Raul A.

Alibio
Miriam Theresa D. Delda

Cabucgayan National High School

CaSHINE: Captivating the Learners, Solidifying the Transformation

“I don’t like to enroll at Cabucgayan National High School (CNHS) because it’s the

home of dropouts and low performing learners”. This was the common line coming from the

students as well as the parents’ notion towards CNHS. It became a devastating label for the

school for such a long time.

CNHS was popularly known as “the dumpsite for drop-outs” in the Municipality of

Cabucgayan and the neighboring barangays from the Municipality of Biliran. Primarily, it is

because dropouts from the other high school transfer to CNHS due to its reputation- easier

curriculum and the kind of enrollees abundant in the school. The enrollees that are coming from

far-flung areas have a hard time in maintaining daily attendance and good performance due to

weather conditions where it made travelling hard. Moreover, people labeled it as “Barangay

High School lang” since it has gotten its first name Barangay High School when it was founded

in 1967, in which, it had a very low enrolment rate. Honor students from the community`s

primary schools felt discouraged to enroll here. It demoralizes the students of the school. They

tend to believe that CNHS has no skills to win in any competitions, and it cannot cater

individuality and talents of the learners. Due to the perception of the large scale of low

performing students’ enrolled in the school; people tend to think that there will be no better

future ahead for the learners.

problem. They formulate school policies that will improve the school starting from the basic;

proper wearing of uniforms as well as projects that generate income for the transportation of

students living in far-flung areas. The teachers went onto extra mile to improve the system of

teaching and the teacher-student relationship. The school head went into intense monitoring of

classes and the SARDOs. Teachers were empowered with more trainings and seminars. The

school even crafted a system of immediate solutions that will address the pressing problems of

the academe. It was a strong and willful transformation in where every problem is answered right

away- pulling the grassroots dead whenever it sprouts.

Then, a gradual improvement became evident when CNHS started gaining successes in

competitions. For the last ten years, the school had produced national qualifiers and winners in

Journalism and Sports. In addition, the school publication had flourished from the last five years

and even made it to be the best school publication for three years. Moreover, students have

garnered awards in different competitions in the division and the region. Some of its teachers

even received Outstanding Teacher Award. This paved way to a drastic change of people`s

opinion towards the quality of education, teachers and students of CNHS.

However, the success mentioned still left a sense of something lacking for aspiring

enrollees on the onset of the K to 12 program for senior high school. It will start sooner. The

problem is on how they could persuade enrollees to enroll in their SHS programs. On the first

year of its implementation, the CNHS-SHS enrolment totaled to only about 70 students. How

could they improve it? Considering the traits of 21 st century learners that the school wants to

attract, it dawned upon the faculty members that they should make something extraordinary;

something that has never been done before; something that will catch the hearts of the learners.
 The faculty spend an enormous time, exhausted their efforts and even their own money to

invent a way in order to attract enrollees. They knew that this program should cater to the

characteristics of the centennials. This is how CaSHINE was conceived way back 2016-2017. It

stands for Cabucgayan National High School Senior High Incredible and Notable Event. The

fresh SHS department decided to craft this program in order to encourage learners to enroll on its

second year of launching of the programs Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), and

Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS). It aims to showcase students’ talents and skills in

arts and writing to develop them holistically. All the outputs of the Contemporary Arts subject

must be showcased together with other skills. The planning team decided to allot two days for a

series of sports contest and other activities promoting the talents and skills of each learner. It

features different competitions like theater play, singing, dancing, painting and other arts

performance followed by the momentous ball night. On the first year of CaSHINE

implementation, the Senior High School Jingle was launched, a powerful medium of invitation

for SHS learners, as the first-ever SHS jingle in the province. They continued to launch new and

exciting projects for the years that came under the program CaSHINE. On the following year of

CaSHINE, they launched the An UDLOT, the Senior High School Newsletter which became the

outlet of students writing prowess, and the school`s achievement and success. It became a tool

that strengthened the credibility of their senior high school. This year`s highlight is the CNHS

Senior High School Logo launching, giving sense of power and pride for its students.

Aside from the giving the students the chance to grow and unfold their talents, CaSHINE

also contributed greatly in helping the school. It initiates community programs like cleaning and

also created income-generating programs. The donations and income of CaSHINE helped in
improving the classrooms and facilities of the school like the procurement of additional

televisions and projectors and other tools when the MOOE cannot suffice.

CaSHINE became the umbrella program that crafted tools and projects and paved way

for student development. It is one of the best program crafted which empowered the school

transformation. And so the name CaSHINE was conceived and born and ignited the hearts of the

learners. It is the first senior high school day celebration in the province of Biliran.

The impact of CaSHINE is way beyond their expectations. Together with the school`s

precedent successes mentioned, CaSHINE created magic for the school especially on the

enrolment of its senior high. Even their SHS students gave testimonies through the social media

and to peers on how CNHS-SHS developed them as a person, and on how loved, secured and

understood they felt inside the school. All the efforts paved off when the enrolment rate of its

senior high school increased by over 33 % by school year 2018-2019. The SHS started from 64

grade 11 students for school year 2016-2017 and this year, there were about 85 grade 11

enrollees totaling to about 165 grades 11 and 12 students who currently enrolled in the senior

high school programs of the school. In addition, the enrolment for the junior high school

increased dramatically from five percent to 20 percent. The program boosts the confidence of the

learners studying there, even garnering top learners from other schools to enroll there. CaSHINE

solidified the transformation of the school; it became a symbol of its prestige and trademark. It

reflected the teacher`s efforts and willingness to succeed. It developed greatly the camaraderie,

enthusiasm, and skills of individual learners. They now felt a sense of pride as a CNHS student.

CaSHINE gained immense popularity and was later benchmarked by other schools for

celebrating senior high school days. Today, the name CNHS paints a beautiful picture to the

mind of the people in the community. The enrolment problem for SHS was secured and success
was sealed as teachers pursue on innovations that are centered on students, innovations that

embraces the learners.

Today, students flock to enroll at CNHS. The learners and alumni of the school became

its living advertisers. It became a home where every 21st century learner is understood and given

importance; promoting individual talent and celebrating diversity. It tells us a story of teachers

who never settled for less, who will never give up on its learners. The true champions of

education are those who have unwavering love for their home school and have genuine concern

for their learners. You have to do what you think is best for the learners eventhough the whole

world tells you it’s impossible, and when you succeed, the whole world will not forget about it.

Failure is an accident but success is a decision. This is not just about the program CaSHINE and

the school’s achievement, but it’s also about the people who shined and worked behind it;

Captivating the 21st Century Learners and Solidifying the CNHS Transformation.
The unveiling of the logo of CNHS Senior High School Department

Participants are getting ready for the CaSHINE Opening Parade

Some of the Visual Arts crafted for the CaSHINE Expo

Theater Play Posters of the Competing Teams

Picture from the play Enchanted Picture from the play Greatest Showman
THE SOCIALS NIGHT
PERFORMANCE NIGHT