Posted on March 10, 2022
by Christine V. Ordinario

Photo by: Sir Russel Owen Viloria

After almost two years of conducting remote and online classes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine Science High School – Cagayan Valley Campus (PSHC-CVC) has re-opened for limited in-person classes.

The first batch of participants is composed of 70 out of the 120 Grade 8 students who will participate in the limited in-person classes from February 28, 2022 to March 15, 2022.

The 70 students were divided into four sections and each section was assigned to a room larger than the usual classroom in compliance with health standards and protocols.

“I believed that with in-person classes, there will be more interaction with the teachers and my classmates and help me focus more on class.” Said Grade 8 scholar Ethan Bautista from Diffun, Quirino.

“With this pilot in-person class, I got to meet my online friends for the first time and got to make great memories with them,” he added.

The approval to hold in-person classes was a result of the careful preparation of the campus and strict compliance with health standards and protocols imposed by health authorities.

Mr. Erick John H. Marmol, the Campus Director, said one of the goals of PSHS-CVC was to transition to the new normal, hence the implementation of the in-person classes.

“Through the leadership of the PSHS Board of Trustees (BOT), the clear direction set by Executive Director Lilia T. Habacon, steadfast and prompt actions of the Executive Committee (EXECOM), PSHS was able to craft the guidelines for Limited In-person Classes. It was approved by the National IATF,” explained Mr. Marmol.

The PSHSS Board of Trustees (BOT) has approved the framework of implementation which will guide the 16 campus in the pilot tests and eventually endorsed to and approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

The said guidelines included a comprehensive nine-layer prevention strategies to ensure the safe conduct of in-person instruction. These are curriculum and instruction, health and safety, occupancy management, crowd management, communication and coordination, scenario plans, surveillance and referral, logistics and procurement, and monitoring and evaluation.

Approval from the national, regional and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases was also secured with the final physical evaluation of the school by the Department of Health (DOH) Region 2, Local Government Unit (LGU) and Municipal Health Office (MHO) – Bayombong.

Series of meetings and consultations were also conducted involving parents, faculty and staff, students and LGU.

“The preparation was tedious, but we were able to pull this off through collaboration and engagement of the school and the stakeholders. We are expecting for challenges during the implementation, but they will be part of our learning for us to transition to the new normal,” said Dr. Harold Gallo, SSD Chief.

Mr. Garry Jun Mayawin, the chief of the Curriculum and Instruction Division (CID), expressed his delight to this academic move. “This limited in-person classes filled the pedagogical void that the two years of pandemic has created. While online classes are considered flexible, face-to-face mode captures a more raw and authentic learning experience,” he said.

Believing that physical classes are indispensable and irreplaceable, Mr. Alvin Claine Viernes, one of the teachers of the Grade 8 students and handles Integrated Science 2 said, “two important benefits of in-person classes are conducive learning environments away from distractions and technical challenges and collaborative works with teachers, classmates, and friends.”

Ms. Roana Lee Caban-Gurat, Integrated Science 2 teacher, finds in-person class important in teaching essential laboratory skills and scientific attitudes since the teacher can guide them in actual class and give immediate feedback to the students.

She also added that another advantage of the in-person class is the teacher’s and students’ strong association of learning to the physical learning space, making teaching and learning more conducive.

The first batch of students for the in-person classes will be in the campus until March 18, 2022. The next batch will be the Grade 11 and Grade 12 students.

”I am requesting for the usual collaboration and support from our stakeholders as we transition towards the new normal in STEM Education. We have already surpassed the challenges brought by the pandemic and I am confident that we will be able to successfully re-open our doors for our scholars. The best thing for us to do is to be optimistic about the possibilities. Our systematic way of thinking will enable us to formulate the best strategies, but our dedication and love for PSHS-CVC Community will keep us going," expressed Mr. Marmol.