Staff Blog
I would like
say thank you, not only that Children of Hope School has given me a remarkable
honor, but also for the weeks of fear and
anxiety that I have endured at the thought of this big responsibility.
The sleepless nights finally convinced me that I can be a speaker once in my
lifetime. Since I had been here for five
years as a school teacher, it is a great advantage because I can
think that this is a simple reunion.
I have finally set my heart and mind about what I am going to talk about today. To the graduates, particularly Eugene, Epifanio, Analiza, and Wilmar, today is a day of celebration and thanksgiving. You have all worked hard to make it to this day. It has been a long journey and you have reached this far.
The staff, the teachers and therapists in the school, the house parents, and the uncles and aunties in the shelter, were all there and have witnessed when you started practicing on holding a pencil, when you were singing loudly the ABC song, when you were learning to write the letters of the alphabet, when you were trying to read the words with care, and when you were tirelessly counting the numbers from 1 to 100 until you have grown up and have improved your abilities like writing your stories and autobiography, performing an experiment in science, solving problems in math, and showcasing your talent in theater, music and arts, and even sports! Above all these, you have grown up with a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s been a long journey to have finished your elementary years in school, to have developed skills and values, and to grow up rich in spirit. Congratulations, graduates!
Going back to my own elementary commencement, just like you sitting in the front row, my heart was filled with thanksgiving. At 12 years old, I had already been planning on becoming a teacher and had dreamed of landing a job because, primarily, I wanted to elevate my family's situation. My parents were poor and , thus, I am poor. Then, when I was in the 5th grade, my father passed away. But I am blessed that my family stayed strong and had faith in the Lord. Since then, every day is a miracle. Although I am very much acquainted with the hardships in life, I did not use being poor as an excuse not to finish my education. As a matter of fact, with the support of my family, teachers and friends, I had all the motivation to work harder, to do well in my studies, and to give the best version of myself. I am very determined to learn more and even willing to run an extra mile for education.
In the midst of the challenges and hardships in life, I was successful in my academic journey. So, after college, I looked for a job. In June 2009, I was accepted here in Children of Hope School as a shadow teacher of Wilmar and an I.I. instructor for the kids in the afternoon. After a year, I was promoted to a regular teaching job and was assigned in Level B2. Some of you here were once my students then.
So why am I telling you all of this? That day on my elementary graduation, I was young like you, but was very determined to reach my dreams. And now with the blessings of the Lord, I have made some of them come true, like being a teacher and to have done the things that I love to do. Therefore, I want you to be reminded of not giving up on your dreams and to have faith that you will reach your goals. More than that, I am humbled that I was a part of this ministry and learned that life is more meaningful when it is shared with a cause. My five year stay in this school was one of the memorable times in my life and it was way greater than what I have dreamed of.
To the graduates, be grateful to the people that have supported you along the way. The CSC staff and supporters, the childcare staff which includes the uncles and aunties in the shelter, the medical staff, the teachers and therapists in school, and the maintenance staff, they were the set of people who DARED to choose you, serving and molding you to become what you are right now. They are the set of people who CARED not about your past, but on where you’re heading in the future. They are the set of people who SHARED their time, effort, love, and prayers so you won’t be left behind. They dared, cared, and shared because you are special. So dear graduates, we need you to make the most of the wonderful opportunities that have been given to you.
You may not remember everything I’ve said today, but my message to you is that: Do not give up on your dreams and make them all come true. My hope is that you will have the passion, the courage, the faith, and the sense of responsibility it takes so that you’ll be successful in high school and in the next years of your education. Again, congratulations and God bless you graduates. Thank you very much.
Morning Meeting: Risk and Consequence and Astronomy
The Level C1 students have been reading about risk and consequence while C2 class has been reading about astronomy. They came together to lead morning meeting. Each class helped the other to show the other students what they have been learning.
The highlights of the morning included reciting Bible verses which dealt with promises and consequences from God, reenacting the moon landing of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and preforming the song “Outer Space” live—complete with guitars and puppets.
Check out the “Outer Space” song here.
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Future Leaders
“Train up a child in the way he should go
and when he is old he will not depart from them.”
Proverbs 22:6
Meet the future leaders and community helpers. Every day they come to school with fully charged energy, unstoppable curiosity, richly given ability, and a hungry desire to be trained.
Because they were blessed to have a chance to come to school and be given attention, with a big smile and with confidence, they say that in due time and with the Lord’s help they will be prepared to face life independently and be equipped to serve the community.
“When I grow up I want to be a teacher.” – Jennifer
“When I grow up I want to be a firefighter.” – Danilo
“When I grow up I want to be a police officer.” – Andrew
“When I grow up I want to be an army.” – Carlo
-Charis Adlawan, Level A Teacher
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Reading Challenge
Words and words, pages and pages, books and books! The Reading Challenge brought out the inner readers in all the students. They stepped up and buried their noses in books.
Classmates competed against each other. They worked hard, reading pages and pages. At the end of August the class winners were announced.
Each class was rewarded for their hard work with a new book. Teacher Cris’ class was so excited for the new book that they read it as soon as they got into their room.
The students learned a lot. Most of all, many students found joy in books. The number of pages will be forgotten, but the love of reading and learning will lead these students through life.
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Baking with Jules!
The other day, I had the great pleasure of learning how to make pan de munay, a Filipino baked delicacy. Jules, one of our Teen Home residents, recently completed a Bread and Pastry course. He is a certified baker now! Jules has long been interested in the Culinary Arts, but high school was long and difficult for him. Even so, he never gave up on himself or his dream! He graduated from high school this past April and he has been eager to pursue his desired field. Since becoming certified, he is baking up a storm. Each day trying something new! Those at the Teen Home are blessed to eat his daily creations and I know, I am excited whenever I visit for the chance to taste one of his products. For those of you interested in learning how pan de munay is made, check out Jules' step by step instructions in the pictures below. He was a great teacher for me and he even let me roll a few of them! :)
1. Cut the dough
2. Roll it
3. Stretch it
4. Oil the pan
5. Cut the dough
6. Fill with sugar. Yum!
7. Let rise
8. Bake, then let cool!
9. Enjoy! (Truthfully, I had intended to take pictures after each bite, but I was overtaken by the warm, buttery, sugary goodness and instead just focused on eating it!)
Thanks for tuning in to baking with Jules! Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to practice his skills and eventually looks for work as a baker. He is a great guy and we are proud of him!
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Toddler Day Program Kick-Off
September brings new excitement for the youngest in the CSC family. Since arriving in Cebu a month ago I (Grace) have been hard at work creating a new toddler curriculum. The toddler program occurs each weekday and lasts for about an hour. This past week we officially had our kick-off and boy, did the kids have fun!
The new toddler program is structured in a way that will be developmentally appropriate for the toddlers at CSC and will also help prepare them for preschool. Each week of the program is structured around a theme that will not only provide learning experiences, but fun as well! This week the toddlers had a blast learning about circles through activities and songs about bubbles and balls.
Right now we have a group of about 11 toddlers who are full of energy, laughter and curiosity. Each morning we gather together in one of the three homes and start with a morning meeting. The toddlers are learning recognition and routine through their personalized seat mats (mats with pictures of their faces on them). The first day the kids were so excited about the pictures that they could hardly sit on them. By the end of the first week the children were starting to understand the routine and would either sit on their mats or hold them in their laps. During the meeting we do things like working on name recognition, reading books and singing songs. So far, the favorite part of morning meeting is the singing. Thanks to our wonderful aunties the children of CSC start to appreciate and love music at an early age.
Other activities we have been doing this week are bubble blowing, bubble snakes, a ball pit and soccer. It has been such a joy to see the toddlers already making discoveries and having fun exploring the materials provided for them. To get a better idea of what the toddler program is like, take a look at these photos I took as well as a video created by Joel Reasoner!
Video: Toddler Time with Auntie Grace
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