Pearl Prizes!

Our A Gift of Pearls Raffle Draw was held during the January 26, 2008 Alumnae Homecoming. Fourth Prize, drawn by former STAA Chairman, Lulu Bacsal-Gonzalez, went to Jhonassis de Asis. Third Prizes, drawn by our balikbayan classmates Anna Atienza-Colina and Anzelle Guevarra-David, went to Cecilia Modolo and Susan Policarpio. Second Prize, drawn by prize donor, Delby Panaguiton-Bragais, went to Christina Marie Pangdao. And the First Prize, drawn by our former Chemistry teacher, Irene Navarro, went to our U.S. classmates represented by Anzelle Guevarra-David!

Congratulations to all!

First Bell

The bell would ring twice every morning when we attended High School at St. Theresa’s College, Quezon City. The “first bell” meant that we were to form 2 lines in the corridors outside our classrooms. The “second bell” meant that we were to march into our classrooms for the start of classes. We were teenagers then, and the first bell would normally go unnoticed. Not until Sister Gloria Ymson started patrolling the corridors. She would stand at the end of the corridor, barely five feet in height, although to us, she could very well have been seven feet tall. Her mere presence there, framed by the wooden doorway, made that first bell superfluous. The whispering would start, “Sr. Gloria’s there!” And we would stop whatever it was we were doing and would dutifully form our lines, without her having to say a word, without waiting for that first bell to ring.

Gloria Roque Ymson was born on March 29, 1932, in Navotas. At the age of 29, she joined the Immaculate Sisters of Mary (ICM). She was originally with the Elementary Department of the then ICM-administered St. Joseph’s School in Pandacan, becoming its Principal in 1968. Eventually, Sr. Gloria joined the High School Department of St. Theresa’s College, Quezon City.

That is where we met her, where she taught us, where we were trained by her. She was our nemesis in High School, always aware of what we had done, and what we were up to. But she would never be able to stay angry with us for long, and after much cajoling and apologizing, we would see the first glimpse of a smile, the first break in her stern face. When we were in our Senior Year, that smile came more quickly and easily.

I saw Sr. Gloria again, after 25 years, during our Silver Homecoming in January 2003. My first reaction was amazement - that such a tiny sweet woman could control so many adolescents, full of young energy, for so many years. I hugged her then, never having had the courage to do so before, and asked if she remembered me. She said yes and spoke my full maiden name. She did this for so many of us who attended that night.

On July 31, 2007, after a series of strokes that left her in a coma for several days, and surrounded by her immediate family, Sr. Gloria Ymson passed on to Our Creator. Her remains lay in state at the Queen of Peace Convent, shrouded by the prayers of generations of grateful students.

She was and is our First Bell, the soft tolling in our minds that tells us what to do, the quiet ringing in our hearts that reminds us of what is right, the gentle tinkling in our souls that whispers “all is well.” She kept us straight and true. Honor her memory.

Our Lustrous Second Prize!

The winner of our A Gift of Pearls fabulous Second Prize chooses one of these lustrous designs by North Road's Delby Panaguiton-Bragais:

Inspired by Royalty, this backless cocktail dress is made of shimmery lace in rose, ecru and copper hues accented with a pleated stand up collar. Faux Pearls, Swarovski crystals, cut glass and flat beads adorn the upper bodice. A matching shawl is included.

Inspired by The Little Black Dress, this cocktail dress features an empire cut bodice with glossy lace and pleated silk skirt. Sleeves are made of lace and are see-thru. Faux Pearls, Swarovski crystals, cut glass and flat beads embellish the wide scoop neckline.

Carnevale!

January 26, 2008 is our Alumnae Homecoming and it promises to be a carnival of fun! Join our Pearl Party at 5:00 p.m at the STCQC High School grounds and witness our A Gift of Pearls Raffle Draw! You may be the lucky winner of one of our lustrous prizes! Have dinner with old friends and then sit back and enjoy the homecoming program, specially our very own Carnevale di Venetia Dance Number! Lots of fun and surprises are in store for everyone! Keep posted for more details.

A Gift of Pearls Raffle!

1. The prizes of our A Gift of Pearls raffle are:
a. One First Prize - 3 days-2 nights trip for two to Pearl of the Pacific, Boracay worth P18,000.00
b. One Second Prize - gift certificate for an haute couture pearl-and crystal embellished cocktail dress from North Road
c. Two Third Prizes - pearl gift sets worth P3,000.00
d. One Fourth Prize - Dinner for 4 at Pearl Manila Hotel worth P2,000.00

2. Only qualified raffle ticket stubs shall be eligible for the raffle to be held during the Alumnae Homecoming on January 26, 2008. So be sure your raffle tickets:
a. have been fully paid,
b. have been fully filled-up with the name of the donor, contact number of the donor, and the name of the solicitor, and
c. will be dropped in the special drop box, donated by The Wrap Shop's Ruby Yap, prior to the draw! The drop box will be a special door prize!

3. Winners of the raffle prizes shall be announced on this site on January 27, 2008, and will be contacted thru the numbers provided in the ticket stubs before January 31, 2008.

4. Proceeds of the raffle shall be turned over to SEFI, the scholarship program of the ICM sisters and STCQC, on January 26, 2008 during the Alumnae Homecoming.

For details on SEFI, scroll down or contact your Class of 1978 solicitor for more information!

Soar...

Remember why we loved the swings? Because they made us believe, with the imagination of youth, that we could fly. Isn't it uplifting to know now, with the wisdom of age, that by giving back, we can soar!

Here We Go...

On September 1, 2007, we distributed a total of 1,500 "A Gift of Pearls" raffle tickets to as many classmates as possible, thru a networking system we set up. The goal is to raise at least P100,000.00 for SEFI. For more details on our raffle and SEFI, scroll down.

And several of our classmates are now working hard on yet another show-stopping dance presentation for the 2008 Alumnae Homecoming. For more details on the Homecoming, follow the link to the Official Site of STAA.

We need all the support of all our classmates and friends now. Send us your pledges and suggestions now.