Abridged version of a speech delivered by Mrs. Divine E. Adajar at the PAREF Annual General Meeting in celebration of its 40th anniversary in August 2016. Mrs. Adajar has been working in Woodrose for 30 years now. She is currently the Asst. Principal of the Senior High School and she holds a MA in Values Education from the University of Asia & the Pacific.

I remember how it all began. My friend was looking for a physics tutor for a student from Woodrose. I had not heard of this school before. But looking back, I am thankful for that phone call. One referral led to another, and another, until I met the family that encouraged me to apply in Woodrose. And, despite its distance from my home back then, I decided to give it a try.

I fell in love with Woodrose the moment I saw it. It was not a typical school. Away from the noise of busy streets, its atmosphere seemed to be conducive to serious study. It was such a well-maintained school and the campus was clean. There was also a certain elegance that permeated the school. The teachers who were there that summer were welcoming. Everyone was smiling and the few who happened to pass me by while I sat, waiting, asked me if I had been attended to. I was so impressed by the atmosphere and community that when I was told that I had been accepted for a position, I felt very lucky indeed.

[In the past thirty years,] I’ve been a classroom teacher, a homeroom adviser, an administrator, a mentor, a mentee, and a parent. And in all these aspects, Woodrose has touched my life.

As a teacher, I have been privileged to have had in my class many, many fine young ladies. Thirty years ago, some of them began to teach me how to teach. I’d like to think that I was technically competent, but teaching was more than delivering lessons in class and making sure that students learned the lessons taught. From them, I learned that true teaching only works when the teacher looks into the heart, understands, and respects what she sees. Insights gained from my daily conversations with them on any topic, especially those outside the lesson, helped me to deal with my own children. A few of these young ladies eventually became the mentor and teachers of my daughter, and one even became my immediate boss. Such is the cycle of life.

The support given by the school for professional and personal development is one of Woodrose’s best features. I have benefitted from the countless seminars and trainings – in-house, local, and international – and from the scholarship for continuing education. The school is committed to keeping teachers up-to-date in their respective fields and developing them so that they become instructional leaders. I have been given responsibilities which I consider opportunities for growth. Sometimes I doubted myself but the assurances and support I received from my colleagues pushed me to achieve more than I initially thought I was capable of. I guess our growth depends a lot on how much we are willing to go out of our comfort zone. And in all of these choices, I was always free to decide.

As a parent, I took to heart the philosophy of the school: integral formation and parents as the primary character educators of their children. [My husband and I] both wanted a school where there is unity of criteria between the home and the school, where values we adhered to are likewise upheld. We wanted character building to be as important as academic formation. We wanted the opportunity to collaborate with the teachers to bring out the best in our children. We wanted a school that could help us develop our children in all aspects: spiritually, socially, morally, physically – not only academically. These are hard to find anywhere else.

Woodrose extends its program of integral formation to her teachers and employees as well. In this institution, I met genuine, selfless people who care about me not just as a professional, but who are also concerned about my personal and spiritual growth. The warm, understanding, and caring relationship with my mentor provides stability and balance in my work and family life. And it is because of such consistent personal care that I found my Faith again – that and the fact that the means of formation are always available.

In one closed-door session with the high school faculty and the accreditors during the PAASCU visit last February 2016, a question asked was: “In one word, what is Woodrose to you?” Spontaneously, the faculty members answered “Family.” No ManCom or middle management member personally witnessed this for we were excluded from the group interview. We were just informed about it after. And yes, that’s exactly what it is. Woodrose is a family – in good times and in bad. In good times, we always find an excuse to celebrate – be it as simple as sharing a new concoction from someone’s kitchen to something as momentous as placing in a licensure exam or completing graduate studies with honors. But it is when you feel down that you most appreciate being a part of this family. My Woodrose family was there at the lowest points in my life, when I lost both my parents. I got so much emotional support from my colleagues. And even in the seemingly smaller problems in life, I have always known that I can count on the prayers of my Woodrose family. When people from my school say they will pray for you or for your intentions, it is never lip service. They will really pray for you and you will feel the power of those prayers being lifted up for you.