by Franciber C. Siacico
SP lanterns hanging in the corridors? Images of Blessed Marcelo Spinola scattered everywhere? Representations of different countries of the Handmaids of the Divine Heart have built in school with multiple activities? What could this mean? It’s Foundation week of course! Everyone knows why we celebration Foundation week, but have we learned the value and essence of celebrating this event?
To kick the fun of this week, the school represented the different countries where Spinola School is built with their spicy song and dance. It was immediately followed by a parade through town on busy streets. All students and educators in school marched despite the distance and strain. That was a hard Tuesday. By Thursday, the Spinola lanterns made by the grade 9 students and festive banderitas were on full display in the school building. The gallery made by the grade 10 was displayed too, showing the different countries where Spinola family is present and facts about the father founders. There was indeed, an atmosphere of celebration. The alternative classes were held in the afternoon and the students learned new skills and had fun. On Friday, the mass was held in the morning and it went smoothly. After health break, the grade 12 students took the 7th graders and had an encounter with the life of the father founder of the school. They had a meditative walk in the labyrinth and ended their individual sessions with a prayer. After that, they got to know each other a little more while waiting for the angelus. The 8th and 11th graders had played some fun games together in the field. Those activities do not only connect the different generations of Spinolanians, but it is also connecting the people who would have never interacted to each other under any other circumstance. The afternoon program was the long awaited event in the culmination of the program. All classes gave their tributes with grateful song and dance with a little bit of drama. The educators and staff have worked hard to make this week possible. Why was it worth it? Blessed Marcelo Spinola, Mo. Celia Mendez and the Spinola Sisters work all their lives to share the personal love of Jesus through the apostolate of education. They want their students will not only grow in their intellectual aspect, but also grow to their full potentials as dignified children of God. That was displayed during the week-long celebration. We celebrate Foundations Week because if wasn’t for them, we would not here, learning that there’s no more to being human than just intelligence. We should take the time to properly thank our founders for giving us this home, to grow and know each other as equal human beings.
The founder’s week was fun and all. But, the important thing to remember is that we would not be who we are now if it wasn’t for them. So let’s all give a very loving and a very spicy thank you to our founders. For some of us, this will be the last Foundation day in this school so let’s be extra grateful for the quality education.