"My St. Mary's College 'Year-ScrapBook': The Elementary Days, 2000–2006"

It's been a long - a very long time that I thought of making my own yearbook because we weren't provided for our Grade School memories. Even my 2 brothers who finished theirs didn't have one, only for my eldest brother when he finished High School. 

I think it was already years that had gone by when I started it. I was collecting scrapbook materials and come to the thought of it's already a waste because I'm done schooling, no more school projects. And finally realized to use them as a "yearbook" for my grade school memories. 

But, it took me another few years of procrastination before right now, finalizing this unfinished idea of mine to come to an end. It haunts me in my dreams. I don't know why I kept on dreaming about my SMC days. I can't even decode it yet, maybe this long pause is the reason why. 

If it wasn't from my blog page, from the love of writing and my newfound hobby - Junk journaling, this wouldn't be made easy. I had an enthusiasm for finishing it because of writing and the cheap creative idea of recycling from junk. You can see other pages are mixed with it. Though, I have several journals, but the excitement of Junk Journaling is way too different and profound. It's collecting mementos from the journey or from a special occasion you've experienced. The receipts, the tickets, the packaging materials of that favorite food or an item have an even deeper worth as a souvenir, because you have used them on that specific time. 

And now since I don't have everything from the 2000s, this was all I got. Class pictures, report cards and my diploma. Books were donated and notebooks were definitely thrown away. I'll try to share all the fun and bad memories I remember. 

I haven't been inside even for a visit. The last memory was where I was denied for high School enrollment because I hadn't taken the high school entrance exam. I wasn't given money to apply for it. It's the very 1st time of St. Mary's College Q.C. to oblige the old students to pay for the entrance exam. Both of my parents didn't believe me.

They thought of me lying just to get money. I wasn't taught how to handle money. I remember I used the money for getting on the rides at the College Fair instead of giving it to the teacher for paid programs. Don't blame me, I wasn't even taught how to manage finances at a very young age. Oh well, stop pointing fingers. You know what to do when it's time for you to pass down your legacy.

You can zoom in and read my mini journal that I placed on each page. And every face of my classmates is distorted for privacy protection.

I - Joy

1st memory: I was finding the classroom and entered with the sign of 1-JOY, but my mom entered adifferent section—only to find out that one room with 2 doors has 2 sections in it, and I was enrolled for the afternoon class. Then, before the class picture, I asked one of my classmates to help me clip my hair using my colored butterfly hairclips. I designed that myself.

The design of this page is arts because, I don't know who chose Arts Club for me. I was having a hard time folding an art paper to make a boat. Jeez! Oh, and now I remembered something. HAHAHA! I hated my artteacher for being too moody and strict. During her class with us, she told everyone to color the boxes except for white. But I used white instead, proving to her that white can be seen on the gray-recycled paper of our art book. One pabida-sipsip told that to her, proudly raising her hand to make a public complaint. Then, this teacher told me, "It was fine." The white crayon can be used because it is perfectly visible on the gray paper. Bleh!

Then lastly, one student who rarely went to class because he was suspended for punching his classmate. Like, he was just there, present during exams. I don't know the story. Was he homeschooled? I believe he was supposedly a Grade 2 student. Then, before the second exam—they were waiting for me because I went to the comfort room—he screamed my name, HAHA!

At this very moment, our adviser told us that we need to pass all the exams or all the subjects, or else we will have to repeat this level. It stuck in my mind up to now. No wonder it was my ultimate goal not to fail any subjects. And I have never taken summer classes to pass a subject. I have never failed or repeated a single subject or course even in my college days.

And a very special thing to remember for this school year was a classmate named Freya. She was included in our class picture. I remember that she bought a large order of French fries, and we were a bit worriedbecause the bell rang already and we were still eating. It was the ANGELUS. Everybody had to stop wherever they were, like we were playing a game of Red Light, Green Light from Squid Game. Laughing wasprohibited too.

But this young girl passed away before even finishing this school year. We were on a school bus to attend her funeral, and my mother was with us too. I told my mother that I might die as well because I had the flu. She proudly said this to the entire class when talking to my adviser, loudly enough for everybody to laugh at me. Quite impressive.

And at last, I was even present at the Heaven's Gate burial. Her father told me, "When you get sick, you tell that to your parents." My grandmother was living in Antipolo City, no wonder we got there too.

II - Modesty

This year was quite challenging. My mom hated my best friend because she was too naughty and hyper. I couldn't help myself, we were a pack. We were even scolded harshly for being together by our adviser. A bunch of spoilsports. Anyway, I chose the sports club and there was nothing fancy about it and won champion in nutrition's month. The prizes are packs of powdered sustain products.

Then, it was the last afternoon class because for the next year, it would be a whole day class from morning up to 3 pm. And this year was the popularity of the pencil case with the stairs, as they say. I had one, and it was 3 levels plus the bottom. My classmate always borrowed it just to play with his fingers walking down and up.

  

1st Holy Communion

It was a cute thing to wear a short veil. Then, we felt so holy when we felt the splash of holy water. My classmate was too fascinated when her candle reacted so badly. Like a mystery happening. HAHA!

The title "Power of Love," a mass song, became my all-time favorite church song. It was introduced here, and as soon as I heard it, I loved it instantly.

"Hold me close, let your love surround me.

Bring me near, draw me to your side.

And as I wait, I'll rise up like an eagle

And I will soar with you.

Your spirit leads me on

By the Power of your Love."

It was our fun memory too when we were practicing these communion rites with a Chinese candy, Haw Flakes, as the Ostia.

(Weird inner thought message coming through) ... How many times I'd like to thank the Spanish colonization in the Philippines for sharing a FREE-SPIRITED RELIGION. It is so free, it made me question and criticize its purpose without illogical or cynical punishment and the teachings were so beautiful, it made me go back from being an atheist. I will still carry this to my legacy. There is no other humane cult out there that adjusts to today's modern civilization. A perfect and safe religion, especially for women.

III - Diligence

I think I remember that I had a rich classmate here. He invited us 3 times to his birthday because he was my classmate three times. I remember it—I think it was Shakey's on the first invite? I don't remember, but it was just around Timog or Tomas Morato.

My adviser here was a P.E. teacher. We had an assignment to bring a jump rope. Then, we were all excited because P.E. was the first class of the day. Then, this computer teacher happened to be outside our room and threatened us that if we didn't keep it away, she would confiscate it.

And sadly, I was the only one whose precious memory was stolen—a memory that will never be brought back. I was patiently organizing it well by coiling it up and wrapping it all together, and she suddenly summoned me to hand over my rope. I was putting it away. I WAS PUTTING IT—AWAAY!!!!  NAGPAKITANG-GILAS with her authority, and everybody was looking at me as if it was entirely my fault. One of my classmates told me, "Sana di mo na lang inayos, akin siniksik ko sa bag agad." Yeah right, like she knew I was putting it away already.

Now, during our P.E. class outside, I was just sitting, doing nothing, and watching my classmates having fun. My mom bought it for me to have fun and gain wisdom from that time. But that precious memory was stolen from me. A one-time thing that will never have a chance again because, why would we learn jump roping a second time? It wasn't even a valuable sport. And tell you what, that computer subject was the last subject of the day. She didn't even manage to think that I might be needing that within the day. She returned it during dismissal time. A fun memory was lost.

I will never do this to my next generation. I will never steal that experience from them because it could be the last time they will ever have it, like what happened to mine.

 Last for this school year, the art set was so popular. My brother got the art box on a hexagon shape and I got the rectangular one called art set.

Auditorium: Grade School Dance Club 2002-2003

Now, my Grade 3 was a dance club. I remember that we had a long excuse time because we needed to practice dancing; even our lunch must be with our clubmates.

That's my costume: a white t-shirt dyed into our designated color, with beads placed on the tentacle-cutedges of the shirt, pants with sequins, and a white string belt like a medieval or ethnic style which was super popular before.

There were only a few moms who went there. Since my mom helped me with my costume, she was there and surprised me when she shouted out to me about something I forgot.

IV - St. Bridget

On the first day of class, I was like "Ui, Intermediate na ako!" It felt like a major achievement to me. I was in the Drum and Lyre club this year and had a lot of exposure, like playing the National Anthem and the SMC hymn, but I didn't have a single photo of playing the lyre.

 
And this year was the start of the painful migraines that I inherited from my father's side. I was always in and out of the clinic. It was the start of my very 1st pair of eyeglasses.

And now, what happened to my picture here? I don't remember exactly why I cut it in half. Maybe I was trying to get a 1x1 photo out of it, or the other half went bad. This was the last page I designed because I thought it was lost forever. And that Trader Joe's truffles was from my aunt from the USA. See our vlog at Wildflour Café in BGC. This was too fresh.

Field Demonstration 2003-2004

After our program, as usual fun around the entire school because it was right after  the College Fair.

V - St. Augustine

I thought being in the second section was the next best thing to the cream section. I think we were just early bird enrollees. My club this year was the Girl Scouts.

And I just made one of the most courageous decisions I've ever made during my childhood days. I wasn't permitted to have an overnight camping with the boys of Ateneo de Manila. I cried over the phone that I wanted to. I fixed everything on the day of leaving before it was too late. The Dean told me that we needed a letter from my parents stating that they permitted me now. So, one of our helpers came with the other things I needed, the letter, and a liter of water to fill up my water jug.

And voila! OVERNIGHT IN ATENEO DE MANILA WAS ONE OF THE BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED! Ghost hunting around the Ateneo de Manila campus, climbing up to that gigantic rock, roaming around in their mini forest, having an Ateneo friend whom I forgot the name of now—haha!—and so many things.

We were not permitted to swim because we're all girls, had no swimming attire, and the Dean was the only one present to attend to us. I remember when we were having dinner, it was pancit and Sprite soda burstingup into my face. Everybody was concerned and laughing. What fun, memorable times. If phones with cameras had only existed in those days, I would have lots and lots of memories to record.

And this school year was my first experience with bullying. I don't even want to remember or state it here. These three bitches happened to be the only three girls in my group activity. It was so bad because all of the subjects were using the same group to avoid conflicts. That was so fucking bad.

I remember when I tried to voice out, I left and went to my chair, but then this Science teacher told me to rejoin my group. I patiently sat there and didn't speak a thing. And I think that was the end of it. Because they knew they couldn't control me. HA-HA!

I'm still happy, at least I had one beautiful memory for this year. That Ateneo De Manila Scout experience overnight—and it wasn't even my last year in St. Mary's College.

The design of this page is cooking because our adviser was the club moderator and teacher of Home Economics.

VI - OLIC, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception

We were the best section according to the teachers. We were not naughty like the other class and were not too boring and silent like the cream section. We were like the interactive and engaging type of a class—BUT, this was the year full of drama. I don't want to include the negative stories of others, but it all went well. Everyone made it and passed.

This year was one of the most beloved years of my last childhood experiences.

First, this rich classmate invited us again to his birthday and I loved it. It was in Camelot Hotel. I have one picture as a souvenir down below, and I'll continue my story on that.

Second, it was joining the MOTHER IGNACIA CLUB. Nobody wanted to join that club, so instead of dissolving it, they allowed students to join two clubs because I went back to the Drum & Lyre Club and students wanted something fun—BUT being a club member was one of the best days in my ST. MARY'S COLLEGE days. Though it was a good marketing strategy that they focused on fun games and lots of field trips, no wonder lots of students joined the club. There were many times that we visited the RVM Mother House, where the nuns live. Lots of masses, and we were invited for the Golden Jubilee celebration. This was the best experience because it wasn't just about traveling; it was a fun but solemn educational trip. A trip for greater wisdom. No wonder that as an atheist before, I still wanted to go back to the fun times of being a Catholic. I was grateful to be part of it.

And lastly, the SOUL'S SHOP. Oh man, it was truly for the soul. This was the first time I became so ambitious. I fell in love with the idea of a café and native craft styles. It was a shop located at Crossroad 77, across the street from our school. I always let my rich classmate dine inside the shop so that I was included too. The cake, the bread, and the potato salad—HAYYY, what fun, sosyal times!

I was with her during my first commute experience. We were always at the top of the mall in National Book Store Crossing, and we were always at the furniture or display areas mingling around because I became obsessed with native craft designs. I hope I stayed, where high schoolers are into more socializing. Then again, it was all in my memory; I didn't have any actual photos.

Take a look at this only blog about them. I love you Soul Shop. Thanks to my friend for making our last day memories full of ambition, standards and classiness. I have cherished all of them up to now.

At least, I got three links that still refresh my memory about that place.

https://manilafoodistas.blogspot.com/2011/10/lunch-at-soul-shop.html

https://eat.nyo.me/reviews/2012/02/soul-shop-mother-ignacia/

https://www.facebook.com/SoulShopInc/

Field Demonstration VI-OLIC, 2005-2006

We won in the Pambansang Sayawan as champions, and they took the idea of making an arch bouquet for the entire Grade 6 field demo. And I wasn't sure about the name's program; all I remember is that it was held in the auditorium, and possibly during Linggo ng Wika.

College Fair

I always bought these same things every time there was a College Fair. The first squishy ever, the balloon face filled with powder, the fake cockroach prank "the cock-mint", multi-colored pens, and others—and I don't know why I kept buying them.

Saturday Fetching the eldest from his Boy's Scout activity.

Typically, we would fetch our eldest brother from his Boy Scouts camping at Wildlife, I think so. The guard let us in and we roamed around the quiet school. This area was leading to the nuns' office and the library. Still want to include these photos so that we can see the old places or infrastructure of the school.

Thanksgiving Mass Letter

Glad I still have this document to include in my "Year-Scrap Book" because the rest was just certificates. This letter was to be given to our parents during the Thanksgiving Mass held in Auditorium.  A mass before our graduation.

These two pictures are obviously from different occasions. First, was the graduation of my brother, and I think it's at Max's Restaurant. And I told you earlier that I'll continue my classmate's birthday bash here.

It's at the Camelot Hotel, and I don't really have much of a memory about it. I've even forgotten how we enjoyed it. My chaperone was my older brother, while the rest brought their moms with them. We were served soup first, like a totally fine dining experience. There were so many medieval soldiers on display, like a true medieval castle.

Camelot Hotel was built in 1983 and is still operational, still impeccable. No wonder that this classmate is hard to forget. Thanks for inviting us. It added a good memory to my boring childhood.

We even talked about the gifts that he received—the same colored glass chess from four classmates. Mine was one of them. He was like a prince sitting in the center on this wooden chair, and even my brother got his 2005 Calendar souvenir. Not much of the memory.

These pictures are completely different events. First, you have already seen a similarity—it was a Saturday, fetching him. I still want to include it because that rotunda was already demolished and turned into a new space for everyone. And the new rotunda in my Grade 6 class picture.

The second one was from my brother's Recognition Rites, where he received an award for being consistently outstanding for all four quarters of his club performance. And that's the last look of our gymnasium—the same location from my Grade 2 and Grade 4 class pictures. I think it's already a swimming pool and two more floors now, but I'm not totally sure.
Lastly, there's just another dark background of the quadrangle.

Since I have a special page for Dad that I adjusted based on the availability of my stickers, I made a special page for my mom as well. That's why the photo is duplicated. By the way, I checked my school on their Facebook page and those square colored benches and blue poles are still there.

My mom has her own small business. It's Jj's Baking. Please do check her business page.

Jj's Baking | FB Business page

And finally, these pictures are from my brother's graduation in 2004. After two years, it was my graduation and nothing differed from each other. Same location in the quadrangle, same outfits—our gala uniform—and almost everything. We sang our alma mater as the final activity. The final thing we learned, we practiced, and we trained for this very day. It was the last thing that we actually paid for. I still have two photos of my graduation—the one with our adviser and the one standing on the stage—but I don't really know where they are right now. 

If I ever find them somewhere, of course, the additional pages will be updated.
And for the very last memory that still haunts me in my dreams—it was me with my brother. I summoned him to go up with me, all the way up to the last wooden floor of the Grade 6 classrooms. We went up because I had pasted my photo on the blackboard for one last memory. Before entering the gated stairs, we came across a nun and talked about goodbyes and graduation**,** and I even shook hands with her—totally nonsense.

Now, we ran because the tingling sensation of getting lost and trapped disturbed me. It was very dark and cold, and I was glad that nobody had closed the gates. Upon reaching the room, it was all gone. The room was completely cleaned, and no other materials were pasted on the bulletin board. I was like, "Okay, wala na," and even checked the teacher's drawer.
And this wasn't even my last day of entering this school.

 My school IDs were missing two here. First was the Grade 1 ID—I don't really know where it went—and my Grade 2 ID was cut in almost 3/4. Only the orange border with the St. Mary's College name was left, and I was already outside of the school when I figured it out. Mom went to school about it, and I think it was a few months before the school year ended. That's why she didn't ask me to get a new ID.

The last story and memory of what happened to me? Why did I leave? Why didn't I stay just like my older brother, who finished high school and earned the Loyalty Award?

I said earlier that we were the very first batch required to pay for the High School Entrance Exam, even though we were old students. Both of my parents didn't believe in me. So, upon enrollment under my name, I was quickly handed an application paper for the entrance exam, and we immediately went to the Dean'soffice with our request: that I must be enrolled first before taking the exam, because if I failed, I should still be accepted since I am an old student.
My mom was worried that the money she currently handed me might get lost—probably from thieves or whatever. It was a long and harsh debate with our Principal and my previous club moderator about it. After intensely arguing—yup, quite a bit—Mom left in the middle of the argument and came back a few weeks later asking for a recommendation letter.

Honestly, I didn't like the high school because it was so strict. You had to fall in line while the C.A.T. checkedthe bags. No colored hair ties except for black, and lots of other nonsense rules just like that. So, I chose to leave because of it. Until I suffered the worst in the new high school I went to. It was a mistake leaving SMC. I could have stayed to acquire more quality knowledge and gain more standard connections—or even dine more in my favorite café, the Soul Shop, because high school life is more about socializing.

I don't want to ruin this beautiful memory I created, so we don't want to reveal everything that happened after SMC. We focus here.

(currently blogger stops from uploading photos, will update this one.)

These are the oldest documents I've got: the Grade 1 report card. We had to return this after receiving our ratings, but for Grades 4 to 6, it was just a paper. We received a new card every quarter, so of course, there was no need to return it.

...

And of course, if you know me, I update my stories from time to time—for new updates and for clarification, if I happen to re-read my story. For you, my classmates, if you have something to share, I would be really happy to make a new page for that story.
And I hope I have finally decoded my recurring dream about this school. We'll see now, and so that is all of it. Goodbye, SMC. Thank you for the most impeccable wisdom I could ever have.