For the first time, Honors Filipino 7-8 will be offered at Westview. After months of effort, the course was approved Jan. 13, something made possible by joint collaboration of Ashanae Anderson (11), Filipino teacher Jaclyn Brom and the Westview administrative staff.

Even though she is the only Filipino teacher in PUSD, Brom has dedicated the four years she has spent teaching to making language learning fun and insightful.

“The best part [of teaching Tagalog] is when I’m not teaching about language and culture, but Filipino values,” she said.

These values, such as family, opened Maddy Chang (10)’s eyes to new values and cultures outside of the ones she grew up with in the U.S.

“In Filipino culture, they really care about family,” she said. “I found it interesting [to contrast it] with the values here in the States, where the emphasis on family is less [prominent].”

For the new honors class, Brom said she is working on designing a curriculum that will build on the knowledge from Filipino 7-8.

“When the students are in the honors class, they already know how to create language—they may not be that fluent or accurate—but they can already talk, ask questions, and have impromptu conversations,” she said. “Now that [students] are in the intermediate, advanced level of [learning] the language and the culture, it’s time for them to apply what they’ve learned from [previous classes] through more written and spoken activities and projects.”

The process of getting Honors Filipino 7-8 approved was a lengthy one. Like all course approval processes, it involved getting the approval of Westview administration, the department chair, district principals, and finally the PUSD board. The last step alone is a two-and-a-half month process of reviewing and revising documents like the course description in order to receive school board approval. 

Despite the daunting process, Area Administrator Teri Heard believed that the addition of this class was necessary.

“I think it was important to offer an enriching learning opportunity for advanced speakers to continue to learn about the Filipino language and culture,” Heard said. “So often I hear people say that Westview is a school that only focuses on math and science, but I know from conversations with students that they truly have diverse academic interests.”

Anderson was first introduced to Tagalog her freshman year in Filipino 1-2. Because it was a completely new language for her, Anderson had difficulties mastering the grammar and vocabulary.

Despite her initial challenges, Anderson preserved and completed all the existing course offerings in the Filipino program. She even returned as a TA this year.

“I enjoyed the class so much that I wanted to see the lessons [Mrs. Brom] gives to other students since she does change up her lessons annually,” Anderson said. “I was able to learn while also helping [Mrs. Brom] with the abilities I have from taking her previous classes.”

It was during her time as a TA that Anderson started to think that Westview needed an Honors Filipino 7-8 class. She gathered up the courage to email Principal Tina Ziegler about her thoughts.

“I felt like Filipino culture wasn’t being represented,” she said. “[There was] Filipino 1-2 through 7-8 classes but Spanish and French both have AP so I thought that Filipino should have an honors class.”

Together with Ziegler, Brom, and Heard, they discussed the course approval process and the curriculum the new class would be based on. Anderson had the chance to present her experiences in the Filipino program to Heard in order to advocate for the importance of such a class.

Heard said that listening to the 20-minute presentation Anderson had put together detailing her passion for the language and the need for an honors class convinced her to advocate for this class.

“Her love of the culture and the language is just infectious,” Heard said. “I absolutely love all opportunities to chat with students, to learn about their interests, and to help advocate for classes and programs that will enrich their experience at Westview.”

After months of hard work, the course was finally approved.

“I was really happy [when I learned Honors Filipino 7-8 was approved],” Anderson said. “I felt like I really fought for something that I really did love and care for. I realized that I can [advocate] for other things in my life, if I feel like a group isn’t being represented enough on campus.”

For Chang, the opportunity to continue her Filipino language journey with Honors Filipino 7-8 will be invaluable. She also started learning Tagalog starting with Filipino 1-2 and the class has helped her reconcile her Filipino and Taiwanese identities.

“Before taking the class, I didn’t feel like I was Filipino at all,” Chang said. “I felt way more Taiwanese than I was Filipino. This class strengthened my identity and [affirmed] that I am both. I am both [Taiwanese and Filipino] no matter what anybody says about me. They can’t take away that part of me.”

For Brom, the addition of the new Honors Filipino 7-8 class is just the start. She has high hopes not only for expanding Westview’s Filipino program, but also starting new programs in other schools in PUSD.

“Our culture is fun, we have unique games, holidays and celebrations, and we have a lot of traditional practices,” Brom said. “As a slogan in the Philippines [puts it:] ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines.’”