Exploring the Power of Stories through English Week

The English Department celebrated English Week from February 26 to March 4, 2024, with a series of activities under the theme “The Power of Stories.” 

Throughout the events, students gained a better understanding of the theme as they engaged in activities that fostered connections with their peers. Lucille Cui, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of English Week and Grade 10 English teacher stated, “I want this week to encourage the students more on how stories can be fun and interesting to read and engage in; and that they can also learn from stories. It can help them navigate life's challenges.”

The week-long event kicked off at the auditorium on Monday with a reader’s theater double-header of The Bojabi Tree by selected Junior High School (JHS) A teachers and students, and Theseus and the Minotaur by selected JHS-B faculty.  After a few riddles during intermission, the Grades 9 to 10 students witnessed a Valentine's Day-themed debate featuring members of the school’s Debate Varsity with “Hear Hear!”  

On Wednesday, students from Grades 7 and 8 students had their own battle of wits at the lecture hall. Following the debates, Damascus and Patmos students participated in their own debate activity during their homeroom periods on Wednesday. 

Prior to the actual celebration, the English Department launched a B-Reel Competition wherein students were encouraged to create a teaser reel on Instagram about a book they wanted to recommend, without revealing the title. Throughout English Week, the book recommendation reels were played on multiple screens along the fifth-floor hallway. Students who entered the competition also had their entries posted on the official English Department Instagram account for others to guess the book titles. 

In partnership with Zion STEM, the English Department held the highly anticipated Lyric Lore  event on February 28, which provided a venue for students and teachers to showcase their talents in singing and reciting poetry. Simultaneously, other students participated in the Pages to Screen Film Festival, where movie adaptations of classic books such as The Princess Bride and Roald Dahl’s BFG were featured.

On February 29, Nazareth and Berea students had their Spelling Bee finals after the elimination rounds which were held on February 15 and 16. Meanwhile, some high school students designed their own book covers in the Book Cover Design Challenge, where they displayed their artistic capabilities, demonstrating that a picture is worth a thousand words. The Learning Resource Center or LRC hosted a role-playing game called “Gather Your Party” as well to add to the day’s events.

Additionally, Damascus students set up booths in the lobby on Thursday and Friday, where they showcased their literary magazines and encouraged fellow students to submit their own entries aligned with the different magazines’ themes. 

The winners of the different English Week competitions were announced during the closing ceremony on March 4. Renee Wee and Hope Ng, from Grades 7 and 8 respectively, reigned victorious in the Spelling Bee. Displaying their artistic talents, seventh-grader Kate Aquino bagged first place in the Book Cover Design Challenge with her cover for Cinderella, while Mayumi Dadap from Olive came in second with her cover of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. One student each from Grades 7 to 10 won the Flash Fiction Writing Contest, namely Samantha Ongsun, Danielle Co, Hans Kho, and Sean Ong Carrangeja, respectively. In the B-Reel Competition, Faith Ng and Matthew Chong from Patmos clinched first place with Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “A Little Princess.” Cailey Tin of Berea earned second place, while Chris Gaw and Josh Gomez of Pamos earned a special mention.  

Students and teachers who dressed up as their favorite book characters were also recognized. Among the students,  Chloe Sy and Jonathan Shao from JHS-A, Sofie Santiago and Sean Ong Carrangeja from JHS-B, and Raine Alexis Kho and Nathan Gabriel Hao from Senior High School were recognized for their impressive costumes.  Winners among the teachers were JHS-B’s  Aaron Gopez, Matthew Ferreras, Juvelyn Gubat, and Paul Co. 

To conclude the event, a group of JHS students performed a skit and medley of songs from famous stories to reemphasize and underscore the week’s theme.

English Department Supervisor Jannette Ramos hoped that students enjoyed the week through the activities while learning to foster empathy and unity. She said, “We hope that the students saw that English Week was really a celebration of stories in all forms and not just a week for book lovers. I hope students are drawn to read, listen, and hear the stories of others in all different forms and from different perspectives, and recognize the unifying power of story.”