Kuya Dhen
By Darlene Ramos
Kuya. It’s a Filipino term, roughly translated as “older brother”. But there are things lost in translation, things like “protector”, “ally”, “confidante”. This is Kuya Dhen’s story.
Dhen Harold came to CCFT two years ago with his two sisters, Sarah and Jairah. Abandoned by their mother and father, the weight of responsibility was laid on Kuya Dhen as the eldest child. With the pressure of being accountable for his siblings, Dhen was at first a rigidly stubborn boy, silent and resentful of authority. There would be periodical bursts of anger that he would turn on his younger siblings – for he was with his fellow boys in one family at the Children’s Home while his sisters were in another in the girls’ wing. At playtimes, reunited, the three could be found together talking and bonding, as siblings will when they only have one another to cling to.
Over time, Dhen slowly learned to also be a Kuya to the siblings in his assigned family. Given the lead child role, he would call them to line up during mealtimes and going to school, and make sure that the family was on schedule. To cope with his bouts of impatience and occasional annoyance with his siblings, therapist Viviene Francisco helped him out by teaching him to use an anger dial to control his anger. The reward for all this – a spot at the Top Ten of the Children’s Home this January, along with his sister Sarah.
School was also an important outlet for Dhen, for he excelled in Mathematics and Physical Education and was awarded Number Smart and Body Smart during the second quarter of this school year. He has become fast friends with his fellow second-graders and the school band where he plays the snare drum, some of whom also call him “Kuya”.
Kuya is a term of endearment, and encompasses not only blood relations, but friendships built from common losses, shared joy, and challenges faced together. This is Kuya Dhen’s story, in words, but the child is far, far more.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Are You Smarter Than the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Graders? By Darlene Ramos
Are You Smarter Than the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Graders?
By Darlene Ramos
Do you know how many prime numbers there are between 40 and 60? How about the most commonly used word in the English language? What do you call the process by which plants manufacture their food?
If you don’t, you might want to watch the Quiz Bee Week that CCFT Coron International School (CCFT-CIS) holds each January among the higher grade levels. This 2009, Grades 4, 5, and 6 were pitted against each other in the school’s most anticipated game show of the season. The categories? Grade-school English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Filipino.
For two hours daily, ten to twelve contenders sat in the school pavilion with their pieces of chalk, illustration board, and furrowed brows, and stock knowledge from the first to third quarters of the school year. Students too daunted to join sat at the sidelines with their spare illustration boards bearing slogans egging on their contestant of choice. Up front stood the timer, scorer, and the host of the day – Teacher Fresca Estima for English, Teacher Rey Belarmino for Math, Teacher Ryan Calupas for Science, Teacher Elvin Resco for Filipino, and Teacher Andrew Roxas for Social Studies.
One sixth-grader who sat calmly in the third row of contestants, Natanael Mendenilla, was the surprise winner for the first three days, in English, Mathematics, and Science, besting even the top rankers of his grade level. Lawrence Pe, a fifth grader, bagged the top prize for the Filipino Quiz Bee, and the Social Studies title was taken by another sixth-grader, Samuel Nicklas.
During the awarding ceremonies on the last Quiz Bee day, Principal Lilia Chavez congratulated all the winners, and said she couldn’t wait to see the students compete with other schools. Head Teacher Elvin Resco took up a different, interesting tack, congratulating all those who joined and lost consistently – saying he admired them for their persistence. In this life, he said, determination counts as well as brains.
Still, it pays to be smarter than a grade-schooler. Are you? (If you’re pitted against three-time Quiz Bee Week champion Natanael... not likely. He knows the answers to the questions above are five, the, and photosynthesis.)
By Darlene Ramos
Do you know how many prime numbers there are between 40 and 60? How about the most commonly used word in the English language? What do you call the process by which plants manufacture their food?
If you don’t, you might want to watch the Quiz Bee Week that CCFT Coron International School (CCFT-CIS) holds each January among the higher grade levels. This 2009, Grades 4, 5, and 6 were pitted against each other in the school’s most anticipated game show of the season. The categories? Grade-school English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Filipino.
For two hours daily, ten to twelve contenders sat in the school pavilion with their pieces of chalk, illustration board, and furrowed brows, and stock knowledge from the first to third quarters of the school year. Students too daunted to join sat at the sidelines with their spare illustration boards bearing slogans egging on their contestant of choice. Up front stood the timer, scorer, and the host of the day – Teacher Fresca Estima for English, Teacher Rey Belarmino for Math, Teacher Ryan Calupas for Science, Teacher Elvin Resco for Filipino, and Teacher Andrew Roxas for Social Studies.
One sixth-grader who sat calmly in the third row of contestants, Natanael Mendenilla, was the surprise winner for the first three days, in English, Mathematics, and Science, besting even the top rankers of his grade level. Lawrence Pe, a fifth grader, bagged the top prize for the Filipino Quiz Bee, and the Social Studies title was taken by another sixth-grader, Samuel Nicklas.
During the awarding ceremonies on the last Quiz Bee day, Principal Lilia Chavez congratulated all the winners, and said she couldn’t wait to see the students compete with other schools. Head Teacher Elvin Resco took up a different, interesting tack, congratulating all those who joined and lost consistently – saying he admired them for their persistence. In this life, he said, determination counts as well as brains.
Still, it pays to be smarter than a grade-schooler. Are you? (If you’re pitted against three-time Quiz Bee Week champion Natanael... not likely. He knows the answers to the questions above are five, the, and photosynthesis.)
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