Staff Blog
I have been back in the Philippines for all of a week and a half. I was in MN when Typhoon Yolanda tore its path of devastation through this beautiful, but already struggling country. I should not even talk about my fears as I watched the huge swirling mass of red, orange, blue and green hover over the Visayas from the comfort of my sister's sturdy home, thousands of miles away from it all. Those that experienced it are still reeling from the trauma of it all I imagine. Truth be told, I was afraid. I feared for the safety of our children, for the staff, my friends and loved ones here. I was grateful that my family and friends in the US did not have to include me in their prayers for the Philippines, but really I was wishing I was here. To help. To make sure. To comfort. To do something.
Now I am here and I have some observations to share. The part of Cebu where the shelter is located, and where my home is, was not ripped apart, flattened or caked in mud like Tacloban or Ormoc were. I have heard stories of the smell of that mud and my heart goes out to those living in that. You might not even think that the most devastating storm in all of recorded history came through here if you didn't look closely. But things are different.
All of the trees in the front yard of our school were either blown over by the force of the winds or cut down to prevent damage to our buildings. There is no more shade there for our guard and it admittedly looks lonely. There are trees that are missing from the front of one of our houses also. Minor, but different.
There are other things that are different.
The malls are overflowing with people that are homeless, displaced from the areas most damaged. There are always a lot of people around, but now, everywhere, all the time---there are just more people.
And brownouts/blackouts---they are more frequent now. I have heard that areas are going without power to reserve or provide for the areas without.
Traffic is a lot heavier, jeeps are often incredibly full. Last night I saw a group of people start running toward a jeep that was slowing down, the urgency to get a ride was very apparent.
The list of waiting children has grown rapidly as families that were once able to make it on their own have lost homes or family members and can no longer care for their own. CSC's help is in desperate need.
I share these observations for a few reasons. The Philippines still need your prayers! The islands that were decimated are still greatly in need. CSC has created a Relief Committee and as you have read, there have already been two trips to affected areas and CSC will continue to determine how we can reach out. The need is far greater than something we can manage, but the grateful smiles and sighs of relief of those we are able to give food or clothing to are all the encouragement we need to continue helping in whatever way we can.
And though Cebu was not damaged, things in Cebu are different. I cannot begin to explain or understand why we were spared and others not and the effects from the storm for us are nothing to compared to those who lost everything. But I share these so that others may know that life is not back to normal for the Philippines. Prayers are still needed and greatly appreciated.
I know God is at work in this country. And I thank Him for His protection over CSC. Because we were spared, we can help others.
This was a heavier blog than I originally intended when I sat down at my computer. To end things on a lighter note, this is how I spent my morning!
Who is the teacher?
Teacher Kristen is new to the CCHS team and we are so glad she is with us. Read on to find out what lesson she learned in her first few weeks on the job.
This is my first year ever teaching and I am so glad to be at Cebu Children of Hope School! The things they taught me in college have prepared me for the classroom, but only to a certain point. I've been struggling a bit with new routines and new students. I have tried many of the strategies I learned in college to help students focus in class but they haven't helped much.
I remember when I was a student like them. School was tiring for me as I had to sit most of the day and just listen to the teacher. Not very fun. When I started teaching this year I realized I was doing the same thing my past teachers did, things that made me, as a student, bored. In the first few weeks of school my students at CCHS taught me that I was too idealistic when it came to teaching. They taught me that I needed to cool down and start embracing their unique qualities.
Once I realized this I made some changes in my classroom. I started to really listen to them and smile more. Very quickly I saw changes in their behavior. Now I am having fun teaching them and I love how they respond in class- showing excitement to learn!
Teachers are supposed to be the ones to teach kids. At CCHS I have learned that often kids can be great teachers.
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Preschoolers and Plants
The preschoolers have been learning about the difference between living things and nonliving things. One example of a living thing, which we have been studying a lot about, is a plant. Every time I review with the children they say, "Sige ug balik" (It's a repeat). By the end of the unit the preschoolers were able to identify a plant, tree, shrub, vegetable, and grass. They also learned the parts of the plant (stem, flower, fruit, and roots) and where plants live (in desserts, farms, forests, and gardens).
One of my favorite parts of the unit was taking the preschoolers outside for a mini field trip. Our school is surrounded by many different kinds of plants. On our "living things walk" we saw many banana trees, mango trees, and even an avocado tree. The preschoolers loved searching for living things and telling us what they found.
What a joy it was teaching the preschoolers about plants. We had a fun time learning together!
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Creative Minds
Having conversations with my students helps them learn to interact with their peers and teachers. It has a great impact on their learning and ability to listen as well.
I started this year with just three kids in my classroom. Three kids who love conversation and enjoy sharing their thoughts. One afternoon, during Civics class, one of my students shared with me about one of the CSC aunties (child care workers).
Student 1: Teacher, our auntie just had a baby! (saying it excitedly)
Me: Wow, that's great! Do you know if the baby is a boy or a girl?
Student 1: I don't know.
Student 2: Teacher, I know where the baby comes out.
Me: Where?
Student 2: Here! (referring to his bottom)
Student 1: No Teacher! I heard that a baby comes out from your belly button.
Student 3: Teacher, I know where babies come out of, here in our back.
Student 1: (reacting with a shocked face) No, the baby can't come out of there!
Me: Why?
Student 1: Because our back has a lot of bones. The baby will get hurt!
I love teaching at Cebu Children of Hope School for many reasons. One of them is the creative minds these little children have. You never know what ideas they will share.
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Goodbye Up There!
Child welfare types refer to children who become very close while in care at a place like CSC as "institutional siblings." They are not siblings by blood but by affinity. Many of our children experience that kind of relationship while living at CSC. For the younger ones, they don't understand the difference. Such was the case with little Jacob. He had four very good buddies in the Eicher Home nursery. They spent lots of time together eating and playing. They looked out for each other, fought like true siblings and were known to tattle on each other on occasion.
Recently, Jacob was adopted by a great family from Europe. Shortly before Jacob's family came to get him, two of his pals got
sick and had to be in isolation. Their ailment was very contagious. We worried that Jake, too, would get sick when he was supposed to travel but, thankfully, that didn't happen. But we felt bad that Jake wouldn't be able to say goodbye to his buddies. So Marlys came up with a plan. The infirmary caregivers brought the sick children outside to the bridge and Jake was able to look up, see them and say goodbye. The overhead kids shouted "bye-bye" and it was very touching. Certainly they didn't understand that he was going far away and they might never see him again. But they knew something big was up.
There is lots of love at CSC. Jacob experienced that from house parents, child care workers, staff and the other children. Now he will be feeling the love of a family. And a new sibling that will be his forever.
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Science Can Be Funny
The official school year has begun at CSC! Teacher Lyrah, one of our dedicated and gifted teachers, shared about a science lesson she taught the other day:
Everyone was ready and calm as I stepped into the classroom. The students seemed very excited for the afternoon's discussion entitled "The Scientist and the Science tools."
I asked my students about the science tools and the brainstorming happened like this:
TEACHER: Can you still remember some of the science tools that you learned about last year in your class?
STUDENTS: Yes, Teacher Lyrah!
TEACHER: Tell me about one of those science tools.
STUDENT 1: Teacher, a hand lens.
STUDENT 2: How about a balance?
STUDENT 3: A measuring cup.
STUDENT 4: Thermometer!
TEACHER: WOW! You are really thinking about these tools. What are some others?
I called on one student who hadn't answered yet.
TEACHER: Okay, what is it?
He was very hesitant about his tool and just smiled again.
STUDENT 5: Teacher, how about a telecopter?
He was laughing so hard because he mentioned the tool in a different way. Everyone in the class was puzzled about his answer.
STUDENT 1: What do you mean a telecopter?
Student 5 laughed so hard and kept on saying the word telecopter.
STUDENT 5: (laughing) Teacher, what I mean is a telescope not a telecopter!
TEACHER: A telecopter? That word is a combination of a telescope and a helicopter. Isn't it?
He laughed and said: " Yes, teacher because we use a telescope to see the stars and other flying objects like helicopters."
Then I remembered the time last year when I showed them a telescope and we talked about how it worked.
Everyone in the classroom was amazed with his great new word invention!
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