Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students:
The COVID-19 crisis has indeed affected all of us in ways we had never imagined. With the community quarantine, emphasis on social distancing, and suspension of all business enterprises except for those dealing with essential products, most of us have had a huge setback not only socially but also financially. With all the uncertainties we are facing right now, anxiety and tension continue to run high. We in Uno understand this unease, and we hope to bring you some comfort by reducing total enrollment cost for the first semester of the school year 2020-2021.
Reduction in Enrollment Fees
No tuition increase will be posed for the school year 2020-2021. Instead, the same amount for tuition and miscellaneous fees that we had last school year will be followed. There will also be a reduction of other fees.
If and when blended learning or face-to-face learning becomes possible in the second semester, then relevant fees will have to be applied; otherwise, considerations made in the first semester will still apply.
Regarding Refund
As much as the school would like to give a refund, we find that the option is not feasible. A big portion of enrollment fees collected go to the salaries, allowances, and benefits of our teachers and staff. Aside from salaries and wages, there are also fixed costs and contracts that need to be honored and settled despite the suspension of classes. These expenditures are where the bulk of the school budget goes.
Timing of Enrollment
The next school year starts in August. Why is there a need to have students enrolled as early as June? The answer to this question is that for the Uno administration and faculty, the school year started as early as May. Determination of the class size, teaching assignments, the execution of the academic plans, teacher training, partnering up with online resource companies, the establishment of an LMS, upgrading of our internet capabilities, the purchasing of hardware — all of these need to start now and cannot wait until August. As you can see, even if we do not hold classes in school, converting to an online system also entails much cost and energy.
Learning Management System
As defined in the overview for our academic plans, a learning management system or LMS is a software that enables companies and educational institutions to create and manage lessons, courses, quizzes, and other training materials. For our distant learning program next school year, the LMS for Prep One to Grade Four will be Seesaw. Grades Five to Twelve will be using Schoology. These systems will provide a virtual learning environment for our students during asynchronous learning. The LMS will serve as a formal communication tool between the student and the teacher and as a repository of learning tools: homework, seatwork, projects, reports, instructional videos, handouts, and exams.
Specifications for Minimum Hardware Requirement
If you plan to buy a new device for the distance learning program, we recommend that you avail yourselves of any of these devices which have the following minimum features listed below. If you already have existing devices in use, the software requirements will still run even with the specifications a few notches below.
Recommended Specifications:
For Windows devices:
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- Processor: At least a 6th Generation Intel i5 Processor or its AMD equivalent
- OS: Windows 10
- Memory: At least 8 GB of RAM
- Webcam + Headset (with microphone)
For Android devices:
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- OS: Android 9.0 or later
- Storage: At least 128 GB
- Memory: At least 6 GB of RAM
- Headset or Earphones with microphone
For Apple Devices:
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- Device that would run on iOS12
- Storage: at least 64Gb
- Headset with microphone
Note: A printer is required.
Report Cards
The processing and printing of reports cards are done in school. This process has been delayed significantly because of the community quarantine. Even now that we are in GCQ, most of our teachers and staff still cannot report to work because of the limitations on the availability of transportation. We are also quite anxious about the delay and will surely expedite the issuance of report cards as soon as we can.
Our Gratitude
We hope that we have answered some of your most pressing questions. For other concerns, please send us an email. We will be happy to answer your queries and engage in any civil discussion regarding our academic plans for next year.
Finally, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the parents and students who continue to put their faith and trust in us. The members of the Unean community have always been known for their loyalty and solidarity. Be it cheering for our school teams or supporting one another during the most trying of times, we have always been the picture of the Unean spirit.
The next school year and the new normal will undoubtedly present some challenges. Let us continue to be there for one another, and hopefully we can make the tasks ahead lighter and easier to bear.
Thank you again and may God bless you all!
Sincerely,
The Uno High School Administration