CISM Students Should Center (P.9), Where They Karen Rights); Neil and Andy Adopt
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Dragon Chronicles Issue no. 8 Volume 2 Chinese New Year (page 4) Sports Day (page 3) LOWER SCHOOL SERVICE LEARNING MIDDLE SCHOOL FIELD TRIP UPPER UPPERSCHOOL SCHOOL SERVICE GINLEARNING PAGE 9 PAGE 6 PAGE 8 Editorial “For everyone to whom After sending its helped the Beng Melea Facilitators: much is given, from students to two Global commune build a Lower school- him much will be Issues Network (GIN) stronger foundation for Ms. Patricia Bantug required.”- Luke 12:48 conferences, the school their future Upper school- decided to let these infrastructure projects. This bible verse, participants head their Dr. Mary Fernandez paraphrased and quoted own GIN GANG Lower School Editor-in-chief: by the late US President (Global Awareness has also been doing its Serena John F. Kennedy and, Network Groups): part to contribute to Managing Editor: most recently, by Karen (Illegal Drugs); Service Learning. For Isabel legendary CEO-turned- Megan (Biodiversity); example, Grade 2 philanthropist Bill students visited the Entertainment Spencer and Caitlin Gates, is a credo that all (Intellectual Property Pinagsama Day Care Editor: CISM students should Center (p.9), where they Karen Rights); Neil and Andy adopt. (Natural Disaster interacted with students Photography Prevention and their age and identified Editor: At CISM, their needs. During a Service Learning Mitigation); and myself Luke (Maritime Safety and five-month period, the serves as the core of students conducted Writers: every student’s mission. Pollution). For the past News three months, these research, integrated The school makes an their lessons with their • leaders, along with their Billie effort to expose its investigations, • Gabby students to the realities members, have worked tirelessly to implement developed interview • Neil of their surroundings questionnaires, graphs, and the plight of the creative and sustainable • Nelson solutions based on their and bar charts, all of • Serena many who are not as which were presented to materially fortunate. assigned issues (p.8). • the Upper School Spencer Students participate in An example of such is Literary the Acrylic paintings students during a school various organizational assembly. • Gabby projects such as the created by the Natural Habitat for Humanity, Disaster Prevention and All in all, Lower School: Gawad Kalinga, Bukas Mitigation GANG Service Learning has Palad, and the which depict steps to become a very valuable Writers: take during an • Brian Philippine Christian tool that equips our Foundation. For SY earthquake or typhoon. CISM students with the • Brianna 2012-2013, CISM has Most recently, wherewithal to • Clair encouraged students to successfully conduct • Dominic Upper School students form their own had a most fruitful field projects that prove • Joshua community projects and trip to Cambodia (p.7). helpful and beneficial to • Lucas actively lead them. In Aside from immersing their community. • Xam the process, Service themselves in Khmer Learning has become Have a great summer, Photographers: culture and learning everyone! • Brian an endeavor that about the country’s challenges each and • history, the students also Serena Dominic every one of us to be • Joshua interacted with school part of the solution. children, observed a rural community, and 2 Sports Day By: Joshua Grade 4-L After two months of preparation by Coach Amsi and Coach Dino, Sports Day happened on March 15. It started off with a cheering competition and then moved onto the games proper. Competition included relay games, badminton, basketball, and tug of war. Team captains Karen and Gabby led the Red Team; Steffi and Spencer headed the Blue Team; and Isabel and Maxine were at the helm of the Yellow Team. Fifth graders cheering on their teammates during the At the end of the day, the Blue Team relay games emerged victorious, with the Yellow Team following in second place and the Red Team, third. Lower school students preparing for the basketball relay The Yellow Team and Red Team girls in an intense basketball match The Blue Team and Red Team girls waiting for the basketball match to start Students and teachers cheering on their housemates in the tug-of-war L-R: Andy, Spencer, Nikel, and Neil 3 Chinese New Year By: Brian Grade 4-P CISM rang in Chinese New Year with a two-day festivity that occurred on February 7 and 8. Rigorous rehearsals took place in order to perfect students' presentations. On the first day, parents and other guests took in Upper School students' performances, Hosts Spencer and Angela PTA giving out prizes to students while Lower School's show happened on the succeeding day. Kindergarten tots danced the Golden Snake; Grade 1 kids recited poems of the Tang Dynasty accompanied by the plucking of a Chinese guzheng; Grades 4 and 5 presented a Chinese cultural show and Dragon dancers preparing for their A purple lion making its grand selected students did the Yo-Yo number entrance dance; and, Grades 6, 7, and 8 staged a Tai Chi fan dance. Highlighting the day’s events and signalling the start of an auspicious year was the energetic performance of lion and dragon dancers who also threw candies into the air, much Students performing a Chinese song Middle School students performing a to the delight of CISM students, fan dance teachers, and staff alike. It was a chaotic sight as most children crouched and crawled on the ground to grab as many candies as they could. A surprise raffle ensued, giving away prizes like tikoy (rice cake), an iPod Shuffle, and Lower School students performing the Students waiting for the headmaster a USB, followed by a delicious Golden Snake dance to announce the raffle winners lunch prepared by the PTA– noodles, buchi (glutinous rice balls), and tikoy – to be had by all! 4 Lower School Field trip: Grades 4 and 5 By: Brian Grade 4-L Grade 4: The students begged to Grade 4 students were Fort Santiago, a defense stay over one more night, but recently treated to an awe- fortress built by the Spanish begrudgingly packed to go back inspiring four-venue field trip: conquistadores came next, where home the following morning. they visited the National Library, the children took a pitstop for National Museum, Fort Santiago, lunch and refreshments in this and Bahay Tsinoy. They were part of Intramuros (“Within the blown away by local historical Walls”). They also had a chance trivia and came to know to view the Philippines' national renowned Philippine historical hero Jose Rizal's shrine and figures. memorabilia . Starting at the National Last but not least was Library, students got a peek of a Bahay Tsinoy. Students learned public library, something many that a tsinoy is an ethnic Chinese Fourth graders enjoying their time in the National Library of them had never seen before. residing in the Philippines. They They learned about the Library's also learned that China traded card cataloguing system and how silk for Philippine pearls and that to use this manual search method the Spaniards, after invading when looking for books Mexico, came here because they categorized under author, subject, wanted to trade their silver with or title labels, all alphabetically China as well. sorted. For example, in looking for a book written by Patricia Grade 5: Pollaco, one would have to go to Fifth graders ventured to Student display posters at the National Library a set of drawers grouped under Corregidor Island via a two-hour the “Author” section and locate ferry ride. While the students the letter “P” label in front of it. came to know more about the Then, on opening the identified Philippines' participation in drawer, browse for the author's World War II, they also had fun. surname. Searches can be The kids swam, zip lined, sat conducted by title or by subject around a bonfire and told ghost as well. stories to each other until very late at night. Students also Viewing artifacts at the National Museum The next venue was the claimed that when they went National Museum: Its first ghost hunting, they discovered building houses Philippine ghosts lurking along their path. historical documents and artifacts The photos that they took and the second, arts. Students revealed orbs or spirits that move learned about the Spanish around a certain space. The invasion and about famous ghosts, they were told, are the Filipino artists like Juan Luna, spirits of Filipino, Spanish, who painted the Spoliarium, the Japanese, and American soldiers first work of art that greets that died fighting during WW II. Searching for books using the card visitors at the entry of the catalog system museum. 5 Middle School Field trip By: John Grade 8 The Middle School but first settled in our assigned field trip experience was very rooms to take a much-needed interesting, as we learned the rest. Throughout our hotel stay, importance of Philippine history we bonded and enjoyed many and teamwork. team building activities. The most memorable experience While exploring Emilio included venturing out to Aguinaldo’s historical residence, Gratchi’s farm – we swung from Sixth grade girls posing for the camera we learned about his immense the trees, danced on the ropes, contributions in obtaining slid down the zip line, and played Philippine independence from in the mud. It was truly a the Spaniards. We also felt as wonderful and unforgettable though we were reliving experience! Aguinaldo’s life as we passed through each corridor, room, and display. His residence had a bowling alley, a swimming pool, Middle schoolers enjoying their team master bedroom, dining room, building activities piano, historical wall carvings, wooden furniture, and many more. Every little decorative adornment, life-sized sculpture, whether conspicuously displayed The Seventh graders and Coach Amsie or concealed, represented equally in front of Emilio Aguinaldo’s mansion important facets of Aguinaldo’s life.