Ateneo Junior High School students are scared and excited about their pioneering batches

In their first couple of days as the first batches of Ateneo de Manila Junior High School students, the 1055 boys comprising grades seven and grade eight of school year 2013-2014 took the various  AJHS orientations, talks, and introductions in stride,  expressing both excitement and nervousness about the year ahead. Playing in this space is video of the first two days of  Ateneo Junior High School (AJHS), where several boys were interviewed and asked about what they're looking forward to and what they're anxious about this school year.  

AJHS officially began for the students last Wednesday, June 5, with an orientation at the Irwin Theater which was packed not only with students but many parents as well. There, the attendees heard from some members of the AJHS Team, led by Mrs. Carmela C. Oracion, AJHS Officer-in-Charge. What had the audience buzzing about Mrs. Oracion’s talk was her statement that the school wouldn’t hesitate to drop students who would not live up to the Ateneo’s standards of excellence.

Also memorable for the students was the address of AJHS Head of Academic Affairs Maria R. Arespacochaga. In her talk, she referred to the many suits that Tony Stark made in the "Iron Man" movie trilogy, using them as a metaphor for the improvements and innovations that the school is incorporating into the AJHS curriculum.

After the orientation, the students returned to their classrooms in David Hall for sessions with their class moderators.These moderator sessions continued until the next day, June 6. Included in the agenda were the appointment of class officers (beadles, chairman of the board, intrams officer, etc.), getting-to-know-you activities, and familiarization with the new policies and procedures of AJHS. Among these was the institution of a five-minute break between classes, a well-known practice borrowed from the Ateneo de Manila High School.

On Friday, June 7, the boys met their teachers in the other subjects, such as Araling Panlipunan, Christian Life Education (CLE), English, Filipino, Math and Science. Each teacher gave the students an orientation about his or her subject area, which included a discussion of the grading system and the scope of the lesson.

The boys were dismissed at 12:35 p.m. that Friday, armed, ready and eager to embark on their pioneering journey as the Ateneo de Manila’s first ever junior high school students.