28 Nov CAREER AND ART FEST 2019: A LOOK BACK

By Ms. Charmian Esteban and Ms. Karla Verzosa

The Senior High School held its 4 th Career and Art Fest, a special curricular event divided into 3 main parts namely Tuklas Sining that focused on art appreciation; Exploring Potentials that underscored different topics related to each academic strand; and Going Places that featured activities highlighting decision making and college and career preparations.

The 3-day event kicked off with Tuklas Sining activities. The students watched a documentary entitled, “Walang Rape sa Bontok”, a Gawad Urian Best Documentary, at the SHS Auditorium. The opening of the art exhibit was also conducted at the Delia Tetrault Arts and Sports Center (DTASC). The Art Exhibit showcased the works of Junk Art Philippines, a group of Filipino artists known for their pieces made from scrap metals, wood, fish bone and other materials out of “junk”. Mr. Thomas Papa, Ms. Jessica Lopez and Mr. Marlon Lucenara graced the exhibit.

Master Fernando Sena, the Father of Philippine Art Workshops of the Buenas Artes Art Group together with Mr. Joemarie Sanclaria Chua and Mr. Raymund Ador III and other artists of both traditional and contemporary arts held simultaneous workshops for the students. The sessions consisted of baybayin, arts and crafts, painting using oil pastel and watercolor, doodling and contemporary dance.

The next days were as productive with seminars and workshops on topics such as social entrepreneurship for ABM students; film production, creative writing and photography for
HUMSS students and application of statistics and herbarium research for STEM students. Through these activities under Exploring Potentials, the students realized the advocacies and
disciplines related to their academic strand. Moreover, the sessions were designed to prepare them for their respective culminating activities.

Lastly, the Career Festival with the theme Going Places centered on topics related to success and values that are essential in the career decision-making process. The event covered different
activities which included College Admissions Talks, College Show and Tell, Personality Development Talks and Career Fair. The College Admissions Talk for Grade 11 students with the theme Off to College provided an opportunity for the prestigious local universities to discuss about their respective academic programs and course offerings. Meanwhile, the College Show and Tell was conducted simultaneously for the graduating batch with the theme College Bound. The one-hour talk enabled Grade 12 students to listen and interact with invited college students from different local universities.  It provided an avenue for them to share something about college life and their choice of course.
The Personality Development Talk was modelled after the popular TEDx Talks in partnership with the ICAAA. The theme #JustAdulting consists of a series of short, carefully prepared talks by acclaimed alumnae speakers. It was specifically designed to address the needs of the senior high school students in terms of preparing themselves as they begin the process of being college-ready by the time they finish high school.

On its fifth year as a culminating activity, the Career Fair 2019 with the theme, Making Choices: Paving The Way for your Future Career was held at the DTASC. It was participated by 47 local and foreign universities and college placement agencies. It served as an opportunity for students, both junior and senior high school, to interact with college admissions
representatives and discuss about their respective academic programs and course offerings. Through this event, the students were able to discover different options and explore new insights about college placement.
Indeed, the Career and Art Fest was a success as it was a meaningful learning opportunity for the Senior High School students.