Technical Vocational Livelihood-Information and Communication Technology
•Technical Vocational LIvelihood-Home Economics
•Humanities and Social Sciences
•Accountancy, Business and Management
•Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Amid the pandemic, the department offers two modes of learning: the digital modular and virtual classes. Under digital modular, enrolled SHS students can access their modules, tasks and assignments through the HCC Heart Cloud, an innovative educational platform designed and developed for HCC. Students can also opt for virtual classes, which teachers hold through MS Teams.
While both learning modalities are effective for students, SHS assistant principals Mr. Camilo Lacanlale and Ms. Clareska Chan recommended online classes. According to them, instructors can guide the learners better through student-teacher interaction and collaboration.
Some students have also raised questions regarding the return to face-to-face classes. SHS department Principal Ms. Maria Teresa Edejer clarified that HCC, while a private educational institution, follows the mandates of the Department of Education. As of now, amid the surging cases of Covid-19 in the country and local transmission of the Delta variant of the virus, there is no news when schools will be open for physical classes. But Edejer said the management is ready to accommodate students should the government allow schools to conduct face-to-face classes.
Despite the distance, however, faculty members and the school administration guaranteed quality education for the students. Lacanlale said, “We [teachers] are ready to embrace changes … kaya naming i-deliver sa inyo ‘yung quality education na deserve ninyo.”
“Wala man kayo dito sa school, but we are reaching [out] to you through the HCC Heart Cloud… pinagbuti noong bakasyon ang e-LMS upang mapagsilbihan kayong mas lalo pa sa mga lesson,” assured Edejer. She also asked students not to hesitate with forwarding concerns or questions to teachers. “We are just a text away from you… Though pandemic, lahat ng offices dito sa HCC ay bukas,” she added.
Addressing concerns
The SHS department held its first virtual general assembly for this year last August 09 to address the concerns of students and their parents.
One concern is the transfer of students to other strands. Edejer said transferring is allowed, but the students should do it early on so they can easily catch up with the lessons they might have missed. She also said students can enroll in a different strand upon entering Grade 12. However, Edejer clarified that students who decide to do so would spend more years in senior high school. There would be specialized subjects from Grade 11 that they would need to take to complete their academic requirements.
Students also asked about the use of secondhand books for their classes. Atty. Pangan has previously mentioned the school allows this, but students are responsible for making sure the secondhand books are updated.
The Parents-Teachers Association has a books subsidy program. Under this, selected students will receive brand new textbooks from the PTA. Last year, there were about 20 beneficiaries. The requirements and online applications will be announced soon on HCC’s official Facebook page.
Other departments have also held their virtual assemblies to give stakeholders a chance to raise their concerns. The administration said this is a practice of transparency and effective communication.
For queries regarding the SHS department of HCC, leave a message on its Facebook page or contact us.