By Eric Abellana and Meravic Nalang (Counselors)
Emily Dickinson once wrote that "there is no Frigate like a book." In her poem, she described how a book could ferry us to faraway lands or unfathomable seas. That poem has a lulling melody yet a compelling voice. In counseling, we have different frigates that have helped us guide the children in exploring their faraway lands (future and goals) and unfathomable seas (past and trauma). Talk, art, and music have been a great help for several years in dealing with children in counseling. This year, the mothership was finally realized.
On May 20, the counseling department finally moved to its new space, the Alimyon Hall. Alimyon is a Cebuano word for scent/aroma. Although we use scents/aromas as an aid in counseling, this is not the reason why the space is named Alimyon. We believe that emotions put the colors to our thoughts; behavior is the scent of our emotions—a scent that can be seen rather than smelled. In this new space, play has been the frigate that helps us in dealing with the children. Toys, a lot of them, like sand trays, art materials, and musical instruments are present in Alimyon. These have evoked a lot of emotions from the children.
Joy is the dominant scent here as younger residents dive into their world as they start to play. They become attuned to the present, focusing on the story of their play. For older residents, play allows them to reconnect with their inner child with the help of sand trays. Through their play, we can have a glimpse of what they've been through; where they are going; and what they are hoping for. With smiles on their faces, excitement in their voice, and the calmness of their hearts radiate the scent of joy.
Play has always been the most comfortable language for children. You let them play with toys, and they will tell you a story. You let them play some musical instruments, and you'll hear the anthem of their days. You let them play with colors and they will give you masterpieces that outshine Van Gogh's or Monet's. Emily Dickinson was never wrong about books. They surely ferry you somewhere. Play offers the same to children.
Cooks Return to the Kitchen
Over the past three months, the afternoon cooks in both Cherne and Duterte homes have been recovering from surgery. Auntie Mayflor and Auntie Sonia each had an operation which required lots of rest and recovery. In their absence, other child care workers jumped in to cover the afternoon cook duties. Of course no meals were missed and tasty food was always on the tables.
Last week Auntie Sonia returned to work!
This week Auntie Mayflor also returned to work! It is good to have them back in their respective kitchens.
As Auntie Mayflor enter the shelter gate the children from the Cherne home were walking up to school. When they saw Auntie Mayflor, the line they were walking in suddenly morphed into a mob. The children ran shouting “Auntie Mayflor!” racing to hug her.
The aunties’ impact in the lives was on full display in the moment of Auntie Mayflor’s welcome back from the children.
Keep the all CSC employees in your prayers. They do everything for the children and their good health is essential.
Confessions of a Messy Eater
I like to eat.
I nibble on my feet.
I pray before I eat.
I don’t know how to feed myself yet,
So I depend on my auntie’s hand.
I open my mouth wide
And welcome my tasty food.
Blended, pureed, squashed,
Smashed and crushed.
The way I like it.
The way I want it.
I don’t usually look like this,
I know.
There’s something on my face.
I know food goes to my mouth,
Not on my cheeks or forehead or ears.
What’s the use of a bib
If I eat like this?
At the end of my meal time,
Burp says this tummy of mine.
Aah…
What a treat!
Volcanoes, Mountains, and Valleys
For the past few weeks, the preschool class has been learning about landforms. They now know how to identify mountains, valleys, hills, volcanoes, isthmuses, and islands.
They even sang a song during their morning meeting about landforms!
They topped off the unit by making their own models using play dough. Fun stuff!
He is risen, He is risen indeed!
It is Holy Week. This week is a meaningful time for Christians everywhere. In the Philippines, most stores and restaurants are closed on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and schools are not in session on those days either. Therefore, our school, Cebu Children of Hope, held it's Easter celebration on Wednesday. The event started with a reading of Scripture - recounting the events of Jesus' last days on Earth. Then there were games, crafts and praise and worship.
I was moved during the praise and worship, and as you can see below, I was not the only one! How blessed are we to be children of the Most High God! That He, being without blemish, laid His life down for ours when we needed it most, but were also the most undeserving.
May you and your families be blessed this Easter and remember God's goodness and Jesus' sacrifice.
Praise the Lord! He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Have Fun with Math and Science!
Science and Math Day is always fun for everyone at CCHS. It is a whole day affair full of interesting activities.
Recently, everyone had a lot of fun during the science and math culminating activity. In the morning, there was a math quiz bowl with the students grouped into teams. The students took turns answering math questions categorized by levels of difficulty: easy, average, and difficult. It was so cool to see the students think and analyze.
The afternoon events focused on topics the students had been learning about in their science classes. Different presentations were given by each of the science classes. The highlight was the demonstration from the Group 4 class about static electricity. Examples of static electricity were shown using balloons. The students were amazed with what they saw and discovered. It was super fun for everyone!