# Aguinaldo International School Manila

Aguinaldo International School Manila (abbreviation: AIS Manila) is a private school in Paco, Manila, Philippines. It is non-denominational and co-educational, and serves both local and expat families. The school consists of an Early Learning Center, elementary school, junior high school, and senior high school.

## History

Aguinaldo International School Manila was established in June 1999 under the name Emilio Aguinaldo College Science High School (EAC-SHS), focusing on nurturing the talents of gifted students. With an initial enrollment of just 11 students, the school has since grown steadily and now has approximately 321 students.
Dr. Mercedes T. Hernandez served as the founding principal, succeeded by Mrs. Hilaria G. Sus in the second year and Ms. Lilian G. Alfonso in the third year of operation. The Department of Education officially recognized EAC-SHS on September 20, 2004. During the period from November 2004 to June 2008, Principal Eloisa E Olivera provided leadership to the school.
In June 2008, Engineer Lileth Cuaresma assumed the role of head teacher, coinciding with the appointment of a newly appointed superintendent from New Zealand, Mr. Keith Jones. Under Mr. Jones's leadership, the school underwent a transformation, leading to its renaming as Aguinaldo International School. This marked the beginning of a process aimed at modernizing facilities and internationalizing the curriculum and teaching methodologies, resulting in the addition of students from approximately 10 different nationalities over the past three years.
In July 2011, Mr. Timothy Boulton, hailing from Canada, was appointed as superintendent, working alongside Engineer Lileth Cuaresma, who continued to serve as principal.

## Organization

The school is affiliated with Emilio Aguinaldo College and it is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors.

## Admissions and financial aid

The admissions process includes the submission of records from previous schools, recommendation letters, and test results, as well as an interview with a guidance counselor. AIS also awards merit-based and need-based scholarships each year. Applications for the highly competitive scholarships must be made by mid-March for the school year beginning in August.

## Academics

Instruction at AIS Manila is in English and the maximum class size is 15 students. All classes are equipped with computers and overhead projectors, and in 2012 the school started using tablets and e-classrooms in the high school. There is fast WiFi throughout the school as well as Smart Boards. The foreign languages program includes courses in Filipino and Mandarin Chinese, and the school provides an English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Unlike most other schools in the Philippines, which hold classes from June to March, AIS's school-year runs from August to May.

### Preschool

AIS Manila operates a preschool for three-, four- and five-year-old children.

### Elementary school

The elementary school at AIS Manila is a six-year program for children between the ages of six and eleven.

### High school

AIS Manila's high school curriculum integrates the American college-preparatory model with the curriculum requirements of the Philippines Department of Education. This blended approach is intended to give graduating students the option of matriculating at American colleges or local universities. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma is not yet offered but plans are underway.

## Facilities

AIS Manila occupies the first six floors of Building #1 at Emilio Aguinaldo College in Paco, Manila. The building can accommodate about 400 students, which means AIS can grow for one more year - based on the current growth rate - before reaching maximum capacity. Construction of a new school building is part of the school's strategic plan. The current facilities include: two air-conditioned gymnasia, a large indoor swimming pool, a fully equipped fitness training room, an indoor soccer court, two canteens, a music room, computer labs, an art room, three science laboratories, a playground, a library containing a total of 44,500 books, a 300-seat capacity auditorium, and a 500-seat Fine Arts Theatre. All rooms, including the classrooms, are air-conditioned.

## Safety and security

AIS Manila is located approximately 400m from the Paco Fire Department, 400m from the Manila Police Department and 200m from Medical Center Manila, which is a private and well-equipped hospital. There is an agreement between AIS Manila and Medical Center Manila to ensure that students receive immediate and excellent medical treatment in the event of an emergency. AIS Manila has comprehensive emergency policies for fire, earthquake and other potentialities. The school has one main entrance, two additional emergency exits and two emergency stairwells (at the North and South ends of the school). Multiple security personnel are provided by Emilio Aguinaldo College's security department and at least one security guard is posted at the school's main entrance at all times.

## Tuition and fees

Tuition is paid in Philippine pesos. For new students in the 2014-15 school year, the regular school fees are P82468 in the preschool, P 101,034.00 in the elementary school, and P128,000 in the high school. Additional fees apply to students who require SPED or ESL specialists.