Featured - Principal's Point of View

A CHALLENGE FOR CONTINUING EXCELLENCE

Experience has taught me that doing something for the school does not always hinge on the inducement of a pecuniary pay; rather, we are driven with a passion for excellence. This I pointed out to the editorial board and staff of the previous issue of The Passage and to the students of Amparo High School as a whole in line with my vision of steering the school toward total competitiveness. It's true indeed, that in the race toward excellence, there is no finish line.

I want to personally thank The Passage staffers, together with their adviser, for having tried their best to make their publication competitive as evidenced by all-section sweep in the group contest during last school year's search for outstanding student publications, at least in the regional level . The same appreciation goes to the teachers of this school, whose combined efforts and service commitment made a big difference for Amparo High School in terms of academic performance. Easily, we clinched the top rank in the division in the National Achievement Test (NAT) given to the fourth year students last March 2006, the second straight year of such a splendid performance.

I believe that our future is in our hands, but it will depend on our passion for excellence in everything we do. We must cooperate and maintain what we have achieved; otherwise, our efforts at getting far ahead will be futile, and we may end up at the bottom instead.

Remember that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. We can accomplish more if we join hands as one strong team. True enough, there is nothing more fulfilling than having contributed to affording the future of our students, enabling them to see the brighter horizon.

Let us put in concrete terms our much-vaunted national virtue of malasakit (concern). Let us love our work enough to show our students the transformation effect of that collective malasakit for their common interest. Let us not be satisfied with simply having topped the NAT; instead, let us aim to increase our school's average rating in the said test. Let us make a firm decision or commitment to be one of the few who make things happen according to their dream.

Excellence, if I may put it, is not a thought, it is a habit. As such, it should not be a choice but an important obligatory path designed by a desire to surmount challenges and achieve great things. It is a fountain of life for some but a painful reminders to others. Some might disparage you or tempt you to give up on your commitments to follow the principles of excellence, but be strong to resist that temptation.

Once again, our firm decision to pursue EXCELLENCE unrelentingly is the starting point for genuine change.

Article from Amparo National High School
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