On a beautiful sunny day of August 24, 2013, TAPSA Grade School Academic Competition was held. TAPSA has been an annual event; and now, it has been sixty abundant years since the very first competition. This celebration together with the main event of match has been warmly welcomed, facilitated, and organized by the faculties and staffs of the event venue, Tarlac Montessori School (TMS). “Paving the Way to Success”, the theme for this year’s TAPSA Competition. The registration started at seven to eight in the morning. After that, the TMS has prepared a very interesting opening program. This includes the Doxology and the singing of the National Anthem by the TMS Choir; the welcome remarks of Dr. Elizabeth Asiaten, the TMS Directress, stated “TAPSA is a symbol of UNITY and Oneness”. I suppose she is indeed right since TAPSA is the abbreviation for Tarlac Private School’s ASSOCIATION; this word explains itself, a group that acts as one. Then, a very entertaining special number from a group of young people called the TMS Musical Ensemble and TMS Dance Troupe. Few minutes later, very aspiring words came out to the mouth of the TAPSA President Mrs. Evangeline Constantino also from Bayanihan Institute. Especially when she stated that students joining in this competition must not falter and they must all feel winners by having the privilege to represent their schools. At exactly nine in the morning the competition begun and participants went inside to their given rooms. While the trainers and parents are not allowed to go inside the rooms; they will await patiently for the results. In the gymnasium, TMS set a projector and a film to be watch for those who stayed and waited. Every Child is Special and Three Idiots are the Indian Movies they let us watch; both movies have a great lesson like at school, home and in our relationships between others. Every now and then, Mr. Ricky Huet, the Master of Ceremony, said few announcements while the film is on-going. Tensed and nerve-racking atmosphere is what people like trainers and parents around me are feeling; I think waiting for four hours for the results became like four long years for them. At one time, I overheard one trainer saying that their trainees always wanted training and when there isn’t any they’ll be sad. That’s the right attitude! As I heard that, a smile lit my face; just knowing how excited, prepared, and at the same time nervous these students were. Maybe around one in the afternoon, some students are coming out of the rooms and you can easily recognize them because of the color coding of shirts such as green for grade 1, yellow for grade 2, red for grade 3, blue for grade 4, white for grade 5,and orange for grade 6. Other school faculty is already smiling and happy. It’s funny how our school faculty, men to be exact, are screaming and clapping while saying “Practice Lang!” Because of that, teachers went laughing instantly as well as other faculty. Few minutes later, they started announcing the winners from 5th to the 1st placer and it is almost 2:30 PM when the event ended. Knowing that there are many schools competing in this TAPSA Competition, we are indeed blessed to be 5th in the over-all ranking and it’s all thanks to our dear teachers, hard-working participants, and most especially God’s grace..

-Jel Ann Mae Liwanag IV-Jeremiah