A round of congratulations to our graduating students for S.Y. 2013-2014! But the congratulations will not be complete without giving special mention of the parents of these children who have shown unrivaled support for their kids’ education and co-curricular activities. In some ways, this batch epitomizes the ideal school-home partnership in education. The school can never ask for more from you all.Having said that, let me express my delight in seeing many of you going on to big schools that I believe will further hone your skills for greater things that you will have to face in the future academically.
Some will go to science high schools and indeed the emphasis in these schools can prepare the right student for life-impacting future careers as people of science, medicine, research, etc. Others will go to a more generic high school where the field of concentration is a little bit wider although less focused. But this has its own advantage too since no pressure is yet imposed upon the students at this stage to be definite about their future. This means they have the luxury of deciding over this matter when they are older. Whatever the high school life holds for all of you, whatever new interests they may awaken in your life, whatever new relationships you may establish in the course of this new stage of your journey to academic and personal maturity, hold on to what you have already learned to be timelessly true, universally noble and everlastingly life sustaining. Hold on to the principles of kindness, fairness and justice, especially in dealing with other children. Hold on to the principles of respect, honor and recognition of authority. Rules are set not to break you but to guide you and to make you safe. Avail of the wisdom of those who have gone the path ahead of you. Their experience is now your wisdom. Hold on to the principle of peacemaking and diplomacy. Not every person who disagrees with you is your enemy. If you look closer, they may even expand your horizon and perspective. Above all, hold on to your true biblical faith that has given you hope, love, life and a future. If you have to lose all to gain it, do not hesitate. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and loses his own soul” (Matthew 16:26)?
One of the desired goals of Eastbridge School is to instill the idea on the parents that the education of their kids are not the sole responsibility of the school. Being in the academe for twenty years now, the administrators of the school deem that this is a necessary element for a successful learning experience especially in the preschool level. For what is education if not the preparation for life? A person who is trained to only prepare for work in adulthood has only prepared for half of what life is all about. Others may even argue that most of life is interaction with other people. For isn't work even also mostly comprised of this? Thus, it is of the utmost importance that the training that the kids get in a learning institution must touch on this major element.
