SJS celebrates 37th Foundation Day as one family
“Living together, growing together.” Just being together. That's how it starts Three loving hearts all pulling together Working together, just building together.”
These are lines taken from the 1973 popular song of The 5th Dimension, “Living Together, Growing Together” and this is the theme of St. Joseph School (Iloilo) Inc.'s Family and Foundation Day last March 18 and 19, 2009.
This year's theme focuses on achieving oneness as a Josephian family. The family is one of nature's masterpieces. SJS community is one big family of people, trying to make each Josephian a means in the unfolding puzzle of life. Every Josephian is connected to one another in heart and in spirit. Connecting with the ultimate source of love is possible through discovering the hidden power in every Josephian's heart. Thus, this year's theme makes its real essence as living together as one family and growing together as builders of the future of this country.
SJS St. Joseph School (Iloilo) Inc. has proven its worth in imparting quality Christian education to the youth of Iloilo. The non-stock,non-profit institution established by the Garcia couple, Roberto de Leon Garcia, Jr. and Ma. Lourdes Josefina Ilagan Garcia, along the Benigno Aquino Avenue stands out to be one of Iloilo City's finest private schools.
This school year 2008-2009, SJS has attained various recognitions and awards within Iloilo City, as well as the regional and national levels. In the field of sports, for the first time in the history of the school, the High School Basketball Templars was hailed as the champion in the 2008 Private Schools Athletics Association (PRISAA) Meet while the Elementary Basketball Templars also garnered the Gold in the 2008 Iloilo Sports Association (ISAA) Meet. In the field of journalism, SJS is proud to have two Josephians who made it and won awards in the recently concluded National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) in Naga City, Camarines Sur. They were Vicah Adrienne Villanueva who won 1st place in Online Writing and 2nd place in Feature Writing (English) and Jasmine Garet Jardeleza placed 2nd in Sports Writing (Filipino). In academics, after winning the regional competition, SJS pupils Vicah Adrienne Villanueva, Adrian Bernard Dofitas and Lorenzo Miguel Cruz, represented Region VI in the National Science Quiz Bee in UP Diliman last year. In other fields, Miguel Lorenzo Hojilla gave honor to the school and to the whole region after winning 2nd place in the Search for “ang Batang Star” - National Level. This school year, Nicfranz de los Reyes was adjudged as one of the Most Outstanding Teachers in Region VI sponsored by the Private Secondary Schools Administrators Association of the Philippines (PRISSAAP) Region VI.
Above all, an overwhelmingly high result is the re-certification of the school done by the Fund Assistance for Private Education (FAPE) in granting once again the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) for the high school students, wherein this serves as a form of scholarship benefit from the national government. This only proves that the school exemplifies its quality of teaching and continuously improves its facilities and equipment.
For 37 years, SJS provides its students opportunities for academic excellence in a setting that promotes Christ-centered living, service to the community, and personal spiritual growth within the Catholic family. Education is achieved by fulfilling its objectives with excellence under the guidance of St. Joseph, its patron. SJS continues to serve as one of the pillars in nurturing better, competent and productive citizens of society.
Furthermore, an adaptation of the Legally Blonde, this year's musical play was held to start the celebration. Last March 19, there were series of activities. It was day filled with programs, games, food booths, and more to celebrate and carry out SJS' aim of “Living Together, Growing Together” as one family.