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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are your start and end dates?
A: Our school year begins the first or second week of August, ends the last week of May, and includes 180 teaching days. We take a three-week vacation for Christmas, a week for Easter and observe Philippine holidays.
Q: What are the school hours?
A: Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten students attend school Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Students in Kindergarten through grade 12 attend classes Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. Thursday mornings are a “late start” day, with classes beginning at 8:50 a.m. so that teachers can attend curriculum meetings. The school day ends at the regular time. Offices are closed on the weekends.
Q: How do you decide grade placement?
A: Brent takes into consideration the birth date of the student and the grade level most recently completed. For the younger students, developmental readiness is also evaluated. Our goal is to place students with age-appropriate peers in the next logical step of their curricular path in order to predict a high level of academic and social success.

Brent uses December 31 as a cut off date for grade placement. Nursery students should turn three years old by December 31 of the year they are enrolled (and be potty-trained). Pre-Kindergarten students should turn four years old by December 31. Kindergarten students should turn five years old, first grade students should turn six, etc…

If an applicant seeks enrollment at Brent significantly after the start of our school year without having started the grade level applying for, a placement at Brent in the same grade level completed at their previous school can be expected. This situation occurs mostly with applicants from Australia due to our academic calendars being off by half of a year. Even if a high school student is quite capable academically, not being able to meet graduation requirements due to missing course credits prevents Brent from promoting a student to the next grade level. This will lengthen a student’s time in a particular grade level by a few weeks or months, and this extension often serves to aid in the student's transition by allowing them needed time to adjust to the teachers, curriculum and new friends at Brent.
Q: Do students wear uniforms?
A: Brent students have two uniforms. One is for regular academic classes and one is for Physical Education (PE) classes. The uniforms are the same for Nursery through grade 12 and are available to purchase at Brent.

Girls wear a plaid skirt and a white shirt with Brent’s logo on the pocket for regular classes while boys wear khaki pants and a maroon polo shirt with Brent’s logo on the pocket.

PE uniforms for girls and boys consist of maroon shorts and a white T-shirt with the Brent logo. “House shirts” (emerald, gold, azure) are also required for school-wide House activities.
Q: Do you bus students?
A: We have a fleet of Brent owned and operated buses with routes providing service to communities north of Brent. In addition to a driver, a bus attendant is assigned in order to provide supervision and assistance to students. A security guard is also present on our longest routes.
Q: Where do Brent students generally live?
A: The Alabang communities have a high population of Brent students due to the close proximity. Students do, however, live in Makati, Pasig, Tagaytay, Los Banos, and other areas.
Q: Do students bring their own food, or buy food at school?
A: Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten students bring a snack from home; students in these grade levels will be home for lunch. Students in Kindergarten through 5 should bring a snack, but they can buy lunch at school in addition to bringing lunch from home. A hot lunch menu is available for Kindergarten through grade 2 students. Grades 3 through 12 have choices in the main cafeteria such as rice with meat toppings, a salad bar, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, chicken, hot dogs, and much more. Students can bring lunch from home, if they prefer.
Q: What school supplies are needed?
A: School supplies and textbooks are covered in the cost of tuition and are generally given on the first day of school. Students may use their own backpacks or bags.
Q: How much homework should my child expect?
A: The amount of time spent on homework each night depends in part on the academic potential, study skills, and maturity level of the student. Parents are encouraged to communicate with the teacher if the following guidelines for homework are not meeting the needs of the student.

Grades 1 and 2 can expect up to 30 minutes of homework each school day, plus reading. Grades 3 through 5 can expect up to 60 minutes of homework each day, plus reading.

Middle School (grades 6 through 8) students can expect an average of 60 minutes of homework each school day.

Upper School (grades 9 through 12) can expect an average of a few hours of homework each school day.

Student Planners are given to students to provide a common location to record homework each day. Lower and Middle School teachers and parents monitor the Student Planners to encourage the students’ development of proper organizational skills and to ensure good communication between the school and home.
Q: Do you have a foreign language program?
A: Our foreign language program begins in grade 6. Students in Middle and Upper School have a choice between French, Spanish, Mandarin and Tagalog. Many families wanting their elementary-aged children to receive foreign language instruction have been successful in finding private tutors to come to their homes.
Q: Can parents be involved at school?
A: Absolutely! Brent has a very active PTA (Parent Teacher Association) that is involved at all grade levels. The primary purposes of the PTA are to promote an atmosphere of goodwill and cooperation, and to promote a continuous channel of communication between the many groups of the Brent community.

Studies have shown that students perform better when parents take an active role in the school, and we enjoy the involvement and help of those parents who have time to volunteer. Parents can attend meetings where current issues are discussed and future events are planned, sign up for any of our existing committees and projects, be a Homeroom Parent or Grade Level Representative, chaperone field trips, and more.
Q: What after-school activities are available for my child?
A: After-school activities are an important part of the Brent experience. Students are encouraged to join a club or sport to further their development as a well-rounded individual, as well as make friends outside of class.

You are encouraged to visit the Activities section of the website for more information. The current “Sports, Activities, Recreation and Clubs” pamphlet posted there will show you the opportunities for your child’s grade level. (A small sample of examples includes Lego Club, Dance, Orchestra, Computer Club, Chess, Robotics Club, Academic Bowl, National Honor Society, Golf, Taekwondo, Cross Country, Swim Club, Tennis, Touch Rugby, Volleyball, Baseball, Basketball, and Soccer.)
Q: What is IB (International Baccalaureate)?
A: “The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.  To this end the IBO works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.” (Mission Statement of the IBO)

The IB Diploma is an internationally recognized two-year program (grades 11 and 12) of studies with syllabi and external examinations developed by the IBO in Geneva, Switzerland. Seniors who score high on IB exams not only fulfill Brent’s graduation requirements, but may also receive college credit in universities in America, Canada, University of the Philippines and Enderun Colleges based in Manila.
Q: Where do Brent students attend university?
A: The majority of our students enroll at universities in North America; the remaining students enroll mostly in universities in their home countries. Brent’s goal is not only to graduate students, but also support them with the university application and selection process.
Q: Can my child be excused from religious activities?
A: Brent supports students in mind, body and spirit. In addition to the rapport between faculty and students, this support is scheduled weekly through the set academic curriculum, physical education classes, and occasional religious activities. All students are required to go through Brent’s established curriculum.

Brent’s religion curriculum is non-evangelistic. Students practicing Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and other religions participate in our Christian-based curriculum without experiencing discrimination.

Lower School religion courses meet once a week and are gospel based. Weekly chapels are lively and are structured around themes such as responsibility, friendship, and honesty—values that the general population agree on as important, regardless of religious orientation.

Middle School religion courses study the main religions of the world, with the understanding that well-educated people should have this knowledge, in addition to Christianity. Weekly chapels are also lively and theme based.

Upper School students attend religion classes for a semester of grades 9, 10 and 11. Courses focus on the influence of the Old Testament in the foundational ideas of Western Civilization (grade 9), exploring the life and teachings of Jesus and the spread of Christianity (grade 10), and encouraging students to think critically and cogently about current moral and ethical issues, considering various religious and secular approaches (grade 11). Upper School students also attend a weekly chapel.
Q: Why should my family choose Brent?
A: Brent is an ideal choice for families looking for a school to support students in mind, body and spirit. The whole child is important to us. This is evident in the Brent curriculum and in our teaching professionals who differentiate curriculum where appropriate to account for the various ways students best learn and the differing prior knowledge each student brings with them.

Brent provides a supportive and friendly environment for the whole family. This is especially important to those families in transition who are new to the Philippines. New families frequently report finding a “home away from home” after joining the Brent Family. Our active PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is an important part of our school, and there are many ways to be involved.

A small but important factor that should not be overlooked is that our location south of Manila has the benefit of cleaner air, which is becoming increasingly more important.

The best way to decide if Brent is your best choice is to make an appointment with the Admissions Office for a tour. While touring our facilities and experiencing the friendly atmosphere on campus, it is not uncommon for a parent to say, I wish I could go to school here!” Please visit, and see for yourself what makes Brent a unique environment in the Philippines.

This page was last modified on Thursday, December 08, 2011, 2:34:02 AM