Saint Jude Catholic School (Manila)

Saint Jude Catholic School (SJCS)

Logo
"Witness to the Word in the World."
Address
327 Ycaza St., San Miguel, Manila
Coordinates 14°35′46.07″N 120°59′46.15″E / 14.5961306°N 120.9961528°ECoordinates: 14°35′46.07″N 120°59′46.15″E / 14.5961306°N 120.9961528°E
Information
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s) St. Jude Thaddeus
Established July 1963
Founded July 1963
Opened July 1963
Founder Fr. Peter Yang, SVD
Mons. Peter Tsao, SVD
Mons. Charles Tchou, LRMS
Status Opened
Director Fr. Vicente Rayco, SVD
Principal Fr. Bernard Collera, SVD, RGC
Headteacher Ms. Olivia Palas (English High School), Ms. Melita Iglesia (English Grade School)
Teaching staff 238
Grades Nursery 1 to Fourth Year High School
Gender Co-educational
Age range 312–18
Number of students 3300
Average class size 40-45 pupils
Medium of language English
Mandarin
Filipino
Language English
Mandarin
Filipino
Hours in school day Nursery & Preparatory Department: 4
Grade School Department and High School Department: 9
School colour(s) green and white
Song SJCS Hymn
Mascot Jude the Knight and Lady Judy Knight
Nickname SJCS
Team name General:Judenites
Badminton:Raqueteers
Swimming:Green Mariners
Bar pass rate 75%
Newspaper Judenites(general school paper)
Chariot(grade school paper)
Website www.sjcs.edu.ph

Saint Jude Catholic School (SJCS), (simplified Chinese: 天主教崇德学校; traditional Chinese: 天主教崇德學校; pinyin: Tiānzhǔjiào Chóng Dé Xuéxiào) is a Roman Catholic private school located in the district of San Miguel in Manila, Philippines, adjacent to Malacañang Palace. The coeducational school, run by the Society of the Divine Word, teaches preparatory, elementary and high school, and is the oldest of the two Judenite institutions in the country. The school draws inspiration from the life and works of the institution's patron saint, Saint Jude Thaddeus. The school was founded by Chinese priests, Rev. Fr. Peter Yang, SVD and Msgr. Peter Tsao, SVD and later joined by Msgr. Tchou who died on November 7, 2008.[1]

Campus

The National Shrine of Saint Jude Thaddeus is located inside the campus.

The Saint Jude Catholic School campus in the district of San Miguel in Manila is composed of four buildings on a 2.5-hectare (6.2-acre) lot. These include the Prep School Building, the S.J. Building, the Fr. Peter Yang Building and the new Fu Shen Fu Building. The National Shrine of Saint Jude Thaddeus is located within the school's campus.[2][3]

Sports facilities on campus include a basketball stadium, badminton and volleyball courts, covered courts, ping-pong tables and a workout gym. The basketball stadium has a seating capability of 1,200 people and a regular-sized court that can be used for sporting events, and other activities. The new Fu Shen Fu Building was finished on December 2006. It houses a volleyball court and three badminton courts, a fully air-conditioned chapel, three floors of computer labs, a dance practice facility, a multipurpose room and also includes the residences of the priests/principals.[2]

History

Saint Jude Catholic School was opened in July 1963 by Fr. Peter Yang, SVD, to reach out to the Chinese community of Manila and shepherd them into God's fold. Its early years saw an enrollment of 192 boys and girls in the preschool and first grade levels taught by nine teachers: Ms. Rosa Chua (Esteban), Ms. Josefina Uy, Ms. Angelina Onglatco, Ms. Rogracia Sunga, Ms. Corazon Sevilla, Ms. Amelita Simon and others.[1]

Academics

Admission

Admission to Saint Jude Catholic School is competitive. All students enter Saint Jude as nursery students. The acceptance rate is around 12%. Transfer students are accepted, but are required to undergo an entrance examination.

Academic year

The academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is divided into two quarters. The first semester starts in June and ends during the last week of October, while the second semester starts in November and ends on March of the following year. There is a semestral break between semesters, a Christmas break from late December to January, and a summer break in the months of March, April and May.

Activities

Saint Jude Catholic School activity groups include Christian Communities (Knights of the Altar Society, Christian Life Community, Judenites Chorale Ensemble, the St. Jude Chapter of the Filipino-Chinese Catholic Youth, a national organization), Student Governments (Student Councils), Performance Groups (Cheerleading Squad,Chinese Glee club, Drama Guild, Dance Troupe), Publications (The Judenites), and Sport teams (Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming, Table Tennis). Saint Jude also has the only Drum, Bugle and Marimba Corps in all the Filipino-Chinese Schools. The students can join Citizens Army Training (CAT) and the Scouting Movement.

Community service

SVD Retreat House

Part of Saint Jude Catholic School's programs is social community service. Nursery students, grade school and high school students are encouraged to donate necessities, such as canned goods, school supplies and clothes to poverty and disaster-stricken areas. High school students are sent on outreaches to interact with kids in underprivileged areas.

Retreat

Recollections and retreats are treasured moments in the life of a Judenite. In Grade 6, students have a recollection before their graduation. For high school students, each year level's recollection period varies. Freshmen and sophomores have a one-day retreat where they can get to know more about each other. Juniors go on an overnight retreat at the OCDS House of Prayer retreat house at New Manila. The Seniors cap off their Judenite journey with a three-day retreat at the SVD Retreat House at Tagaytay.

Sportsfest

Winners of an activity on Family Day

Sportsfest is an activity wherein high school students compete in sports and cheering. Usually occurring after the third quarter periodical exams, some of the sports that can be joined are badminton (singles and doubles), ping-pong, chess, swimming, volleyball, etc. Each sport is divided into Division A and Division B, with varsity members joining the former and barred from the latter for equality's sake.

Family Day

Family Day is an activity that started in the school year 2005–2006, where parents and family members of students are invited to join their children for a half-day event of bonding, fun, learning, and worship.

Athletics

The school offers athletics programs for members of its community. Athletics in Saint Jude are part of co-curricular activities. Saint Jude fields twelve teams in six sports. Students are not required to take part in organized athletics.

Every year, the SJ alumni compete in sport tournaments. Everyone, including the public, may use Saint Jude's sports facilities upon obtaining permission to do so from the school.

Basketball

The SJCS Basketball Team competes in different basketball league such as the MMTLBA: FCAAF; MSSA; MASA; FCABL and the most anticipated PCYAA also known as the Ching Yuen.

Badminton

The Saint Jude Badminton team has been the three-time defending champions of the Metropolitan Amateur Sports Association (MASA).

Swimming

The Saint Jude swimming team is the Green Mariners. The Green Mariners have expanded their team to a club, the Manila Torpedoes. The Manila Torpedoes Club competed with tougher swimming teams around NCR and the other regions; the team garnered many awards and championships in the duration of its existence as a team.

Taekwondo

The school has a Taekwondo team that first competed on in 2008 in Milo Little Olympics (for the grade school students), but lost. In 2008, also in Milo Little Olympics (for the HS students), three people competed and two won with one silver medal and a bronze medal. They also joined a Hwoarang-Do competition where everyone got a medal.

In the 2009 Milo Little Olympics (for HS students), the school won three bronze medals. They joined the 41st WNCAA (for HS students) in 2011 and won 2 gold medals and 1 silver.

Cheering

The Saint Jude Cheering Squadron are the five-time defending champions of the Tiong Lian Cheering Competition. The Seniors Cheering Squad has represented the school every year.

Volleyball

The volleyball team of the High School Boys Division has joined many competitions mainly Milo Little Olympics, MASA, and the Chinese Federation.

Awards

Notable alumni

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1
  2. 2.0 2.1
  3. "About us". Stjudemanila.com. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  4. "ST. JUDE CATHOLIC SCHOOL IS GIRLS HS CHAMP - Everything and Anything about Tiong Lian". Tionglianbasketballph.webs.com. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  5. "Readers respond, 2005 » Manuel L. Quezon III". Quezon.ph. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  6. "My Bottom Line: Procter and Gamble's Irwin Lee". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  7. "Metrobank". Metrobank. Retrieved 2014-03-03.

External links

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