Staff Blog

Typical day in the therapy room: student having his speech therapy session with the therapist.

Conversation:

The therapist asks, “Where do French fries come from?”

Without any pause or hesitation, the student answers, “McDonald’s!”

My co-therapist and I burst out laughing. I know we are not supposed to laugh when a student makes a mistake, but we couldn’t help ourselves. It was so cute! The answer does make sense though, if you are a kid. The student just looked between me and my co-therapist with a look that said, “Okay, so what’s funny?”

It was, in fact, a true and genuine answer coming from a seven-year-old boy. McDonald’s and its counterpart, Jollibee, are a hit here in the Philippines, especially for the young kids at the shelter. It is a big deal for them when they are able to go to one of these establishments. (My blog is not about advertising for these businesses, by the way.)

Sometimes as adults we are so caught up with our adult stuff that we forget how to live life like a child, worry free. The kids at the shelter remind us that, in spite of the difficulties they have already faced at a young age, we have a God who is bigger than our worries.

I sat in the therapy room with the speech therapy session still going on thinking how blessed I am to be in this environment. I teach and treat kids with special needs and in turn, they too, teach me even more. As an English proverb says, “The soul is healed by being with children.”

Of course, most of the students at Cebu Children of Hope School are from the shelter since that is the main reason for the existence of our school.  However, over the years we have had a handful of community kids attend the school for varying amounts of time.  There was VJ, Andree Kaye, John Ray, Rufa Mae, Christian, and a few others.  CCHS is not big enough to be able to open its doors to the community at large, so we have always brought in community kids just by word of mouth.  It has usually been the case that a commmunity student attends CCHS because he cannot go to another school due to extenuating circumstances. 

For the past three years we have had our hands pretty full with the kids who need schooling from the shelter, but we had our eyes and ears open for a community child who may fit into our school.  Well, meet Lael.  Lael lives with his family nearby and his parents heard about CCHS from someone who works in their church.  Lael is eight years old and suffers from a rare syndrome called Lennox Gestaut Syndrome.  His mom and dad have been looking for a school where Lael can interact with other kids his age in a safe, caring environment. 

Last week Lael started attending CCHS for library and art classes two times a week.  It was a great start for everyone and we are excited to have a new student in our midst.  After all, we are Children of Hope for children of hope. 

The students started the morning of UN Day with a passport and a sense of anticipation.  There were lots of places to go and only one day to fit it all in.

In the morning, the students traveled to five countries—Angola, Puerto Rico, Mexico, France, and United Arab Emirates.  In each country, the students learned interesting facts, made a craft or two, and tried some of the local food.  Some of the countries had very strict rules, only letting in the students who were sitting quietly while waiting in line.  Once inside each country's room, the fun began.  There were interesting facts to be learned, fun crafts to make, and new foods to taste.  By the end of the morning, each student’s hands were full of souvenirs from the places they had visited.

In the afternoon, different classes presented a cultural dance from each of the countries.  Angola won Mister and Miss UN Day and they were thrilled.  The day ended with a quiz game about the countries.  It was a fun day from beginning to end.

On October 7, 2014 Science Groups 2B, 3, and 4 went to a Science Exhibit at Park Mall.  The exhibit had all kinds of cool science phenomenon the kids could explore.  Everyone was excited to discover new things. They tried all the different exhibits and were amazed at how science works.

Lots of Learning going on!

Exploring the Van de Graff generator. She looks cool with that hair.

Attending the Science Exhibit encouraged intellectual curiousity, sharpened the kids' critical thinking, and helped them draw conclusions about the world around them.  

-Rhasie Gantuangco, Instructional Assistant

Twice every school year, the teachers meet with the house parents, child care team, and other staff members to share how each student is doing in school. The small class sizes and many hours spent together make the teachers experts about the children. The teachers know how to inspire the students. They know how to explain the lessons. They know how to meet the children where they are at.

Recently, the first teacher conferences of the year were held. It was great to hear about the strides the students are making. The teachers shared some anecdotes about the children, giving insight into the mind of each child.

• One teenage boy loves drawing and is good at it. However, sometimes he spends too much time on the drawings for an assignment and does not leave enough time for the writing part.
• A preschooler was described by his teacher as having "a lot of potential to learn a lot this year."
• One first grade student recommended a comic book to his teacher. "If you read this teacher, it is funny," he said.
• After a day of vacation, a student confessed to his teacher, "I don't like no class. It is boring to have no learning."

The teachers also shared some of the school work the children of have been doing. The drawings by the kindergarteners and first graders showed how much they have improved in just the first few months of the year. The more difficult books the upper elementary students have been reading show how much they comprehend. It is encouraging from preschool on up!

Here is one student's work "The Lion and the Worm" read by the author, Lerma.