Staff Blog

SubscribeRSS FeedEmail Subscribe
Categories

Change is inevitable in life.  Some changes are good---they are pleasant and easy to go along with.  Others are hard to come to terms with--they are a challenge and they sometimes bring pain.  I want to tell you about some recent changes in my life...

Many of you already know that Teacher Tammy's 8 year run at CSC and Children of Hope School has ended.  She has been gone for 2 weeks--and kids and adults alike are mourning the loss. 

Tammy is missed for many reasons: 

Tammy was a good co-worker.  She was helpful, reliable, and thorough.  She was quick to jump in if something technological was going haywire---an asset on days of school programs.  :)  Tammy was true to her word.  She promised the kids that she would take each of them out for something special before she left and SHE DID!  If she had a job or a task assigned to her, you never had to worry about it getting done in an organized and timely fashion!  She was hard-working and did whatever was in front of her---and did so with a smile.   

But Tammy is also a good friend.  She is someone I OFTEN laughed with, went on adventures with, confided in, celebrated holidays with...and the list goes on.  She is a good listener and a Godly woman.  She has become family to me and you can't help but miss family when they are gone!

 DSCN6120

317104_10151638569779468_1963086931_n

600565_10151695148019468_1783800307_n

Tammy, myself and Amy were quite the terrific trio, however, at this time, Amy and I are down to just a dynamic duo....

The upside of change:

We recently admitted a new child.  She was afraid of the change, of me, of our counselor and our social worker.  She was hesitant, quiet and reserved.  And who wouldn't be?  She knew something big was happening in her life but she had no idea what it meant.

But oh to see her now!  How happy and animated and secure and playful she is!  She is grateful for the life-changing experience she has had and WE are so happy to have her with us where she is safe and provided for.

 DSCN6076

IMAGE_171

God is the god of everything in our life and everything happens for His purpose and good.  And that includes changes.  I am happy for Tammy and all that God has in store for her back in MN.  I miss her, but am grateful for her continued friendship---thank goodness for Skype!  :) I am also happy about our new arrival and for her safety and health and the fact that she FINALLY gets to be a kid.

Please join with me in praying for Tammy as she transitions back to living in the US and for our newest one and all of those that will come through our doors in the future. because no matter your age or the type of change you are facing, its always easier with God.

 

 

First Day of School

Everybody is excited when the schoolyear is about to begin. CSC kids love school!

IMG_5468On the fifteenth day of this month, school was officially opened to all the students of CCHS. The students walked to school with big smiles that told everyone how happy they were to be back at school and how ready they were to learn new things. They were accompanied by their house parents, aunties, and some members of the staff. The adults, too, were so glad to see all of the students march to school with cheer.

IMG_5449Upon arriving at school, the students were welcomed with wide open arms by their loving teachers. The teachers had thoughtfully prepared everything to give the students a great kick off for the schoolyear 2019-2020. True enough, the first day went really well. The teachers and students worked together to begin creating a positive community in which to learn.

First_day_of_school_19-20_4At the end of the day the students went home feeling loved and excited again for the next day of school.

First_day_of_school_19-20_17The Cebu Children of Hope School is an important part of the larger CSC ministry. Students not only gain academic skills but, with the help of their dedicated teachers, also learn equally valuable lessons like responsibility, problem-solving, cooperation, and self-control.

First_day_of_school_19-20_1Thank you supporters for enabling us to impact these great kids to be the people God made them to be!

What's New @ CCHS?

Jul. 14, 2019By: Cris Tabra (principal)

Today is the first day of school at Cebu Children of Hope School!

With the start of the new school year, we wanted to let you know about some great new parts of our school.

New Students
We are excited to have five new students join us this school year, four in preschool and one in second grade. We can't wait to have them in school!
New_students_picture_2019

New Teacher
We are happy to welcome Teacher Kristine to our team. She will be an Instructional Assistant for this school year. She is a fresh graduate from Cebu Normal University, one of the top universities in Cebu. She has her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Special Education.

Kristine.teaching

New Curriculum
We are extremely grateful for our supporters for their generosity! Because of YOU we were able to purchase a new reading and writing curriculum to replace our 15 year old curriculum. Special thanks to Shari Reasoner who helped us research different curricula to find the best one for our students. It was purchased in the States and, with the help of many visitors, the materials were brought to Cebu, suitcase by suitcase. We are thankful for everyone who made it possible!

IMG_5300IMG_5301

New Technology
Starting this school year every teacher will have the opportunity to use the newly installed overhead projectors and document cameras in their classrooms. This equipment was donated by a longtime supporter of CSC and we are incredibly grateful for his contribution! This upgrade will greatly help our teachers present their lessons in a very systematic and creative way, bringing the lessons to life!

IMG_5395

These are just a few glimpses of the new things that we have at CCHS. We encourage you to rejoice with us as we experience God's abundant blessings through our faithful supporters. Join us in welcoming the new school year and journey with us this school year 2019-2020!

Anniversary Bash in Cebu this June 28 - 29

Jul. 9, 2019By: Paul Healy

Anniversary Bash in Cebu on June 28 - 29

previous image next image

All Our Days

Jul. 7, 2019By: Paul Healy

This video kind of sums up the feelings of Marlys and me about the history of CSC. For 14,600 days, He has been with us. He is the God of all our days!

Summer At CSC

Jun. 3, 2019By: Ben Bonnett

As a school administrator I get a little excited for summer break. It's a time to reflect on the past school year, celebrate the great things God did, and dream about "what could be" for the next school year.

Class at CCHS is out for the summer, I'm sitting at my desk planning for the upcoming school year, and I still hear kids. What's going on?

I peek my head out of my office and I smell a wonderful aroma. Auntie Lourdes, a longtime house mom, is leading a cooking class in the school kitchen. She is teaching our older kids how to cook a delicious Filipino meal.

After sitting and eating with them (I just had to have a few bites) I walk into the Big Room. Our Program Director's husband, John, is facilitating guitar lessons with an excited group of girls. He is leading several different guitar groups during the week. Everytime I see Rovilito at the Shelter he talks about learning the guitar. This morning he ran up to me and said he knows how to play two songs already!

IMG_5176

In another classroom violin lessons are taking place. Cris has been super excited to learn how to play violin and a CSC volunteer is making it happen.

Violin_lessons

I have the pleasure of leading a small group of budding marathoners in our Summer Run Club. We meet twice a week and have fun running and playing games together. They love running up the road from the school though they quickly learned downhill is much more fun!

IMG_5120

If you walked into the new Banawa McDonald's recently you would have been greeted by some CSC kids who were part of McDo's Kiddie Crew. Many of our kids took part in this yummy summer "job" and they did everything from take people's orders to make cheeseburgers to tell departing customers, "Thanks for coming to McDonald's. See you again soon!"

McDonalds_Kiddie_Crew_2

Summers at CSC look different from year to year but they are always well-planned and filled with lots of fun! Just ask the kids!