News

Malayan Science eXplores farther, reinVents further on 15th year

Monday, January 11, 2021

Despite the challenges the past year has posed for the education sector, Malayan High School of Science has remained steadfast in its mission to develop well-rounded and globally competitive individuals, adapting to the demands of circumstances to ensure continuity of learning in junior high school. While academic activities and routines have changed, Malayan Science has continued to move forward, delivering topnotch Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-centered education using powerful educational technologies to facilitate effective learning even in a remote setup.

Marking its 15th year, Malayan Science looks forward to improving learning experiences and providing more opportunities for growth and success to its students. With this goal in mind and to formally commemorate a new milestone, Malayan Science will have its Foundation Week celebration on January 13 to 15 with the theme “MHSS XV: eXploring farther, reinVenting further amidst adversity.”

“The theme reflects what our school has been doing in the past—continuously improving on our practices and exploring other fields to provide a better learning experience to our students. It also serves as a commitment to learning that whatever challenges we encounter in the future, MHSS will always find means to deliver quality education and to mold young minds,” shares Social Studies teacher Cindy I. Miller, who serves as the chairman of the organizing committee of the 15th Foundation Week Celebration.

Innovations for topnotch education

A relatively young educational institution, Malayan Science has gained multiple accomplishments over the past 15 years.

With Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education as one of its strengths, Malayan Science promotes academic excellence by implementing advanced curricula and offering specialized subjects. It has been providing students STEM training with unique offerings on Research, Robotics and Technology, and Multimedia and Arts, on top of DepEd’s prescribed curriculum.

Commencing the school year, Malayan Science upgraded its Robotics offering by unveiling the digital robotics classroom and implementing a scaffolded curriculum together with long-time program partner First Eduspec, Inc. (FEI).

“Malayan Science continuously improves the quality of its education. Upgrading our curriculum and learning resources are ways of anticipating and adapting to the demands of the ever-changing world. Keeping up with the times is necessary in nurturing young minds that are ready for the future,” MHSS Principal Emmillie Joy B. Mejia said.

Serving as a pillar of its education, Malayan Science’s robotics program has paved way for students to be recognized in various local and international competitions. The group of Mark Francis James Bona, Cullen Mitchel Cobi Cruz, and Jacon Caden Paw were named champions of the 7th Philippine Robothon for the Programming Skills Category. Meanwhile, Mark Julius Ang took won the bronze medal in the World Educational Robot Contest World Championship in December 2018 in Shanghai, China.

Malayans also continued dominating in other academic and sports competitions.

Colonel Sherlon Vance V. Gonzales, Daniel Ethan B. Lim, Gerardo P. Acebedo, and Mher Angelo J. Atienza shined at the 1st Philippine National Vedic Math Olympiad. Meanwhile, student gymnast Akhira Bint Afghani P. Alonto brought home multiple awards from the 2019 Philippine Cup.

On the other hand, Malayan Science has integrated an advanced Coding program in the school curriculum starting School Year 2020-2021, making it the first junior high school to offer a Coding program in the Philippines. The new offering enhances students’ capabilities in the area of programming.

Malayan Science’s continuous innovation makes its programs and offerings a cut above the rest.

“Our topnotch education has produced completers who can gain admission to and successfully hurdle scientific and technological tracks in highly reputable local and international senior high schools,” Mejia said. Besides the achievements of its students and the successes of its completers, institutional accreditation demonstrates the quality of Malayan Science’s education.

Malayan Science has received certification from the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), certifying its sterling systems and standards, and topnotch STEM education. Through the PEAC certification, the school conducts a periodic review of its systems and standards to determine its strength and potentials for becoming a more effective educational institution.

Victory amid diversity

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, face-to-face classes in all schools across the country remained suspended, and online classes became the default setup for SY 2020-2021. It was a shot in the dark for some schools, but it was not the case for MHSS. Digitally equipped and online learning ready, Malayan Science confidently opened the new school year on August 3, 2020, ahead of most schools nationwide.

Pioneering digital education in junior high school for five years now, MHSS has been utilizing Cardinal EDGE, an online learning platform powered by its mother school Mapúa University. Its use, along with other digital tools and resources, has paved the way for Digital Days, the conduct of simultaneous online classes during class-suspending days.

Acknowledging the use and effectiveness of Cardinal EDGE pre-pandemic, Grade 10 student Isaac Cornelius Bensley Sy commends MHSS for its delivery of online classes.

“Malayan Science has adapted quickly by setting up effective online classes for the students amid the pandemic. Its execution of online classes allowed us students to have a smooth transition from face-to-face to fully online classes,” Sy said.

Beefing up its capabilities in delivering online classes, Malayan Science has adopted more than 30 software applications across eight subject areas and has subscribed to 13 e-Book and e-Journal databases and a digital newspaper and magazine library for lectures, laboratory, research, and other academic activities.

“Online classes at Malayan Science are exceptional. We have a complete online learning experience with excellent applications and learning materials. I really enjoy having classes as I learn a lot from lessons every day,” Grade 9 student Beatrice Precious Magsombol shared.

In a challenging year for medical practitioners, four Malayan Science alumni hurdled the November 2020 Physician Licensure Examination. MHSS Class of 2011 graduates Dr. Amelito Manuel L. Andaya, Dr. Konstantin R. Barrieta, Dr. Kenneth S. Dy, and Dr. Josiah Juan Alfonso M. Joson passed the recent board exams and are now licensed medical doctors.

“We take pride in the achievements of our alumni. Their success is a testament to the school’s quality education that produces competent and college-ready individuals,” Mejia shared.

Farther, further

Successful 15 years have passed, and Malayan Science does not plan to rest on its laurels. Driven by the core value of innovation, it pledges to explore father and reinvent further to remain as a leading junior high school in the country.

Malayan Science plans to acquire more accreditations from local and international bodies to ensure the continuous improvement of quality of its education in the digital age. It also intends to expand its reach by offering homeschool and, if feasible, elementary education.

“With the fast pace of development of technologies and with the explosion of knowledge, one has to continually keep up on pain of being left behind and becoming irrelevant. As a science high school, we simply have to be at the leading edge,” Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, Malayan Science President, remarked.