Math, Filipino dept heads pass NQESH

Eddiebald G. Esmero

Two new breeds of leaders formally assumed office at Manila Science High School (MSHS) as newly installed department heads after a welcome program held at H.A. Bordner Building on August 25, 2022.

Serving as new pillars of excellence were Ms. Rosabelle N. Mahinay, Science department head, and Mrs. Sherryll L. Robrigado, Technology, and Livelihood Education (TLE) department head.

Ms. Mahinay was a Science teacher for eight years at Jose Abad Santos High School before being promoted to MSHS.

She also served as Grade 11 Curriculum Chairman from 2017 to 2022.

On the other hand, Mrs. Robrigado came from Esteban Abada High School as a former TLE-ICT teacher and coordinator.

Being in the service for almost a decade, she also became the school’s Faculty Club Vice President for four years before her recent appointment.

After months of waiting, the results were finally out, two academic department heads of Manila Science High School (MSHS) were among the 2,203 who passed the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) conducted online on July 31, 2022.

In the Department of Education (DepEd) memo released dated November 03, 2022, Mrs. Cristina R. Solis, head teacher of the Mathematics department, and Mr. Romeo T. Navoa, Jr., head teacher of the Filipino department, are now eligible for the next stage for Principal I positions nationwide.

When asked about their experience, they were both surprised about the result considering that they encountered technical difficulties and internet connectivity issues during the examination.

All examinees had to open their cameras and microphone while taking the test for monitoring, which added more pressure and needed a stronger connection.

With the test being held online for the

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first time, Mrs. Solis shared that the system denied her attempts multiple times, resulting in her being locked and delayed by one hour before again taking the test.

Fortunately, she mentioned that the questions in the test were mainly situational, which she related to her experience in MaSci.

On the other hand, Mr. Navoa also experienced being kicked out of the system while in the middle part of the exam.

Even though he was admitted again to the system, he can no longer concentrate and was very anxious about the possibility that he might be automatically out again by the system.

The NQESH, also known as the Principals Test, is a requirement for any applicant who wishes to be appointed as the School Principal or Assistant Principal.

The examination is conducted annually and may be taken by school heads regardless of position. The applicant must meet the requirements stated in DepEd Memorandum No. 033, s. 2022.

The Nucleus’ Official Statement on the Recent Killings of Journalists

The Nucleus, the official English student publication of Manila Science High School (MSHS), strongly condemns the horrific and tragic killing of Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa. Lapid, a journalist, and broadcaster, was killed on October 3, 2022, by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle. He hosted the radio program “Lapid Fire,” known for airing critical commentaries of the Duterte and the current Marcos administration. This is the second time a journalist was brutally murdered under the Marcos administration, despite being up for only four months. The first victim was also a commentary broadcaster, Rey Blanco, who was stabbed to death in Negros Oriental on September 18, 2022. These tragic deaths are great losses for the journalism community and the country, especially during these times when press freedom in the Philippines is constantly being threatened and ignored. Not only do these acts terrorize the press freedom and safety of the journalists in the country, but they also completely trample down the efforts of the media and Filipino citizens in fighting for freedom of expression. While President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. made a statement a few days after Lapid’s death, vowing to support and protect the rights of the media in the country, this act of the administration is undeniably not a priority. Such statements were only made to extinguish the fire while completely abandoning the damages done by such incidents. President Marcos promised in his inaugural speech that he shall make the country’s hope his own. It can only be hoped that these attacks were not what he had in mind when he said such a declaration because clearly, no Filipino wished to jeopardize our own democracy. What happened to Percy Lapid and Rey Blanco is inherent evidence that journalism in the country is a path full of risks and hazards. Although time can not be bent or turned back to bring them back to life, surely, justice is a guaranteed way to honor those who have died wrongfully, gain back the people’s trust, and protect the voice of democracy in this country.

Letter To The Editor

Dear The Nucleus Editors, Manila Science High School has been conducting online learning since 2020, and this year, students are faced with a new system where all summative tests conducted by each subject teacher will be answered by learners in a span of one week given a reasonable timeline and schedule. I see this summative week as similar to the traditional periodical test period, which is done quarterly in a face-to-face setting. I believe this new setup allows students to refresh their minds on what is normally done during face-toface scenarios, as it is possible that by the next school year, we will be back to normal.

The problem is that technical difficulties brought on by the internet can hinder either the student or the teacher when it comes to posting or answering the summative test, respectively. Students may as well face a dilemma or mental stress during this time since several tasks and projects were already given before the summative week that may conflict with our preparation and performance for the said week.

Do you, editors, agree or disagree with this implementation?

Dear Angelyne,

Angelyne Nazareno, 10 - Einstein

We, at The Nucleus, understand your sentiments. The summative test week may have halted teachers from giving additional requirements, however, with major projects due on the preceding week, students still have limited time to prepare for these examinations. As you mentioned, there is a need to fix the schedule of the culminating activities per quarter. Therefore, we suggest that major projects and performance tasks should be given after the summative test week so students have time to prepare for their exams. Tasks should also be lessened on the week preceding the summative test week. In addition, there should only be at most three summative tests done per day. Lastly, the system should be flexible for students experiencing technical difficulties brought about by the online setup.

We are one with the administration in the implementation of the summative test week, yet there is room for improvement to smoothen up this new setup. We hope nothing but the best for the continuous progress in easing the burdens of teachers and MaScians for the next school years to come. After all, we share the same vision for our dear school.