Story of Schooldays at New Guinlo Elementary School

The  rain  started  pouring,  outdoor ice cream shops shut down, leaves are browning,  your  pencils are sharpened and the classroom awaits— Hate it or Love  it, you are going back to school next week. You gotta wave bye to wet summer  and  welcome  back a pile up of assignments and projects. School is now  back  in  full-swing.  Everything  is shiny and new. New teachers, new friends,  new  shoes,  new  notebooks,  and  sometimes,  a  new school. And everyone is excited about.





Thinking  of back to school season can be overwhelming, bringing back silly childhood  memories.  Where  recess  is  my  favorite  subject and my daily "baon"  (allowance)  was  just one peso and I could purchase "sopas" (soup) courtesy of Maam Fabula, my T.H.E. (Technology and Home Economics) teacher. I  still  remember  my  first  grade  teacher,  Maam  Dulay.  It was in her classroom  when one of my classmates peed in his school uniform. I remember she  was  very  patient lining us up from smallest to tallest every morning during  flag  ceremony.  I  was  always at the first line because I was the smallest among my classmates.

There were peer groups of athletes, nerds, and bullies. There were newbie’s either  a  heartthrob  or  somebody  to  be a subject of bullying from mean girls.  Before  the  flag  retreat  we  were  all  scattered in the school playground  near  the  Acacia tree playing “patintero”, “habulan”, “Chinese garter”, and “sepak-takraw” taught by the retired Sir Arque.






Happy  thoughts  lingers  on my mind as I look at Manong Primo’s picture on facebook,  I  noticed that the old and lonely Acacia tree is still standing there. Tall, strong and verdurous. Proud and beautiful. A silent witness of my elementary memories.  I hope I could remember all of my fondest memories at  this  school. If not, I’m sure, with the carved names on its trunk, the old  Acacia  tree has a lot of stories to tell. I am very grateful, my core and foundation was built at my school, the New Guinlo Elementary School.

Twist and tear and boogie woogie