Reedley Blog

The RTV talents are now prepping up for the much-awaited theatrical performance of the school year!  Those struts, swags and swings await full throttle.   Duet and trio synchronize their voices to achieve a masterpiece. Soloists have been rocking the house down performing at maximum gear.  It is an intense yet gratifying workshop for all the performers and organizers… really seems like Reedley’s got ALL the talents!     The spectacular and glitzy show will be orchestrated by Allan Alojipan of Episodes.  So pack up and wear your most comfortable shoes because you will surely be drawn away into the joyous and jazzy journey to aRTeeVinia!

The start couldn’t have been better when Ryan entered Junior year at
Reedley.  It was an easy comfort zone to have.  He gained immediate
friendships with his wits and humor.  Though a newcomer from Korea, he
made his way straight to being Class President.  In less than a year, he
rose to being the President of the Student Council.  Modestly he said that
all these opportunities were conveniently received because Ms. Sordan, Ms.
Wamilda and Ms. Rolle were all very supportive of his progression.  Fidgety
for some people to take risks, but at Reedley, it is confidence that comes
with every opportunity that knocks.  It is also at Reedley that Jama, his
friend encouraged him to join the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) at ABS-CBN, where
he is now engaged in various shows from Showtime to Banana Split and Star
Magic shows.    Back at Reedley, he has imprinted his soul to each and
everyone’s heart.  He was active in numerous events and initiatives such as
Youth Lens Program, Reesians Unite, Ondoy Relief Drive, Jollibee’s Maaga
ang Pasko, and RTV Audition, to name a few.  The most memorable of which is
the fieldtrip to Hongkong-Macau where he led a chivalrous act of carrying
others’ luggage and caring deed of ensuring the safety of his fellow
students.  A Reedley model, indeed, Ryan proudly gave back the recognition
of his values to Reedley for teaching him “life skills” – a mark of a true
Reesian.

The Reesian spirit is with Janeena.  Reedley is her family.  “Family”, the very first core value of Reedley has made Janeena utter “…being here feels right”.  There is a recognized authority and everyone is equally treated according to his or her worth.  Janeena is currently a member of The Club (Reedley’s Dramatics Club) and a part of the RTV Program.  Lights, glamour and stage.  They all go together.  But for the cheerful and vibrant Janeena, perfection was achieved when she combined them with academic honors.  She is a consistent merit awardee at Reedley.  Beauty and brains!  Her thriving media career was well-molded early on when she did modeling stints as young as Grade 1.  She was the young (Chinese) Barbie model! This was followed by storytelling kicks at Enchanted Kingdom, singing gig as a Disney princess, and broadcasting and scriptwriting roles at RPN 9 TeenWatch. Whew!  With all this, together with the direction and guardianship of Reedley, Janeena is set to claim her ultimate dream of producing and hosting a travel television show in the future. 

Currently in 3^rd Year Upper School, Tippy confesses Reedley has drawn out the finest in her.  She would not have been given a chance to polish her skills and shine, if she were in a different school.  The ongoing RTV Program is one of the venues that allow her to hone her skills in singing, acting and dancing. Not just that, for this year, she hosted the sophomore and junior batch nights and many other school events… “Self-actualization”, a Reedley core value that keeps helping Tippy utilize her talents fully, creatively and most importantly, joyfully.  Ms. Thea Sordan has always steered her into a positive attitude.  As the Student Affairs Head, Ms. Sordan continues to guide her in life-planning skills that are consistent with her unique needs, interests, and abilities.  Yes, Tippy is unique and as such, deserves a fitting discipline.  At Reedley, she is able to start fulfilling her dreams alongside schooling.  She just finished taping for ABS-CBN’s “Idol” and is preparing for the 12-hour concert-for-a-cause of World Vision.  With all these exposures taking place simultaneously, it is no wonder that her life track is very well established early at this stage.  She plans to pursue Special Education after finishing high school.  What a mature and altruistic effort to make a change.  Tippy, a gem at Reedley!

Literary. Creativity. Serendipity. All Martin knew was that he loved to write. He just needed a push. And all it took was Reedley.  It was here that Ms. Meg Leyesa, a former Life Coach, exerted all efforts to help him find his niche. They would always talk seriously about possible college degrees that would enable him to unleash his potentials. It was at Reedley that meaningful bonding with Joe Moragas led to very beautiful friendships with the rest of the class. And it was also at Reedley that the generous and warm accommodation of Mrs. Nelly Ong melted everyone’s hearts.

 

“Self-actualization” is one of the core values of Reedley. It is what propelled Martin to where he is now.  Martin is a fulfilled writer of toolboxd (www.toolbox.com) and college instructor of the Creative Writing Program of the Ateneo. For his inherently ingenious mind, he won at the 2006 Don Carlos Palanca awards for literature for his essay “He’d rather be relevant”. He definitely has no regrets to all the things that happened in his life. Literary is his creatively crafted destiny.

One of the pioneer students of Reedley, Ifore Yu admitted that he was not an excellent student during his high school days. But his stint with the school was very worthwhile as he experienced a different environment with students coming from diverse cultures. Whereas during his grade school days, he was used to his fellow Chinese classmates, at Reedley he learned to mingle with students from foreign soil which taught him the value of being collaborative. He also realized when he was put in disciplinary detention due to some mischievous behavior the value of being responsible for all your actions.

These values served as his foundation in establishing his own business as he assumed the responsibility of being a leader who should work harmoniously well with his subordinates in order to flourish. His US-inspired Chicken Charlie is a testimony of his ideals as he is now preparing for his second branch in Wilson St., San Juan to complement his introductory branch at Banawe, QC.

Born in 1984, Ifore Yu took up Export Management at the College of St. Benilde and immediately worked for his family’s construction business right after graduation. His favorite dictum, “It is in giving that you receive more”, very much encapsulates his persona as he is now reaping the success of Charlie Chicken for the time and knowledge that he shared with his family’s business.

Imprudent. A constant headache. Reedley’s worst nightmare. That WAS Michael Ong during his early days at Reedley. He made a lot of mistakes and disruptions that he was a constant “guest” of the Life Skills Office.

 

But home like it is, Reedley taught him a lot about life’s values. Guided by Ms. Thea Sordan, “Mike” was inspired to stand up and learn. He learned the importance of family and togetherness intrinsic in Reedley’s core values. He realized the meaning of friendship and camaraderie from his classmates through the years. He grasped what self-discipline and responsibilities could bring towards the betterment of an individual. Most of all, he fully understood that life was not about short-cuts because “long-cuts” would teach you more lessons.

 

He only has a simple goal in life— build and provide for his family so they will live in peace and comfort. He is able to achieve this by turning away from distraction and turning them into inspiration. “Carpe diem” is his basic dictum in life. And as he seizes every opportunity that comes his way, he never forgets what his Life Skills Coach Nick Tubia told him, “Step out of the box.”

 

And these fundamentals are what propelled him to finishing his studies at Northwood University in Michigan where he developed the independence and maturity to live alone. He is currently busy managing his own Van Marley’s resto-bar in Xavierville Avenue, Q.C.

The Seniors paraded their jolliest form at their last Batch Night on September 24.  As they have already been accustomed to this event, cohesion and teamwork were apparent in every performance, culminating at the talent face-off. The ambience offered the last chance to be at their cutest, craziest, wackiest and weirdest character!

 

But of course, there’s always a stand out among the outstanding:

 

Best Female Performer:  Angelica Caminero

Best Male Performer:  Juan Capistrano

Best Dressed Male:  Vincent Co

Best Dressed Female:  Janeena Chan

Most Original Presentation: US 4 – PURDUE

Most Creative Presentation:  US 4 – OXFORD

 

It was absolutely a night that could ever be!