My Alma Mater

The big reason why I want my son to be enrolled in my old alma mater, Saint Jude Catholic School, is because of the way we were taught right from wrong, which jibed with what my parents taught me at home. It helps that most of my classmates were raised in the same way, so there was very little in the way of bad influence during my formative years. The few classmates who consistently broke the rules got their parents summoned by the school disciplinarian for a talk and also got the dreaded conduct C. 2 Conduct C's and you're out of the school.

This may seem harsh to those outside the school system, but really, conduct C's are not handed out left and right. It has to be sufficiently grave for the teacher to even hand it. So, if a student gets it, usually he really did break the rules (which everybody knows, or should know, anyway)

I liked the fact that I have never heard of any of my batch mates or schoolmates having to undergo Alcohol Rehabilitation or Rehab at any Drug Treatment Center. That's because more than actually banning the stuff, we were already exposed to what could happen if we overindulge in alcohol or experiment with illicit drugs.

Of course, the consistently good performance of the school's students and alma mater in their academics also contributed to why I want to send my son there.

Lately, however, friends who sent their kids there said that there are simply too many homework. I remember, growing up, that when family friends ask where we study, they'd look surprised when we mentioned SJCS and say that, wow, that school has so many assignments, it's so difficult there...etc etc. But, frankly, I didn't feel that way at all. Maybe because I've always been there and it was already a way of life? Maybe. Anyway, let's see. My son will start big school in about 2 years so I have another year to rethink my choice.