Saint Mary's School of Sagada

Saint Mary’s School of Sagada

Principal’s Bulletin, 2011-2012 Series # 12

December 2, 2011

Dear Parents, Students, Alumni, and Friends:

Gawis ay agew tako am-in!

This is the fifth week of the third quarter.  By this time the students should be focused on their studies especially that next week will be the last academic week for the year 2011.  The formal academic classes in school ends on December 9 as the Service Learning and Foundation Day/Christmas Party/Mountain Night are scheduled on December 11-16.

RECENT EVENTS

Festival of the Sciences:  The one-week Sagada Festival of the Sciences also known as the Science Film Festival culminated last November 19, Saturday, at Saint Mary’s School.   There were three components of the event: the viewing of 25 science films in all elementary and secondary schools in Sagada on November 14-18, the mobile science classroom of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the different science competitions.    All the activities were centered on the 2011 UNESCO theme which is “The Year of the Forest.”

We had a thirty-minute opening program at the gymnasium.  Claudette Sevilla, the E-Media Program Director of ABS-CBN Foundation, graced the event.  She explained that the Science Film Festival was conceptualized to increase the awareness of elementary pupils and secondary students in the role of science and technology in national development.  She said that the documentary films are products of intensive workshops in Bangkok, Thailand.  These were shown in selected areas all over the world from November 8 – 23.  We are blessed that Sagada is chosen to be one of the venues.

After the opening program, the film showing was held at the school auditorium instead of the gymnasium as originally planned.  The change in venue is due to technical problems.  Twelve films were shown on that day.  I was happy to see elementary pupils from Besao with their teachers who came to watch while waiting for their schedule in the DOST bus.

Congratulations to the following winners of the different science competitions. The elementary winners received books and the high school winners received electronic calculators as their prizes.  The prizes and materials used during the culminating activity were donated by ABS-CBN Foundation.  The Foundation also shouldered the allowance of the runners and interviewers during the week-long activity.

I’d like to thank the following for contributing to the success of the Festival of the Sciences:  ABS-CBN Foundation, Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute, Geothe Institute, the provincial government of Mt. Province, the Sagada LGU, Dep-Ed Mountain Province, the principals and teachers of the different elementary and secondary schools of Sagada, the judges and the members of the different working committees, St. Theodore’s Hospital, and all the students who participated.

Entrance Exams:  Congratulations to the following students who passed the entrance exam and the interview administered by NYK-TDG Maritime Academy: Priority List – Kurt Balaso, Calvin Biag, Kevin Calpi, Winzum Daoas, Jansen Domoguen, Khen Kollin, and Guillermo Semon; Waiting List – Dexter Cadalig, Luis Edpis, and Armiro Gulian.  Congratulations also to Khen Kollin and Kurt Balaso for passing the entrance exam of the Philippine Military Academy.

Painting of the Kinder Building and Kinder YCAP:  I’d like to extend my gratitude to Mrs. Nellie Pit-og for donating the expenses for the painting of the kinder building.  The walls of the building are painted with happy children working and learning together.  As Sir Fau said, “This is what I want a kinder building to be.” Mrs. Pit-og also pledged to pay the allowance of a volunteer who will regularly clean the kinder grounds.  May the Lord return to you a hundred fold the blessings that you have shared with us.  I also thank Mr. James Wandag, a kinder parent, and other volunteers who painted the school building of our children.

The kinder parents had their YCAP last Sunday, November 27, after the high mass.  Around 30 parents and grandparents showed up to clean the kinder grounds.  To the parents:  thank you very much for being an active partner of the school.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Start of Centennial Celebrations:  Saint Mary’s School is celebrating its centennial year starting this month to December of 2012.  We invite parents, alumni and friends to join us in the late afternoon mass on Friday, December 9, from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM at St. Mary the Virgin Church.  After the mass we proceed to the school quadrangle for the lighting of the “mother torch” which will signal the start of the centennial celebrations.  The symbolic torch then will be sent to Baguio City for the torch parade at the Cathedral of the Resurrection grounds on December 10, Saturday.  The torch parade will kick-off the centennial celebrations.  To the alumni and parents who are in Baguio City and in nearby municipalities you are encouraged to join the activity.  Sir Fau, our headmaster, will be present during the occasion.

Service Learning:  The Annual Service Learning is scheduled on December 11 (Sunday) – 13 (Tuesday).  Parents please ask the brochure which contains the contract and permission forms from your children.  Please find time to read it and accomplish the required forms which are to be submitted to your child’s class advisor next week.

The service learning provides the opportunity for the students and teachers to experience a “connectedness” with the world outside the classroom.  It enables them to apply skills and knowledge learned and taught in class in the service of others in an authentic service learning situation.  The program supports the school’s commitment to develop the students as knowledgeable and responsible citizens.  The service learning program also provides time for the students to fulfill the BOT requirement of 30 hours of service for every year of stay at SMS.

For this year, the freshmen will go to Suyo; the sophomores will render service in Aguid before they go to Datacan; the juniors will go to Guinzadan Central, Bauko; and the seniors will go to Guinaang, Bontoc.  The fifth year students will be assigned to the different year levels.  As what we had been doing in the past, the school handles the transportation costs while the parents contribute for the students’ meals.  The cost of one meal is raised from fifty pesos to sixty pesos (P60.00) due to the increase in prices.  The contributions are as follows:  Freshmen – P310.00 (5 meals, P10 for food during the bonfire), Sophomores – P300 (5 meals); Juniors – P360 (6 meals); Seniors – P300 (5 meals).  Please give your contributions to the business office on or before December 8, Thursday.

Kinder Christmas Party:  As agreed during the last kinder PTA meeting, the kinder Christmas Party will be on December 15, Thursday, starting at 10:00 AM at the church grounds.  As usual, we will have potluck.  Parents please attend this important occasion in your child’s life.  In order to buy common gifts for our kids, we will contribute P50 each. Please give your contribution to your area coordinator or to Mr. James Wandag, our PTA treasurer.

Foundation Day/Christmas Party/Mountain Night:  We will celebrate the Foundation Day/Christmas Party/Mountain Night on December 16.  Parents and alumni are invited.  Please be guided with the following schedule.

Foundation Day-Cordillera Night-Christmas Party

Schedule of Activities

Friday, December 16, 2011

4:30 am                        Misa de Galo (sponsors:  SMS and STH)

8:00 am                        School Mass

10:00 am                       Assembly at the Quadrangle – Quiz Bee

1:00 pm                        Indigenous Games

3:30 pm                        Cultural Presentations (By dap-ay)

4:30 pm                        Students go home to prepare for the Cordillera Night

5:30 pm                        Torch Parade including Kindergarten and Parents

6:30 pm                        Lighting of the Christmas tree, Kinder Cultural Presentation

7:00 pm                        Dinner (Potluck by Dap-ay)

7;30 pm- 9:00pm           Mountain Night Presentations (SMS Cultural Troupe, the winner in the cultural presentations by dap-ay, SMS Parents, alumni); Testimonials

Parents please be reminded that we will have potluck dinner on Dec 16.  The students, together with their family, will eat per dap-ay.

Provincial Meet:  Some of our students will join the Sagada delegates to the Provincial Meet which will be held on December 17-21 at Tadian, Mountain Province.  To all Sagada athletes:  we wish you the best and bring home the bacon!  For our contribution to the food of the athletes, each of our students will bring one chupa of rice and vegetables on December 15, Thursday.  The contributions then will be brought to Sagada Central School.

Christmas Break:  Parents please take note that the Christmas break starts on December 17, 2011 to January 8, 2012.  Classes resume on January 9 (Monday).  All students are expected to be here on that day.  We have a longer Christmas break because we started classes much earlier than the public schools.

Until next bulletin,

Nemia N. Lite, Acting Principal