Augustinians, coping up with the changes

Change is around every corner of this school. New director. New administration. New regulations. New policies. New Vision. A wide range of changes happened and were implemented at SAAP as the new director starts the School Year 2008-2009. Some teachers and staffs are in favor, some are not. Some parents are against it and some embrace it with open arms. But the main concern here is the students. How did they deal with these changes?

From the different thoughts and ideas of the staff combined together, this new vision: “Saint Augustine Academy of Pampanga, a Catholic Archdiocesan Educational Institution envisions itself as an evangelized-evangelizing community witnessing the core values of faith, service and excellence” was constructed and was presented by the Admin to the SAAP body. This new vision of SAAP is very ideal. To be able to witness faith, service and excellence will raise and mold a student into a genuine Christian.

Nevertheless, this new vision comes with new regulations such as –no gift giving to teachers and staff, no parents allowed inside the campus, prohibiting promissory notes and paying monthly fees on designated time because if not, your name won’t appear in your test paper thus forging you to pay another 20 pesos per subject for your special examination.

Those mentioned above are some of the latest policies implemented in our school and the students are trying their best to adjust with their new atmosphere. However, change is a long time process of absorbing and swallowing. It is a transformation from what it is or from what it would be if left alone and it is inevitable, eternal, perpetual, and immortal. As they say, it is not the strongest that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. We, the students are open of these changes—well we don’t have the choice. It’s either to accept it or to accept it. We don’t have the right to go against it for we are just mere students following the laws. What we wanted to voice out is a step by step procedure or to take it just one at a time. It’s like today here is the new rule then tomorrow comes another one and then after a while another one. We would like the Admin to consider the fact that we are still trying to manage and adopt in our new environment. We do hope for consideration and understanding not only our needs and wants but also our position and stand as students in this community. Let us bear in mind that change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change. Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them. It is not all growth, as all movement is not forward but with the help and unity and harmonious relationship between the admin, staff and students…SAAP will continue to go along its way onward to progress.