RAS History
It was Summer 1996 when the heirs of Leon-Trinidad Tapongot started gathering at Kagawad Carmito Tapongot’s abode on the series of meeting to brainstorm on founding a corporation that reflects the trade of the clan’s majority.
Education was generally the livelihood and achievement of the clan: both Erlinda Birondo and Elena Abrea were Master Teacher II at the time, Erlinda Tapongot was a Head Teacher, Estela Birondo-Pineda (Maritel) was Teacher II and an award winning, accomplished teacher, Judy Mae Abrea was a promising teacher at Lourdes College, Maria Milagros Tapongot-Westerhausen (Mari), then acting secretary, just came back from an Graduate Study grant in Australia, was likewise an awarded teacher.
It was Auxilium Jalagat who suggested that while Elena Abrea’s annual summer classes were a hit at that time, an education business would be a possible venture to make. This was well agreed upon by everybody.
Elena Abrea, honored by the everyone’s support, volunteered her place, sacrificing a substantial part of her residence to accommodate the preschoolers, and gave access to some educational materials. She was the main proponent of the project since being an excellent 1st grade teacher, she had drawn a lot of students for her very successful and well-known summer reading classes (employing Judy Mae, Maritel, Mari, among others) held at her residence for the past many years. It was the parents’ confidence and satisfaction for her efforts and student progress that made them suggest that a formal school should be opened under her direction.
Mari developed the ‘blueprint’ of the curriculum, the school’s philosophy, mission and vision, seal and the school uniform included. The document was based on her developmental research project, a feasibility study developed during her Lourdes College-sponsored scholarship grant to Philippine Normal University to specialize in Preschool Education Administration & Supervision. She later volunteered, along with Estela Birondo alternating, to work as part-time instructors at the school while they were still in search for an eligible teacher to handle the nursery/preK class.
Three classes begun in June 1996, two morning classes, one afternoon class. The school formally applied for a certification to operate preschool level classes in the first two years of operation. Grades 1 and 2 on the third year, Grade 3 on the fourth year, Grade 5 on the fifth year, and Grade 6 on the sixth year.
The year 2000 marked the official year of SEC recognition of RAS as a corporation, thanks to the RAS secretary Estela Birondo’s patient but persistent effort in facilitating the application process, while the founding secretary, Mari, initially did all the documentation necessary for the said application.
Following the demand of space and new courses/grade levels, the board decided to purchase the lot of the current school site.
By the year 2002, the school has moved to the newly acquired property. The population doubled when the school’s commanding and overwhelming presence in the new site was recognized as it overshadowed other schools in the vicinity. Staff has doubled as more classes were accommodated. Ms. Mari was its first official principal, as she met the stringent qualification (Bachelor’s degree in Education, PBET Certification, a Graduate Degree from University of South Australia, 5 years administrative experience [under PROBE] with recent CSEE eligibility) of the school administrator to merit acceptable DepEd’s recognition at the time.
During this time, school operation was standardized and professionalized, from forms to instruction, to room structuring; 1st computer class in a school at Villanueva was initiated at RAS; student organization were initiated including the school paper (school represented the district at Division Press Conferences for the first time and won awards in photojournalism and feature writing; a great showing for a new contender); redefined classroom instruction and procedures to reflect the curriculum philosophy and vision-mission in the light of DepEd trust and program; teachers were updated with current trends and international standards in the classroom; initiated a tradition with activities such as the first sinulog, the first cultural-fashion parade/show.
Mrs Dativa Pimentel acted as the deputy school principal in the following school year as Ms Mari served as Senior Trainor for Intel Teach Program at UP-NISMED while being an associate professor at XU College of Education. During Mrs Pimentel’s term, she followed through most of Ms. Mari’s legacy, though she championed transparency, accountability and visibility at all times. During her leadership, the first school paper was published, giving tribute to the award-winning campus journalists who were previously trained by Ms. Mari and who successfully competed the year before. Thanks to the efforts of talented and motivated teaching staff. Ms. Maritel contributed substantially in training campus journalists in the succeeding events and competitions.
Then came Ms Judy Mae Abrea, a substantial stakeholder, who was herself an accomplished educator having been to Israel for a scholarship grant in Preschool Education for 3 months. She brought with her such rich teaching experiences and academic expertise having earned a Master’s degree in Education at Lourdes College. She, likewise, followed through most of Ms Mari’s programs and took them to a higher ground. She followed on the sinulog and Halloween parade legacy. She made the first staff outing possible.
What follows after that was history.
Education was generally the livelihood and achievement of the clan: both Erlinda Birondo and Elena Abrea were Master Teacher II at the time, Erlinda Tapongot was a Head Teacher, Estela Birondo-Pineda (Maritel) was Teacher II and an award winning, accomplished teacher, Judy Mae Abrea was a promising teacher at Lourdes College, Maria Milagros Tapongot-Westerhausen (Mari), then acting secretary, just came back from an Graduate Study grant in Australia, was likewise an awarded teacher.
It was Auxilium Jalagat who suggested that while Elena Abrea’s annual summer classes were a hit at that time, an education business would be a possible venture to make. This was well agreed upon by everybody.
Elena Abrea, honored by the everyone’s support, volunteered her place, sacrificing a substantial part of her residence to accommodate the preschoolers, and gave access to some educational materials. She was the main proponent of the project since being an excellent 1st grade teacher, she had drawn a lot of students for her very successful and well-known summer reading classes (employing Judy Mae, Maritel, Mari, among others) held at her residence for the past many years. It was the parents’ confidence and satisfaction for her efforts and student progress that made them suggest that a formal school should be opened under her direction.
Mari developed the ‘blueprint’ of the curriculum, the school’s philosophy, mission and vision, seal and the school uniform included. The document was based on her developmental research project, a feasibility study developed during her Lourdes College-sponsored scholarship grant to Philippine Normal University to specialize in Preschool Education Administration & Supervision. She later volunteered, along with Estela Birondo alternating, to work as part-time instructors at the school while they were still in search for an eligible teacher to handle the nursery/preK class.
Three classes begun in June 1996, two morning classes, one afternoon class. The school formally applied for a certification to operate preschool level classes in the first two years of operation. Grades 1 and 2 on the third year, Grade 3 on the fourth year, Grade 5 on the fifth year, and Grade 6 on the sixth year.
The year 2000 marked the official year of SEC recognition of RAS as a corporation, thanks to the RAS secretary Estela Birondo’s patient but persistent effort in facilitating the application process, while the founding secretary, Mari, initially did all the documentation necessary for the said application.
Following the demand of space and new courses/grade levels, the board decided to purchase the lot of the current school site.
By the year 2002, the school has moved to the newly acquired property. The population doubled when the school’s commanding and overwhelming presence in the new site was recognized as it overshadowed other schools in the vicinity. Staff has doubled as more classes were accommodated. Ms. Mari was its first official principal, as she met the stringent qualification (Bachelor’s degree in Education, PBET Certification, a Graduate Degree from University of South Australia, 5 years administrative experience [under PROBE] with recent CSEE eligibility) of the school administrator to merit acceptable DepEd’s recognition at the time.
During this time, school operation was standardized and professionalized, from forms to instruction, to room structuring; 1st computer class in a school at Villanueva was initiated at RAS; student organization were initiated including the school paper (school represented the district at Division Press Conferences for the first time and won awards in photojournalism and feature writing; a great showing for a new contender); redefined classroom instruction and procedures to reflect the curriculum philosophy and vision-mission in the light of DepEd trust and program; teachers were updated with current trends and international standards in the classroom; initiated a tradition with activities such as the first sinulog, the first cultural-fashion parade/show.
Mrs Dativa Pimentel acted as the deputy school principal in the following school year as Ms Mari served as Senior Trainor for Intel Teach Program at UP-NISMED while being an associate professor at XU College of Education. During Mrs Pimentel’s term, she followed through most of Ms. Mari’s legacy, though she championed transparency, accountability and visibility at all times. During her leadership, the first school paper was published, giving tribute to the award-winning campus journalists who were previously trained by Ms. Mari and who successfully competed the year before. Thanks to the efforts of talented and motivated teaching staff. Ms. Maritel contributed substantially in training campus journalists in the succeeding events and competitions.
Then came Ms Judy Mae Abrea, a substantial stakeholder, who was herself an accomplished educator having been to Israel for a scholarship grant in Preschool Education for 3 months. She brought with her such rich teaching experiences and academic expertise having earned a Master’s degree in Education at Lourdes College. She, likewise, followed through most of Ms Mari’s programs and took them to a higher ground. She followed on the sinulog and Halloween parade legacy. She made the first staff outing possible.
What follows after that was history.
