THOUSANDS of viewers, supporters, and participants online kept their eyes on the virtual kickoff ceremony of the Simultaneous Online Opening of Classes on October 5 of the Schools Division of Paraňaque City held via Google Meet and Facebook Livestream, October 1.

As early as 6:30 a.m. the audience had already been established online with the “Laging Handa” song played before the ceremony started at exactly 7:00 a.m.

Schools Division Superintendent Evangeline P. Ladines expressed  her thoughts in time for the opening of the S.Y. 2020-2021 online classes which she termed as unique  since the learners from Kinder up to the Senior High School of DepEd Paraňaque City will have to study in a different setting and scenario in an online/offline distance learning delivery of instruction.

Superintendent Ladines commended the hard work of the schoolheads, supervisors, teachers, and personnel in the preparatory/planning stage of online classes since May of same year. She likewise mentioned the Paraňaque City officials and the Local School Board’s invaluable contribution in providing the educational needs of the teachers and learners.

Dr. Ladines encouraged the parents to guide the learners in their home-based study and she assured them in turn, of guidance from the teachers, whom she urged to keep faith, to be flexible and to be patient to survive the challenges.

Meanwhile, in his message, City Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez said that the city government maintains its commitment to support the division in providing the most essential needs of the learners in this difficult time, and reassures to make the division a center of academic excellence whether pandemic or not.

Mayor Olivarez congratulated the parents, learners and school administrators for making possible the historic event a reality. He spurred them to emerge as wiser, better and stronger in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

District Representatives Eric L. Olivarez and Myra Joy Tambunting, as well as DepEd Regional Director Malcolm S. Garma also manifested their full support with their messages delivered to perk up the spirits of the teachers, learners, and parents.

The ceremony was highlighted with the showcase of the accomplishments and roll call of teachers of Paraňaque Science High School, and the actual online classes of La Huerta Elementary School and Paraňaque National High School – Main with schoolheads Dr. Genie Ann T. Santos and Dr. Gerry A. Lumaban, respectively.

The online classes, which exhibited the actual usage of the digitized modules for learners with gadgets and Internet connectivity, had the teachers model the ways of guiding the learners and draw out from them the possible behaviors of responding to synchronous learning. (by Reena G. Orquina)