LEAD EDITION:November 21, 2008*Volume 28, Number 11

SIR ALBERT AND SIR CHRISTOPHER HURDLE LET

Mr. Albert Rivera, Mathematics teacher, and Mr. Christopher Escondo, TLE teacher, passed the Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) given last August. Mr. Rivera is a graduate of Bachelor in Secondary Education, major in Mathematics from the Dalubhasaan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo (DLSP), while Mr. Escondo is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education, major in Electricity and Electronics, from the Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU), San Pablo City Campus, and seven years ago. They joined Mrs. Guillerma Ventura, Principal, Mrs. Zenaida Quintos, Guidance Counselor, Miss Rosa Aguirre, English and Filipino teacher, Miss Janice Joy Paguio, Science teacher and Mr. Rhandy Punzalan, History and Sibika teacher, in the list of LPS professional teachers. Congratulations!


AND NOW THERE ARE FOUR

If the sweet melodies become louder and longer, it is because we have added another pair of love-birds in the cage. It is indeed a joy and sort of inspiration to watch those four colorful love-birds do their singing and acrobatics.


CSO PRESIDENT DONATED TWO CEILING FANS

Shaira Janina Manalo, President of High School Central Student Organization donated two electric ceiling fans that are now installed in the Prayer Room and Library Reading Room. Thank you very much!


SUMMARY: PARENTS-TEACHERS MEETING, NOV. 15

The parents and teachers meeting last November 15, Saturday, were held by classroom to give parents and class adviser sufficient time to discuss children's performance and other pertinent matters. Parents were also given a chance to see the other teachers of their children. Here is the summary of the meetings:

1. There will be Christmas Program and Party starting at 8:00 A.M. of December 19 (Friday). The contributions and costume were discussed. Everybody agreed.
   
2. The Administrator's Test will be in January to be given and administered by the School Administrator and Principal by themselves. This series of tests will confirm the honor students, those who will be promoted to the next level in June, and those who will be retained in the same level next school year. Those who were missed by the teachers, but are really good and able to meet minimum standards in the honor roll, as per LPS quality of education, will be included. Inclusion of exceptionally bright students to the Honor Roll in final grading period is common.
   
3. Main problems in High School and Intermediate Grades are absences, cutting of classes, and quarreling among themselves. Concerned parents went to the Guidance Office. Inability to correct these problems may lead to failed grade, if not outright dropping from the class. We should like to tell parents that petty quarrels among children are part of growing up that parents should not be involved in these quarrels. It is noticeable that after sometime, these children forget their problems and then would play together again. That parents should not try to scold or touch the other children, for definitely, the problem would no longer be among children, but would be elevated among parents already - things that nobody likes to happen.
   
4. Main concern of teachers in TLE or HELE and the Sciences is the inability of some children to bring needed materials. Advice to teachers is to assign those "Things to Bring" several days earlier. It is important to have those materials, or else the child will have nothing to do.
   
5. Honor Roll is the main concern of parents who diligently follow up their children. Some parents question why their children are not in the honor roll anymore, when last year, they were first, second, or third. Also in the ranking, which changes with the periods or with year levels. What happened? Teachers understand parents' concern, and if possible should like to have more honors, but then, we are limited to just 10 percent of the whole class, meaning, that those in the top 10 percent normally get the honors, except in cases where nobody is qualified, or where one or two additional children are exceptionally bright, as per LPS standards. Grades depend entirely on the present performance; there is no bearing anymore of the past year or past quarter. To solve this controversy, we have the Administrator's Tests in January to confirm honor students. But, in some cases during the quarter upon the advice of the class adviser, the Administrator may give evaluation or Standardized Tests to remove any doubts once and for all.
   
6. We should like to repeat here what we have written before in this Newsletter. Honor Roll is just to encourage children, and their parents as well, to study better. In some advanced countries like Japan, there is no honor roll, no cum laude, no Valedictorian, for these countries believe that once you graduate in their schools, you are that good, the best, already. We cannot do that here. We observed that those graduating as Cum laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude in College were mostly not in our honor roll before at LPS. What happened? Indeed, intellectual ability changes with time and environment. Thus, our purpose as a school is to prepare them for College, whatever course they may take and whatever College they may go later on, although we admit that U.P. is our basis. It is indeed very nice to hear from our graduates comments like this, "when I was at LPS, I was just an ordinary student, but now that I am in College, I usually top the tests, and my professors have nice things to say about our school."
   
7. We advise parents to keep the Academic Report Cards as clean and neat as possible because this is a permanent school record.
   

MESSAGE FROM MRS. EMMA C. VENTURA, PRINCIPAL

We do not have yet a new teacher to replace Mrs. Marynette Salabsabin in Grade Two. Instead we re-arranged our teachers' schedule, and those Grade Two subjects were easily accommodated. Of course, affected teachers get overtime pay. Not that we are very choosy in getting new teachers. It is just evaluating the compatibility - matching everything of the applicant with us, and it does not mean that the applicant is not good. In fact, some applicants have cum laude, or have already passed the LET, showing well preparedness for teaching. It seems that the Grade Two children are more responsive with many teachers, who teach based from their fields of specialization, thus we can easily identify and solve learning deficiencies. Perhaps, departmentalizing Grade Two is a blessing in disguise; we better shelve our plan to get new teacher for the meantime.

As requested by our Grade Two class adviser, we gave yesterday Standardized Tests in Reading Comprehension, Composition Writing, Spelling, and Mathematics. I agreed because we have just shifted to departmentalized system, thus Standardized Test results would be helpful in defining weakness and strength of every pupil. What we want is to solve academic problems.

I appreciate very much the concern of parents toward their children's studies, but may I remind you not to overdo it, for the sake of your own children. Let us guide them, but let them play and grow up as happy normal children. Let us not force the issue for a particular child has its own strength and limitations. We should already be happy when our children get good grades; indeed 85% is already very high. Let us guide them to develop good study habits that they may carry up to College and even after.


SCHOOL CALENDAR

November 24 and 25 (Monday & Tuesday, 8:30 to 10:30 A,M.) - First Research Evaluation (4th Year)
December 1 (Monday) - Holiday (Bonifacio Day), no classes
December 5 (Friday) - First Friday Holy Mass at LPS (First Confession right after the Holy Mass)
December 7 (Sun, 4:30 P.M.) - First Holy Communion, Saint Augustine Church
December 16, 17 and 18 (Tuesday to Thursday) - Third Quarter Examinations
December 19 (Friday) - Christmas Program and Party
January 5 (Monday) - Resumption of classes
January 16, 19 and 20 (Friday, Monday & Tuesday) - Administrator's Tests (all levels)


VISION (LEAD EDITION) EDITORS: Miss Rosa A. Aguirre and Miss Marivil Francisco

STUDENT EDITION: November 15, 2008 *Volume 28, Number 10

ISSUANCE OF 2ND Q REPORT CARDS ON NOVEMBER 15

Report cards for the second quarter are issued today, October 15, 2008, Saturday, 8:00 A.M. The class adviser explains the mechanics of grading, gives test papers to parents, and discusses things to improve class performance. Parents can ask any question, and be entertained by the teacher, regarding their children, individually or as group. If there is any question or thing to be explained further by the other teachers, the parents may go and see those teachers.

We follow the Averaging System of grading where second quarter grade is not affected by the first quarter; and the final grade will be the average of four quarters. With this system, students will have to work harder. In this quarter, 96% is the highest possible grade, with 94% as cut-off for the honor roll.

By John Morris Garcia

EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIP 2008

Last October 25, LPS, both elementary and high school, had an educational field trip in Rizal Shrine at Calamba City, Bioresearch at Sucat, Parañaque, and Enchanted Kingdom at Sta. Rosa City. We visited the birthplace of Dr. Jose P.Rizal, our national hero saw some of his things like clothes and household items, still there after more than a century. Bioresearch is like a mini zoo, full of animals, including honeybees, fishes of many varieties, butterflies, and many other things of educational value. Enchanted Kingdom is the last destination with many rides that can make you scream so loud. And the firework was the most awaited event that night. It was a jaw breaking event because of the formed shapes and colorful lights seen from up above.

By Anne Beatrice de Guzman

UNIT SPORTS MEET

The Unit Sports Meet is being held at the Sta. Cruz Sports Complex, Sta. Cruz, Laguna from November 13 to 15, 2008. Unit II is composed of Los Baños, Alaminos, Bay, Calauan, Pila, and Victoria municipalities. Little People’s School has Guian Crisostomo for volleyball and Nico Aldipollo for table tennis for Bay District. Both of them are fourth year students. The games are still going on.

By Sheena Jean de Jesus

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION ON DECEMBER 4, 2008

LPS children from Grade 3 to First Year will have their First Holy Communion on December 4, 2008, Thursday, 8:00 A.M. at St. Augustine Parish Church. In preparation for the First Communion, our students attended the weekly Catechism classes held every Thursday, from October 2 to November 27.

On December 3, Wednesday, at 3:00 P.M., Rev. Fr. Jessie Somosierra will come to LPS for the First Confession of our students. Parents and relatives, as well as their teachers, are requested to attend this Holy Mass on December 4 to witness this most important event for Catholic children.

By Claire Alyssandra F. Tanghal

MRS. MARYNETTE SALABSABIN RESIGNS; MRS. NELIA LANIP TAKES OVER AS GRADE-TWO ADVISER

Mrs. Marynette Salabsabin, resigned effective November 17. 2008 due to her only child’s lingering illness. As a loving mother, she chose to devote her time for her very sickly child for the remaining school year, a situation that all of us should understand. Thus, for the meantime that we do not have yet any replacement, we are distributing her teaching loads among our teachers, with Mrs. Nelia Lanip as the Grade 2 adviser. Grade 2, therefore, becomes departmentalized with different teachers: Mrs. Nelia Lanip takes Math, Arts and Music, Miss Marivil Francisco gets English (Language), and Miss Janice Joy Paguio has Science, among the other teachers.


PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS PARTY & PROGRAM

Christmas is the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is on December 25, but we started to feel the Yuletide season as early as September. Here at LPS, we started it by having our Christmas program.

Traditionally, we, the high school students prepare skit presentations for the Christmas party to be held after the Third Quarter examination. Presently, we are busy practicing for our skits. Also, before our Christmas party we have to buy something for our “monitas” and “monitos.’ In addition to this, we have activities for our Values Education subject.

On December 18, LPS will be having its Christmas party, and also the Christmas program in which every level will present its special numbers. Pre-Elementary, Elementary, and High School will perform.

In Pre-Elementary, there will be many dance numbers; the Kindergarten will dance to the tune of Feliz Navidad. Preparatory has Jingle Bells. The Elementary pupils will all dance to the tunes of the following: for Grade One-Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Grade Two – Bump It… Christmas, Grade Three-Rudolf, the Red Nose Reindeer, Grade Four- Christmas Medley, Grade Five-Joy to the World and Santa Babe, and Grade Six-Winter Wonderland.

High School will prepare a skit, as part of Values and MAPEH subjects. The themes for the following year levels are: First Year- Early Relationship; Second Year- Fraternity and Sorority; Third Year- Vices; and Fourth Year- Early Marriage.

By: Christelle T. Jaraplasan, Jelriz Joi Lanip, Anne Beatrice de Guzman and Micah Marie F. Galapon

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS

We the High School students keep on planting carabao grasses in our grounds; those already planted started to grow. Schoolmates, we must keep up the good work.

We hear joyful music everyday, thanks to the songs of the lovebirds, courtesy of Mr. Baby Fuentes, who died recently. Having nobody to take care of them anymore, his wife Mrs. Aeolie Fuentes of Pila, Laguna decided to give them as a gift of memory. Thank you Councilor Fuentes, don’t worry, we shall continue taking care of them.

The Science Laboratory is under renovation. More cabinets are added, some of them with glass doors to serve as display of our equipment and tools, and some to keep our collected samples of vegetation, animals, rocks, soils, and so on. Even the tables are renovated using Formica sheet to make it a real laboratory. The Science teachers are preparing the Rules and Regulations of Using the Science Laboratory to keep it in good shape all the time, including the borrowing of needed materials for experiments. Ultimately, the floor will be tiled using the items we collected from our caroling last year. Unfortunately, they are not yet enough to cover the whole laboratory room.

Lastly, but not the least, the one-fourth hectare school farm beside the Guidance Room and TLE is now being cleared, to be planted with different kinds of vegetables and medicinal plants. At present, we have some chicken of Mrs. Ventura, with the very handsome rooster crowing now and then giving our school the healthy farm atmosphere.

By Christelle T. Jaraplasan, Richelle Andrea M. Alejandre, Claire Alyssandra F. Tanghal, and Ma. Victoria D. Veterana

EDITORIAL: On My Own

For the first time in my life, I was given the chance to prove that I am not a baby anymore. Unexpectedly, my family allowed me to join the trip without a chaperone. I felt that I’m on my own.

When I came home that night after the trip, I felt very happy because I really enjoyed the whole trip with my friends and classmates. Also, I knew that no one was watching my every move. Before, whenever we had Educational Field trip, my family never failed to be with me. I understood them. Perhaps, they just wanted to protect me. Now, I’m glad that my Mommy and Daddy trusted me to be on my own in this field trip. It didn’t come directly from them, but obviously they implied through saying, "Oo na, sasama ka". That was very overwhelming, it means that my parents, my entire family, already treat me not a baby anymore but as a young adult now, able to join the trip by my own. Thank you very much my family for your love and trust in me. Rest assured that I will always be a good girl, always in my mind of all the things you advised me to remain as a good, trustworthy and dependable girl. That helped me gain my self-esteem and self-reliance, which I believe are very important in establishing myself to the society.

As if I have reached another higher and important level in my life in this field trip.

By: Richelle Andrea M. Alejandre

FEATURE: Letters to Santa (Observe the progress in Composition Writing in the different levels)

Dear Santa,
My wish this coming Christmas is to have a happy country. I wish to my grandmother is to have strong bones. I wish my brother and friends to have good future.

Charisse A. Panisales (Grade 2)

Dear Santa,
Thank you for making my wishes come true last Christmas. I have my wish; my wish for my family is to have good relationships, good health, and longer life. My wish for myself is to be more intelligent. I hope I will be the 1st honor this next grading. My wish to my teacher is to be more powerful in teaching us. I hope they will give me good grades. I hope my wishes will come true.

Corina Faye D. Rosario (Grade 3)

Dear Santa,
I am good this year. I followed my parents’ and grandparents’ orders. I helped my teachers in cleaning the classroom. I took good care of my pets. How did you do the job in just 10 hours? I want to know. Maybe you can tell me by inserting a letter in my present this Christmas. I wish there are no more wars in the world.

Sincerely yours,             
Voltaire Ventura (Gr. 4)

Dear Santa,
My best friend Honey and I are doing well in our studies and friendship. It’s getting harder and harder and our grades are getting a little bit lower than last time. But I will never give up but instead I’ll try even harder. Most of all, I’ve got a favor to ask you. Please, I would like you to solve every problem in my school and also the issues between my classmates. This is my last favor and I will believe in you to solve these. I also want the teachers and our parents to be happy this Christmas. I believe in you and I will always do good deeds. Thank you!

Respectfully yours,                            
Chelsea Claire P. Gonzales (Gr. 5)

Dear Santa,
I hope you will come to my house and give my gift this Christmas. I would like some fruits for our Christmas Eve. Also, I want happiness to me this Christmas. Santa, I also want some favors. I want all my relatives, family and friends have their gifts this Christmas because I don’t want to see them sad and lonely. For me, I want to be the first honor again because my mother is begging me to have a diploma on the stage. I hope you will grant all my wishes because I want them for everyone’s happiness. Thank you very much. Truly I am.

Paul Angelo D. Suiza (Grade 5)

MESSAGE FROM MRS. EMMA C. VENTURA, PRINCIPAL

Mrs. Marynette Salabsabin, resigned the other day. We, of course, sympathized with her but then, we must look also after the children of her class. Mrs. Lanip was the first Grade Two teacher at the start of classes in June and I thought of returning the favor to her as class adviser. Then, I looked at Miss Francisco to take remedial measures in English, and she agreed to do her best to make them write good sentences, and then paragraphs, within a month’s time. We must sustain the analytical minds of our bright grade two pupils and I gave the assignment in Science to Miss Paguio. After all of these, then maybe we can get a replacement of teacher Marynette.

I am afraid that we have been too engrossed in academics that we tend to forget MAPE or PHEM in our curriculum. Thus, I instructed all our teachers to teach also Music and Arts, for indeed these are also very important in overall training and development. I asked Mr. Rivera and Mrs. Tanghal to form a Music program for all levels. This Christmas, we shall have a formal program where all children will have songs, dances, and dramatic plays as a way of observing the birth of our Lord and Savior. Parents should come for who will applaud for your children after the performance if not you parents. I know that your children like to sing, dance, and show their best, and I know that their nice stories do not end after the performance, but will continue during dinner and siesta time at home. We all know that children grow and improve because they know that their parents are always there to love and care for them.


SCHOOL CALENDAR

November 15 (Saturday) - Parents and Teachers Meeting; Issuance of Second Q Report Cards
November 17 and 18 (Monday and Tuesday) - Monthly Tests (for November)
November 24 (Monday) - First Evaluation of Experimental Research (Fourth Year Class)
December 4 (Thursday, 8:00 A.M.) - First Holy Communion (First Confession on Dec. 3, 3:00 P.M.)
December 16 and 17 (Tuesday and Wednesday) - Third Quarter Examinations
December 18 (Thursday) - Christmas Program and Party


VISION (STUDENT EDITION) EDITORIAL STAFF

Richelle Andrea Alejandre, Editor-in-Chief
Chrystelle Jaraplasan, Associate Editor
Jelriz Joi Lanip
Claire Alyssa Tanghal
Maria Victoria Veterana
Micah Marie Galapon
Noah Batacan
Sheena de Jesus
John Morris Garcia, Managing Editor
Beatrice Anne De Guzman
Miss Rosa A. Aguirre, Adviser
Miss Marivil Francisco, Adviser


HONOR ROLL, FIRST GRADING PERIOD

KINDERGARTEN
John Carlo Martinez, 94.00

PREPARATORY
Mark David Ebron, 94.70
Erick Michael Monserrat, 94.00

GRADE 1
Charles Arwin Rosario, 95.99
Daniella Silab, 95.16
Marnella Manarpaac, 94.08

GRADE 2
Dan Kennedy Hipona, 95.35
Charisse Panisales, 94.03

GRADE 3
Corina Faye Rosario, 95.20
Ma. Consuelo Barredo, 94.08
Guadalupe Ebron, 94.00

GRADE 4
Rhizza Marie Solmerano, 94.80
Voltaire Ventura, 94.02
Exequiel Viñas, 94.00

GRADE 5
Chelsea Claire Gonzales, 95.00
Matt Jaypril Tolentino, 94.94
Paul Angelo Suiza, 94.62
Ma. Hannah Maghuyop, 94.02

GRADE 6 A and B
Ynno Barredo, 95.02
Joseph Gabriel Anit, 94.46
Noah Batacan, 94.02
Jessa Matanguihan, 94.00

FIRST YEAR
Sheena Jean De Jesus, 94.63
Marjorie Aguinaldo, 94.18

SECOND YEAR
Rosmund Tolentino, 95.16
Lhorian Jane Lapitan, 94.07

THIRD YEAR
Richelle Andrea Alejandre, 94.43
Christelle Jaraplasan, 94.12
Claire Allysandra Tanghal, 94.02
Ma. Reyina Anne Turtur, 94.00

FOURTH YEAR (nobody qualified)