Recent News and Updates

Good day Brent community,

In observance of Eid al-Fitr, Brent Schools will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. This day is also a national holiday in the Philippines.

Thank you very much and have a wonderful holiday.

Sincerely,

Mr. Brett Petrillo
Headmaster

Dear Parents and Students,

I hope you are all doing well.

As we open the second semester, we are closer to the time when our students will need to prepare and choose their subjects for next school year. Last November, we presented information to introduce the IB Diploma Programme at Brent Subic. It was in that session that you were presented with information ranging from tracks offered to the DP requirements.

At this point, I would like to once again invite you to the second part of the information session. In this session, we will present the Core components of the IB DP. We will also present the different support systems we offer our DP candidates.

The information session will be on Thursday, February 3 at 7:45am to 9:00am. This session will be conducted virtually through Google Meet. Please use the link sent to your email to join the meeting.

We look forward to meeting you again soon!

Keep safe and healthy.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Sheila Marie Griarte
IB Coordinator

You are invited to our Grade 10 Parent/Student Info Session. This will be held on Thursday, November 25, 2021, at 7:45AM. The meeting will be through Google Meet and the meet link will be sent through your email.

Good day Brent Families,

As you may have heard, and seen in the media, the momentum toward international schools returning to face-to-face classes is slowly growing. As a result, you can expect more frequent updates coming from my office.

At this point, I want to once again let you know that we have submitted our proposal for returning to in-person learning to the DOH, DepEd, and the SBMA, as required.

Despite some assumptions to the contrary, the IATF has not yet approved the resumption of face-to-face classes in any K-12 international school.

We are currently exploring our options for hosting limited capacity face-to-face student orientation sessions and special non class activities under the level 2 Covid-19 alert level currently assigned to our region.

As I mentioned in my prior communication, we will reach out to parents and students with a survey once we receive permission to return to face-to-face instruction and know the final criteria.

It’s prudent to maintain cautious optimism as the circumstances surrounding our positioning in this pandemic can change very quickly.

God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Mr. Brett Petrillo
Headmaster

Good day Brent Families,

As many of you may have heard, we have good news on our continued quest to bring students back for face-to-face classes.

The Department of Education has released Memorandum No. 071, s. 2021, which recognizes “the unique nature of International Schools” and their “capacity to implement face-to-face classes outside the 120 pilot schools.” This is a very positive development, and it clears the way for independent approval via the Department of Education, Department of Health, IATF and our Local Government.

This recognition by DepEd is greatly appreciated given that Brent’s social distancing space is immense. Brent International School Subic covers four hectares for only 170 students in kindergarten through grade 12. Class sizes in kindergarten to grade two currently average about six students. Grades three through twelve average about 15 students per class. Classrooms average 80 square meters, which provides 4 square meters per person even for a class of 20. In other words, most classrooms at Brent will have a more socially distant seating capacity than restaurants operating at 50% capacity under modified community quarantine, where diners do not wear masks.

Additionally, we have vaccinated approximately 98% of our employees and further vaccinated other individuals who have close contact with our campus or our employees.

Once we receive permission to return to face-to-face instruction and know the final criteria, we will reach out to parents and students with a survey. We will then establish a timeline to make the transition back to the classroom as smooth as possible with that information.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the recently distributed Echoes. I know the team worked very hard putting together. I also wish everyone a restful All Saints break.

God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Mr. Brett Petrillo
Headmaster

Dear Brent Family,

The school year is well underway, and I want to let the community know that our teachers are continuing to refine the quality of our Home Learning program while also planning for the future.

The delta variant may have set back the timeline for when we return in person. Still, as vaccine availability increases, we look to the future with the hopeful anticipation of seeing our students face-to-face.

Once government mandates allow a return to campus, we will determine other safety measures based on the current context. We will further assess classroom capacity, among other issues, when the time is right.

Keeping children safe once in-person classes resume will be a multilayered approach.

Our own employees are now about 75% vaccinated, and we hope to be 90-100% in October. In addition to vaccinating employees, nursing staff monitor employee health as well as regional hot spots. Regular sanitation by our janitorial staff protects, as does social distancing measures and masks. Of course, personal hygiene practices also contribute to the safety of the whole community.

In the meantime, our focus is on delivering a quality Home Learning program that will academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually prepare our students for the future. Rest assured, we will continue to review and adjust as circumstances require.

Take care and God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Mr. Brett Petrillo
Headmaster