Working towards achieving our dreams is not an easy task. Often, we are so focused on our own little corner of the world, doing our best with our daily tasks and immediate responsibilities that we are unable to see the bigger picture. Our Executive Director, Dr. Severina M. Villegas, has taken on the role of keeping us focused on the ultimate design and weaving dreams into reality.
At the Year-End General Assembly, held on March 29, 2017, Dr. Villegas shared her fascination for weaving, one of the oldest surviving crafts in the world. “I fondly remember an interview I had with one of the Igorot weavers in Baguio. I asked her how she came up with a beautiful scenic landscape without any design as her guide. She confidently replied: I have the design clearly embedded in my mind. It was an insightful reply that expanded my horizon in my managerial task. I have adopted the metaphorical implications of the basic principle of weaving in relation to the delicate task of intertwining, interlacing the warps and woofs of an educational institution with a clear design which we call vision, with a clear path that we take and this we call mission.”
As the weaver, she unfolded for us the warps and woofs of how each of the support units in school enhances the beauty of the tapestry (vision). She talked about the varied scenes of this tapestry: from the warm welcome we feel when we deal with the offices of Accounting and the Registrar…to the care for our health and wellness by the Clinic and Cafeteria…to the genuine concern and attention given to each family by the Parent Formation Office and to the faculty and staff by the Human Resource Office…to the silent service of the auxiliary and maintenance staff that keep our school clean and homey…to the unceasing sense of wonder in teaching and learning that is constantly rekindled by the Research & Development Unit, Continuing Professional Education Office, and the Learning Resource Center…to the shoreless contributions of our alumnae to society.
In the second part of the program, the three Principals, Mrs. Tina Elloso for Grade School, Ms. Carmela Vertido for Junior High School, and Mrs. Fe Calara for Senior High School, shared with us their reflections on who we are as an educational institution and what we have done to raise the bar of excellence in teaching that provide meaningful learning to our students.
In summary, the Year-End General Assembly was a celebration of people who are doing what they love and doing it with love. We work hard, we work cheerfully, we work towards something more than our daily tasks, and we work together as allies in our noble mission. This captures the essence of our community, the driving force behind this school year, and the reason why we have made it to our Ruby Anniversary.