Newsletter

Dear Middle School Parents,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! The Brent faculty and staff have been working industriously to ensure that our school is ready for our first week of classes. To be sure, we’re prepared and eager to see all the students and to start what promises to be another amazing year at Brent.

Student Schedules: Available on BASIS Friday Aug 7th. Students will also receive a paper copy if they come to New Student Orientation on Aug 7th, or during Homeroom on August 10th.

Middle School New Student & Family Orientation: Friday, 7 August 2026, in the Atrium from 8:00 to 10:00 am.

During Orientation, students and parents can learn student homerooms, meet teachers, and attend an orientation for new students and parents. Students do not need to wear their uniforms. Here’s a brief list of activities during Orientation:

• First, check the homeroom board to find which homeroom your child is assigned to, then they can approach the correct grade level table to get their schedule (Please learn which homeroom before approaching the
  table.)
• New students can tour with a returning Middle School student starting at approximately 9:20 AM, after the orientation presentation in the Media Centre.
• New Parents will attend the orientation presentation in the Media Centre that starts at 8:20 AM and finishes at 9:20 AM.
• After the orientation presentation in the Media Centre, students and parents can meet with grade-level teachers in designated rooms.

This general orientation session is open to ALL students and parents, though the target audience is families new to Middle School—it may be redundant for returning families. I hope to see you there.

Out of Town Notice

Brent International School Manila believes the best learning environment for a student is achieved when both home and school work together. Students may not enroll or continue to be enrolled at Brent unless at least one parent is in full-time residence with the student. We understand, however, that the need for parents to travel may arise while your child is in school. We do require at those times this form is completed and submitted to the office so we have a temporary contact of someone living with your student for when parents are away.

Dress Code

The purpose of a dress code at Brent is to create a fad-neutral environment. Therefore, students are required to be neat and well groomed at all times. Excessively long, unnaturally colored, or disheveled hair is not allowed. Boys’ hair is to be kept neat and trimmed (ears visible and no longer than the shirt collar). Boys may not wear their hair tied up. Facial hair is not allowed nor are earrings on boys. Students are also required to wear the complete and proper School uniform every school day and during field trips, and at official School events, unless otherwise indicated.

The uniform regulations are as follows:

Uniform for girls

1. There will be one style of blouse for girls (white). If an undershirt is worn, it must be white with no designs, colors or words permitted. There will also be one style skirt (checkered blue, white, and maroon). The skirt length should be no shorter than the middle of the knee.
2. Each girl must try the skirt on and be fitted by Brent staff to be certain of a comfortable fit and that the hem lines reach the middle of the knee.
3. Girls’ shoes must be flats or leather-type dress shoes worn with white socks. Black, brown, or maroon colors are acceptable. Shoes should not have white soles which are visible. Sports shoes are for Physical Education classes only and should not be worn outside of PE class. Slippers (or flip-flops) are not allowed at any time.
4. Excessive make-up, colored hair, and facial piercings are not allowed. Bright colored finger nail polish is not permitted.

Uniform for boys

1. There will be one style of shirt (maroon collared shirt). Boys’ shirts must be tucked in at all times. Middle School students are required to wear khaki pants with a belt.
2. Any undershirt worn must be white. No designs, colors, or words on undershirts are permitted. Shoes are to be loafer style or dress shoes, with or without shoelaces. Black, brown, or maroon colors are acceptable. Shoes should not have white soles which are visible. Dark socks are to be worn. Sports shoes are to be used for Physical Education classes only and should not be worn outside of PE class. Slippers (or flip-flops) are not allowed at any time.

Please check out this Acceptable Shoe example (and non-examples) if you have any questions about footwear.

Attendance, Tardies, Early Pick-Up, and Dismissal Changes

When students are absent, we ask that a parent please call or email our Middle School Office (Not homeroom teachers, as students have 8+ different teachers). We will communicate absences centrally from the MS Office. middleschool@brent.edu.ph or by phone at 02 779-5140 extension 340. We will follow up via phone and email any students who are absent and have not been reported “out” by the end of the school day.

If students are out sick for more than three days, our clinic will need a doctor’s note for them to be cleared to return.

Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class block.

Absences are recorded as either explained or unexplained. If your child will be absent due to travel or another planned event, please notify your child’s teachers in advance. Parents are responsible for helping students make up any missed work. Please note that, in accordance with Brent policy, students who are absent for more than 27 days during the school year will not receive academic credit.

Students arriving after 8:00 a.m. (or after 8:40 a.m. on Thursdays) will be marked tardy. Exceptions may be made for school bus delays or significant traffic disruptions. For your child’s safety, any changes to the regular dismissal routine (for example, going home with another family, changing from bus to car, leaving early, etc.) must be communicated before 1:00 p.m. by email to: the School Office, and The Transportation Office (for bus riders).

After School Hours

Parents are requested not to have their children remain at school more than fifteen minutes after the school’s dismissal. There are occasions when students must stay for remedials, clubs, or sports programs, and they should be collected within fifteen minutes of dismissal from that activity. For homework or group projects, students are allowed to use the Media Centre from 2:35-4:30pm, but they must be productively engaged during this time—it is not a location to socialize or just hang out.

For students who must wait for a parent/sibling on campus, they must remain in the cafeteria or atrium. Students are not free to wander the campus or attend clubs/rehearsals/practices for programs they are not enrolled in.

Device Expectations

Middle School students are allowed to bring their own devices to school. We recommend a laptop style of device as this is the most user-friendly for the type of tasks students will be using a device for. Tablets are less ideal for school work. Students who do not have their own device will be provided a school chromebook or computer lab unit when a device is needed for a class.

For students who bring a smartphone to school, they will need to be “parked” in our hanging folders upon entering class, and only used during class when the teacher issues a phone pass. Phones will not be allowed to be used in the CR at any time on campus. Also, lunch time is Tech-Free—phones and computers must remain out of sight. Students who need to use a device for school work during lunch break will have the option to go to the media centre after they eat to work on assignments. If students do not want to “park” their phone during class, they can leave them locked in lockers or at home. Leaving them in school bags is not allowed.

Parent and Visitor ID Cards

For the safety and security of our school community, all parents and visitors must sign in and obtain a visitor ID badge upon entering the campus. Parents may apply for and collect their Brent Parent ID cards at the Security Office, located in front of the Brent Chapel. Parents are encouraged to wear or display their Brent Parent ID card while on campus. Parents who do not have a Brent Parent ID card are required to obtain and wear a visitor ID badge while on campus.

Special First Days Schedules

Note from Activities Office

There will be boys and girls volleyball clinics happening on Aug 3-7 from 2:45PM-4:45PM. Students interested in trying out the team are encouraged to attend, but the clinic is open to any student.

Tryouts for Middle School first season athletics teams take place the first week of school. Middle School Boys and Girls Tryouts for Cross Country, and Volleyball: Monday the 10th to Thursday the 13th. Swimming tryouts: Wednesday the 12th to Friday 14th. These tryout sessions begin at 2:45 pm. Please bring the necessary athletic wear for all those days to take part in tryouts.

Middle School Musical Auditions for Matilda Jr.: Ms. Venus Basas and her drama staff will conduct auditions on Tuesday August 18th and Wednesday August 19th. Acting auditions will be in S109, and singing auditions will be in S118. These auditions begin at 3:00 pm.

We’re off to a great start. Please let me know if there is anything we can do to help you.