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News Around Woodrose
The Jr. Rosette 2015
Becoming Women of Character
Loads of Filipino Pride
For the first two weeks of August during lunch, the gate would constantly screech to allow students to go in for practice and prepare for Linggo ng Wika. With only a week left until performance, everyone made use of lunch break to rehearse the much awaited Sabayang Pagbigkas. On the day of performance, everyone hoped that every detail had been done to perfection. An experience like this is an opportunity for us to practice virtues learned in real life situations. Work hard as one team. Combine strengths to achieve one common goal. Deal with classmates patiently. Persevere until the very end. One should really be grateful for these learning experiences for they are meant to prepare us in becoming women of character.
Linggo ng Wika this year made our batch’s last year in Grade School a truly memorable one. Held last August 1822, activities related to Filipino language and culture like native dances, poster-making, and palarong pinoy relays were but a few of what made every student excited and nervous at the same time. Of course, who could deny what’s closest to heart – the salu-salo – which displayed a wide variety of food to eat like kare-kare, ube jam, pansit, barbeque, turon, lumpia, sapin-sapin, and my all-time favorite: pastillas! Later in the week, the student body headed to the gym to watch performances of poems, dances, plays, and stories. The highlight was the announcement of the winners for talumpati and sabayang pagbigkas. To our surprise, 6A topped in both contests, but what’s truly amazing was who bagged the first place in talumpati – a Korean! Annie Jeon is one good reason why the likes of me should be motivated to use the Filipino language with love and pride.
by Sarah Limlengco 6C
A Poem of Perseverance by Issa Iyog 6C
The day finally came. August 19, 2014. Not one Grade 6 student wasn’t bouncing off the walls in excitement. For one whole week, students had been practicing for the Sabayang Pagbigkas, a poem recitation in Filipino. The day finally came. Here in Woodrose, the Filipino Language is not our forte, so it took much more effort to memorize the entire article. So on that day, it was bedlam in every classroom, every student buzzing with the thrill. Statements like “Could you please tie my ribbon for me?”, “Don’t forget the flag!”, and “What’s the action for this line?” resonated throughout the entire level. Many students would describe the performance strenuous, tiring, and sometimes boring, but one could tell from the happy looks on their faces that the statement wasn’t entirely true. Some girls would be honest and admit that while difficult, the exercise was truly enjoyable. The activity was meant to enhance teamwork and effort in learning and enjoying the Filipino language. If one asks around, she can tell that it worked, with the added bonus of plus points in their classes. On stage, students feel at home, with the freedom to exaggerate and without restrictions from teachers. In fact, in the spotlight, the more show-off, the better, and the girls made sure it was obvious. The memorization was stellar and all the students recited loudly and clearly, no frogs in their throats, and no obvious stage fright. The actions were also spectacular, given that they only had one week to practice. The words of the poem may have been intricate, but they were explained in a very meaningful way. Many said they’d be glad when it was over, but the sighs that erupted as Linggo ng Wika ended surely meant differently. The thrill of the performance may be gone and their lines forgotten; but in the hearts of each student, the happiness brought about by teamwork will always remain.
by Kara Buenaflor 6A
Laro Na! by Sabine Guinto 6B
August 20, Wednesday. It was a hot day. The gym was filled with students who encouraged and rooted as their classmates play in the Palarong Pilipino. With sweating faces, the participants exerted their best efforts for their class to win. Grins formed as they wiped off sweat, contemplating their victory. Each class in unison cried out and cheered, “Go! You can do it!” or “Do your best!” Some played and most cheered while the rest prayed for victory and triumph. At the end of the games, the winner was declared. Accepting defeat, the losers shook hands with the winners. Everyone went back to their respective classrooms happy and content. Faces beaming, all were glad to have worked together as a team. “It was fun! I liked it a lot!” stated Cheska happily. “It was terrible! I did not like it! I felt so tired,” reacted another. This Palarong Pilipino was an exciting, engaging, and unifying fun-filled activity of traditional Filipino games such as luksong tinik, patintero, and tumbang preso. These games reflect the simple Filipino way of living, something that must be acknowledged as part of our life. The entirety of the Linggo ng Wika was truly a memorable week of culture appreciation. By going through this together, we bonded and worked as one team, victorious in the face of defeat; one class, one batch, and one school cheering and participating in the games, together.