Xavier School president named 2023 Outstanding School Leader

MANILA, Philippines — Fr. Aristotle Dy, SJ, will receive the Outstanding School Leader award from the Shi Weipeng (Cebu Anonymous) Model Educator Awards Organization in a ceremony to be held on April 15 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Dy has been school president of Xavier School since 2013. His approach to education is to serve the needs of the 21st century learner, where the focus is on developing a growth mindset.

This approach emphasizes the development of lifelong learning skills and attitudes rather than just focusing on the specific – and narrower – curriculum of each subject area.

This focus on growth and quality also involves the expanded integration of technology in education, highlighted by the school’s successful transition to online learning during the last three pandemic school years, and its status as an Apple Distinguished School.

“School leaders and teachers must constantly renew themselves,” he said. “We must be bold in trying new things so that we can be better equipped to help young people who must navigate a world of constant change.”

Under Dy’s leadership, the school’s Chinese language program was strengthened and updated to fit the present-day context of the students. This includes a strategic shift to listening and speaking skills as the priority areas in learning the language, setting competence standards and the recruitment and professional development of teachers from China.

The award was established in 1984 by the Philippine Chinese Education Research Center at the behest of Shi Weipeng who wanted to promote the teaching of the Chinese language in the country by recognizing outstanding administrators and language teachers.

The recognition comes with a cash prize which Father Ari is donating to the scholarship fund at its Xavier School Nuvali campus to support full scholars recruited from public schools in Laguna.