Staff Blog

"When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." – Mark 10:14

Every child is special in the eyes of God. It is amazing to think that God spends so much time making each of us so unique. It's been a month since classes have started. The children were ecstatic to be returning to school. One great thing about CCHS is the ability to adapt to the new normal in teaching the kids. Another great thing about CCHS is that it practices inclusive education, where students with special needs are in the same classroom as mainstream students and they all receive equal learning opportunities.

Two students in partciular have greatly benefited from this inclusive education. This school year, they have joined the other four grade-two learners. We decided to move them up and join an appropriate group based on their age and a group that could greatly help them in achieving their goals and unlocking their God-given potential. Their first day in August 2022 was full of enthusiasm upon coming to school. They were delighted to see the school and were fascinated with the facilities since it was their first time to be back at school after two years of schooling at the shelter (CSC) due to the pandemic.

These two precious kids have shown their talents and skills in different areas. Student A loves to do math activities. He does well in answering some math problems, like joining two groups and counting them all independently. At times, he answers math problems with the help of his classmates and by using some math tools like counters, cubes, and number paths. On the other hand, student B loves to read books. He is able to read decodable books independently and loves to sing upbeat songs.

It is wonderful to see that despite their challenges, they were able to cope up gradually with the assistance of their concerned classmates. At times, it's a big challenge for them to stay focused on their tasks, but I am thankful to God for making those supportive shadow angels (their peers) as an instrument for their success. Their willingness to reach out to their classmates' needs is absolutely amazing. Their success is also possible because of your undying support for our school. Thank you so much for your contributions to this ministry.

"God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His wisdom, but we simply have to trust His will." - Psalm 37:5

The year 2020 has been a challenging year and it carries over this year in 2021 for people all over the world. One area that has been deeply impacted is education. Countries all over the world have been using different approaches so their children can continue to learn. Here in the Philippines, modular distance learning and online classes are used to reach out to children and continue their schooling. One great thing at CSC is our ability to have our classes at the shelter. Our students have greatly benefited and have made substantial improvement in their academic and non-academic skills. We believe continuous learning, even in a modified setting, is an effective way for children to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to satisfy the requirement of their grade levels.

One special student has greatly benefited from a modified class. She started a grade lower when she first came to CSC but because of her determination to learn and handle the lessons presented, we decided to move her up and join a suitable level based on her age and performance. Her first day in August 2020 was full of excitement in learning new lessons and joining a new set of classmates. At first she struggled with the new material especially in reading and spelling. We provided her extra time to work on the skills that needed more attention and refinement. We are thankful that she never losses stamina to keep going in spite of the challenges that come her way. She persevered and is confidently working along with her classmates. She made excellent progress towards the end of the third quarter.

In math, she enjoys solving word problems using the strategies she has learned. She loves math games, especially with math tools available like pattern blocks, pop cubes, and unit blocks. She is also excited to learn simple multiplication and division facts. Her favorite parts of the day; however, are art class and performing experiments during science class. It's wonderful to see how she has progressed this year!

We are so appreciative to all of the supporters, for your faithfulness to CSC in many ways. You are making a difference in the life each child. You have allowed them unlock their potential and show their God-given abilities beyond what we could imagine during this trying time.

(Note: In order to protect the privacy of the children in our care and to comply with Filipino governmental guidelines, our policy when sharing online is to list either a child's name or their photo but not both.)

Exploration, curiosity, and fun are three words I try to bring together as often as I can in my classroom. This past science unit on life cycles easily brought all three elements together. At the beginning of this unit I converted an old box into a place where we could observe the changing stages of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

The students and I enjoyed searching around the shelter for our caterpillars. The house dads knew good places to look and the students had fun trying to be the first one to spot them. During the unit we learned about what things a caterpillar needs in order to survive so we continually looked around the shelter for these necessities. Since my class meets inside the Duterte home due to the lockdown, the other kids in the home as well as the adults enjoyed watching the changes with us. During dinner most nights usually a few kids or an adult would ask me if there were any changes to the caterpillars yet.

It took longer than the students wanted but eventually we started to see some activity inside the chrysalis. It was an exciting day when the butterflies started to break out of their cocoons. All the aunties, houseparents, and even toddlers came to see the amazing event! There are so many things we can learn about God through science and nature. My students and I saw firsthand how intentionally and beautifully God made creation!

Learning math can be fun! My 2nd graders get excited every time we start a new unit. Why? It is because, aside from the interactive story at the beginning (which they love), there is also an interactive game for them to play.

Here are some of their reactions as I handed them the game mats:
Student 1: Yey game nasad! (yeah, we'll play math games again!)
Student 2: I like subtraction and addition! (giggling)
Student 3: Teacher, how to play this game Two-Digit Treasure?

During the game they had a lot of fun subtracting and adding two-digit numbers. Who knew math could be this fun! They were actively engaged in the game and used their own methods for answering the problems. Some of them used mental math while others found the answer by writing the problem down. The classroom was full of excitement!

One of the foundational beliefs in education is that students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. It gives them the opportunity to explore and learn. When you combine exploration with fun, learning happens quickly without the student even noticing.

At CCHS we are able to use some of the best math curriculum around because of generous supporters like you! Thank you for giving our kids the chance to learn, have fun, and grow!

"Everybody born comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory. We come from the Creator with creativity. I think that each one of us is born with creativity."
– Maya Angelou

"Every artist was first an amateur." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every Monday afternoon my second grade class has art. My students get so excited upon hearing the bell and say, "It's art time!" Here is a conversation I recently had in art class:

Student 1: "Teacher, what are we going to do today in art?
Student 2: "Teacher, are we going to paint or draw?
I took out pictures I had taken of each student.
Student 3: "What are we going to do with those pictures?"
Student 1: I think we are going to put frames around them or make designs on our own pictures.
Student 2: Nope, I think we are going to draw a picture of ourselves!
Student 3: Yeah! Ganahan kaayo ko magdrawing! (I really like to draw!)

My 2nd graders have been learning the basics about art such as the different kinds of lines, colors, proper strokes in coloring, etc. Now, it was time to apply those skills!

They really had fun doing their self-portraits. The room was totally quiet as they studied how best to recreate their picture. This activity encouraged them to develop concentration, coordination, fine-motor skills, and creativity. Some of them even extended their art skills by creating their own style.