#olps

Yarrah Danielle Soriano is a smart, talkative girl. She loves music – singing and playing the ukulele. During weekends, she would bond with her friends.In Our Lady of Peace School, she always did great, she received academic awards. No matter how chatty she was, she knew when to pay attention at the same time.

With her father in abroad, the family had to be there, too. The first time Yarrah found out that they’ll be moving to Hong Kong, she didn’t want to, because of her friends. Her friends, she would miss them, but she knew she had to take care of her father, too.

Now, imagine going to another place, a different environment – a different language, different people.This was what Yarrah had to go through.

Yarrah, now a 6th grader in Delia English Primary School and Kindergarten. The first time she was there, she had difficulties learning Chinese. It was confusing her…and she misses her friends. Making friends in this new school was, well, difficult.

Now, imagine being in 3rd Grade and being excited about the world and life and its beauty.

It took time, but now she excels in class and in her extracurriculars – outstanding in academic achievement, 2nd Place in Computer Design Competition, 2nd Place in English Creative Writing Contest, and many more. She has manifested her interest and talent by being part of the Drama Club and Folk Song Club.

Imagine, you have succeeded in a lot of things – and you remember the first time when it was also like this.

Her life in OLPS was amazing. To leap from one place to a completely different one will have to require a lot of guts and by guts I mean heart and brain, courage and knowledge.

OLPS taught her those two things – she knew English and is fluent. OLPS taught her to be disciplined. And she’s grateful for the people she met along the way. The teachers who helped her and taught her how to deal with problems.  The friends she had and made memories with.

Studyblr came from the word study and Tumblr. It is a community of students who shares their academic adventures, study techniques and habits. Under studyblr, we have Appblrs who are students working on their application for their desired college, Medblrs who are composed of students who wishes to be medical professionals, Langblrs who are aspiring polyglots and Lawblrs who are students of law.  It is the perfect place to learn how to learn and be motivated . As you explore more of studyblr, you’ll see lots of beautiful notes, minimal study spaces with the best lighting, convenient printables, gorgeous bullet journal layouts, and stunning school supplies that will make you get off Tumblr and start studying.

Perfect handwriting and expensive stationeries will surely catch your attention but it’s not a must for studyblrs. In order to become one, you only need one thing - the willingness to learn. Once you become one, you will consistently be inspired to study, and soon you may see big improvements on your grades.

Plan ahead. Getting yourself a planner would help you track the activities you would be doing for the day. Give yourself a set time to spend on each task. All you have to do is to stick to it.

Write down notes. Don’t just rely on what is written on the board; jot down the things you hear on the discussion. If your teachers send you copies of your lessons online, find time to write it down on your notebook.

Be creative. Fully engage yourself when studying. You can use colored pens to give emphasis on important words. Doodle as much as you can, when ideas and processes are complex, doodling can be a quick and intuitive way of capturing information. Of course, this doesn’t hold true for every student, but it certainly makes sense to allow students who learn this way.

Rest. Taking a nap before you study can boost your performance and may help you lock in long-term memories. It’s like rebooting your brain, it makes your mind refreshed.

Find your place. Find a place where you feel comfortable or with little distractions so you can study peacefully.

Refresh your mind every day. If you study a little bit every day you'll be continually reviewing things in your mind. This helps you understand things. It also helps you avoid the stress of last-minute cramming.

Need help? Reach out. Don’t struggle by yourself, and don’t give up. You can get some help from your classmates or teachers.

Take breaks. It's important to take a break when you're studying, especially if you're feeling tired. Working too long on a task can actually decrease your performance.

Since most of us have a preferred way of learning. Get to know your learning style and study in the ways you learn best.

You can come up with your own strategies

Everybody is different, so the best way to establish a routine is to try different things and see what works best for you. You might already have other things that work better for you. Whatever it is, whatever strategy you come up with, when you find something that works for you, put it into practice and go for it!

This year’s pageant, which was organized by both the Makabayan Department and the Science Department, introduces cultural and international involvement in solving ecological issues.

Dr. Marivette Miranda, the Science Coordinator and one of the head organizers, commended the winners of all activities throughout the Science/AP Month, and encouraged students to live out the essence of celebrating such events – the lifelong duty as stewards of the environment.

The candidates then took their preliminary strut on stage as they were introduced individually, raising the banner of their represented countries and earning cheers and shouts from their supporters.

Mr. Herbriance Briones presented the board of judges for the event: Ms. Roselle Vytiaco, the Bb. Kalikasan 2014; Ms. Lorna Halili, Reading Center staff; Mr. Rogelio Amante, a former OLPS English teacher; and Mr. Jhoey Magallon, a freelance make-up artist/hairdresser and handler of models.

Representatives from the Grade School paraded their recycled costumes, which were also inspired by their designated countries.

The binibinis once again owned the catwalk as their dresses were described in full detail, emphasizing creativity and resourcefulness through their national costumes.

Special awards were distributed afterwards: Ms. Britain was hailed as Miss Congeniality, Ms. Greece as Miss Photogenic, Ms. Mexico as the People’s Choice, and Ms. Philippines for the Best National Costume.

After the distribution of the said awards, the 8 Semi-Finalists were announced in no particular order, and they were judged by their national costumes.

Ms. Philippines, Ms. U.S.A, Ms. New Zealand, Ms. Greece, Ms. Spain, Ms. Thailand, Ms. Colombia, and Ms. Mexico filled the slots for top 8, and they began delivering their speech advocacies aligned with their represented countries’ ecological struggles.

Before the announcement of the Finalists, Ms. Mexico was given the Eco-Citizen award after motivating her fellow schoolmates to redirect innovation into a more sustainable, progressive system.

The top 5 contestants were then revealed: Ms. Spain, Ms. Colombia, Ms. U.S.A., Ms. New Zealand, and Ms. Mexico.

Winners from both Grade 7’s Eco-rale and Grade 9’s Futuristic Dance presented their original pieces, exhibiting both talent and creativity whilst wowing the audience.

Grade 7 – St. John Bosco played an ensemble of percussions and encouraging OLPSians that togetherness will bring fruits from acting on environmental problems.

On the other hand, Grade 9 – St. Joan of Arc strutted femme vibes in their fandango alongside their emulation of Star Wars’ Imperial Army.

After Sophia Niaomi Olifermo, the Bb. Kalikasan 2015, did her farewell walk on stage, the top 5 candidates were recognized with their final pageant standings.

Ms. Spain was proclaimed as the 4th runner-up, Ms. U.S.A. as the 3rd runner-up, and Ms. Colombia as the 2nd runner-up.

After a tense beat, Ms. Mexico was announced 1st runner-up, and Ms. New Zealand was hailed as the Binibining Kalikasan 2016.

Mr. Marck Ferdinand Aguilar, the head organizer from the Makabayan Department, imparted emotional gratitude for the success of the event. “It’s very tiring, yet it’s satisfying, it’s a rollercoaster ride… that’s what I love about beauty pageants, everything is worth it at the same time effort, the time and effort is there.”

He added, “[All the effort] from planning, from organizing, from creating, from producing, to the execution of the program itself… it cannot be any better than this.”

Dr. Miranda also expressed her remarks on the event, saying that every trouble faced throughout planning and execution was worth it.

As for Ms. New Zealand, Mika Kikuchi of Grade 9 – St. Lorenzo Ruiz, she believed she had stood her section’s ground regardless of whether she had triumphed or not. “Sobrang worth it. Nung unang nakita namin yung costume, sabi namin, ‘Hala, kaya ba to?’ Sabi ko, ‘Kaya ‘to, kasi effort ng classmates ko ‘to; matalo, manalo, at least I did my best,” said Kikuchi.

Mr. Aguilar, however, gives a piece of advice to the crowned Binibini. “For Miss Kikuchi, study hard. The title - it’s just a title, but more than that, be humble. Sabi nga sa isang Bible scripture: ‘Those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who are humble will be exalted.’”

“For Bb. Kalikasan 2016, hopefully you will be able to do your role, since you will be a role model to all OLPSians. You must also help other people to do the same thing,” advised Dr. Miranda to Ms. New Zealand.

Plans on the next pageant are already in talks, according to the organizers. “Maybe we will put some innovations: they need to involve in community service wherein this will really prove that they are really stewards of God’s creation,” said Dr. Miranda.

Mr. Aguilar also expressed his high hopes for the next pageant. “Let’s make it more special for next school year, kasi 45th [Foundation] Year, and hopefully next year sa Dimansalang [Park] na tayo. That’s our main target.”

Ms. New Zealand left a message of gratitude and optimism to OLPSians: “Salamat sa suporta; let’s do our best para maprotektahan natin ang environment.”

Dr. Susan Macabangon, the Students’ Activities Coordinator, opened the program by remarking the significant achievements of the institution for this year’s celebration. She reminded all OLPSian athletes that through their participation in the sports events, they have manifested their passion and skill, regardless of whether they received awards or not.

Serving as a prelude to the Culminating Activity for the Science/UN Month, Grade 10 – St. Augustine performed their winning presentation for the Futuristic Dance Competition while highlighting the fusion of Egyptian culture and giving importance to ecological values.

The awarding ceremony was then conducted and led by the members of the Administrative Council. The winners for each category per department were:

The winners for the Intramurals 2016

The Badminton & Basketball winners for the High School

The Mythical Five were recognized from both Seniors and Juniors: from the Grade 10 were Ludwig De Guzman, Ryzen Revilla, and James Marquez, while Jericho Torrente and Vince Supan stood out from the Grade 9 team.

They received their medals along with Brylle Garcia and Justin Albufera, the GS and HS Most Valuable Players, respectively.

Garnering the most number of awards in the GS Department, the Green Team led by Ms. Gilda Romero was acclaimed as the Overall Champion.

On the other hand, the Supremos had not collected Championship titles, but they have bested the other HS levels in garnering runner-up places in all of the sports categories.

Sr. Anabel Dela Cruz, SPC, the School Head/Principal, congratulated all students while emphasizing the essence of holding such events. “The Intramurals is a good venue for students to practice values such as respect, sportsmanship, and service to others. Hence, this can be an avenue for the students to achieve more,” said Sr. Anabel.

Albeit the lesser restrictions throughout the week-long celebration, Sr. Anabel reminded the students that observing proper decorum must always be the first priority.

Nevertheless, Sr. Anabel complimented the full involvement of OLPSians not only in sports, but also in the different booths supervised by student organizations.

Among the Grade School representatives, those who won in the English categories were Evan Carranza, 1st in Feature Writing; Lorenz Marqueses, 5th place in Feature Writing and 2nd place in Editorial Writing; Paul Adriano, 7th in Science and Health Writing and 1st in Editorial Writing; and Gianna Garcia, 7th in News Writing.

Meanwhile, the following students from the High School also received awards: Lucille Arellano, 1st in Feature Writing; Marhyll Donila, 2nd in Feature Writing; Samantha Jugao, 6th in Feature Writing; Lyka Pacleb, 2nd in Editorial Writing; Joanna Macabanti, 4th in Science and Health Writing; and Euryle Mopera, 4th in Editorial Cartooning.

High School representatives also bagged awards from their respective Filipino categories: Alberto Maricaban, 1st in Editorial Writing; Gilliane Honora, 3rd in Editorial Cartooning; Maq Dela Paz, 9th in Editorial Cartooning  Orland Abao, 3rd in Feature Writing; and Clark Quisora, 5th in Newspaper Layouting.

Due to the changed rules, only the winners in 1st to 5th places were automatically qualified for the Regionals.

However, those who won in 6th to 10th places of News Writing, Editorial Writing, Feature Writing, Sports Writing, and Editorial Cartooning were given a chance to fill in additional slots for Regionals qualification by joining in the Collaborative Desktop Publishing, held on the 3rd day of the event.

Grade 11 students also participated in the Radio Broadcasting - English category, which was held the same day as the Collaborative category.

On the last day of the event, OLPS also garnered additional awards: Samantha Jugao won 2nd place in Feature Writing; Gianna Garcia, 12th in Feature Writing;  and The OLPSian Times won 5th place in Sports Page, 5th place in Feature Page, 9th place in Editorial Page, and 13th place in Science and Health page.