MGCNLCA Welcomes New Families to New Beginnings and Lifelong Connections

MGC New Life Christian Academy (MGCNLCA) welcomed over 70 new families, including alumni parents, at the annual Welcome Gathering on August 12 at the school auditorium.

Guided by the theme “New Beginnings, Lifelong Connections,” the event allowed new parents to develop relationships within the school community and strengthen the partnership between parents and teachers.  

For Fredrick Ivan Ho of Batch 6, whose son, Hugo Frederick, is in Moriah, it was like coming back home. “Seeing familiar faces, from teachers to fellow alumni, and to the school staff, [made me feel] like I was back in my comfort zone. It felt good to be back home,” said Ho, who was joined by five other alumni.

The event kicked off with an icebreaker led by School Principal Evangeline Co and her husband, Senior High School Teacher Michel Co, allowing families to get to know each other.

MGCNLCA parents Derek Tan and Jamie Tan then shared their testimony about their perseverance in enrolling their child in MGCNLCA. After initially being waitlisted, their consistent efforts paid off, and they secured an enrollment spot for their child when the pandemic was lifted.

Following this, alumni Tristan Jay Lao and Ethan Matthew Tan from Batch 14 expressed their gratitude for the love and support that they had received from the MGCNLCA teachers. They emphasized how their teachers had not only left a lasting impact in terms of academics but also formed personal connections with their students. Their testimony brought back memories for alumni parents to their own time as New Lifers.

Lao and Tan’s testimonials also assured new parent Cor Sunglao-Kho that she and her husband had made the right choice in transferring their daughter, Lila Celestine, to MGCNLCA. “Moving our child in the middle of her elementary schooling involved a lot of mixed emotions… but hearing how the school values the nurturing of the [students’] faith alongside academics really strengthened our resolve to transfer her [to MGCNLCA]... As parents, it’s good to know that our [children] have that support system at school also,” said Kho.

Evangeline Co remarked, “Through this gathering, we want every family to feel that they belong, that they are valued, supported, and embraced as part of the [MGCNLCA] family. When parents and teachers connect, learn, and engage together, we create a strong foundation where our students can truly thrive, both academically and spiritually.”

As the event came to a close, School Director Helen Villanueva gave her closing remarks, reminiscing about the history of MGCNLCA and how much the school community has grown since its inception. She then recognized the alumni parents, expressing her joy to see her former MGCNLCA students back in the school’s halls, now as parents with families of their own.

According to Ho, “It was the impact that the teachers have on me that made me enroll my child in [MGCNLCA]. It was their good influence in my life, not only during my school days but even after. Even after my [MGCNLCA] days, they still continued to guide and mentor me.”