by AJ Alarcon

The Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) community celebrated the culmination of Duffy-Delaney Day (D3) on Friday, October 4, in the third floor of the Formation and Learning Center (FLC) to acknowledge and honor the work of the ASHS formators.

The two-part culmination, with its theme “Buo,” started with the Mass of the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi presided by Fr. Neupito J. Saicon Jr., SJ, coinciding with the end of the Season of Creation. Towards the end of the mass, a rite of blessing led by Fr. Noel Y. Bava, SJ, was held for the formators for their guidance as they lead the school community.

After which, the D3 program hosted by Ethann Aguirre and Maia Arguelles, prepared by the ASHS Sanggunian, kicked off with the formator’s entrance, wherein they walked towards the stage wearing personalized sashes prepared by their students.

The Music Industry Organization enlivened the entrance with their performance; then this was followed by a dance performance from Indayog ng Atenistang Kabataan before the Family Feud game between two teams of selected teachers and students under the HumSS-ABM and STEM-GA strands.

Then, a video prepared by the Sanggunian entitled “What would your teacher do?” entertained the crowd as it showcased students making an impression of their teachers’ reactions to situations in the given prompts.

Following this, handwritten letters prepared by the students were distributed to their respective formator recipients as the Glee Club serenaded the crowd with a vocal performance.

Leading up to D3

On October 3, the Assembly of Class Officers initiated a surprise formators’ parade on the first-floor foyer of the main building, where the students gathered and greeted their teachers with loud cheers, banners, and placards.

“Everyone saw the tiresome weeks of preparation in care of the ACO, and I think the event was very successful,” Mx. Gabe Eslava, the moderator of 11-San Vitores, expressed.

“We all feel appreciated, and we thank the students for that,” she added.

Legacy of Duffy-Delaney

Done in simultaneity with Teachers’ Day, D3 memorializes Fr. Charles G. Duffy, SJ and Fr. John P. Delaney, SJ who served the Ateneo community with utmost dedication and love during their time as formators of Ateneo High School.

D3 is annually celebrated in the ASHS, aiming to shed light on the many sacrifices and efforts of the faculty, professionals, office staff, and administrators to nurture and shape the ASHS community.

“If the parents are the ones helping their children grow in character, the teachers are the ones helping the children grow as students and as people of the real world,” Emma Pauline Versoza, a student from 12-Grodecky, remarked on the importance of celebrating D3.