SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE– St. Mary School (SMS) alumni are enjoined to attend the grand alumni homecoming on March 31-April 2 to start with vespers at 3 pm on March 31 at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
SMS alumnus Atty. Paul Sagayo, private practitioner based in Manila, shall be doing an inspirational talk during the evening vespers for the thousands of alumni of the school celebrating the spirit of ‘ob-obbo’ (cooperation).
Some 5,000 alumni graduated from the more than a century-old SMS since the first four – Eduardo Longid, Alfredo Pacyaya, Didaco Olat, and Benito Longdayan- graduated in 1932. By March 2000 are some 3,500 graduates spread out in different parts of the world and some home-based in Sagada.
A business meeting shall follow thereafter at the SMS auditorium to be presided by St. Mary School Alumni (SMSAA) president Thomas Killip. Resolutions of crucial concerns shall be especially discussed. The SMS alumni homecoming steering committee headed by chairman SMS alumnus Mayor James Pooten Jr. enjoins alumni to send their proposals and resolutions before the event on issues and concerns relevant to the school which may be proposed as individuals, as a group or as a class.
Alumni chapters and the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) are enjoined to report aside from SMS Principal Raquel Killy.
An evening of entertainment dubbed Mountain Night shall be done night of March 31 after dinner with music director Dennis Faustino conducting the musical performance of some SMS alumni and students. The evening will also feature alumni-musicians and dancers among other talents.
April 1 is a day to begin with a parade from Daoangan at 7:30 followed by a school- memorial mass where the departed alumni will be especially remembered with the lighting of candles.
SMS alumnus Rev Resurreccion Reyes, secretary general of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) shall be the homilist during the school mass to be participated in by alumni and students of SMS.
Blessing of the SMS Gym follows thereafter with SMS alumnus and former undersecretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) Engr. Rufino Bumasang giving the history of the structure and unveiling of the plaque.
Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines (EDNP) Bishop Brent Alawas shall specially do the blessing of the school gymnasium realized from donations and support of alumni and friends.
The multi-million gym now enclosed and with bleachers installed is currently being used for school and community activities and being rented out as a form of fund raising for the school’s finances.
A business meeting follows on matters directed towards getting pledges of commitment by classes and individual alumni. This shall be followed by class meetings in the afternoon.
The usual Crazy Night observed every alumni reunion shall be held with ‘anything goes’ the alumni feel free to show, whether to sing or dance or do story telling or a riddle. Classes are urged to prepare their shows.
An amount of P500 registration fee shall cover two meals, a t-shirt, a bag and the printed program of activities for the two-day activity. Alumni shall come together to give tribute to alumni, teachers, and faculty who left memorable imprints; and pursue on the continuing story of SMS towards academic excellence.
Historian William Henry Scott notes that the school initiated screening of seventh grade graduates for entrance to high school in 1929 and achieved its highest academic standard in 1962 when the school placed ninth in national examinations administered to 1,500 public and private schools. The principal then, Fr. Stapleton attributed this to four factors: the excellence of the faculty, the entrance requirement of the 7th grade, the presence of large open stack-library, and the quality of 6th grade graduates entering from the Sagada public schools.
St. Mary’s School was established in 1904 by American missionary Rev. John Staunton who established the Episcopal hurch of St. Mary the Virgin in Sagada in the early 1900s. By 1912, the first high school pine-wood building was built.
With support from Manila businessman and philanthropist Alfonso Yuchengo Sr., a concrete two storey building complete with classrooms and rooms for audio visuals, computer classes, carpentry, art workshop, faculty and administration, library, comfort rooms, canteen and a basement was built in 1979.
Dorothy Kiley became principal in 1969 followed by Evangeline Aguilan then by the administratorship of Bernice See in 2003. For a brief stint, John Guitilen administered the school then taken over by Dennis Faustino and now acts as consultant for the school’s senior high while currently serving as headmaster for All Saints Mission in Bontoc. Nemia Lite took over as acting principal who resigned May 2016 and replaced by Raquel Killy, now the principal.
Since the Episcopal church became administratively and financially autonomous in 1990, the school faced extremely difficult financial constraints. The opening of Sagada National High School in 1995 located in the same vicinity made the financial woes even worse. From an average of at least 300 students a year, enrollment decreased to some 200 students to an average now of 160, less thesenior high school enrollment. As part of its financial upkeep from student’s tuition fees, the school gets some subsidy from the government through the DepEd and pledges from alumni and friends.**By Gina Dizon
