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Brent International School Baguio Celebrates 100 years (1909-2009
In March 2009, Brent International School Baguio is cel ebrating its Centennial – 100 years as an institution with 100 years of a proud tradition of academic excellence. The original Brent School was named after its founder, Bishop Charles Henry Brent, the first Episcopal Bishop of the Philippines. The school began as a boarding school for boys in 1909 on a sprawling twelve hectare campus set 5,000 ft. above sea level in the northern mountains on the largest Philippine island of Luzon. were admitted on the basis of character as well as scholarship, and this paved way for Brent to become even more international in nature and outlook.
A number of years later, after many new facilities and growth in enrollment, the school’s existence was challenged again with the devastating earthquake that hit Baguio in July 1990. After im mediate rebuilding and rehabilitation, the school opened for classes by August of that same year! That event was a testament to Brent Baguio’s determination to rise from the ruins and overcome hardships.
On 15 March 2002, the Philippine National Historical Insti tute granted Brent School the distinction of being a National Historical Site – the second site to be recognized in Baguio City! To this day, Ogilby Hall on the Brent campus holds the distinction of being the oldest wooden building in Baguio still in use for its original purpose.
Baguio School 1909 First Students
Brent School has faced many challenges over the past 100 years as it has continued to remain true to its calling. It struggled through the First World War with very few students. In 1925, a girl’s boarding house was added and Brent became the first coeducational boarding school in East Asia.
During World War II, the school was closed as Japanese forces used the campus for a hospital and as a military officer’s residence. During that period, the school functioned as best it could from the internment camp known as Camp Holmes.
The start of a new era in the school’s history came with the reopening of Brent School in November 1947. At that time, students As Brent School was celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary in Baguio in 1984, a group of parents from the international com munity in Manila successfully requested the creation of a Brent Campus in Manila, and thus began Brent International School Manila. Growth of the Brent philosophy continued as the next Brent School opened in Subic Bay in 1994 with Father Gabriel Dimanche as the Headmaster.
Today, Brent has three separately incorporated international schools with a total enrolment close to 2,000 students. The origi nal Brent Baguio has 280 students, Brent Manila, now twenty-five years old, has 1,200 students, and the fifteen-year-old Brent Subic has 450 students. While separately incorporated, all three schools operate with the same mission statement and the same educational philosophy. Additionally, all three schools have one Headmaster, Mr. Dick Robbins. Headmaster Robbins was tasked with bringing the schools together as far as the educational programs and academic offerings in each location are concerned, and that initiative is in its final stages.
All three Brent International Schools are proud members of EARCOS. In addition, Brent Manila is a founding member of the hugely successful Asia Pacifi c Activities Conference (APAC). Together with Brent Manila, Brent Baguio and Brent Subic are also members of the International Schools Activities Conference (ISAC). This year, being the Centennial year for Brent Baguio, all three Brent Schools are proud to have Mr. Harlan Lyso, former EARCOS Board President, as the graduation speaker at each of their commencement exercises in May 2009.
During this Centennial year, Brent campuses have come together in a number of ways to refl ect and celebrate 100 years of its legacy. Alumni from around the world have likewise retold their school experiences and memories on our “magic mountain” which they called their home. Year after year, their heartwarming stories and visits serve as priceless testimonies of how their lives were touched and how the Brent School legacy thrives beyond the classroom, beyond activities, and beyond graduation.
Baguio School 1909
Mr. Dick Robbins, Headmaster
Brent Statue
International Schools’ Assessment (ISA)
The ISA is an assessment program specifically designed to measure the skills of international school students, from grades 3–10, in mathematical literacy, reading and writing.
In 2007-8 more than 37,000 students participated from 218 international schools in 79 countries.
‘ISA became one of the most valuable indicators for the Board of the Moscow Economic School of our students’ development. Now ISA is compulsory for all the MES students. We also built the ISA results into the MES teacher’s appraisal system. We are really happy that ISA became a very important part of our professional life.’
Yuri Shamilov, President, Moscow Economic School
‘The ISA has become an important external measure of our school’s performance and is part of our strategic measurable objectives. The design of the ISA and its focus on literacy and processes is also a valuable indicator of our learner qualities such as problem solvers.’
Mark Jenkins, Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator Jakarta International School
For more information about the ISA please visit: www.acer.edu.au/isa
To register your school simply visit: www.acer.edu.au/isaregister
