Which School? - A list of recommended schools in Pasig

There's a gazillion of schools in Pasig that it's hard to find which one to send a child to. It cost me a lot of trouble to find the best ones here. But, I'm so happy that those troubles are now paying off because Ikee is doing quite well in school. though as a teacher I know that the school is not the only factor to a child's education, it is one of the major factors. The other major factors are the family specially the environment in the home, the child's own initiative and the teacher.

So to save you the trouble of going around, here's a list of the schools you might want to consider:

For Pre-school:
Mother Goose Playskool and Gradeschool - simpy the best. hey apply piagetian, montessori, and individual instruction. You can't get all three in one school but there. By the way, the ration of teacher to students is never over 1:12. Oftentimes, it's just 1:8 or even lower. It is a family-owned school. Their training come from the best schools in the Philippines and the US. Of course, it's a little expensive. What do you expect?

Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Don't be deceived by the name. It's not a Catholic school although it is run by a devout catholic. Great school - very personalized thus the child's development and achievements are monitored. Even their price is good too. Not too expensive. Just so you may know, the owner who also teaches there is a cum laude graduate of Merriam College and is a very nice lady. Way to go Tina!


For elementary

Mother Goose Playskool and Grade School - This is a special science school and is by far the best elementary school in Pasig. Yes, I mean the whole of Pasig. It costs just a little expensive than the other schools but it's all worth it. Application is best done by March since they have to assess whether the child needs to undergo summer school to be able to cope. Plenty of foreigners go there as it is way cheaper than the international schools nearby.

Pasig Catholic College - this is the only private school I can recommend within the city proper. The others don't perform too well. Entrance exams are given 1 month before the classes start at the very latest.

Lourdes School Mandaluyong - this is ok but it's an all-boys school.

Bob Garon

For high school
In the city proper:
Pasig City Science High School - this is a special science public high school and is the best in Pasig. All students there are sholars therefore noone pays tuition fees. Application period is from the 1st week of Nov to the 2nd week of Dec. The applicant's parents must be from pasig and the gen. average grade requirement is 85% with no grade lower than 83. The child must be focused because it's a really tough school to be in.

Rizal High School - the main branch and the one in Palatiw I heard are the best. This is a public school too

Pasig Catholic College

St. Paul's College - well, yeah,... personally I prefer other schools but I should say that their standard is ok.

College:

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig - a public school but doing very well. In fact, their nursing school produces at least 83% passing.

University of Asia and the Pacific - a business school

Arellano University Pasig Institute of Nursing - Just Pasig ok? I can't recommend the other branches. And oh, just the Institute of Nursing. The other courses? Judge for yourself.

So, there you have it. There must be others but I can't remember them right now. Perhaps, in the future I will.

A Silver Medal and A Scholarship

Tears of joy ran down my face as I stood there, reading out her name and reconfirming that it was really she that they were referring to. I was filled with awe and happiness that I had told the cab driver who I didn't know about her.

Can you blame me for being so proud? My daughter is graduating from her elementary education this March and she is one of the silver awardees. On top of this, we just learned that her application for scholarship was accepted and will be going to the Pasig City Science High School.

What's the secret? It was a dream,hard work, determination and the will power to persist. There were times in the past when my daughter would think she was not good enough because she got an average grade in Filipino (which happens to be her waterloo) and she cried over having 1 to 3 mistakes in some other exams. But I kept telling her that if she prepared and studied well, what ever the result would be acceptable to us. There was no pressure and she was happy. I asked her to engage in other activities such as playing the flute and doing kumon. I also asked her to exercise in the morning when she awoke. I prepared the food she ate both at home and in school. We went out on weekends as a family. She prayed and we prayed for her. She was in a good school (Mother Goose Playskool and Grade School is the 7th among the best elementary schools in the Philippines). I taught her about finances and about investing. She read a lot. Best of all, she is a good daughter, friend and student. Perhaps these things combined spelled the difference and we thank the Almighty for the blessings. Truly, when it rains, it pours.

Mother Goose PlaySkool - A Blessing to Children

Recently,
I've been reflecting as my daughter is about to graduate from grade 6 and her commencement exercises are up next week. Did I and my husband make a good choice of the school to send her to? About 8 years ago, I took time out from work to look for a school where I could let my daughter study. She was, at that time, enrolled with a school near our home and it was quite convenient for her to just go there. But my attention was called by the teacher because she was not doing her class work and insisted that she already knew what the subject was about. Fortunately, I chanced upon a neighbor who is a "true blue" educator and he adviced me to look for a school that would challenge my baby enough. According to him, my daughter was showing signs of underachievement because she was bored - that the tasks were too easy for her. So, just shortly before the end of that school year, I was off on a mission to look for a good school for my baby. And then I found Mother Goose Playskool. I have not looked for another school since.

As a mother, I want the best education for my child. All parents do. I'm convinced that this is the best gift we parents can give our children. But not all parents are blessed to find such a school where there is a holistic approach to teaching, combining excellent academics with play, socialization, good citizenry and spirituality. Being involved in my daughter's education was one of the keys to it. In fact, it was the major key. I had made a crude list of what I wanted the school to have. Topping the list is the school's ability to give quality education,followed by proximity, the values taught to the children, and the teacher-student relationship. I had gone to 5 different schools during that "mission" and at each school I requested to be toured. In 4 of those schools, I was privileged to sit in during the class and was able to assess whether that school would be enjoyable for my child. Meeting the "would-be" teachers, I learned what they taught and how they delivered those lessons in class. I took time to check out the works of the children and observed the children themselves, taking mental notes of how they related with each other and with the people around them.

Among those schools, MGP (Mother Goose Playskool) was the best. It still is. The children are challenged with work enough to interest them and to sustain that interest as well. They cater to all kinds of children and yes, even those who belong to the extremes of the learning curve - both the gifted and the mentally challenged. Even those with behavioral problems. I remember seeing a diagnosed autistic kid when he started out as a child who was isolated and how, over the years, he had been able to come out of his shell and interact with the others. The children treat each other like members of their own family - with genuine love and concern for each one.

Children love MGP and never want to leave. At one point, we offered my daughter the chance to move to another school. She simply looked at us with her puppy-dog eyes and walked away. To my surprise and amusement, the parents of the other kids had similar stories to tell. Why would they want to leave anyway when they're having a great time?

With all honesty I dare say that I did not make a mistake. In fact, we've been blessed to have our daughter go to one of the Philippines best schools - Mother Goose Playskool and Grade school.