PASAY CITY SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL STARTS FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES
by: Magdalena P. Jerez
THE Department of Education (DepEd) has announced that all public and private schools are mandated to hold face-to-face classes starting Nov. 2, 2022, as indicated in DepEd Order 34, Series of 2022 signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio.
In view of this mandate, Pasay City South High School (PCSHS) has prepared itself for a transition from full distance learning last school year to blended learning; that is three days of in-person and two days distance learning from August 22 to October 21 covering the first quarter of this school year, and then to implement the five days of in-person classes starting November 2 onwards
PCSHS under the leadership of its dynamic and brilliant principal, Mrs. Emilia L. Tolentino has instructed all personnel, both teaching and nonteaching staff to prepare for the said implementation of the full face-to-face classes. The usual pre-pandemic health protocols as required by IATF and DOH shall be observed according to the good school head to avoid health problems in the future particularly among the students and teaching staff who are exposed daily to each other in the classroom.
Students entering the school campus through the entrance gate
Students sanitized their hands as they entered the school campus
Hence, during the start of the implementation of the full face-to-face classes on November 2, 2022, all personnel synergized with the supervision of the school head to have a smooth commencement of the implementation the full face-to-face classes. The security guards with the assistance and supervision of assigned Department Heads and teachers manned the entrance gate to observe proper entry of the students. Proper distancing and proper wearing of face mask were checked, and students were reminded to observe these protocols all the time. Students disinfect their hands as they enter the school premises with a standby sanitizer posted at the entrance gate.
Students sanitized their hands as they entered the school campus
Students taking their test
Classrooms were prepared as well in the full implementation of face-to-face classes. Chairs were arranged with distances from each other to avoid crowding among students. Alcohol dispensers are located outside the classrooms for students to disinfect their hands regularly. First aid kits are also found in each classroom for emergency cases that do not need medical consultations. Since classrooms are equipped with two doors (front and back doors), a one-way traffic (for entry and exit) has been implemented for the students to follow. Teachers constantly reminded their students to observe physical distancing thus, the students tried talking very closed to each other.
The breaktime of students were scheduled differently from each year level to avoid crowding in the canteen. Signages for entrance and exit doors are visibly posted outside the school canteen which the students followed.
The first day of the full in-person classes was monitored by the assigned PSDS, school head, assistant principal, and Department Heads to ensure that the new class program is implemented at the start of the full face-to-face classes.
There were also challenges and issues encountered during the day but were addressed properly. There were some students who experienced dizziness, stomachache, and headache. They were given first aid by the school nurse and were asked to rest in the clinic while waiting to be fetched by their parents. Some students were observed to remove their face masks apparently because of discomfort, but they were consistently being reminded by the teachers to wear them back.
The Monitoring Team: Mrs. Emilia Tolentino, PCSHS school head with the Department Heads presenting and discussing the new classroom program to PSDS Evelyn Ramos, the PSDS in-charge to monitor PCSHS in the implementation of the full in-person classes.
Overall, the first day of the full face-to-face classes was assessed to have transpired smoothly and this may somehow be attributed to the usual practice the students had during the first quarter of this school year. The students were used to the health protocols that were imposed to them during the start of the school year2022-2023.