SPREADING LOVE AND CARE TO TEACHERS AND LEARNERS BY PRIORITIZING THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY

To run a certain school is not an easy job. You must be ready to tackle all the challenges that come your way. You need to be flexible and show a willingness to accept weaknesses and adopt changes. As a manager, the success of the school lies in how you manage it. You should know how to connect and engage people who serve as your partners in achieving the school goal. This will end for something good or something better. Just like what we did on this platform.

Hello, Hivers, it’s me, @lovinglymers who love to share our humble achievements in school.

DAANTABOGON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
As we all know, School Heads will come and go. What’s important is the legacy they left in school that makes everyone always remembered and nurtured…

I was assigned to different barrio schools for almost seventeen (17) years as school principal. My last assignment before my newest assignment was at Daantabogon Elementary School, Daantabogon, Tabogon, Cebu. This school is the farthest of all the schools I’ve been assigned before. It is more or less sixteen (16) kilometres away from our home. Rain or shine I need to report to school and no matter how rough and slippery the road or how difficult travelling over long distances is, the most important I can reach the school safely. Thank God, He always protects me along my way.

Accomplished Projects

I have some accomplished projects in Daantabogon Elementary School like landscaping, concreting perimeter fences, repairing classrooms, painting, and others.

The last project was the construction of a school activity center which was our dream since my first year of service there. We need the activity center to protect us from the heat of the sun and the rain whenever we have school activities. However, due to financial constraints, it took four (4) years until we realized that project.

School Activity Center

In my almost six (6) years working there, I learned to love all the stakeholders, internal and external. But school heads can’t stay longer in one school, they will move to another school. So, I prepared myself because I knew the time would come when I needed to step out.

The most awaited day had come. The DepEd Cebu Province released a reassignment order. I was able to receive it last January 3, 2022. I had mixed emotions at that time, a feeling of lonely and a feeling of joy. I’m sad that I left the school with my teachers, students, and parents whom I love. But on the other side, I’m, glad because my sacrifices had paid off, and I was reassigned to our very own barrio school. It’s just like a turtle thrown on its home which is the river.

The schedule of our Installation as school head was on January 10, 2022. Before that schedule, my teachers prepared a despedida party. It was really an astonishing moment and even our barangay captain didn’t know what the party was all about. He thought that was my birthday. It’s still fresh in my mind what my teachers did during that time. They closed our Home Economics Building (HE)so that no one could disturb them while they were decorating. One of my teachers was in the office to make sure that I couldn’t go out.

After a while, one of my teachers told me that my presence was needed in our Home Economics Building. He told me that our barangay officials wanted to meet me for a very important matter. I told him why they didn’t come into my office. But my teacher convinced me to go with him.

I wonder why so quiet. I opened the door and saw many people inside the room. I was shocked upon seeing the big tarpaulin with my picture decorated with balloons and flowers. I was speechless for a short time. Tears dropped from my eyes, and do you know what words I have spoken out? I told them, why did you do this to me? You don’t want me as your school head anymore? It sounds like I felt so depressed and shocked that I’m not yet prepared to say goodbye to them.

Some teachers answered with teary eyes,” We are preparing all these for you to honor you because you deserve it. “I understand their point of view. They prepared me with a short program. They wanted me to stay in school but on the other side, they were also happy to see that I would be home already that’s how they showed their love and care to me. They are living witnesses to how much I sacrifice travelling on a long-distance trip to school and vice versa.

All my teachers send me gifts, bouquets, and flowers. They also gave me a plaque of appreciation. They prepared food for lunch. I’m so grateful to all my teachers at Daantabgon Elementary School and so with the PTA and the Barangay Officials. That day is considered one of the most memorable days in my life.

So glad that after so many years working in different schools I’m back to the school where I belonged before. I had somewhat mixed emotions. A feeling of joy for my return and a feeling of nervousness for the big responsibilities that I should take. Being the new school head, it is my duty and responsibility to manage all the properties in the school together with the teachers and the learners of course. The first thing to do is to identify the priority areas in the school that need improvement so that you can proceed to the next step which is to make the School Improvement Plan (SIP). That plan serves as a blueprint for where to go and what to do. All priority problems identified are included in the plan and so with the possible solutions.

CADUAWAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Caduawan Elementary School is a big barrio school situated in Caduawan, Tabogon, Cebu, district of Tabogon located in the Northern Part of Cebu. This school belongs to the Division of Cebu Province. It is along the national highway and accessible by all means of transportation. It has nine (9) buildings and an area of almost one (1) hectare. It has a total enrolment of 485 pupils from kindergarten to Grade VI and has sixteen (16)teachers, one (1) non-teaching(ADOF), and one (1) school principal.

One of the priority problems that caught my attention was the damaged perimeter fence. This school is along the highway so it is risky or harmful on the part of the pupils and for us teachers. This problem needs to be prioritized and needs immediate action for our safety and security. I called a mason, carpenter, and laborer to repair or replace the damaged perimeter fence.

Damaged School Perimeter Fence
Before

During

After
The repair or replacement of the School Perimeter Fence took six (6 months). The financial budget came from the school MOOE and donations from other stakeholders.

The school perimeter fence is not yet completed since the area is almost one(1)hectare so it is impossible to finish it in just a short period. Still, the back portion of the school needs to be completed. In the meantime, we use old G.I. sheets to fence it temporarily.

I have other accomplished projects aside from the repair of the school perimeter fence for almost two (2) years staying here as school head. For now, we are dreaming of having a school activity center which is too hard to accomplish. The alumni officers, PTA, and the committees still preparing the documents to start the said project. The blueprint is now ready but we are still seeking the financial budget.

Hope and pray that this project will be realized for the welfare of our school children and teachers and also for all the people in the community because the said activity center is resilient and will be used as an evacuation center in times of calamities.

I would like to end here. Thank you so much for spending time reading my blog. See you on my next blog!