OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE MINOR SEMINARY

EDSA cor., Bernardino St., Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City

OLGMS
Discipline Program
S.Y. 2023-2024
VISION STATEMENT

The Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary is an institution that envisions

the formation of well-balanced and integral person committed to God and His
Church.

MISSION STATEMENT

The nurturance of the seed of priestly vocation through a holistic formation

program rooted in the gospel values, centered on Christ, under the maternal
guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary and actualized in a community of faith.

OBJECTIVES

• To foster the growth of the seminarian into the fullness of Christian life
through an integrated program that takes into account his physical, affective,
intellectual, socio- cultural and spiritual development.

• To help the seminarian discern the state of life befitting his character and
charism as a child of God.

• To create an atmosphere conducive for the assimilation and deepening of

values necessary for the formation of genuine servant-leaders.

• To expose the seminarian to the ideals and demands of the priesthood

through a process conforming to their age and development.

• To assist the seminarian in recognizing and responding to the initial signs

of priestly vacation.
I. Introduction

A. Seminary Formation

The Philippine Program for Priestly Formation asserts: “It is really the High
School Seminary where natural human virtues, basic religious values,
Christian behavior patterns, sound study habits, community life orientation
and appreciation for the priesthood are initially and solidly inculcated. During
their young and highly formative years the students are easily susceptible to
personality formation and development (#73).”

As such, OLGMS stands with the following Pillars of Formation

1. Spiritual Formation
The educational process of a spiritual life, seen as a
relationship and communication with God, derives and develops
from the fundamental and irrepressible need-that man is open
to transcendence, to the absolute; he has a heart which is
restless until it rests in the Lord.
Spiritual formation involves seeking Christ in people. The
spiritual life is indeed, an interior life, a life of intimacy with
God, a life of prayer and contemplation. But this very meeting
with God and with his fatherly love for everyone brings one face
to face with the need to meet one’s neighbor, to give oneself
freely to others, to serve in a humble and disinterested fashion,
following the example which Jesus has proposed to everyone as
a program of life when he washed the feet of the apostles: “I
have given you an example, that you should also do as I have
done to you.” (Jn. 13:15). The Minor Seminary is a house of
formation that provides an environment conducive to the
development of prayer of young

2. Community Life
Community life is at once the locus and the fruit of any
seminary formation. The building up of a community is not a
mere program. In view of the vision of the Philippine Church as
a community of Disciples of Christ where communion with Christ
and among believers, in essence belongs, community life in the
 seminary needs to be an experience of becoming a Church.
Thus, seminary formation includes formation in and of
community.
Community life in the seminary is an experience of becoming
a Church. Here, young people learn to be who they truly are,
appreciate their unique identity, and begin to accept and
appreciate others for who they are. A true community becomes
a source of strength, courage, and stability for a minor
seminarian.

3. Academic Life
Intellectual formation has its own characteristics, but it is
also deeply connected with, and indeed can be seen as a
necessary expression of both human and spiritual formation; it
is a fundamental demand of the human intelligence by which
one “participates in the light of God’s mind,” seeks to acquire a
wisdom which in turn opens to and is directed toward knowing
and adhering to God.
Intellectual formation in a minor seminary is primarily a
preparatory stage to major seminary. It should develop
knowledge and skills necessary for major seminary studies. It
seeks to develop not only academic excellence. Since it provides
basic secondary education, it also develops the minor
seminarian’s capacity to intelligently deal with any state of life
he may eventually pursue.

4. Human Formation
A minor seminarian undergoes a period of transition from
puberty to adolescence, from dependence on family and peers
to independence and responsible use of personal freedom. He is
in search of his identity and within the tensions that usually
accompany that search. Thus, the main focus of human
formation is the achievement of a balance between self-identity
and socialization.

5. Socio-Pastoral Formation
The whole seminary formation imparted to candidates has a
fundamentally pastoral character. Vatican II states, “The whole
training of the students should have its object to make them
 true shepherds of souls after the example of our Lord Jesus
Christ, teacher, priest, and shepherd.”
Pastoral formation is not a mere appendix to the other
aspects of formation. Rather it “unifies and gives specificity to
the whole formation of future priests” by bringing seminarians
in contact with actual pastoral situations.
The minor seminary aims at forming young men with a
yearning and competence to lead and to serve the poor and the
needy. The socio-pastoral formation also aims to nurture a
minor seminarian’s affective relationship with people, with
particular attention to family, the youth and the poor.

B. Discipline Program

Discipline is a fundamental part of teaching more so in the formation of the

minor seminary. Education cannot take place and learning will flourish in an
undisciplined setting. An innovative curriculum will have minimal impact if
there is no control in the classroom. Inspired lessons are of little use if
students are focused only on non-academic activities. Teachers who spend
much of their time responding to misbehavior have little
time left over to teach.

The discipline program is built on a number of assumptions including the

following:

1. An important part of any Discipline Program is prevention, namely,

anticipating problems before they occur and responding in a way that keeps
those problems from emerging.

2. It is essential to consider the whole child when deciding how to discipline a

student. This means trying to figure out what may be motivating his or her
behavior and what this tells about his or her psychological needs.
Understanding these factors may help in determining how to respond
effectively to the child.

3. Discipline problems often emerge when academic instruction is not geared

to students' ability or interest level. In considering on how to respond to
behavioral problems in school, it is important to consider whether
 misbehaving students may be experiencing academic difficulties or
frustration.

4. In choosing strategies when dealing with a particular problem, moderation

should be the watchword. In the effort to help the students gain some
control, disciplinary measures must be least disruptive to school structure.

5. Discipline is not synonymous with punishment. Discipline is more than just

giving students' detention, putting them in time out, or suspending them. It
must also include strategies that are positive and engaging that would
motivate students to behave appropriately and exercise self-control.

II. Persons Involved in the Implementation of the School

Discipline Program

Working together, parents and seminary personnel can give students consistent
messages about acceptable behavior. Successful discipline management does not
depend solely on knowledge of the mechanisms of behavioral change. It also
requires understanding of the environmental context of behavior. The typical child
spends most of his time in two environments: the home and the school. Neither
environment is more important than the other. Each makes crucial contributions to
the child’s physical, behavioral and cognitive growth. In the broadest sense,
behavioral problems observed in school really involve the entire system, including
the child, the home and the school. in order for a problem to be resolved
successfully, the contribution of each component of the system needs to be
assessed. Resolving discipline problems therefore requires a cooperative team effort
involving family members and school personnel.

1. Seminary Rector
He is the Chief Administrative Officer and the head of the community. He
is principally responsible for all the areas of seminary life. He provides
effective leadership in order to create a climate of trust and confidence
among the staff , the faculty, the personnel and the seminarians

2. Prefect of Discipline
He is responsible for the character training of the seminarians particularly
in the area of discipline and deportment. He monitor seminarians’
performance for the purpose of commending exemplary behavior or
correcting tendencies toward negative behavior.
3. Principal
He is the direct representative of the Rector in academic and school
matters. He exercise educational leadership and competence in order to
promote the well–being and unity of the faculty and the student body. He
develops a program of studies relevant and responsive to the needs and
formation of the seminarians

4. Class Advisers/ Subject Teachers

As the formators of mind and heart, the teachers do the lead role in
carrying out school discipline, traditionally, and perhaps still currently,
majority of a teacher’s role is to help students learn the subject.
Increasingly, however, teachers have also been expected to come up
with solutions to be pervasive problem of maintaining discipline. This
expectation means that the teachers are expected to fulfill their primary
role of giving instructions and at the same time managing behavior
problems.
5. Guidance Counselor

The Guidance Coordinator as well as the Guidance Counselors also take a

part in the holistic formation of the students. They do not administer
disciplinary actions or punishments but help create effective behavior
change focused on positive, healthy behavior. Guidance Counselors strive
to reduce discipline problems through different services such as individual
and peer counseling, consultation and referrals.

6. Parents
Parents play a vital role in the formation of a child. Prevention of
childhood behavior problems begins at home. Many of the family
problems affect a large number of children especially parental conflict. A
study was conducted on the effects of parental conflict on children have
found out that children living in homes characterized by interparental
inconsistency had the great risk of showing behavioral problems depicted
by aggression, regression, anxiety moodiness and irritability. They found
that conflict in the families of adolescents was associated with higher
levels of anxiety, lower self-esteem and lower self-concept {Slater and
Haber, 1984}.
III. OLGMS Discipline Program

A. Preventive Program

OLGMS believes that the key to prevention is to have a clearly articulated set
of seminary rules, policies, and procedures, and to communicate them to
parents, student, and seminary personnel.

1. Orientation

The Annual Re-Orientation Meeting of Teachers is conducted by the

Prefect of Students together with the other administrative staff to review
the content of The Manual for Students. The Prefect of Students also
reports the common violations committed by the students the previous
school year and discusses possible solutions to resolve, if not
lessen the reported violations. This is done before the opening of the
school year, which is part of the in-service training of faculty members.

An annual orientation for Parents, and Students is scheduled during after

the opening of classes. A regular class review of the school policies
facilitated by the class adviser is done to ensure that the school policies
are consistently implemented in and outside the classroom.

2. Manual for Student

Each student is given his/her copy of the Seminary Handbook for Student
which serves as guide or reference on the school policies. The Manual for
Student contains the behavioral expectations of students, the categories
of offenses and the corresponding sanctions.

3. Human Formation Program

The human formation program fosters the ongoing personal development

of seminarians as unique individuals. They grow in maturity on all facets
of human development. The seminary annually facilitates a series of
activities; ei. Talks, Seminar etch., stipulated in the Human Formation
program to form and guide seminarians through the transition of
adolescence to maturity.
B. Intervention Program

1. Disciplinary Measures

On Offenses

a. Suspension is the penalty in which the school is allowed to deny or

deprive an erring student from attendance of classes for a period not
exceeding twenty percent (20%) of the prescribed classes for the school
year or term. The decision of the school on every case involving penalty
of suspension which exceed 20% of the prescribed school days shall be
forwarded to the Department of Education within ten (10) days from the
termination of the investigation of each case for its information.
i. Extern Suspension
ii. Intern Suspension

b. Exclusion is a penalty imposed by the school on an erring student. Said

seminarian can be dropped from the school rolls for being undesirable and
transfer credentials will be issued immediately. No prior approval by the
Department of Education is required in the imposition of the penalty.

c. Dismissal is the final exclusion of the student from the school and it is
the ultimate sanction. Although the school is reluctant to use this
sanction, sometimes it is necessary in order to maintain the standard of
the seminary for the common good of the students.

d. Expulsion is an extreme penalty on an erring student consisting of his

exclusion from admission to any public or private school in the Philippines
and which will require the approval of the Secretary of Department of
Education.

Major Offense

A major offense merits suspension, exclusion or dismissal from the

seminary. In case a seminarian commits a second offense of any violation
which merit suspension he will automatically be dismissed. Offenses are
cumulative. The following are considered major offenses in the seminary:
a. An attitude of "hide and seek" or "cat- and-mouse" towards seminary
discipline.
First Offense: Written Warning
Second Offense: Suspension
Third Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

b. Any form of hazing committed within or outside the seminary

premises.
Immediate Dismissal

c. Assault to any of the Staff, Faculty or Personnel

Immediate Dismissal

d. Destruction of seminary property or property of others.

First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

e. Disrespect to any of the Staff, Faculty or Personnel through written

and/or verbal means
First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

f. Engagement and cooperation in immoral activities.

Immediate Dismissal

g. Going out of the seminary premises without permission.

Immediate Dismissal

h. Roaming around the seminary premises during lights out.

First Offense: Written Warning
Second Offense: Suspension
Third Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

i. Habitual lying
First Offense: Written Warning
Second Offense: Suspension
Third Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

j. Inability to adapt to the seminary life and incorrigibility.

Immediate Dismissal

k. Inflicting grave injury to a companion either in words or in action

(Bullying).
First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

l. Installing unnecessary programs or applications in the seminary

computers.
First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

m. Insubordination and disobedience to any of the Staff, Faculty or

Personnel
First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

n. Keeping and using electronic gadgets and accessories such as

cellphones, MP3, camera, PSP, DS, headsets, etc.. These items will be
confiscated.
First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Dismissal

o. Non-participation in seminary formation programs due to sheer

indifference and utter complacency.
First Offense: Written Warning
Second Offense: Suspension

p. Possession and reading of immoral or pornographic literature.

First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

q. Possession or use of illegal substances and drugs.

Immediate Dismissal

r. Posting scandalous pictures and comments in social networking sites.

First Offense: Written Warning
Second Offense: Suspension
Third Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal
 s. Proven theft.
Immediate Suspension/Dismissal

t. Smoking and drinking liquor inside the seminary premises and during
seminary activities outside the school premises.
First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

u. Tampering or forging school records or credentials, and using them.

Knowing them to be tampered or forged.
First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

v. Use of foul language and offensive signs

First Offense: Written Warning
Second Offense: Suspension
Third Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

w. Unauthorized access and/or dissemination of school records.

First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

x. Abuse of superior’s trust and confidence.

First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

y. Cheating in any form

First Offense: Suspension
Second Offense: Exclusion or Dismissal

2. Procedures on Disciplinary Measures.

a) The subject teacher conducts preliminary investigation of the

incident.

b) The teacher, witness, and seminarian involved each submits a

narrative report to the class adviser.
 c) The adviser and the seminarian involved confer with the Principal.

d) The Principal informs the Rector on his assessment on the matter.

e) The Principal calls the attention of the parents/guardians.

f) The necessary sanctions will be implemented.

3. Right to Due process

Class Anecdotal/ Incident Report

Conduct of investigation

Inform parent/ guardian

Letter of Decision

Motion for Reconsideration / Appeal

Response to the motion