LOWER SCHOOL SERVICE LEARNING

PAGE 9UPPER SCHOOL GINUPPER SCHOOL SERVICE LEARNING

PAGE 8

Dragon Chronicles

Chinese New Year(page 4)

Sports Day(page 3)

MIDDLE SCHOOL FIELD TRIP

PAGE 6

Issue no. 8 Volume 2

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.”- Luke 12:48

This bible verse, paraphrased and quoted by the late US President John F. Kennedy and, most recently, by legendary CEO-turned- philanthropist Bill Gates, is a credo that all CISM students should adopt.

At CISM, Service Learning serves as the core of every student’s mission. The school makes an effort to expose its students to the realities of their surroundings and the plight of the many who are not as materially fortunate. Students participate in various organizational projects such as the Habitat for Humanity, Gawad Kalinga, Bukas Palad, and the Philippine Christian Foundation. For SY 2012-2013, CISM has encouraged students to form their own community projects and actively lead them. In the process, Service Learning has become an endeavor that challenges each and every one of us to be part of the solution.

After sending its students to two Global Issues Network (GIN) conferences, the school decided to let these participants head their own GIN GANG (Global Awareness Network Groups): Karen (Illegal Drugs); Megan (Biodiversity); Spencer and Caitlin (Intellectual Property Rights); Neil and Andy (Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation); and myself (Maritime Safety and Pollution). For the past three months, these leaders, along with their members, have worked tirelessly to implement creative and sustainable solutions based on their assigned issues (p.8). An example of such is the Acrylic paintings created by the Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation GANG which depict steps to take during an earthquake or typhoon.

Most recently, Upper School students had a most fruitful field trip to Cambodia (p.7). Aside from immersing themselves in Khmer culture and learning about the country’s history, the students also interacted with school children, observed a rural community, and

helped the Beng Melea commune build a stronger foundation for their future infrastructure projects.

Lower School has also been doing its part to contribute to Service Learning. For example, Grade 2 students visited the Pinagsama Day Care Center (p.9), where they interacted with students their age and identified their needs. During a five-month period, the students conducted research, integrated their lessons with their investigations, developed interview questionnaires, graphs, and bar charts, all of which were presented to the Upper School students during a school assembly.

All in all, Service Learning has become a very valuable tool that equips our CISM students with the wherewithal to successfully conduct projects that prove helpful and beneficial to their community.

Have a great summer, everyone!

Serena

Editorial

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Facilitators: Lower school-Ms. Patricia BantugUpper school-Dr. Mary FernandezEditor-in-chief: SerenaManaging Editor: Isabel Entertainment Editor:KarenPhotography Editor: Luke Writers:News

• Billie • Gabby• Neil• Nelson• Serena• Spencer

Literary• Gabby

Lower School:Writers:

• Brian• Brianna• Clair• Dominic• Joshua• Lucas • Xam

Photographers:• Brian • Dominic• Joshua

Sports Day

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.

At the end of the day, the Blue Team emerged victorious, with the Yellow Team following in second place and the Red Team, third.

Fifth graders cheering on their teammates during the relay games

By: JoshuaGrade 4-L

Students and teachers cheering on their housemates in the tug-of-war

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

Lower school students preparing for the basketball relay

L-R: Andy, Spencer, Nikel, and Neil

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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, 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 selected students did the Yo-Yo 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 to the delight of CISM students, 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 a USB, followed by a delicious lunch prepared by the PTA– noodles, buchi (glutinous rice balls), and tikoy – to be had by all!

Chinese New YearBy: BrianGrade 4-P

Hosts Spencer and Angela PTA giving out prizes to students

Dragon dancers preparing for their number

A purple lion making its grand entrance

Students performing a Chinese song Middle School students performing a fan dance

Students waiting for the headmaster to announce the raffle winners

Lower School students performing the Golden Snake dance

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Grade 4: Grade 4 students were recently treated to an awe-inspiring four-venue field trip: they visited the National Library, National Museum, Fort Santiago, and Bahay Tsinoy. They were blown away by local historical trivia and came to know renowned Philippine historical figures.

Starting at the National Library, students got a peek of a public library, something many of them had never seen before. They learned about the Library's card cataloguing system and how to use this manual search method when looking for books categorized under author, subject, or title labels, all alphabetically sorted. For example, in looking for a book written by Patricia Pollaco, one would have to go to a set of drawers grouped under the “Author” section and locate the letter “P” label in front of it. Then, on opening the identified drawer, browse for the author's surname. Searches can be conducted by title or by subject as well.

The next venue was the National Museum: Its first building houses Philippine historical documents and artifacts and the second, arts. Students learned about the Spanish invasion and about famous Filipino artists like Juan Luna, who painted the Spoliarium, the first work of art that greets visitors at the entry of the museum.

Fort Santiago, a defense fortress built by the Spanish conquistadores came next, where the children took a pitstop for lunch and refreshments in this part of Intramuros (“Within the Walls”). They also had a chance to view the Philippines' national hero Jose Rizal's shrine and memorabilia .

Last but not least was Bahay Tsinoy. Students learned that a tsinoy is an ethnic Chinese residing in the Philippines. They also learned that China traded silk for Philippine pearls and that the Spaniards, after invading Mexico, came here because they wanted to trade their silver with China as well.

Grade 5: Fifth graders ventured to Corregidor Island via a two-hour ferry ride. While the students came to know more about the Philippines' participation in World War II, they also had fun. The kids swam, zip lined, sat around a bonfire and told ghost stories to each other until very late at night. Students also claimed that when they went ghost hunting, they discovered ghosts lurking along their path. The photos that they took revealed orbs or spirits that move around a certain space. The ghosts, they were told, are the spirits of Filipino, Spanish, Japanese, and American soldiers that died fighting during WW II.

The students begged to stay over one more night, but begrudgingly packed to go back home the following morning.

Lower School Field trip: Grades 4 and 5By: BrianGrade 4-L

Fourth graders enjoying their time in the National Library

Student display posters at the National Library

Viewing artifacts at the National Museum

Searching for books using the card catalog system

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The Middle School field trip experience was very interesting, as we learned the importance of Philippine history and teamwork.

While exploring Emilio Aguinaldo’s historical residence, we learned about his immense contributions in obtaining Philippine independence from the Spaniards. We also felt as though we were reliving Aguinaldo’s life as we passed through each corridor, room, and display. His residence had a bowling alley, a swimming pool, master bedroom, dining room, piano, historical wall carvings, wooden furniture, and many more. Every little decorative adornment, life-sized sculpture, whether conspicuously displayed or concealed, represented equally important facets of Aguinaldo’s life.

I took pictures of nearly everything inside the Aguinaldo home, feeling this was a lifetime opportunity that I had to cherish for myself and for posterity. I loved every bit of the tour of this historical site!

Afterwards, we proceeded to Hotel Kimberly. Everyone enjoyed the long trip going to the hotel, particularly because we were able to bond with other students on the bus. We all remained calm and friendly throughout the hour-long trip.

Once we reached the hotel, we spotted the playroom,

but first settled in our assigned rooms to take a much-needed rest. Throughout our hotel stay, we bonded and enjoyed many team building activities. The most memorable experience included venturing out to Gratchi’s farm – we swung from the trees, danced on the ropes, slid down the zip line, and played in the mud. It was truly a wonderful and unforgettable experience!

Middle School Field tripBy: JohnGrade 8

The Seventh graders and Coach Amsie in front of Emilio Aguinaldo’s mansion

The Eight graders hamming it up for the camera

Middle Schoolers zip lining their way

Eight graders trying out the mud slide

Middle schoolers enjoying their team building activities

Sixth grade girls posing for the camera

Inside Emilio’s Aguinaldo’s mansion

The 8th grade boys playing billiards

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Upper School Field tripBy: GabbyGrade 11

From the safe haven that is our air-conditioned classroom, Camp Cambodia seemed so distant. However, once we landed at the Siem Reap International Airport, it quickly became a reality. Our flight was at night, and yet mosquito-bite marks and a rash of heat immediately welcomed us upon arrival. For the first few days of the trip, our group visited all of the famous landmarks around Phnom Penh and Siem Reap: S21, Killing Fields, the Royal Palace, the National Museum, and most of all, the Angkor Wat Temples. Despite two 7-hour bus rides and blistering temperatures of over 40°C, being immersed in another culture was definitely an interesting experience – and also better than going to school. On the last half of the trip, we travelled to Camp Beng Melea for our Camp International Experience. As soon as we stepped out of the bus, we were introduced to Han, the camp manager at Beng Melea and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. While at camp, we did various community works: We helped in the building of school facilities; we played with the school kids; and we made and planted seed balls to help with the community’s agriculture. Our stay at Camp Beng Melea was a short one, and yet I learned so much about how we can help rural communities like it, starting with our own countryside villages in the Philippines. It was an amazing experience, and I’m definitely glad I signed up for it!

Students and teachers saying goodbye to Camp Beng Melea

Visiting the Killing Fields- a site where thousands of Cambodians

were killed during Pol Pot’s regime

Touring the Royal Palace- the official residence of Cambodia's

Royal Family

Our guide showing us around the Artisan School in Siem Reap

Students and teachers excited to explore the Angkor Temples

At the temple where Tomb Raider was shot

Mr. Roy posing at Angkor Wat

Students and teachers pounding rocks

The girls shoveling soil to help build a strong foundation for future

infrastructures of the Beng Melea commune

CISM students playing volleyball with students Upper school students making seed

balls

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Illegal DrugsBy: Nelson

The Illegal Drugs GIN GANG's primary focus is to raise awareness about the negative impact on teens of taking prohibited drugs. However, this objective shifted to focusing on a broader and more pervasive issue, substance abuse. The group gathered information on what students currently know about substance abuse by having them answer survey questions on the topic. In addition, Lower School students were asked to research on substance abuse to broaden their knowledge on the matter. An expert speaker will be invited to talk on substance abuse and its effects.

Upper School Service Learning

Natural Disasters Prevention and Mitigation

By: Neil

Intellectual Property and RightsBy: Spencer

BiodiversityBy: Megan

Maritime Safety and PollutionBy: Serena

The Natural Disaster Mitigation and Prevention group focuses primarily on formulating ways to palliate the damage wrought by disasters. Currently, the group’s objective is to raise awareness within the CISM community. The major project planned is to paint two posters depicting typhoons and earthquakes. The typhoon poster will have pertinent details such as emergency telephone numbers, while the earthquake poster will include procedures to follow during an earthquake.

The Intellectual Property Right Group’s main objective is to spread awareness on the negative effects of piracy in today's society. Currently, the group is doing one major and a minor project to achieve this primary goal. A major project is to collect second-hand original DVDs from students and donate them to the school library to provide students convenient access to information. This project also hopes to raise awareness on the importance of purchasing original manufactured products. A minor project is a fundraiser that involves showing an original movie for free in the Multi Purpose Hall and selling food to earn enough money to purchase original DVDs to be donated to the school library.

The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Losses GANG is working hard to publish a magazine that will be printed by the end of the year. By reading this magazine, students will be more informed about what is happening in the ecosystem. This will in turn compel them to make a difference, no matter how small this change may be. Articles are being proofread and more information is being compiled.

The Maritime Safety and Pollution GANG has been focusing on raising awareness on zero waste management, and helping Think Blue Think Green raise funds for purchasing colour coded bins around CISM. To do so, members shot and edited a video introducing zero waste management and had food sales to cover the necessary expenses. Currently, the GANG is working on implementing zero waste management in CISM and hopes to continue this project next school year.

By: Upper School studentsGrades 9 and 10

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Second graders visited Pinagsama Day Care Center where they conducted staff interviews in order to know the Center's needs. Prior to their visit, the students prepared for months. They integrated what they learned in class with their pre-trip research. They made use of their investigative skills drawn from observing the environment and living things in their Science classes. They used their knowledge of constructing bar graphs in making surveys in their Mathematics classes. From Language Arts classes, they picked up skills to compose questions, speeches, and essays. They broke up into groups and discussed what questions they should ask and how they should ask them.

On the day of the visit,

parents chaperoned the kids to assist in translation. They inspected toilets and classrooms to see what PDC needed. Here are the results of the visit and interviews conducted:

1) There were 15 boys and 19 girls.2) All 33 children whom we interviewed love their school.3) They do reading, writing, and coloring.4) Their favorite foods are fried chicken, fries, veggies, cake, fudge bars, and rice.5) The classroom is less than half the size of our classrooms including the toilet.6) There are almost 100 students.

Grade 2 Service Learning

The 2nd graders interviewing the Pinagsama Day Care Center children

By: Xam and BriannaGrade 4-L

Bar charts showing the Pinagsama children’s game and

toy preferences

Two colorful graphs depicting the results of the survey questions 3) What is your

favorite color? and 4) What is your favorite food?

Kate, one of the 2nd graders, making sure there are enough drinks for the

children

2nd graders interacting with the children Parents helping their children conduct the interview

Pinagsama Day Care children in their classroom

2nd graders observed that the tables in the classroom need to be replaced

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Kirin Food Review:

Kirin has been gaining a reputation as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Manila. It is located in Building 7, 29th Street, Bonifacio High Street, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. I guarantee you that you won’t regret dining at Kirin. I’ve been there many times and I’m always satisfied with their service, food, and atmosphere.

The restaurant is amazing because it is well-organized and it has special and unique features. The tables and chairs are properly arranged. The traffic flow within the restaurant is very efficient. It has a classy theme because the glass walls have flowing water in them, combined with bamboo wallpaper and leather-covered furniture. The bright lights add to the warmth and cheerfulness of those who dine there. Jazz music is played in the background to create a relaxing mood. Dining there is really a terrific experience!

The food is fantastic and oozing with different flavors. Their best selling soup is the Spinach Quail Egg Soup. It is made of boiled egg with minced spinach and special spices. For the main course, I recommend the Sweet and Sour Fish. The sweetness and sourness complement each other and the dish is very flavorful. The radish cake is the best appetizer. It is a tasty and healthy vegetable. It is

sweet with a tinge of spiciness. You will surely enjoy the delectable food served there.

As for the service, it is fast and efficient. The waiters are well dressed and accommodating. They don’t keep you waiting and they serve the food on time. They are always ready to serve customers upon request. They are polite and respectful. All in all, they make you feel at home.

If you want to have a great dining experience, I highly recommend Kirin. As I have said, the atmosphere is amazing, the food fantastic, and service fast and efficient. Come and dine and see the difference.

David’s Tea House Food Review:

Has anyone tried the restaurant David’s Tea House in Greenbelt 2? They sell Chinese food like dumplings, noodles, siomai, and more. On a daily basis, diners patronize David's Tea House and grab a quick yet tasty bite at one of its tables. The place is highly regarded as a lot of patrons come and eat here.

On entering the restaurant, the aroma of freshly cooked food immediately wafted across the room. I spotted the cashier on the left side and beside the cash register counter was the kitchen. Towards my right was the dining area. Some 17 black, wooden tables topped with glass populated the room. Each table was set with plates, spoons, and

forks neatly arranged and ready for each dine-in customer. There were tables outside that had no utensils prepared, as waiters set them up as guests arrived.

On the day we visited David's Tea House, we ate yang chao fried rice, roast duck, vegetable soup, steamed kangkong, and sipped mango shakes. The duck was golden and juicy, while the fried rice tasted authentic. I found the soup, however, too salty. The vegetables were delightful. I loved the fresh taste and crunchy texture of the kangkong leaves. The presentation of the food was clean and attractive.

Even the waiters were dressed neatly. They smiled and greeted all the guests pleasantly. We waited for our food to be served and it took about 15 minutes. When we asked for chilli sauce, the waiters quickly granted our request. Every now and then, they asked us if we needed anything else. Service was surprisingly speedy.

I recommend that the restaurant have a desert of the day in their menu. It would have also been more convenient if the restaurant had a restroom. Overall, David’s Tea House is a family-style restaurant that serves appetizing food in a no-frills setting.

Food ReviewsBy: Xam and Clair

Grade 4-L

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The Hobbit is a three-hour movie. Its plot consists of the first 100 pages of the eponymous novel. It is about a young boy named Bilbo Baggins, who is on an exciting adventure. Baggins had discovered people whose kingdom was taken by a dragon. The King of Elves did not want to help. During his adventure, he had to fight off trolls, orcs, ghosts, and giant spiders. Gandalf, the most powerful wizard, came along and asked if he could help. Gandalf has a brother named Radacast, the wizard of nature, who saw the dangers and warned Gandalf.

The Hobbit is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It tells readers about what was not understood in the previous movies. This is so because in the very first movie, Lord of the Rings, the story did not explain why Billbo Baggins had gone mad and how the ring was created.

My favorite part of the movie was when the soldiers took back their kingdom. My favorite character was Dwarf Red Beard because he was the

funniest fighter in the movie. He was a minor character. This movie was one of the biggest hits in 2012. It made USD 138 million.

I'm sure the fans of The Lord of the Rings will really love this movie prequel. Another reason why you should watch it is because it has everything anyone needs in a movie: action, magic, love, and friendship.

The Drama Club is taking it up a notch. Instead of producing a school-wide play, the club has been renamed Dragon Repertory, with fewer students involved in its latest production, Honk. Director Michael Williams remains at the helm of the new outfit. In addition to assembling and directing student actors, the school has created a marketing committee. The marketing committee will identify corporate and individual sponsors to raise funds.

Honk will be staged at the RCBC auditorium on June 6, 2013. Justin stars as Honk, Daniella as Cat, Maxine as Ida, Megan as Penny, Andy as Bullfrog, and Lucas as Jaybird.

The Hobbit The Drama ClubBy: DominicGrade 4-L

By: LucasGrade 4-P

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So you trudge on, pen against paper, hours ticking ceaselessly into daybreak. The problem with procrastination is that it doesn’t hit you until it’s too late. You don’t realize it until it’s staring you right in the face, mocking your inadequacies and a dismal lack of motivation. Procrastination attacks slowly, like festering mold, until the skin under your eyes resembles that of an overripe banana. You’re lulled into a false sense of security until you’re so far gone you don’t even remember how you got there in the first place. The worst thing about procrastination, even worse than procrastination itself, is the unidentifiable root cause. The work piles up and up and up, but motivation stagnates – or even worse, slips into a decline. Resolutions are made, school planners are dusted off and used, and yet every day is the same. Nothing seems to work. Every paragraph you read seems to constantly repeat the same sentence over and over and over. As the seconds inch by, there is nothing left to do but to start what you haven’t finished and hope for the best (perhaps while silently cursing yourself from time to time). So you trudge on, pen against paper, hours ticking ceaselessly into daybreak.

The Problem with Procrastination

By: BillieGrade 11

The Think Blue, Think Green Club is a collaborative project by Lower, Middle, and Upper School students to raise awareness on the environment. The club’s main goal is to raise funds to buy the school proper recycling trash bins, which will promote correct waste segregation. Members of the club sold canvas and cooler bags during school events. Parents, teachers, and fellow students bought these environment-friendly bags to support the club’s cause.

At the moment, CISM has only

one trash bin for all types of trash. The consensus is that there is a need to fund the purchase of colour coded bins based on the following labels: biodegradable waste, non-biodegradable waste, plastics, and paper. By disposing waste in the proper manner, students will be more aware of the environment and how they affect it.

The club aims to motivate students to help the environment in any way they can, starting from recycling and segregating trash properly. Another project the club is promoting is an inter-level pull-tab competition. These tabs (from aluminum cans) will be donated to cottage industry organizations whose members create bags, belts, and other accessories out of them. Please help the Think Blue, Think Green Club with their environmental causes!

Think Blue, Think Green

By: GabbyGrade 11

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