The Official Publication of Immaculate Heart of Mary College, Inc.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2025 - 2026 THE BLUE MANTLE, VOLUME 1
IHMCI Opens the School Year With Fun-Filled Acquaintance Parties
BY GABRIELLE VIDAL
IHMCI kicks off school year 2025 - 2026 with an acquaintance party PHOTO BY MEDIA & ADVERTISING COMMITTEE
I mmaculate Heart of Mary College, Inc. (IHMCI) kicked off the school year with a lively acquaintance party aimed at welcoming both new and old students for the academic year 2025-2026.
The elementary acquaintance party was held on July 10, 2025 at the Audio Visual Room (AVR), it was divided into two sessions for Kinder to Grade 3 students, and another for Grades 4 to 6, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The high school event took place the following day on July 11, 2025 at the St. Anns Hall from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
The highschool acquaintance party was emceed by Denise Contacto, the Upper Bed Student Coordinating Board (SCB) Vice-Chairperson and Lorraine Anne Magadia, a student from Grade 12-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The Lumiere Dance Club started the event with a lively performance. Afterwards, Alaina Mayoralgo, the SCB Upper Bed P.R.O, led the opening prayer.
Ms. Angel Panelo, the SCB Adviser, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the event's importance.
It is not just a celebration, it is an opportunity to make new friends and rebuild the spirit of the school community.
she said. The Student Activity Office (SAO) Team then led the energizer dance to Better When I'm Dancing by Meghan Trainor-setting the vibrant mood for the afternoon.
The next segment, "Let Me Hear Ya!", featured batch chants from each grade level. Starting with Grade 7, the chants grew more enthusiastic, with Grade 12 claiming victory for their loud and bold presentation. A surprise game followed, where students checked under their chairs for the school's logo. Those who found it were invited upstage to read fun tongue twister challenges and riddles, sparking laughter.
The transition camp performances began with a heartfelt rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" from the Music Camp, followed by presentations from STEM Exploration and Digital Arts students, who shared their experiences and learnings. The fun continued with the games "Human Bring Me" and "Hephep Hooray-Grab", which brought out the students' competitive spirit.
The final performance, by the SIKAT Theater, showcased a powerful play about family values, where the siblings were fighting over their late father's inheritance, highlighting the importance of love over material wealth.
The event concluded with closing remarks from Maria Catherine Desacula, the SCB Upper Bed Chairperson, who showed her appreciation for everyone who organized the event. Bessy Decano, the SCB Upper Bed Secretary, led the closing prayer, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to form new friendships and strengthen bonds through the event.
First SSVP Youth Camp Brings Youth Together at IHMCI he Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) youth held a two-day camp at Immaculate Heart of Mary College on August 23-24 as preparation for the feast of St. Vincent e Paul. The event featured talks and interactive activities on faith and service.
Participants took part in interactive activities such as the "prayer web," an activity where participants were given an opportunity to offer their personal intentions, and "identity mix and match" that encouraged them to socialize beyond their familiarized groups. These activities, along with other team building activities urged attendees to find out more about one another while learning about the importance of serving with love.
An exposure activity was held with 25 children in attendance, they joined team building activities together with the ssvp youth camp members. A competition showcased the children's talents including dancing and magic tricks. One child attendee said her favorite part of the exposure was watching her friends dance, while another expressed excitement to return and gain new learnings on different
BY HOPE LEONARDO subjects, specifically math. Despite the limited time, Emerald De Guia, a ssvp member remarked "My heart felt joy."
Angel Vic T. Panelo, student activity coordinator of Immaculate Heart of Mary College and president of the SSVP Saint Francis of Assisi Conference. In her talk, she presented the national SSVP conventions and activities such as feeding programs held every three years from 2008 to 2025 in Naga City, Baguio City, Cebu City, and Roxas, Capiz. The SSVP organization, active in 138 countries worldwide, hosts programs such as this camp, for the youth.
Guest speaker Jen Auditor reminded attendees "to live by the principle" and that "We cannot give what we don't have." In his homily, Rev. Fr. Pawanjit likewise emphasized that leadership is a serious responsibility and that every action carries accountability. The session ended with a sharing activity where ssvp members expressed gratitude for the friendships they formed, the lessons they learned and the sense of redemption they experienced.