By the first grade, these kids are authors of their own books and critics of their classmates? creations
IN THE HEART OF A GATED subdivision in the south, there?s a little school that?s been getting grownups? attention. Thanks to the impressive showing of youngsters from this 10-year-old primary school, The Bridge School is actually being recommended as the place to go to before children hit the big schools.

?Two years ago, La Salle Zobel called to ask how they can get our brochures because they wanted to know where all these kids who scored high on their entrance exam were coming from,? says Tere del Rosario, principal and founder of The Bridge School.

?One of our former students, who?s now in fifth grade and a representative of her school?s student council, came to see us and read a story to our kids.?

Though rooted in the teaching philosophies of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey, The Bridge School also evolved from what its founder, who taught English literature and writing to high school and college students in Assumption, discovered when her three children studied in the States.

?What I saw in American education was an eye-opener,? she says. ?Education in the Philippines is product-oriented: it?s all about how many chapters you read, and ?giving back? what your teacher gave you during exams. It doesn?t foster independent thinking, and it goes by a teacher?s pace.?

American education, she observed, develops character and builds on children?s talents and interests.

?I noticed that my kids loved going to school,? she says. ?They loved learning.?

Struggling years

After working as an assistant in her kids? school, Del Rosario went back to Manila and put up The Bridge School with two nieces. Kidnapping was rampant at the time, so to keep her students safe, she chose to operate in a converted house inside a subdivision.

Seven kids made up the student body on The Bridge School?s first year. Today, some 80 students study here in small-sized classes managed by at least one teacher.

?Whatever exposure we got was from word of mouth,? says Tere of their struggling years,

Recently, the principal gave in to parents? requests to offer first, second and third grades. Other parents, however, will have to wait for a second school to materialize.

?If ever we do branch out, I?d still like to keep it small,? says Tere, whose greatest concern is training teachers. ?And we?ll only do it once we?ve solidified each level.?

Reading and writing are strong suits of this school because ?they?re needed in every subject,? says Del Rosario?s daughter Katrina del Rosario, a graduate of early childhood development who joined The Bridge School in 2003 and serves as both program director and one of its 10 teachers.

Kids as young as 1? are introduced to the skills through fun, meaningful lessons. Thus, instead of learning the alphabet, the first letters they learn are the ones from their own name, followed by the letters of their friends? names.

As the child advances to the next level, so do the skills taught to him: in nursery, they are read to and asked to identify words and letters in a story; in prep, they start writing sentences. By the first grade, they?re authors of their own books and critics of their classmates? creations in a unique writing workshop.

As a result, The Bridge School kids have become avid readers. ?I?ve had ?complaints? from parents,? says Katrina with a laugh. ?They want to know why their kids asked for books instead of toys last Christmas, and why it?s them, and not their children, who are using the PlayStation. It?s a good problem to have.?

Strength

Community work is The Bridge School?s other strength. Last Christmas, kids bought gifts for children from a poor neighborhood. Recently, a successful bake sale raised funds for the students to buy groceries for an orphanage.

?That?s why we call ourselves The Bridge School,? says Del Rosario. ?We?re the bridge between the school and the home, the bridge between the school and society.?

With an atmosphere like this, it?s no surprise that the love for learning isn?t limited to The Bridge School?s students.

?I?m learning more and more from Katrina and the other teachers,? says Tere proudly. ?I see in their generation the desire to pursue higher education. These young people really know what they?re doing. You just have to let them fly.?

Visit The Bridge School at 29 Cairo Street, BFNW, Paranaque, or call 0917-5374435 and 8265777.

Summer classes at The Bridge School

THE TRANSITION TRAIN is designed for incoming pre-nursery and nursery students. A variety of songs, rhymes, instruments and activities help stimulate minds and prepare them for a smooth entrance to school (P4,020; April 19-May 9; Section 1: 8:15-10 a.m.; Section 2: 10:30-11:15 a.m.)

Book Cooks blends reading, writing, math and science in a three-hour, five-day-a-week program ideal for younger and older preschool kids. Make simple dishes by reading picture-based recipes and have a blast with journal-writing and dramatization (P7,020; April 19-May 9; 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.)