Staff Blog
I was rummaging through old files the other day and came across a file titled "CSC Kids' Work." Inside I found a set of poems written by four CSC "kids" from the school year 2006-2007. The four guys had each written a poem using the same format of a poem they had read in their reading material. The title of their poems was the same, If You're Not From CSC..., but the content was original for each of the guys. At the time the poems were written, the boys were actually young teenagers. Since that time, three of the guys have been adopted and they have graduated from high school. Julieto was one of the poem writers and the last of them to graduate from high school just last Friday in Cebu. Jules, as he is affectionately called, has gotten other press time recently, but after coming across those poems, I could not pass up the opportunity to share his education story with you. His story illustrates the miracle that takes place when some of the CSC kids graduate from high school.
Julieto came to CSC when he was 10 years old. He had never been to school, so he started off at the beginning of the learning continuum with letter recognition. He attended Children of Hope School through the 2006-2007 school year and he was in fifth grade by that time. He was also in his mid-teens and a bit tired of being in elementary school as a teenager. He felt he needed to move on. We cautioned him about not finishing elementary education, but he wanted to try something else. So with help from some people at CSC, Jules got a job on the construction crew building the new Duterte home. He loved the job and worked for a year and a half on the project. By that time, Julieto had thought long and hard about his future and he decided he wanted to go to high school. Well, he needed to finish elementary school first, so he returned to our school as an older teenager! That in itself took a lot of courage. After his final year at CCHS, Julieto started high school. Four years later, he is a new high school graduate with plans for his future!
What an incredible journey it has been. Lots of people have been in on Jules' journey, encouraging, tutoring, advocating for him, but he is the one who has stuck with it. Pretty miraculous! Congratulations to Julieto and the other current and former CSC "kids" who are graduating from high schol this year.
If you're Not from CSC...
By Julieto Sido
If you're not from CSC
You don't know Christmas
You just can't know Christmas.
Christmas is the best time for me.
I can dance, sing, and be happy as can be
With lots of gifts from foster friends and Santa Claus
And many parties in the house.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know Christmas.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know discipline
You just can't know discipline.
In CSC we have rules to obey.
They are made to help us grow OKEY.
If we don't obey the staff will get sad
Because they don't want us to be bad.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know discipline.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know sports
You just can't know sports.
Sports is our way to have fun
We jump, we throw, and run.
Basketball, baseball, and soccer.
We play with one another.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know sports.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know kindness.
You just can't know kindness.
Kindness for me is to share and care.
That's what we do here.
Children share with each other
And the staff and house parents care for one another.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know kindness.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know ME.
You just can't know ME.
You have not experienced what I had
The fun, the laughter, the good, and the bad.
The kindness, the love, and the discipline I had here
Will stay with me even when I go somewhere.
If you're not from CSC
You don't know ME.
Learning About Pottery
We have been so excited to have some special visitors this week - my in-laws! Larry and Vicki have known about CSC for many years and it's so great to have them here to share their gifts with the kids. Since Larry has a passion for pottery, we arranged for him to do a lesson with the kids! He demonstrated "throwing a pot" on the pottery wheel and then gave them the opportunity to make their own clay fish with the help of CSC's art teacher, Teacher Jun Jun. It was a really unique experience for the kids and a fun afternoon for everyone.
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Tartanillas---riding in style!
This week, one of our house fathers celebrated his birthday and he decided to bless everyone by renting a tartanilla for all the kids (and adults) to enjoy! What is a tartanilla you ask? It is a horse-drawn carriage. Back in the day in the Philippines---the Spanish colonial days that is----tartanillas were the common mode of transportation. They have since been replaced by Jeepneys, but you can still see some here and there----like on the congested streets of the marketplace or in the provinces! Check out the pictures to see all the fun that was had by the kids, the birthday boy and ME! :)
Happy riders---Aunties and kids alike!
The birthday boy had fun being the driver!
The view from my seat---pretty cool!
SMILES GALORE!!!
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An Every Day Conversation
Teacher Junelyn and I planned an activity for library that involved each of the kids sharing about a favorite book using a prop related to their chosen book. Junelyn and I had our own book and prop picked, but we kept it a bit of a secret from the kids. A student whose class was not participating approached me and whispered, "Tell me what your book is. I won't tell."
I replied, "No, I think I'll keep it a secret!"
The student raised her hand as if to make a pledge and said back to me, "I promise."
Raising my right hand also, I said, "You promise?"
Without missing a beat, she said, "I plead the 5th."
This student is in American Studies and she was applying what she had learned in class to our conversation. I must admit I laughed pretty hard.
Later that day, the kids had a great time sharing about their favorite books. One student dressed as Gandalf from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Another student wore a quiver and horn to represent Robin Hood. Oh, yes, Junelyn and I had the kids try Turkish Delight from C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
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Introducing Jill Grasley
Meet Jill Grasley (pronounced "grays-lee"). She has joined Children's Shelter of Cebu as Development Officer. We are thrilled to have her on the team. I have been praying for this position for over a year, and Jill is going to be a great fit. She is an answer to prayer!
Jill will work in our US Office in a much-needed role. For the last nine years, CSC's US office has consisted of two full-time employees and one part-time. In those years, our budget has more than doubled--growing from $915,000 to $1,890,000. Now that my job scope has expanded, we need someone who can focus full-time on the fund development that provides our beautiful children with a home.
Jill has been employed at Crossroads Adoption Services in MN for over 12 years. She assisted many families through the adoption process--including several CSC families. Jill has focused the last several years working in the area of fundraising through event management, grant writing, donor cultivation and social media.
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Jill received her bachelor's degree in Social Work from Cedarville University in Ohio and her master's degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Jill and her husband Michael are very involved in Grace Church of Roseville (Minnesota). Jill is a youth volunteer and their family is active in a small group. Mike and Jill have three girls- Calli (12), Miranda (10) and Brooklyn (1). Welcome to CSC, Jill! |
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CSC Smiles
Many people comment on two things when they arrive at CSC. The first thing lots of people say when they come through our gate is that CSC seems to be an “Oasis” of green grass, cleanliness and hope in a neighbourhood that is lacking all three of those things. The second thing that people say is that our kids seem happy and that they have beautiful smiles. I agree. It is hard to give you the opportunity to really see that CSC is an “Oasis” in photos….but I can show you some beautiful CSC smiles. Enjoy.
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