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IN SEARCH OF
NEW FRONTIER
WITH FIRE AND
FRIENDSHIP
SY 2009-2010
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Table of Contents
Editorial 1Chinese New Year Celebration 2Classroom Makeover
3Grade 5 Students Go To Ayala Museum and Lights and Sounds Museum
4
Trip of Discoveries 5Learning the Chinese Past 6Quiz Booklets
7The IPSLE 8The XS Fair 9Impulse 10Stories from Ondoy 11-12 Alay
Buhat Grade 5 Debate Competition 14
Synthesis Quarter 15Return of Gems to Grade 6 16The Unsuspecting
Giver 17Poetry 18-19
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EDITORIAL
A New Century
Aninuxofnewmediahassurgedintothelivesofpeopleallaroundtheglobe,includingtheXavierSchoolcommunity.Newmediaisarevolutionizingchangetoourlives,scrappingtheoldcard-catalogsystemandintroducingthebrand-newonlineresources.Butwait,exactlywhatisthis,new
media?AccordingtoWikipedia,newmediaisatermmeanttoencompasstheemergenceofdigital,computerized,ornetworkedinformationandcommunicationtechnologiesinthelaterpartofthe20thcentury.Newmediaalsodoesnot
include
televisionprograms,lms,magazines,booksoranyothoseotheroldmedia.Newmedia,asstatedinitsname,isbrandnew.
Severalexamplesofnewmediaaretheever-popularcellphones,instantmessaging(IM),videogames,andtextmessaging,tonameafew.Newmediaisusedinavarietyofways,suchassendingmessagesinsecondswithIMsortexts,havingfunwithvideogames,anddeepeningyourknowledgeabouttheuniversewiththeinternet.
Inrelationwithourpapersthemethisyear,FindingNewFrontierswithFireandFriendship,
newmediaisanewFrontier,anunexploredwilderness--afertile,undiscoveredcountryjustwait-ingforcivilizationtoriseupanduseitsvastresources.Ofcourse,itisuptoustoseekthereinourheartsandbecometrailblazersorconquerorsofthisvastwildernessthatisnewmedia.Butthen,itisalsouptoustoeitherdeveloporupgradenewmediaortodumpourgarbageintoitandleaveittorotandsmelllikeasewer.Youeithertakeitorleaveit.Butinthiscase,thereisorshouldbejustoneoption:Takeit.LuceatLux,andletyourlightshine!
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Chinese New Year Celebration 2010
By Russel Ng, 7-C
LikeeveryyearinXavierSchool,wecelebratetheChineseNewYear.Ithasalreadybecomeanannualtraditionwelllovedbystudents,teachersandevenparents.Thoughwecelebrateandhavetheusualperformances,Xaviermanagestoalwaysputanextrasomethinginittostillmakeituniqueandspecialeverytime.
ThecelebrationkickedoffwiththemasspresidedbyFr.ArtBorja,SJ,Fr.GuyGibilondo,SJandapriestnewtousXavierians,Fr.JeffreyChang,SJ.Afterthat,eachgradelevelwasassignedtoacertainareainthegradeschoolbuildingtowatchtheperformances.Therstperformancewasthedragonandliondance.Thecrowdwowedeverytimetheperformersdidanunimaginabletrick.
Followedbythatwasthecuteperformanceoftheyoungerboys.Themartialartsperformanceswentnext.Nextupwastheperformanceeverybodywaswaitingfor,theDanceX.Thedancewasfullofthebreathtakingmovesandhilariouscostumesthatthedancecrewneverfailstodeliver.Thecrowdturnedonevenmorewhenthedragonandliondancerscameanddancedwiththem!Aftertheperfor-manceswerenished,weallwentbacktoourclassroomtoenjoythefoodanddrinksthatwerepre-pared.Toconcludetheday,thestudentsfromthesixthandseventhgradehadtheiractivitywhereintheyactasshopkeeperswhileparentsfromdifferentgradelevelscameandgavethemgrades.Itwastrulyafunyeteducationalactivity.WehadeaChineseNewYearcelebrationthatwassimilartothepastinmanyways,butstillhadunexpectedsurprisesjustaroundthecorner.
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Since the beginning of theuniverse, the grade 7 studentshave
been clamoring for air-conditioning, burning in the
furnace that is their classroom,especially after hiking up
thethree ights of stairs with theirenormous baggage.They
weredistracted, suffering in theblazing heat, and were
payingattention to their
discomfortratherthantheteacherssteadydroning even the ones whowere
more intent on studyingor those who were seeminglyheatproof couldnt
concentrate.Theysquintedjusttoevenseethe miniscule
television-cum-monitor,andevenmoretoreadthe text. However, this did
notexhaust the students alone;the teachers were victims, too.They
spent their day climbingup and down stairs, without asingle water
break or even aminute to relax and unwind
ontheiragenda.Addtheinabilityofwritingadditionalinformationonthemonitorandhavingtoscratch
their throats dry talking, alongwiththedesertheat,andvoila!The
perfect recipe for teacherburnout.
However, Xavier Schoolhastakenmeasurestoimprovethe lives of both
teachers andstudentsalike.Thegradesevenclassrooms havebeen given
afaceliftno,plasticsurgeryin
order to satisfy the needs
andwantsofthestudentsandtheirenduring,hardworking
teachersasarewardfortheirhardships.
Behold, thebrand-new, cutting-edgeclassrooms!
The grade sevenclassrooms now sport not one,but two air-cons xed
to
theceiling.Finally,aremedytotheinferno!Asidefromtheair-cons,there
isanotherdeviceplantedon the ceiling Its not a
bird,norisitaplane,butitjustmightbe the teachers
Superman.Presenting: a projector, and
awhiteboardtoboot!Thesolutionto the teachers aching
wrists,strainedvoicesandchalk-stainedngers,allintwoadditionstotheclassrooms.Butfortheteacherswho
prefer the classic style,two blackboards still ank thewhiteboard,
present as always.Asopposedtothepreviousyearsjalousies, the new
classroomsare armed with blinds and theglass windowpanes
behindthem. These decrease bothheat and noise levels from
theoutside, giving the studentsa much, much more
pleasantlearningexperience.ButXavierhasnt completely
forgottenabouttheground,asprovenbythetablesandchairs,whicharemuchlighterandsleeker-looking,supplying
the seventh-graderswith a taste of rapid evolution:
smallerbutbetter.The classrooms are a
cool haven for the studentsand their teachers.Without the
heat,thenoise,andalltheotherdistractions,itisahundredtimeseasier
to listen and actuallyabsorbknowledge.Thestudentsare comfortably
sitting in theirseatsandwatchingtheteacherspresentations, focused.
Theteachers are relaxed, doingtheir jobs skillfully, as if it
wassecond nature. Calm, peacefuand efcient, the new,
modernclassrooms are denitely adreamcometrue.
Theclassroommakeoveris not only an improvemenfor the luxury of the
grade 7students; it is also
anothermilestoneinthehistoryofXavieSchool.This is the rst time
inthehistoryofXavierSchoolthaclassrooms in Unit 3 were nojust given
a generous shot oBotox they were
completelyremodeled.Fromaragingheawavetothecool,stillair;froma
minutescreentoatop-of-the-lineprojector.Grade7lifeissweet.
by Alexander Wang Jr., 7-B
Classroom Makeover
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LastDecember11,2009,thegrade5batchwentonaeldtrip.ItwasasunnyFridaymorningandallofusweresoexcitedsincethisisourrsteldtrip.Weweredividedintotwogroups,eachgrouptovisittwodestinations.Group1,sectionsA-D,wenttotheAyalaMuseumrstthentheLightsandSoundsMuseuminIntramuros.Group2,5E-H,visitedIntramurosrst.Wewerewithgroup2.
Asscheduled,ourgroupleftXavierataround8:00am.Justridingthebigaircondi-tionedbuswasalreadyexciting.Wecantevenstoptellingeachotherstories.ThetripgoingtoIntramuroswaslongbecauseofthetrafc.Butwhenwearrived,itwassurelyworththewait.First,ourSocialStudiesteach-
er,Mr.GenaroDeGuzman,letuswatchashortlm.Afteraround30-45minutesofwait-ing,itwasnallyourtimetogoin.Themuseumfeatureswaxstatuesofournationalheroesanddemonstrationsofhowitwasduringthepre-colonialtimeandtheSpanishEra.ItwasaveryentertainingshowaswelookedatmanystatuesofournationalheroeslikeJoseRizal,LapuLapuandmanyothers.Itwaslikewewentbackintime.Aftertheshow,weallwentback
onthebustorest,eat,andn-ishuponansweringouractivitysheet.
Wearrivedatoursecondstop--theAyalaMuseum.Here,thereweremanyverydelicatepiecesofgold,porcelainandevenglass.Therewerealso
manypaintingsdonebyFernan-doAmorsolo,afamouspainterhereinourcountry.TherewerealsodioramasthathighlightedtheAmericanErarightuntiltheCommonwealthgovernment.ThemuseumalsohadasmallremembranceoftheEDSArevolution,whichhelpedregainourdemocracyandendthetermoflatePresidentFerdinandMarcos.
Attheendoftheday,mostofusweretiredbuthadsomuchfun.Wecarriedmanylessonsaboutourownhistory.Itmadeusappreciatemorethecontributionsofournationalheroes.Indeeditwasanexperi-encethatwewouldtreasurefortherestofourlives.
by Rene Tan, 5F and Jarred
Go, 5H
Grade 5 Students Go to Ayala Museum and
Lights and Sound Museum
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by Jeremy Gemzontan, 6D
TheArmedForcesofthePhilip-pines(AFP)Museum,theVil-lamorAirbase,andtheHouse
ofCongresswereourkeydestinationsduringtheGrade6eldtriplastJanuary28.
TheAFPMuseumshowedthededicationoursoldiershadforourcountry.Theywerewill-ingtoputtheirlivesonthelinetoensurethepositivegrowthofthePhilippines.Asidefromdefendingourcountryfromna-
tionalandinternationalthreats,Ilearnedthatthesecombattrainedmenandwomenalsocontributetopublicserviceby
helpingbuildinfrastructuresandprovidingsuppliestoourcoun-trymen,especiallythosewholiveintheremoteareas.
WhenwewenttoVillamorAirbase,IdiscoveredhowwellpreparedthePhilippineAirforceistohandleanysituation,whetherintheairengagingindogghtswiththeenemy,orsimplyairdroppingsuppliestothoseindireneedofit.Asimplecallandthenextthingyouknow,theentirePhilippineAir
forceisbehindyourback.TheCongressofthePhilip-pines,theplacewherema-jorityofthePhilippineLaws
aremade,ledustoagreaterunderstandingofwhatoccurswithinthePhilippineLegislativeBranch.
Afterthiseducationaltrip,IlearnedthattheMilitaryandtheGovernmentarealwaystherethelpyou,whetheryouaskforiornot.
Trip of Discoveries
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Learning the Chinese Pastby Wilvyn Tantongco, 7E
LastNovember27,2009,thestudentswhodidnotjointheXavierChinaExperience(XCE)andjoinedtheFlexi-Curriculumquarterwenttoaeldtrip.WewenttomanydifferentplacesincludingtheNationalMuseum,BahayTsinoy,Parian,andFortSantiagobyabus.
WerstwenttotheParianwherewesawthetentswhichwereusedbytheChinesemerchantsduringthetimeofSpanishcolonization.TherewerealsoalotofcanonswhichtheSpaniardsusedbeforetobombtheChinesehousesbecausetheSpaniardswerealarmedofthepopulationgrowthoftheChinesebefore.WewentnexttoFortSantiagowherewesawtheprisoncellofJoseRizalwhenhewascapturedbytheSpaniards.Wealsosawournationalherosoriginalbooks,theNoliMeTangereandtheElFilibusterismo,andatthesametimetheclotheshewore.AftergoingtoFortSantiago,wewenttotheNationalMuseumwherewesawthepaintingsofwellknownChineseMestizopaintersliketheSpoliariumbyJuanLuna.WealsosawmanyartifactslikeceramicsmadebytheChineseandChineseMestizo.Lastly,wewenttotheBahayTsinoywherewespentmostofourtimeandsawalotoffamousChinese-FilipinoswhoinuencedthelivesofourcountrymensuchasLucioTan,HenrySyandmanyothers.BahayTsinoydepictedtheChineseMestizosasmerchants,shoemakersandmanymore--all
showingtheTsinoysperseveranceanddetermination.
ThiseldtripisoneofmymostunforgettableexperiencebecauseintheplacesmyclassmatesandIwentto,wesawhowourancestorslivedduringandbeforetheSpanishcolonization.Wealsosawthesacricesourancestorsdidtogiveus,thenewgeneration,agoodlife.
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By: Ethan Chua,5E and Scott Chua, 5F
Imagineyourlasttestinthe4thquarter.Thenervousnessyoufeltasyouwaitedforyourquestionnaire,thequizbookletopen,ready
foranswering.Rememberthedeterminationtopassyournalopportunitytogetagoodgrade,oryournalchanceatfailingtheschoolyear.Recallthethoughtsthatthisquizcouldbeyourlasthopeoryournaldoom:thepointthatwoulddecidewhetheryouwouldgoonyourdreamvacation,orstayinsummerschool,suffering.ProbablyeverystudentinXavierGradeSchoolhashadthisexperience.Butwait,haventyouforgottensomething?Somethingimportant?Howdowegetthepaperthatsusedinquizzes?
Wegetourpaperfromcuttingdowntrees.Thequestionwereaskingyouisthis:arethetreesworthyourquizbooklets?Wedontthinkso.
However,therearealsosomegoodthingsaboutthequizbooklets.Quizbooklets,thoughtheyusepaper,arehelpfulinsavingthem.Thisisbecauseteachersusereusablequestionnairesthatcanbeusedformorethanoneclass.Anothergoodthingisthatthequizbookletismucheasiertostorethanallthesheetsofpaperwithquizanswers,andalsoitiseasiertoshowtheteacherand/oryourparentsbecauseyoudonthavetosearchinagiantlandllofquizpapers,anditiseasierto
organizeandndyourquizzespersubjectusingthequizbooklets.Askyourself,wouldyouwanttospend1hoursearchingforyourMathquizwhenthathourcouldbeusedplayingWarcraftanddoingFacebook?Thesearesomeofthethingsyoushouldconsiderbeforesayingthatquiz
bookletsarecuttingdowntheAmazonrainforest.
Also,think:attheendoftheschoolyear,haveyouaskedyourselfwhatusuallyhappenstothequizbooklets?Theygetthrownaway,stolen,runover,burnt,rippedtoshowrebellionagainsttheeducationsystem,etc.Theyarerarelyreusedorrecycled,andthoseextrapagesequalaLOToftrees.Ifyoureaskingthis:Howmanytreesarequizbookletsdestroying?Itcantbethatmanycanit?Well,wereusingalmost1,900quizbookletsingradevealone!
Ofcourse,therearewaystosavemorepaper.Suggestionsmadearereducingthenumberofpages,orpossiblyrecyclingthoseextrapagesforotherpurposes.Remember,yourtiniesteffortstoreuse,reduceandrecyclecount.Think:ifallthestudentsinthegradeschoolrecycledtheirquizbooklets,ifallthestudentsinthegradeschoolcaredforourenvironment,alotofpapercouldbesaved.We,thoughonlystudentscanstillhelpsaveourenvironmentinourownways.Weshouldstartcaringforourenvironment,becauseweAREthefutureoftheplanet.Weshouldstarthelpingtheplanet,becausewearetheoneswhocanmakeadifference.
QUIZ BOOKLETS: Are they destroying our environment?
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By Jameson Ho, 7C
Overthepastcoupleofyears,theGrade7batchhasbeentakingtheIPSLE,ortheInterna-tionalPrimarySchoolLeavingExamination.ItisatestthatoriginatesfromSingaporeandisused
tobenchmarkthestandingsofdifferentschools.Thistestcoversthreeuniversalsubjects,namelyEnglish,MathandScience.
Nowadays,notonlydoweencounterSin-gaporeintheIPSLE,butalsoinourdailystud-ies.OnesuchencounteristhroughournewandimprovedMathcurriculum,Singaporeanstyle.TheSingaporeanMathcurriculumisfocusedonimprovingonesthinkingskillsbecauseitteachesusthattherearemanyotheruniqueandswifter
waystosolveaproblemandthatwejusthavetolookforthem.Ithasalsobeenreducedtothemostessentiallessonstobeabletodiscussthemingreaterdepth.Inlightofthis,variousschoolsallaroundtheworldhavetakennoticeandhavereplacedthetraditionalcurriculumwiththeoneofSingapores.
AccordingtoMr.JoeyTejamo,agrade7mathteacherinXavier,theoldmathcurriculumwasreplacedwiththenewSingaporeanMathcurriculumin2007.Hefeelsthatthecurricu-lumisagreatimprovementfortheschool.Inthepast,thestudentshadtomemorizemanyformulasandequations.Now,itsmademucheasierandfastertosolvetediousproblemsbecauseSingaporeanMathisfocusedonvisuasolutions,likethemodelapproach.Themodel
approachiswhenyouusebarstosolveprob-lemsbasedonpercentage,fractionsandmore.
Frommyperspective,XavierdidaprettygoodmovebychangingtoSingaporeanMath.Ithasnumerousmethods,whichareeasytounderstandandarefarmoreapplicableintherealworldthanthoseofthetraditionalones.Fromanaverageof88toasteady93inmyMathgrade,IsaygoodjobtoXavierSchoolformakingaverysmartdecision.
The IPSLE
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by John Co, 7A and Sean Cua, 7A
Ithappenedonahotweek-end.TheBigBangTheory,XavierSchools2010Fair,wasnallyoutlastFebruary6and7.Eventhough
itwasscorchinghot,therewerealotwhocame,bothXaveriansandout-siders.
Thesoccereldarea,wheremostboothsandridesweresetup,waslledwithexcitement.Inatableapparatusoccupiedhalfofthequad-rangleandthecanteenandgradeonecorridorswereusedasrestingareas.
Manypeople,especiallystu-dents,crowdedboothsandplayedgames.Alltheseboothswerehan-dledbystudentsandwerefacilitatedbytheirrespectiveclassadvisers.Someboothsseemedhardtoman-agewhilesomeseemedrelativelyeasiertoman.Nevertheless,itwasenjoyabletohandlethebooths.
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Whenthefairended,therewerenoclassesformajorityoftheschool,buttheclassofcershadtocometoschooltocounttheearningsoftheirrespectiveclasses.Countingwastediousworkespeciallyforthosewhoearnedalotfromtheirbooth.Aftercounting,theofcerswenthomeandtooktheremnantofthedaytorest.
Somepeoplesaythatthiswasoneofthebestfairsever;somesayitdidntliveuptoitsname.Someboothsweresimplewhilesomewerecomplicated.Somepeoplelikedthewholefairwhilesomeonlylikedcertainparts.Everyoneslledwithopinionsbutonethingsforsure,thisfairendedwitheveryoneingoodmoods!
Xaviers School Fair - The Big Bang Theory
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An Impulsive Evening
by Miguel Macale, 7B
Everyyear,theXavierSchoolVarietyShowhasalwaysbeenasmashingsuccess,andlastFebruary5wasnoexception.HostedbyAndi9,IyaVillaniaandMoTwister,2010sVoiceoftheYouthConcertentitledImpulse,wasanadvoca-cyconcertfortheimprovementofpubliceduca-tioninthePhilippines,aconcernthatrequiresourutmostattention.
Performancesincludedsongsbyamateur
andfamousbandslikeSpongecola,6Cycle-mind,ParokyaniEdgar,ImagoandtheAkafel-las,singingensembles,danceperformancesbyEnciende,ICAdancetroupe,XDX,CADSandDanceX,afree-runningperformance,laserlightshowsandafashionshow.Pre-showeventskickedoffat5pmwithperformancesbyamateurbandsfollowedbythemainshow,whichstartedataround7,withSpongecolaperformingbothnewandoldsongs.AfterSpongecolasperfor-mance,thehostsdeliveredafantasticeveninglledwithgames,prizes,performancesandfun.6CyclemindthentookthestagefollowedbyParokyaniEdgar.Enciende,theICADanceTroupe,andmembersofbothpastandpres-entDanceXdidspectacularperformancesthatwowedeveryoneinthecrowd.
Aftertheperformances,thehostsreturnedtothestagetopresentavideohighlightingasurveyofwhatpeoplewoulddoonimpulse.Thecasualsurveytransformeditselfintoalovestoryrevealingahighschoolstudentwhowantedtoaskthegirlofhisdreamstobehispromdate.
Themovieickturnedintorealitywhenthelightsdimmedandthespotlightfocusedonthehighschoolstudentashepoppedthequestion,Danicawillyougowithmetotheprom?TherewasamomentofsilenceonlytobebrokenbyImagosrevivalofthesongEwan.AteneosCADSconqueredthestagenext,sportingtheoldmembersofDanceX.Soonafter,theAkafellastookthestageandseizedtheaweandwonderofthecrowdwiththeirfun,uniqueandamazingtalent.Afterthehailofperformancesconcluded,freerunnersliterallyleapedandewallovertheplace,doingamazinganddaringactsthatonlythosewithcapablephysiquescoulddo.Strengthwasjuxtaposedwithbeautyasselectstudentscondentlystruttedthestagenextduringtheirfashionshow.Theeveningnishedoffwiththejaw-dropping,amazing,eryandexceptionalperformance,whichcanonlybedonebyourveryownDanceX--attingendtoanimpulsiveeve-ning.
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Ondoy Stories Retold
What seemed to be a normal storm turned out as one of the worst
calamities
in the Philippines. Thousands were devastated; millions more
badly affected. The
Xavier School Community has been one in facing the trials of
typhoon Ondoy.
Grade 7 Guidance Counselor, Ms. Kris Carla Lawengko, was
stranded inthe mall for 12 hours. When asked about how she felt
while she was stranded, she
said, I was worried and tensed, because I could hear the people
around me calling
their families about what happened, and my sister was constantly
texting me to ask
why I wasn`t home and if I was okay. During that time, she and
her friends walked
around the mall and ate lunch. She managed to exit the mall at
10 pm, and then
reported that she saw people scooping the oodwaters out.
Ms. Lawengko remarked, You should be ready because you never
know
what can happen to you. All I can say is that you should stay
alert during calamities
and heed the warnings so you can have time to prepare.
Q: Where were you when Ondoy hit?
A: I was at home, eating and playing video games.
Q: What did you do when the water started coming in your
house?
A: My family and I started bringing up our furniture to the 2nd
oor of our house.
Q: How did you feel when the water started rising?
A: I started feeling very worried because if the water kept on
rising then our house would be destroyed.
Q: Who was with you when the water was already half way of your
1st oor?
A: I was with my family, househelp and my dog.Q: What would you
like our local government ofcials to do about this?
A: I would like to suggest to our local government ofcials to
start programs to clean up our sewers and canals.
The respondent, Aaron Ng, is a Xavier student and a proud
survivor of typhoon Ondoy. During the ca-
lamity, he realized how God loves us so much. Aaron also feels
lucky that he is able to tell us this story.
Miguel Tan of 7A was coming home from playing golf when the rain
started to pour down on the streets
of Metro Manila. At rst he thought that the rain would not be
that hard, but after a few minutes the rain intensi-
ed. While going home, he was stranded in the car for eight
hours. He also felt very scared because he thought
his car would break down and that the ood might never subside.
He listened to the news for any open roads,
but apparently, all of them were blocked. He got home late in
the evening and was very thankful to God for
sparing him from more problems. Soon after that, Miguel had the
urge to help victims as a sign of his gratitude
to God. He volunteered to help in Xavier. He packed relief goods
and carried boxes.
Miguel learned to be thankful to God for his blessings
especially the safety of his family. It was truly a
great experience for me to help out the people who are in need,
Miguel said.
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An interview with Mr. Ronald Briones, Grade 5 Science
teacher
Q: Where were you when the ood started?
A: I was stranded in Araneta Ave.
Q: What are the things that happened to you?
A: My house got ooded 6ft. high and the walls near our area
collapsed. Luckily nothing happened to my house
in Marikina.
Q: What did you do?A: I was thinking of my family and taking
pictures with my phone. I also had no food and water.
Q: Were you prepared for this?
A: No I was not prepared because I was not expecting it to be
this bad.
Q: What happened to you while you were stranded?
A: I was on oodwater for 8 hours.
Q: How did you feel?
A: Worried.
Q: What did you see?
A: I saw submerged cars and people panicking.
Q: What did you smell?A: I smelled a LOT of garbage.
Q: What did you hear?
A: I heard nothing but the wind, rain and the water raging.
Q: What are you doing now?
A: I am now starting from the beginning and thanking God
for each day he has given me.
Q: What are you focusing on now?
A: I am now focusing on a normal life.
I was in our house in Pasig during the typhoon... We were
worried because the rain didnt stop pouring,
recalled Val Gagatiga of 6C.
In just a few hours, the water soon reached our knees. I felt a
little panic because we were trapped in our
house. No one could reach us.
Worst, Vals house had no electricity nor any communication
because of the broken power lines-- adding to
his fear and dismay.
We were also worried about our grandmother. We couldnt contact
her. We feared something might have
happened to her, he added. As the water was getting higher, we
tried to save some of our important stuffby transferring them
upstairs, but it was too late too save some of my school materials
and household appli-
ances.
Val and his family now stay in his grandfathers house in Laguna,
which is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Xavier.
He feels very lucky to have survived the ood and denitely agrees
that his ordeal has taught him a lot.
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Alay Buhat: A Simple Service
by Dave Gan, 7F
Everyday,youwouldseethelowergradeboyscarryingtheirheavybagsupaightofstairs.
Forsome,itisquiteastrugglewhileothersnditverytiring,especiallyinthemorning.
Thankfully,XavierSchoolisdoingthemafavor.TheAlayBuhatprogramwasborntoutilize
thegrade6and7boystoreachoutandgiveahelpinghandtothelowerlevels.Theprogramstarts
every6:45amandendsaround7:15am.Everymorning,aselectedsectionistaskedwiththejoban
ispositionedaroundthestairs,wherethelowerlevelstudentsusuallypasstogiveaidincarryingth
bags.
Everytimemyclasswouldgetchosen,Iwouldalwaysbeexcited.AlayBuhatsmainpur-
posewastohelpotherswhoareinneed;wecantaketheopportunitytohelpothers,evenifitisjusasmalltaskassignedtous.Ihavealsoexperiencedtimeswhenacertainboywouldforgettosay
ThankYou,maybeoutofshyness.Iwouldalwaystaketheinitiativetoremindtheyoungboystos
thankyouasamannerofrespecttothosewhohavehelpedthem.
TheschoolsthrustistoBe
AManForOthers.Byattendingthe
AlayBuhatprogramonyoursched-
uleddate,italreadyshowsthatyou
arewillingtohelp.Thelittleboysmightnotwanttotellyouperson-
ally,buttheyreallyappreciateita
lot.WitheverybagIlift,Idalways
saytomyselfImadeadifferencein
him.ArealManForOthersdoes
hisduties,notforthereward,but
becauseheiswillingtochangethe
societyandmakeitabetterplace.
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The Grade 5 Debate Competitionby Arman Burias, 5D
Debatingisabattleofwits--whererudepolitenesshappensandpoliticallegendsbegin.Debateordebatingisaformalmethodofinteractiveandrepresentationalargument.Debateisabroaderformofargumentthanlogicalargument.Formaldebatesbetweencandidatesforelectedofce,suchastheleadersdebatesandtheU.S.presidentialelectiondebatesarecommonindemocracies.Arule-basedcompetitivedebateisoftenencouragedinhighschoolsandcolleges.Often,ittakestheformofacontestwithexplicitrules.Itmaybepresidedoverbyoneormorejudges.Eachsideseekstowin,byfollowingtherules,andevenbyusingsomerulestobreakotherruleswithinlimits.Eachsideiseitherinfavor(Afrmative)oropposedto(Negative)acertainissue.Themajorgoalofthestudyofdebateasamethodorartistodeveloponesabilitytoplayfromeitherpositionwithequalease.
Howeveronelargemisconceptionaboutdebateisthatitisallaboutargument--itisnot.Itisaboutthepurespiritoflearning,camaraderie,sportsmanship,andallthat.Therearelotsofdifferentdebates.Fromthepolicydebate,whichistheonewearehaving,totheextemporaneousdebate.TherearealsotheLincoln-Douglasdebate,theKarlPopperdebateandonlinedebates.
Twothousandyearsago,Athensheldregularlyscheduledpublicassemblieswherepeoplevotedfororagainstpoliciesandactionsofthestatesuchasengaginginwar.Butthevoteswerealwaysprecededbydebateswherecitizensandleadersarguedabouttherightchoices,whatwasmorallyandlegallyright,thebestwaytoachieveadesiredoutcome,andwhatwaspossibleandprudent.Throughdebates,theycreatedthelawsthatimpactedtheirdailylife.
Thisyear,thegrade5studentshadthechancetopracticetheartofdebating.TheeventwasorganizedbytheirSocialStudiesteachers,Mr.FrancoAddunandMr.GenarodeGuzman.Weaskedoneofthedebaters,DeiterDy,abouthisthoughtsonthecompetition.
H:Whatarethevaluesyouvelearned?
D:Sportsmanship,humilitywhenyouwin,andwhenyouloseacceptthefactandbetterlucknexttime.Ialsolearnedtogetalongwithmyteammatesandopponents.
H:Anytipsforaspiringdebaters?
D:Preparewellforyourdebates,andwinorlose,youalwayshavetoshowsportsmanship.Failuregiveswaytoimprovement.
H:Thanksfortakingyourtime,Dieter.Goodluckatthedebate.
D:Yourewelcome.
Asyoucansee,youdontneedtobealawyer,orsomesmartguyorwhatevertodebate.Youcanjoinadebatingclub,orhaveadebatewithyourfriends.Probablyyoullbeagreatdebatersomeday.
Hoofprint:Hi,Dieter.So,howdoyoufeelaboutyourwinningstreak?
Dieter:Asusual,thatnormalfeelingyougetwhen
youwin,asenseoffulllment,achievementandrecognition.
H:Whataretheprosandconsofyourdebate?
D:Pros:WeenjoytheexcitementofthedebateCons:Sometimes,wearentgivenampletimetodeliverourstatements,andwhendebatesarerescheduled,wefeeloureffortsareuseless.
H:Howdoyougetalongwithyourteammates?
D:Well,someofthemalwayswanttodothingstheirownway,wontacceptsuggestionsordontcareaboutthedebateitself.
H:Doyouplantodebateinthefuture?
D:Debatingisrelativelyfun,andImlookingforwardtothenalround.Idmostlikelyjoindebatesinhighschoolandcollege.
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Synthesis Quarter: A Quarter to Treasure
by Wilvyn Tantongco, 7E
Inthebeginningofthethirdquarter,theGrade7,non-participantsoftheX.C.E.(Xavier-ChinaExperience)havetheSynthesisoralsoknownastheFlexi-Curriculumquarter.HavingtheSynthe-sisQuartermeansthestudentswillberegroupedintonewsectionswithdifferentclassmates.Forthersttwodays,thestudentswillbeorientedaboutthethingstheywillexpectineachofthesubjects.
Thesubjectsaregroupedintoclusters:RSS-CAF(ReadingSocialStudies-CommunicationArtsFili-pinoEnglish);Science,MathandComputerorSMIT(ScienceMathInformationTechnology);C.L.E(ChristianLifeEducation)andtheGuidancesubjectareinonecluster;andChinese.
Ineachoftheclusters,thestudentshavedifferentactivities.ForRSS-CAF(English),thewholeclasswillworktogethertomakeaplayaccordingtoafairytalewhichwillbeeditedintoaChi-neseplay.TheclassistobedividedaccordingtotheirskillsindifferentproductioncommitteeslikeProps,Promotions,Sounds,etc.ThestudentswillstudyabouttheChinesecultureinthePhilippinesinthesubjectRSS-CAF(Filipino)whileforRSS-CAF(SocialStudies),thestudentswilltackleaboutthesituationoftheChineseduringtheSpanisherainthePhilippines.InSMIT(Science),the
wholeclasswillbedividedintogroupstomakeaneco-friendlyproduct.Ontheotherhand,inSMIT(Math)thestudentswillstudyonhowtomakeabusinessplanforthemtoselltheseeco-productsandprotfromthem.FortheC.L.E.subject,thestudentswillstudyabouttheSacramentoftheEu-charistwhileinGuidance,thestudentswilllearnmoreaboutreectionskillsandgood-moralvalues.Lastly,thestudentswilldoChinesePaining,Calligraphyandstudylessonsaboutspeakingandwrit-ingChinesewordsintheChinesesubject.
TheSynthesisQuarteraimstohelpstudentslearnpracticalskillsthroughdifferentactivities.Therearealsomoregroupactivitiesthatwillhelpstudentsdeveloptheirskillsincooperation.TheSynthesisQuarterwillalsohelpstudentsexperiencenewwaysoflearningbecausequizzesarelesserandgroupworksaregivenmoreoften.Itisveryvaluablebecauseitwillhelpstudentstolearn
moreskillsneededwhentheygrowuplikecooperation,basicskillsinmakingabusinessplan,andmakingbetterlifedecisions.TheSynthesisquarterishelpfulforthestudentswhoareChinesebe-causeithelpsthemalsolearnmoreabouttheirancestorslivesinthePhilippines.Italsohelpsthestudentsappreciatethesacricestheirancestorsmade.Ourexperiencesforthisquartershouldbecherishedbecauseitwillhelpusbecomebetterstudentsandreadyforwhatlifewillbringus.
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Return of the GEMS in Grade 6
by Andrew Juat, 6A
GEMS,ortheGifted Education for develop-ing Magis in
Studentshasreturnedthisyeartothegrade6students.IinterviewedMs.ClarisseArca-dioonherthoughtsandopinionsabouttheGEMSclassforgrade6.
Q:WhydoyouthinkXavierhasdecidedto bringbacktheGEMSclass?
A:AsidefromitbeingarecommendationbythePAASCUaccreditors,theGEMSprogramkeepsusatparwithotherschoolsandofcoursethe
worldthatisveryquicklychangingandevolving.Weneedtokeepupwithtimes,infact,weneedtobetwoorthreestepsaheadofit.
Q:DoyouthinktheGEMSclassreallyhelpsthestudentsdeveloptheirfullpotential?
A:Yes,Ibelieveso,theGEMSprogramassumesthatsincethesestudentsareatthetopofthebatchinEnglish,theyhavemasteredorareatleastverygoodatgrammar,spelling,etc.thus,the
programfocusesmoreonoralandwrittenskillsinsteadoftheusualgrammarlessons.Ofcourse,grammarisalsopartoftheprogram,butapplica-tionoftheirlearningsiswhatismoreimportant.
Q:
DoyouthinkthatthereshouldalsobeaGEMSclassintheothersubjectstoo?
A:Yes,becausetherearealsostudentswhoareadvancedinothersubjectsandtheymustbechal-lengedandtheirpotentialmustbedeveloped.
Q:
DoyouthinkthatthereshouldbeaGEMSclassinthelowergradelevelstoo?
A:Yes,butofcoursetheprogrammustbewell-plannedandthought-out.
Q:HowdoesitfeeltobechosenasateacherofaGEMSclass?
A:ItisanhonortobeateacherofaGEMSclasbecauseitshowsthattheschoolhastrustinmyteachingcapabilitiestobeabletoteachaGEMSclass.
Q:
BasedontheperformanceofthisyearsGEMclass,doyouthinkweshouldstillcontinuetohaGEMSclassesnextyear?
A:
Absolutelybecausetherearestudentsinevebatchthatareabovetheaverage...andthattheyshouldbechallengedsotheycandeveloptheirfullestpotential.
TheGEMSclassisamarkofexcellenceamongthestudentsinXavier,butitcanonlyachieveitspurposeifthestudentsstrivetodotheirbestwiththechallengestheyencounter.Ms.ArcadioisnotheonlyteacheroftheGEMSclasses,M
DoreenGutierrezalsoteachestheEnglishGEMclass,whileMr.JoeyTejamoteachesMaththeGEMSclass,andMrs.MarissaAbadamteachesSciencetheGEMSclass.
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SHORT STORY
The Unsuspecting Giverby Paulo Joquio, 6B
Inallyreachedthetopofthehill.Theairwashumid;IfeltasifIhadswumanOlympic-sizedswimmingpool.However,itdidntbotherme.Ididnthaveanythingtopreoccupymyselfwith,andsoIdecidedtoloadmyselfwithawalkupthislonelyhill.Ididntexpectalargemansionatitspeak,butatleasttherewasatreethatcouldsheltermefromtheheatandkeepmecompany.
Quietasitwas,Iheardlotsofnoises.Itseemsironicthatwheneverythingseemssoquiet,youhearsounds.Iheardthegrasswavingthiswayandthat,therefreshingbreeze,theappingoftheleaves,andthecrunchingofthetreebark.Abruptly,thewelcomingceremonyofthehillssolitarycommunityended,asthewindmomentarilydieddown.Isupposedthiswasthetimeformetositdown,leanback,andrest.
ThegrasscushionedmeasIsat,andthehardbarkofthetreesoftenedasIleanedback.Naturewastryingtowinmeasnove-starhotelhaseverdonebefore.Atleast,thisnatureservicewasprettycheap-itcostmeonlyathirty-minutetrekupthehill.Theappletreeseemedtofanmewithitsbranches,treatingmelikeapharoahatophisthrone.Suddenly,oneofitsapplesfellonthegroundwithasoftthud.
Istaredhardatit,butIwasnoIsaacNewton.Hunger,notcuriosity,mademepickuptheappleandtakeabite.Boy,thetasteoftheapplecouldbankruptalltheapplesellersonearth!Theirresistiblejuicinessandcrunchencouragedmetocontinuedevouringitlikealionwhowasfeedinguponitsrstpreyforthreethousandyears.
AsIate,mydrenchedshirtandpantsbegantodry.Lookingtowardsthehorizon,Isawafascinatinglandscapethatnopaintercouldhaveeverpainted.Thesunhadbegundescendinguponthewest,itsraysspillingdownuponthelandscapeandbrighteningitup.Smallhouses,likeboxes,werelineduporderlyacrossthelandscape.Afewtallbuildingsdominatedthefarendofthescenery,whileeldsandcowswerescatteredaroundthehill.IrespectPicassoasaprodigiousartist,butIknewPicassooranyofhiscontemporariescouldntpaintasabstractorasnaturalapaintingastheoneIhadtheopportunitytosee.
Alongbreezecameuponthehilloncemore,encouragingtheorchestraofgrass,leaves,andbranchestoserenadeitsvisitoroncemore.Amazingly,specialguestsfortheconcertcame-birds.Theysangsongswithwordsnobodywouldprobablyeverunderstand,butwouldhopefullyappreciate.
Withanapplecoreinmyhand,theconcertendedasthewindwenttoitsnextdestinationinitsgrand,butoftenunnoticed,worldtour.Exhaustionsuddenlybecameawordthatmeantnothing.Theexclusiveservicesreadilygiventomebythehillanditscohortsmademytiringtrekseemalostmemory.Gatheringmyself,Istoodupandheldontothetreebark.Itscomfortingwarmthcompensatedforitsroughness.Afterafewminutesofstretchingmy
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muscles,Iwalkedaroundthehill,handstuckedinthepocketsofmypants.
Thesunwasalmosthead-onwiththehorizon.Icouldntbelieveit.Timeoftenspeedsupinstanceswewouldvewantedtolastlonger.However,Iknewthateventimecouldnterasethisexperience.Itwouldseemunbelievabletohearoffree,uniquenatureservicesontopofahill,butgiftsarentoftenreceivedintheformtheyaregiven.Theyarereceivedintheformwemakethemto
be.
Finallydecidingtodoso,Icollectedtheappleseedsfromthecore,carefulnottodropthem.Jugglingtheminmycuppedhand,Isearchedforanicespottoplacetheseedsin.Usingatwig,Idugasmallholejustafewfeetawayfromthelargeappletree.Earthwormscouldbeseenswarminglikeblindminers,breakingthroughthesoilsearchingforfoodamidstthedull,browndirt.Reluctantly,Idroppedthemonebyoneintothesoil.
Oncetheseedshadreachedthebeginningoftheirlife,thesunhadbeguntoendhers.Theskyhadbecomeamber,andthelandscapewithatingeofgoldenyellow.Thesun,withitsgreatmagnicence,wasabouttoenditsone-dayjourneyacrossthebroad,bluecanvass.Thereitwas,asymboloflifeat
itsbestjustbeforedeath.Althoughsadthatmyreceptiononthehillwasover,Ifeltfullled,asifthiswastheonlythingmylifemeant.
Isighed.SlowlyIwalkedawayfromthetreeanddownthehill.AsIdidso,thewindarrivedjustintimeforonelastsymphonyIwouldneverhearnished.Ontheothersideoftheearth,thesunwaspreparingtorise.
Meanwhile,homewaswaitingforme.
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Distrust
by Jedd Ong, 6B
Peoplecantakeyouaback,
Evenbythewaytheyseemtoact,
Youneverknowwhattheymightsay,
Butmaybetheyrebackstabbingyouanyway.
Hey,youneverknowwhattheylldo,
Hey,Iknowyoucantgetproof,
Buttheycanbewonderinghowtodoawaywithyou.
Andthenyoullseetheplacedrop,Tellingthemnottocountyouout,
Andthenitsinksdown,
Beatingyouuntilnothingisleftanymore.
Resilience
by Jedd Ong, 6B
PeoplewontanddontcarePitydoesntgetyouanywhereButresiliencewithheartwillgetyoufartRatherthantheoccasionalcryingbothe
TheworldwaitsthentearsyouapartTearing,devouringyourfragileheartPiecesunseen,depressioninarushMindandmatter,lifeallcrushed
Butthoughdown,beatenanddead,HestillgetsupandcontinuestotreadRunningandghtingbutstillnotdyingHisbodyisgonebutheaintdropping
PO
ETRY
Hero
by Jeremy Gemzontan, 6D
FromwhereIamfrom,everyoneisahero
Youcouldcomefromthestreetsoramanor
Asimplechildfromthestreetsbelow
Orasoldieronthefrontlinesofaeldofgore
Butourcountryhassomethingotherslivewithout
Anationfullofheroes,strongwithoutadoubt
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Ted
by Rene Tan, 5F
TherewasonceamannamedTedwhohadasecretthatwasneversaid.Hestooduptodrinkbutitspilledinthesink
andnoticedhissecretwasspread.
Dead Cat on a Mat
by Lorenzo Flores, 5C
Oncetherewasacatnolargerthanaratitbrokeitsheadandfelldowndead
lyingonamat
Ohhowtheownercriedasherpetcathaddiedsheloveditsobutitwastimetogothenshesighedandsighed
The Magical Clock
by Kevin Tan, 5C
ThereoncewasamagicalclockThatgothitwithagiganticrockItexpandedatrstThenstartedtoburstAnditalmostburneddownaock
Haikus
by Miguel Macale, 7B
Sunset
Theamedescended,andtheheavensignitedtheDarknesshascome.
Luna
Sheisbeautiful.Herglowencompassesus,Alightinthedark.
Daybreak
Overthescarredland,DarknesscowersandretreatsAstheLightshinesforth.
The Huge Pest
by Kevin Tan, 5C
Therewasonceareallyhugepest
whoalwaysthinksheisthebest.Theybeathimupthenstoleallhiscupsandlefthimeeingtothewest.
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The Staff
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief:AlexanderJamesWangJr.Associate
Editor-in-Chief:JamesonHoManaging Editor:DaveScottGan
eatures / Literary Editor:PauloFranciscooquio
News Editor:JeremyMatthewGemzontanHead
Photographer:ChristopherJacobCheongAssistant Head
Photographer:JeremiahErnstPuaArt Editor: RussellAustinTeeAssociate
Art Editor:ChristianAlexanderYu
Writers
Grade 5
SpencerShaunKehorenzoJaimeFloresKevinKeithTanArmanLorenzoBuriasEthanZacharyChuaScottChuaReneAntonioTanoelFrancisAtienzaChristianFrancisAlbertDelaCruzarredJohannsenGo
Grade 6
arredIrwinChiangAndrewPatrickJuatMatthewPatrickYap
eddEzechielOngorenzoRamonSiyHarveyShawnCuBernardoMiguelIIMitraKyleMasakiAdlawan
Grade 7
JohnAlexanderCoSeanKendrichCuaJeffersonHouMiguelLorenzoMacaleRussellNgJaredMichaelKuoWilvynChristianTantongco
Photographers
RhenzAaronTeeEthanJoshuaOngMatthewVincentPoFranciscoMiguelIIITiuLaurel
Artists
RobertoAlexanderOrosaDieterRaphaelDyWeiRybackLaoJavierAntonioGlicerioPinedaKyleFrancisChuaZionHansenWuxinyiJeanGabrielElicanal
DexterJordanYu
Moderators
Mr.HaroldWongMs.ZarahSarne
SAP Coordinator: Mrs.JosenaGalvez
Assistant to the SAP Coordinator:Mr.JamesRivera
