SCHOLARSHIP
Daughters Blue & True HS Scholarship (DBTS)
We expanded the reach of our former Child of a Scholastican (COAS) HS Scholarship to allow other Scholastican female guardians (Grandmother, Mother, Aunt, Sister) to endorse the SSC Manila HS education of GS graduates so that more students could qualify to experience these important and formative years in SSC. The rigorous evaluation of the scholar’s eligibility is conducted by the school’s Scholarship Grants & Programs division. Final approval is by the SSAFI Board, as endorsed by the Scholarship Committee. Although the application-approval process is done yearly, donors are encouraged to consider extending their donations/pledges to allow a scholar to complete her four-year HS education. Scholars show their commitment by maintaining a good academic standing as well as involvement in school and community activities that exercise their Benedictine values.
Night Secondary School Scholarship Collaboration (NSS)
The NSS Program has been a decades-long collaboration between SSAFI and the Sisters of the Manila Community (SMC or nuns who are involved with the school). The SMC pays the monthly honorarium for volunteer teachers who come from SSC faculty and staff, public school faculty, and the Alumnae. SSAFI previously took on non-tuition expenses for 1/3 of the total 100 scholars, but we expanded this to cover all the scholars for an equitable distribution. Moving forward, the SMC will prepare a phased conversion to 4 years (Gr. 7-8-9-10) with Gr. 10 being reduced to one year only. Eventually this will expand to 6 years (Gr. 7-8-9-10-11-12) to close the missing Senior HS gap. As the NSS population grows, additional facilities are being earmarked for the use of the NSS at later school hours. In addition, a Sister will now always be directly involved in the selection of scholars, home visits, and in the formation of the girls towards a life of service in the spirit of Ora et Labora. SSAFI will assist this conversion by soliciting sustained donations from alumnae that will focus primarily on the education component (books, materials, and financial assistance to ensure teachers’ availability at all times) versus peripherals.
BENEHEALTH
Originally called in 2014, the “Benevolent Fund”, it was renamed in 2017 as “Blue Friendships Forever (BFF)” as a financial assistance program for medical/health related needs of alumnae. Pay-outs are confined to: reimbursement of receipts for prescribed medicines and direct payments to the Doctor and/or the Hospital. Evaluation of the application is reviewed by a medical professional and discussed by the BeneHealth Committee. Now included as beneficiaries are retired teachers with at least 10 years teaching at SSC, as certified by the relevant School Unit. SSAFI believes that the high quality of education we received in SSC was in large part because of the excellence of our teachers who molded our way of thinking, instilling the Benedictine values that have kept us grounded all our lives. This expansion of the original BFF program to include our beloved mentors is our way of giving back to those who have guided and formed us from Kinder to College.
SUSTAINABILITY
As part of SSAFI’s institution building and strengthening efforts, this is a restricted fund earmarked for longer term and continuing projects which will enable SSAFI to honor the commitments to the beneficiaries of our programs and projects. SSAFI hopes to stabilize the flow of donations and fees throughout the years as well as provide a source of continued growth for SSAFI by financially supporting best practice operations and the engagement of professionals and competent retainers to guide the Board and Management well into the future.
OUTREACH
God loves a cheerful giver. — 2 Corinthians 9:7
This program puts into action the Scholasticans’ social awareness that reaches out beyond the walls of the school. At the moment, two of the projects under this program are seasonal (4th Quarter) and recurring, plus a disaster relief fund.
PAMASCHO NOCHE BUENA
Provides Christmas packages containing the ingredients of a simple Christmas Eve meal, to about 600 families of the two neighboring barangays, the NSS scholars, and the General Services staff of SSC. The long queues of beneficiaries, young and old, dressed in their Sunday’s best, show how this has become a sharing activity beloved by all.
ST. BENEDICT HOME FOR SISTERS
Provides care gift packages to retired Benedictine sisters during Christmas time. The sisters look forward to the annual visit of trustees, which is celebrated with a special meal and entertainment from both sides. This tradition started when Scholasticans would go up to the Baguio convent to visit retired German sisters. In 2000, the SBH now located in Marikina, welcomed the sick and elderly sisters to a warmer, more comfortable climate.
DISASTER RELIEF FUND
Proactively provides immediate access to funds when disasters happen, to support the school’s efforts in helping those displaced or in need, in areas where there is a Benedictine or Scholastican community.