Xavier School

Infobox K-12 School
native_name = Paaralang Xavier 光启学校/光啓學校
name =


motto = "Luceat Lux" "Let your light shine!" (Matthew 5:16)
vision = Men fully alive, endowed with a passion for justice, and the skills for development.
established = 1957
chairman = Ismael Zuloaga, S.J.
director = Johnny Go, S.J.
city=San Juan
state = Metro Manila
country=Philippines
address= 64 Xavier St, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines
campus=7 hectares / 18 acres / 70,000 m²
students= approx. 4,000
colors= Xavier Blue and Xavier Gold
type = Private, Jesuit, Catholic, Filipino
affiliations= Society of Jesus, JBEC, EDSOR
athletics=MMTBL, PAYA, FASAAPS, Passarelle, etc.
mascot=Golden Stallion; Hoofy
nickname=Stallions
free_label = Hymn
free = The Xavier School Song
website= [http://www.xs.edu.ph/ www.xs.edu.ph]
barangay=GreenhillsCulture of the Philippines
accreditations=PAASCU
mediums=English, Chinese, Filipino
publictransit=~1.5km to the LRT 2 (Purple Line) - Gilmore Station; Bus and jeepney stop at Ortigas Avenue corner Madison Street.

Xavier School (Abbreviation: XS; Filipino: Paaralang Xavier; Simplified Chinese: 光启学校; Traditional Chinese: 光啓學校; Pinyin: Guāngqĭ Xúexìao; Hokkien: Kông Khē Hák Hàu), located in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines, is a private, Catholic college preparatory school for boys run by the Society of Jesus' Philippine Province. Its programs are both Chinese and Filipino in character.

Founded in 1956 as Kuang Chi School by a group of Jesuits expelled from China, Kuang Chi School opened its doors on June 6 of that year. Kuang Chi School was named after Paul Hsü Kuangchi, Minister of Rites during the Ming Dynasty. Xavier School currently bears the name of St. Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. The school has recently concluded celebrating its Golden Jubilee.

It is one of the only three basic education institutions in the Philippines (the others being Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University) to receive a 5-year accreditation--the highest possible level for both the Grade School and the High School from the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities. It received its ninth re-accreditation since, on November 24, 2002.

The current School Director is Fr. Johnny Go, S.J. Fr. Go, a Xavier alumnus of the class of 1979, is the first alumnus to serve as School Director and is currently serving his second term.

History

Many Jesuit missionaries who were obliged to leave China in 1949 found a new home and mission in the overseas Chinese community of the Philippines. To facilitate their evangelization of the Chinese community, the Jesuits decided to set up a school in downtown Manila. Begging for donations by going door-to-door in Chinatown, Fr. Jean Desautels, S.J., a French-Canadian Jesuit who was part of the China mission accumulated a measley 20,000 pesos, 80,000 pesos short of the 100,000 pesos required to purchase the land for the school. He was accompanied by Basilio King and Ambrose Chiu, two Chinese businessmen, both Ateneo de Manila alumni, who wanted to help set up an Ateneo de Chino. At this point, Fr. Desautels was about to give up on the idea of establishing a school. His prayers were answered when friends -- both clergy and lay -- looked into what they could contribute. At 3:30PM on December 15, 1955, Fr. Desautels closed the deal and purchased the land, an hour and a half before the 5:00PM deadline agreed by Fr. Desautels and the seller of the land. Eventually, the group of Jesuits led by the late Frs. Jean Desautels, Louis Papilla, and Cornelius Pineau set up Xavier School (Kuang Chi). [http://web.xs.edu.ph/xs50/luceatlux/dec15.php Mena, S.J. Santos. "December 15, 1955". Luceat Lux: The Story of Xavier School. 2005.]

In 1956, in a converted warehouse in Echague, Manila, the school opened its doors to its initial batch of students — 170 children of Chinese immigrants in the Philippines. The school was named after St. Francis Xavier, one of the first leaders of Jesuit missions in China, which was pursued but unwillingly left unfinished by the school’s Jesuit founders. The school was also named after Paul Hsü Kuangchi (Pinyin: Xŭ Guāngqĭ; Simplified Chinese: 徐光启; Traditional Chinese: 徐光啓), a 16th-century Chinese nobleman and high court official who converted to Christianity and supported its spread in China.

Being a Jesuit school helped establish the school’s reputation. In 1960, Xavier School transferred to a 7-hectare property in Greenhills, San Juan, then only an area of rice fields and grasslands. Within a decade, the outlying areas became home to many Xavier families, evolving into one of Manila’s most dynamic Chinese-Filipino communities today. {cite} The present campus is a complex of 12 buildings housing over 4,000 students from Nursery to High School. Xavier has been educating Chinese Filipinos from the very beginning, although never in an exclusive manner, as evidenced by the significant and still growing number of Filipinos among its students and alumni. Part of its mission is evangelizing the local Chinese and promoting their integration into Philippine society. It was a task of building two bridges: the bridge between Christ and the Chinese Filipinos (Evangelization), and the bridge between the Chinese community and the larger Philippine society (Integration). Unlike other Chinese schools in the Philippines, Xavier School was established as an all-boys school, a Filipino school with an English curriculum that integrated Chinese studies. Through its Grant-in-Aid program, the school offers financially-challenged but otherwise qualified students the opportunity of a Xavier education.

For the past fifty years, the school has been providing Jesuit education and formation by forming its students into “men for others” guided by the six C’s, the six Xavier values that define the Xaverian: Competence, Culture, Compassion, Conscience, Character, and Community. Its motto is “Luceat Lux,” or “Let your light shine!” capturing the school’s vision of developing “men fully alive endowed with a passion for justice and the skills for development.” ["Five Decades of Xavier Education," 2005] {npov}

Coat of Arms

language, this particular shape is called "l'ecu francais" in modern form. The escutcheon or face of the coat-of-arms is divided by a vertical line. From the observer's point of view, the left side is called the dexter side; and the right side, the sinister side. The dexter side of the escutcheon represents the school and its aims. On an azure background are two suns, one superimposed on the other. The twelve-pointed silver sun represents China; the gold sun with its eight bundles of rays stands for the Philippines. The blazon of the Society of Jesus is found at the center of the suns - the monogram IHS with the Cross above the Hand the three nails of the Cross below it. This side of the escutcheon means that through Xavier School, the Society of Jesus acts as an integrating force enriching the Philippines with the best cultural traits that can be contributed by the minority which has its origin in China. The sinister side of the escutcheon has a cardinal red background. It features the blazon of the Xavier family, a member of which is the patron of the school - Saint Francis Xavier. The sinister chief has an inverted crescent checkered black and silver while the sinister base contains a bank which is also checkered black and silver. The exact meaning of the Xavier family's blazon is not known. However, the black and silver checkered bank probably represents the Xavier family, members of which fought valiantly and victoriously over the Saracens, hence, the introduction into the blazon of the inverted crescent with family colors. The red background may mean the blood sacrificed by the family for the victory over the Saracens. Hence it indicates that only at the cost of personal sacrifice can Xaverian ideals of service be realized.

An emblem, however, is incomplete without a motto. Xavier School's motto is "Luceat Lux", "Let the light shine!" - an echo of the school's Chinese name, Kuang Chi, after a Christian Chinese convert, Paul Hsu Kuang Ch'i, a Prime Minister in Shanghai who was a friend and disciple of the Italian Jesuit Fr. Matteo Ricci.

Organization and Administration

The Grade School Department is composed of 3 units: Early Education (Nursery, Prep, Grade 1), Primary (Grades 2 to 4), and Intermediate (Grades 5 to 7). Each of the units is led by an Assistant Principal, who reports to the Grade School Principal. The High School Department is a unit in itself and is led by the High School Principal. Both the Grade School and High School Principals report to the School Director.

Other top-level administrators reporting directly to the School Director are the Personnel Officer and the School Treasurer.

Board of Trustees

Officers
* Chairman: Rev. Ismael Zuloaga, S.J.
* President: Rev. Johnny Go, S.J.
* Treasurer: Mr. Frederick Tiu

Jesuits
* Rev. Ernesto Javier, S.J. - Director, Sacred Heart School
* Rev. Manuel Uy, S.J. - Director, Ateneo de Iloilo
* Rev. Ismael Zuloaga, S.J. - Head of Alumni Relations & China Office, Xavier School

Academics

Admission

Admission to Xavier School is very competitive. Generally, students enter Xavier as nursery students, having themselves accepted in the admissions process. Statistics show that the acceptance rate is usually at 10%. Boys may also try to be part of the student population as high school freshmen, by taking the Xavier High School Entrance Examination. Transfer students are also accepted but the requirements are high. ["Acceptance rates for Nursery, Freshmen and Transfer Students." Testing and Research Center, Xavier School, 2005]

The Xavier Education has two important elements: Personal Formation and Academic Formation. [http://web.xs.edu.ph/static/Academics/index.php The Xavier Education]

Personal Formation

Xavier School believes that education is more than just the accumulation of knowledge and the acquisition of skills, but the formation of the whole person. Xavier's task includes forming our students spiritually, psycho-emotionally, and socially-corresponding to what it calls the 3 C's of "Conscience", "Character", and "Community." These are the three Aspects of Personal Formation. In Xavier's Personal Formation, the Spiritual/Religious element is the primary source and permeates every other aspect; hence, "Conscience" is considered the most important and is placed at the apex of an upright triangle.

Academic Formation

Xavier's academic goals include making its students competent, cultured, and compassionate. But ultimately, their competence and culture must be geared towards compassion-i.e., the service of others. "Compassion" is placed at the bottom of an inverted triangle since it is the end-goal of all academic formation. Xavier Education is the integration of these two triangles, focusing on the three interrelated aspects of Personal Formation and the three goals of Academic Formation.

Values

The 6 C's represent three sets of values:
* "Academic Values": Competence and Culture
* "Psycho-social Value's": Character and Community
* "Religious Values": Conscience and Compassion Among the 6 C's, "Conscience" (Spiritual and Religious Formation) is the source and all-permeating dimension, while "Compassion" (Service Orientation and Action) is the end-goal of all formation. Every educational institution that strives for excellence must work towards a solid foundation in "Competence", "Character", and "Community". But the defining elements of a Xavier Education are: "Conscience", "Compassion" and "Culture".

Academic Year

The academic year is divided into semesters. Each semester is divided into two quarters. The first semester starts in June and ends around October, while the second semester starts in November and ends on March, the following year. There is a semestral break between semesters, a Christmas break from December to January, and a summer break in the months of April and May. [ [http://web.xs.edu.ph/calendar/calendar.php XAVIER SCHOOL - October 2006 ] ]

Notable Alumni

Xavier School has produced reputable alumni who are leaders in various sectors and industries. [http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/be/be002894.htm Lee-Flores, Wilson. "New Breed of RP Businessmen". Philippine STAR. 2004.] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues2/2006%20-%20June%2006/Xavier%20Street/FOCUSTheFirstXaverian.php Dee, Edward. "Focus: The First Xaverian". Hoofprint, 2006.]

* Francis "Ang Biao" Chua ('67) - President of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII)
* Harry Angping ('68) - former Representative, 3rd District of Manila, House of Representatives, Republic of the Philippines
* Johnip Cua ('73) - former President and General Manager, Procter and Gamble Philippines
* Hans Sy ('73) - President, SM Prime Holdings
* Johnlu Koa ('75) - Founder and CEO, The French Baker
* Mark O. Cojuangco ('75) - Representative of Pangasinan, 5th District
* Fr. Daniel Patrick Huang, S.J. ('76) - Former Provincial Superior, Philippine Province, Society of Jesus
* Fr. Johnny Go, S.J. ('79) - Director, Xavier School
* Charlemagne Yu ('79) - President, Empire East Land
* Fred Tiu ('79) - former V.P. Finance and Marketing, Citibank N.A.; School Treasurer, Xavier School
* Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo Cojuangco Teodoro Jr. ('81) - Secretary, Department of National Defense
* Jeffrey Ng ('82) - Cathay Land President
* Lance Gokongwei ('83) - President, Cebu Pacific Air; President JG Summit
* Michael Tan ('83) - COO, Asia Brewery
* Arthur Ty ('83) - President, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company
* Arthur Yap ('83) - Head (Secretary), Department of Agriculture, Philippines (2005-)
* Jeremy Jerome "Jay" Yao Sy - former President, EO Philippines
* Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito ('87) - Mayor, Municipality of San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines
* Edward Lim ('87) - President, EO Philippines
* Fr. Aristotle Dy, S.J. ('89) - Former Director, Jesuit Communications Foundation
* Juan Edgardo Angara ('89) - Incumbent Representative, Aurora, Quezon, House of Representatives, Republic of the Philippines
* Giovanni Yu ('89) - CEO and Managing Director, OOCL Middle East Region
* Jerome Khohayting ('89) - Lone Filipino Silver Medalist at the 1989 International Mathematical Olympiad, the most prestigious mathematics competition in the world. That silver medal is still the highest ever garnered by a Filipino at the said Olympiad.
* Tobirey Tiangco ('85) - Mayor of Navotas
* Michael John "Jack" R. Duavit ('87) - Representative, Rizal, 1st District
* Froilan Gregory "Greggy" Romualdez ('90) - External Affairs Head, TeaM Energy Corp / PR and Political Strategist
* Jovit Moya ('90) - Movie Actor / Cast Member, That's Entertainment (GMA 7)
* Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III ('93) - Chairman, Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT)
* Mitch Padua ('93) - Head, ABS-CBN Multimedia
* Jean Alabanza ('93) - Team Manager of Pharex Health Corp (PBL Team); First Xaverian to play in the MBA.
* Carlo Tan ('93) - Coach of Pharex Health Corp (PBL Team)
* Stanford Victor Sy-Revilla "Fifi la Chung" Chung ('95) - Xavier Awardee '95, Team Lead for MDA Corp. Canada
* Dakila Carlo "Dax" Cua ('95) - Vice- governor, Governor of Quirino
* Kelvin Yu ('96) and Eric Jugueta ('96) - Members of the band Itchyworms
* Rexlon T. Gatchalian ('97) - Representative, Valenzuela City, 1st District
* Drew Arellano ('97) - Commercial Model/TV Show Host
* Marcus B. Valda ('99) - Champion, member of the Philippine wrestling team
* Oliver Chong ('99) - Commercial model
* Wesley Gatchalian ('99) - Losing candidate in 2007 congressional race in Valenzuela City, default heir of the Wellex Group
* Joaqui Valdes('02) - theatre actor/TV Host
* Allan Dennis "Alden" Mangoba ('00) - Councilor, 2nd District Pateros
* Joseph Henry Yeo ('01) - Rookie Draft, Coca-Cola Tigers, Philippine Basketball Association; Former Team Captain, De La Salle University-Manila Green Archers
* Tyrone Conrad Tang ('02) - Former Team Captain, De La Salle University Green Archers
* Christopher John Tiu ('03) - College basketball star; Captain, Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles; TV advertisement endorser
* Woodward John Co ('06) - UAAP Season 69 Rookie of the Year; Member, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons
* Mark Roa Gimenez ('84) - former Councilor (1992-95), former Vice-Mayor (1995-98), former Mayor (1998-2001)Municipality of Tanauan, Leyte, Philippines
* Dan Christian Go - President,YBC

The Xavier School Song

The Xavier School Song was composed by Dolores Avelino. A brief history of the song may be found in Fr. Santos Mena, S.J.'s book, Luceat Lux. Lyrics and an MP3 version of the song may be found on the Xavier School website.http://web.xs.edu.ph/static/About%20Xavier/schoolsong.php Xavier School Song]

In 2002, X-Squad (now known as Dance X), the school's cheering team, came up with the Xavier Rap. Xavier Rap is the school song in rap format and people can dance to the beat. In the same year, a violin and acoustic guitar version were produced as well. These two instrumental versions provide an atmosphere for reflection -- a common Jesuit trait and activity -- derived from the Examen.

Activities

Xavier School has numerous recognized activity groups, including Christian life communities (Companions, Crusaders, Youth Christian Life Community), student governments (Student Councils), SIGs (Debate Team, Song Writers Guild), publications (Hoofprint, Stallion), performance groups (Glee Club, Stage FX, Dance X), and club sport teams. Likas Gilas in the High School and SIKLAB in the Grade School provides alternative classes for the students to explore their interests in a short span of time. Citizen Advancement Training (CAdT) is a unique disciplining experience that graduating high school students can enjoy and learn from.

During the 3rd quarter, Grade 7 students undergo the Synthesis Quarter, with the choice of having the local Flexible Curriculum, or, embarking on an adventure with the Xavier China Experience (XCE). The Flexible Curriculum, also known as the Flexi, lumps up IT, Science and Math into what is called SMIT, Social Science and Filipino into KKFIL, English and Arts into ELCA, Chinese and CLE. A select number of students may opt for the XCE which offers a more intensive (Mandarin) Chinese component, as they spend their 3rd quarter in at the Overseas Education College of Xiamen University in Fujian, China.

Recollections and retreats are treasured moments in the life of a Xaverian. In Grade 5, one has the "Persons are Gifts" recollection. In Grade 6, Bukas Palad. In Grade 7, Ignite. For high school freshmen, there's the Climb High recollection. Sophomores go on a trip to the Bilibid prison, and have a recollection the day after. Once a Xaverian reaches his junior year in high school, he joins the Days with the Lord (DWTL), a 3-day retreat. In his senior year, he joins the SM Immersion, which allows him to experience working as a supermarket bagger for a number of days, and joins the Pathfinding retreat, which serves as a capstone in this recollection series.

On February 18, 2008, the school had a Tree Planting activity that took place in Caligaraya Lake, Laguna.

Athletics

Xavier School offers a variety of athletics programs for members of its community, consistent with the ideal mens sana in corpore sano -- a sound mind in a healthy body -- and with the Jesuit tradition of forming well-rounded individuals. Athletics in Xavier are part of a selection of co-curricular activities available to its students. Xavier School fields over thirty teams in twelve different sports. Students are not required to take part in organized athletics, but many do. In 2005, XS had 488 athletes who competed in tournaments and leagues in different age-groups in one level or another. The teams are selected on a competitive basis.

Xavier School considers commitment is the theme of its athletics program. The biggest, and maybe the only, incentive of XS student-athletes in making a commitment is the privilege of carrying the school flag in interscholastic athletic competitions. In the same way, the school is committed in supporting its student-athletes, as stated by the school's athletics program coordinator. [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues0607/2006%20-%20June%2029/Athletics/COMMITMENTAMessagefromtheAthleticsCoordinator.php Commitment: A Message from the Athletics Coordinator. 2006.]

Xavier School requires all student athletes to maintain a certain level of academic performance as a requirement. Through this, its athletes do not lose sight of their studies.

Xavier School has been known to be competitive in various athletic fields. Xavier garners top places in various competitions.

Athletics are not only available to Xavier students. They also extend to the larger Xavier School community. Every year, a fun run is held whereby students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni and friends participate in a marathon around the Greenhills area, in friendly competition for the top prize. Everyone, including the public, may use Xavier School's sports facilities upon obtaining permission to do so from the school.

Mascot

Xavier School's mascot is the chestnut pony, which was chosen due to the historical significance of the pony, which embodies:

* manliness
* power
* stamina
* determination.

The pony is also a popular image used in Chinese culture.

Pink, yellow, orange, red the School's colors, and has the following characteristics:

* warmth of sunlight
* cheerful spirit
* industry
* hope
* sympathy
* achievement
* aspiration to sanctity [http://web.xs.edu.ph/static/About%20Xavier/mascot.php "The chestnut pony - The School Mascot", Xavier School.]
* loveIn the school year 2002 to 2003, Hoofy, the official caricature of the chestnut pony, was created. It was designed by David Gonzales of the class of 2005.Gomez, Peter Martin. "Xavier School Institutional Identity Book", 2005.]

A life-size model of Hoofy goes around campus and is available for performance at special events.

ervice

*Part of Xavier School's programs is social service. Nursery students begin with interactions with household help, seventh-graders help their younger brothers with their bags as well as interact with kids in Boystown, a facility which houses youths in need. High school sophomores are sent to do work in Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, and seniors are sent as baggers in a supermarket.

In December 2004, super typhoon "Yoyong" (international code name: Nanmadol) struck the province of Quezon. Alemberg Ang, a Xavier alumnus belonging to the class of 1995, who is also a member of the Xavier High School faculty, initiated Sagip Pasko 2004: Donate-A-Can Project [http://web.xs.edu.ph/sagippasko/index.php Sagip Pasko Goods Drive, 2004] . Sagip Pasko which means "save Christmas" was spearheaded by Grade School and High School Student Councils, Stallion (the official high school student publication), Metamorphosis (the high school yearbook organization), and the XS Youth Christian Life Community. During the Christmas break, volunteers from the student body organized themselves and headed towards major supermarkets and malls to solicit donations from shoppers. Locations included Robinson's Galleria Supermarket, Unimart, SM Megamall's Supermarket, and Rustan's Supermarket in Shangri-La EDSA. After eight hours of volunteer work and literal begging, the students went home to Xavier with two coasters and four vans full of donations from shoppers. These were then brought to the victims in Quezon. [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/sagip_pasko_gs.php Lamotan, Alphonse. "Reaching Out… Getting High", 2004] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/lance_gs.php Co Ting Keh, Lance. "Can you spare a can?", 2004] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/hamon.php Go, Laurence. "Hamon sa mga Xaverians", 2004] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/savingxmas.php Siy III, Robert. "Saving Christmas", 2004] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/paskonanaman.php Ong, Brian. "Pasko Nanaman", 2004] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/yoyong.php King, Harvey. "Yoyong's Tidings", 2004] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/pagtugon.php Li, Raymund. "Sagip Pasko: Pagtugon sa Panahon, Pagbuo ng Tradisyon", 2004] [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues/2004-Dec-16/xscorner/blow.php Lee, Conrad. "Blow Against the Wind", 2004]

In February 2006, another super typhoon hit the Philippines. This time, it hit Southern Leyte, triggering landslides in the province. Richard Uy and Brian Ong, high school seniors then, initiated Xavier Project DoTA: Donate to Aid [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues2/2006%20-%20March%20%209/Communities/XavierProjectDOTA.php "Xavier Project DOTA", 2006] . Through internal coordinations with the Student Councils and major organizations within the school, Uy and Ong had booths were set up in strategic places to accommodate donations both in cash and in kind. Student volunteers spent their recess and lunch hours soliciting and helping sort the donations. Some also stayed overtime after class to do just that. Externally, Richard and Brian coordinated with the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Philippine National Red Cross and the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus. So far, their project has garnered close to half-a-million pesos, all in a very short span of time. [Uy, Richard. "Report on Xavier Project DoTA", 2006]

Campus

The Xavier School campus in Greenhills houses numerous buildings in its 7-hectare lot. These include the Fr. Eugene Moran S.J. Early Education (EED) Building, the Fr. Rafael Cortina S.J. Sports Center, the High School building, the Grade School buildings, the Xavier School-Angelo King Multi-purpose Center, the Jesuit Residence, the Central Administration building, among others.

Sports facilities on campus include a swimming pool, a deep pool with diving facilities, covered courts, a wooden court, a wall climbing facility, badminton courts, two football fields, a driving range, a quadrangle, an oval track, a basketball stadium, and workout gyms. Among the facilities is the Fr. Rafael Cortina, S.J. Sports center, which was inaugurated on June 9. 2006. Among its amenities are a multi-purpose gym with 3 basketball courts and a stage for school events, table tennis facilities, an open shower area, a swimming pool, a sepak takraw venue, badminton courts, 2 basketball stadiums with bleacher seating for 1,400, a 2-lane rubber-matted track oval, exercise rooms, an air-conditioned hall for meetings and other activities, a workout gym, a badminton court, a tennis court, and parking facilities. The Center was designed by alumnus Jonathan O. Gan of the class of 1984 and was built over two years under the supervision of Fr. Santos Mena, S.J. Campus development has also been conducted. Major renovations have been done across the campus and there are still changes going-on to date. For example, Xavier has approved the construction of a 9-hole golf course for the benefit of its prized golfers. Pocket gardens, for instance, did not exist along corridors before as they do today. Recently, two statues have been added to the campus scenery as well -- one of Kuang Chi, a replica of one found in Xujiahui in Shanghai, and a larger-than-life sculpture of St Ignatius of Loyola, reminiscent of that in Santa Clara University.

In 1999, the official Jesuit Residence was transferred to the fourth floor of the MPC and the former Jesuit Residence, still known as the Jesuit Residence building (or JR), was converted to classrooms for high school seniors, as well as a faculty room for High 4 and 5 faculty. Most recently, the High 4 classrooms were transferred back to the High School building, while the Information Technology Center was transferred to the JR building.

Xavier II

Slated to open in 2010, Xavier II in Canlubang will be a 15-hectare campus that is co-educational and will have at least 25-75% of its students as scholars.

Community

Xavier School's community consists of its students, faculty, staff, an active Alumni Association of Xavier School [http://www.aaxs.com/] , the Xavier School Parents Auxiliary [http://web.xs.edu.ph/sections/ParentsBulletinOnline.php] , and the friends of Xavier School.

Awards

* Xavier's Dance X is the champion of the 2006 Skechers Street Dancing competition (High School division). [ [http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=45698 Dancing nerds - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos ] ]
* 2nd place in the 2006 Interscholastic Sports Association (ISSA) volleyball tournament
* Two time champions (2006) and (2007) in the Filipino-Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation (FCAAF) volleyball league.
* The Xavier Football club bagged 3rd place in the 2006 Alaska Football Cup. [ [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues0607/2006%20-%20December%207/Highlights/XAVIERSCHOOL-XaveriansBagAwardsLeftandRight.php XAVIER SCHOOL - Xaverians Bag Awards Left and Right ] ]
* The Xavier Team A of the Grade School Division went on an undefeated season and also bagged the CHAMPIONSHIP in the Interscholastic Sports Association (ISSA) basketball tournament

Further reading

* Mena SJ, Santos. [http://web.xs.edu.ph/sections/luceatluxstory.php Luceat Lux: The Story of Xavier School] . 2005.
* Dy SJ, Aristotle (ed.). [http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues0607/2006%20-%20October%2019/Juiblee%20Updates/OurPrideandGloryNowAvailable.php Our Pride and Glory, Xavier School at Fifty] . 2006.
* Palanca, Ellen / Clinton (ed.). [http://www.librarylink.org.ph/revdetails.asp?rev=92 Chinese Filipinos] . 2003.
* Gomez, Peter Martin (ed.). The Xavier School Institutional Identity Book. 2005.
* Dy SJ, Aristotle. [http://www.jesuits.ph/New%20Web/pop_ups/print_weaving.html Weaving a Dream: Reflections for Chinese-Filipino Catholics Today] . 2000.

ee also

* Francis Xavier
* Xu Guangqi
* Matteo Ricci
* Ignatius of Loyola

External links

Xavier School Website - http://www.xs.edu.ph/ Alumni Association of Xavier School Website - http://www.aaxs.com/news

References