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I wish you could all meet Joemar.  Joemar will be  37 years old this year,  and has lived at CSC since he was almost 9 years old.  There has been a lot of life lived between those two numbers! Joemar interacts with the world at a cognitive age of  5-6 years old.  He loves Superman,  puzzles,  flashlights,  his cherished sea shells,  his keys and Mr. Bean DVD's.   Joemar is proud of his "balay" meaning his room in the Duterte home that he shares with his best buddy Jacob. 

Joemar works at two local McDonalds restaurants.   He clears tables,  mops up spills,  carries trays for customers, pours gravy (for the fried chicken that McDonalds is known for here) and overall cheers up McDonalds customers as well as staff.   He loves going to work every day!   Here at CSC Joemar keeps busy helping the cleaners up at school and visiting the Childcare and Nurses offices.   He always bursts in our door with a smile, a loud greeting and usually some things to keep him busy for awhile (puzzles, books,  paper...he always has a plan.) We can't help but smile when Joe comes to visit.  Joemar simply loves life,  and he lives life simply.  Joemar's talks a lot, he can be hard to understand,  but we have a few people here at CSC who are proficient in "Joemarese."  What a joy to have a conversation with this guy. 

Joemar has friends all over the world,  and he never forgets a friend.   But,  he has no concept of time.  Once he knows that someone is coming back to visit....be it this afternoon or two months from now...he reminds us numerous times a day that we should be going to the airport - NOW.   He does not want to leave anyone standing at the airport I guess!   So,  we spend lots of time telling Joemar,  "not today"  and trying to explain that we will not forget to go and get his friend.  The conversation will start all over again in a few hours though!

On Valentines day Joemar brought in supplies for an art project.  He worked for over an hour drawing hearts, coloring them and writing his name at least 10 times on the paper.  The whole time he was talking about  "hats" -hearts  and   "baltins" - valentines.   When he finally finished it he brought it to me.  I asked him who it was for, he always is bringing me things that he makes for me to give to others.  I was certain that this creation was for either his Housemother, Auntie Lourdes or the friend that he is thinking will be here any day (even though it is well over a month away) Auntie Lynn.  But his answer to my question was a big smile,  a finger pointing at me and a loud and clear  "YOU!"   He was so proud.   I know that it came from his heart, and what an amazing heart that is.  

I have known Joemar for almost 27 years and I literally could count on one hand how many days Joemar has not been happy.   He finds joy in everything.   We have all learned much from Joemar.  The day God brought him to CSC is the day that CSC was brought just a little closer to understanding God's heart.   We are blessed....I wish you could all meet Joemar.

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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!
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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.

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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!

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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!

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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

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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!"

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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!