LEAD EDITION *Volume 29, Number 11 *October 19, 2009

LPS BAY REMAINS UNDER WATER; REGULAR CLASSES AT LPS LOS BAÑOS

Little People’s Bay remains flooded, but the floodwater is receding slowly. Last Saturday, October 17, we brought additional armchairs by boat, then the LPS vehicles, to Los Baños, installed an electric wall fan in the porch of the first house, installed fishnet along the west side of the newly constructed shed, and finished the shed by nailing properly the roof and putting braces in preparation for any typhoon to come. After three days, things are stabilizing. Now the children, and parents as well, are getting used in crossing the busy highway, with the aid of traffic officers (barangay tanods) that we had earlier arranged to help. Children complain about the small campus that they cannot run freely; comfort rooms are limited to one for boys, one for girls, and one for the preschool children; rooms are smaller than in LPS Bay; and there is only one wall fan in every room, that those having classes in the shed do not have any for anyway the rooms are open and the roof is relatively high for an open classroom.

Class activities are delayed, but we are doing things to catch up with the lessons, so that the second quarter tests will be given on October 23 and 24 (Thursday and Friday). Efforts are done to have schooling as near to normal as possible. TLE or HELE, PEHM, GMRC or Homeroom, and Computer Education are suspended temporarily until we return to LPS Bay. 

We start rehabilitating LPS Bay by cleaning the classrooms that are already dry this Sunday (October 18), then we shall fix the doors, chairs, and tables that were submerged in the flood waters. As of October 18, those that are already dry are those in the northeastern wing of the high school building, from the prayer room to the third year room; also the southwestern wing from the reading room and library down to the grade six room. The western side of the high school building, including the Science room, has still about an inch of water. The primary school has about 6-inch of floodwater while the canteen has about 3 inches. The Admi and preschool buildings are not affected. The depth of water in the raised cemented road in front of the Admi building is about 7 to 8 inches, and we are waiting for this part to dry up completely before installing wood planks to be able to cross from one building to another. Please pray to the good Lord that weather remains favorable, so that we can return to LPS Bay within a short period of time.

LIFE AT LPS: REACTIONS TO THE TRANSFER TO  LPS  LOS BAÑOS

LPS is here in Anos, Los Baños for a long time ago already, even when daddy (Doc Junjun) was a child who lived here. But this time LPS and our home is in San Isidro, Bay. But it is flooded, so LPS returns here in Anos for a while that there is flood in San Isidro, Bay. If only LPS were in Bay, all 12 levels would have classes the whole day. LPS here in Anos has only six classrooms, so each level is only half day. But our home is still in San Isidro, Bay.

Vernon V. Ventura, First Year

My reaction was being happy and excited but a little disappointed because I get to study in a different place but still the same school. I’m happy that I can be together with friends and teachers again to study. I’m also excited to start new things and being transferred to LPS LB. Experiencing is also a part of learning after all. And I’m also into these kinds of situations. But being in another place, LPS LB, made me miss the original LPS in Bay. Also, different levels and years are divided between morning and afternoon sessions that made our classes shorter. Each subject can only last for 40 minutes so we get to learn lesser things. But I know that this is only a challenge for us to stay together. Learning is not just only about time, but it is how we decide to learn no matter where we are. That’s why I thank LPS, the teachers and other employees. Thanks to all of you for trying your best to teach and support us.

Chelsea Gonzales, Grade Six

The first time I heard that LPS in Bay would transfer here in Los Baños, there was a side of me that was happy and there was side that was sad. Happy because it became nearer, so I can travel easily from our house to LPS in Anos. And sad because LPS Bay is flooded, and we will wait for a long time to go back there, and go back to normal classes. And now that we’re here in Los Baños, it’s hard because we are sitting on monoblock chairs and we found it hard to write. Also, it’s hot but we still need to study so we are here.

Marjorie Aguinaldo, Second Year

My reaction is happy and excited because this is my first time to see Mrs. Ventura’s first school when she was younger, and also she told me that this is her first house. Even when it is the first day of school in Los Baños when I woke up I was very excited so I prepared all my things very fast. That was my feeling of being very happy because even our school is small the important thing is I can study very well and finish to advance to grade six.

Exequiel Xavier A. Viñas, Grade Five

I would feel disappointed for one thing my house is in LPS Bay, but LPS Los Baños is not. Another, LPS Los Baños does not have computer classes, but the worst part is I have to wake up early, ride a boat, and wait for the school service for a long time. And lastly, it is hot in LPS Los Baños.

Voltaire V. Ventura, Grade Five

My reaction is happy because it is near our house here in Los Baños. Also, we are half day. Also, I’m sad because our school in San Isidro is big and our school in Anos is a small one. I’m not so happy because our chair has no writing arm; we are just sitting in monoblocks. Also, it is hot in our place but sometimes windy. But I’m happy because there is not so much dirt here. I’m also happy because the canteen is nearer to us.

Mica Nicole L. Peñana, Grade Five

This year a very strong typhoon goes to our country. It is named “Bagyong Ondoy.” It affects many people and destroys a lot of properties. One of the most affected is Laguna. The flood is very scary. This time our President and Principal decided to leave LPS Bay and transfer to LPS Los Baños. My reaction is sad because our house is far from that place but I understand their situation. So, my parents decided to take a service to go to that school. Furthermore, I understand that we need to transfer because we need to learn new things for our future.

Corina Faye de Jesus Rosario, Grade Four

I was afraid because of crossing the highway, but now I know that the barangay tanods will help us to cross the way. And I feel sad because I cannot see my friends in high school.

Ma. Swietenia Sabarias, Grade Six

When I read in the VISION on October 12, 2009 that we’re transferring to LPS Los Baños, I thought about LPS Bay because I’m worried about the school, it is one of the school that’s harmed by the typhoon, if the school became an evacuation center that we would not have rooms to study anymore. I’m glad that we have LPS Los Baños for us to study; it is quite small but at least we have a place to study.

Laisa Marie A. Garcia, Grade Six

Few days had passed when I heard the news that LPS Bay will be transferred to LPS LB. I was shocked about the circumstances of what our school is experiencing. The flood caused by the typhoon went inside the LPS Bay ground. There was no choice but to transfer to another site. I’m experiencing a little risk of traveling form my house in Masiit, to Anos like the value-added jeepney fare. Also, LPS LB is too far from our place that’s why I need to prepare myself earlier. In addition, I am expecting that I’ll arrive at home lately. I hope that God will help us to overcome this problem.

Rosmund Tolentino, Third Year

I never expected that LPS Bay would be flooded. I thought our classes will be suspended for a month and I never expected that we will transfer in LPS LB. I’m glad that our lessons in our subjects will continue and I’m very thankful that our school faculty gave its efforts in making the classrooms.

Charlene B. Cinco, Fourth Year<

When I heard that LPS Bay was flooded, I felt sad for what happened. Then, my classmates texted me that LPS will be transferred to Los Baños for the meantime. I was excited that I will experience studying in LPS LB, but sad because the time for every subject is shortened. We all hope that the flood in LPS Bay will be gone after a few days so the schedule will be back to normal.

Claire Alyssandra F. Tanghal, Fourth Year

Message from Mrs. Emma C. Ventura, Principal

We are publishing here some of the unedited reactions of our children in transferring temporarily LPS to Los Baños. I am glad that at least the complaints are constructive, and the critical ones are mostly in the classes assigned in the porch of our old house. But we are now correcting some of their problems by providing armchair to children, and installing a wall fan in the porch. We assigned rooms as to the size of the class, and it so happened that grade five and second year classes have the least number. We also installed fine fishnet at the western side of the shed to reduce the effect of sunlight in the afternoon. Inasmuch as there is still some space, we arranged the chairs further from each other for better ventilation. The two comfort rooms in the main house served their purposes well being used nearly every minute of the day. This is one of the primary fears if we had transferred to another place where we would share comfort rooms with other people. At least the children are more comfortable here, they can move around freely for this is also LPS. All of them have complaint about the half-day classes, but please understand that this is only very temporary; we transferred to Anos so that at least we have continued classes. We have the preschool classes in the second house, with their own comfort room, and I think they are the least affected. The school service vehicles have more trips to accommodate children from Bay, and I am glad that our three drivers are cooperating. I instructed them to be very careful in driving, not to be in a hurry for the classes will wait. I ask apology for the parents waiting for their children for I cannot provide them with a waiting shed, except for the small porch in the second house for the preschool. Please bear with us.

On the first day of classes, our children had difficulty crossing the busy street in front of our school, Barangay Anos Chairman Facio Olan, had to assist, shout on top of his voice in directing everybody to use the pedestrian lane and wait for the signal of the traffic officers. Now the children, and parents too, know how to use the pedestrian lane and follow strictly the traffic officers. With this procedure, everybody is safe. Now we know how to live in the city!

LPS Los Baños has an area of only 700 sq. m. and it is for kindergarten classes, and this school is good for 50 to 100 children, while LPS Bay has an area of about 10,000 sq. m. that can accommodate up to a thousand children. Their reaction papers show that they terribly miss their LPS Bay, they miss running around the vast grounds, but at least I am happy to note that now they realize the value of having a spacious campus, hoping that they will love more their school.

Sometimes I feel the urge to improve further LPS LB by putting a roof on the stage to serve as faculty room and constructing another shed for two additional classrooms so that all the high school classes would be for the whole day. But observing the rise and fall of floodwater in our LPS Bay shows that as long as there will be no strong typhoon to come, then perhaps we can return to Bay within three weeks or so. We are not going to wait for the floodwater to fully recede; it will be enough that the raised cemented road in front of the Admi Building will come out so that we could install wood planks in between buildings. By that time our school vehicles could enter LPS. Perhaps this time it would be better to save our limited budget in the reconstruction of LPS Bay then spending more for the expansion of LPS Los Baños. Yes, there will be many things to do, like changing of rotten doors, replanting of ornamental plants (only those attached to the trees are left), fixing of equipment like the submerged water pumps, repairing of tables and chairs, and some repainting jobs.

On the lighter side of things, I like our children to experience having a flooded campus, with many kinds of fishes swimming around. Our school was flooded also about 20 years ago (this seems to be a cycle), and we also transferred to Los Baños for several weeks, but we did not wait for the water to go down entirely to return to Bay; we put wood planks for the children to move easily from one building to another. It was a nice thing for children having their fish lines or net trying to catch fish around. The children commented that their school was a fishing resort!

We better have our second quarter tests this week, on October 22 and 23, to be in line with our activities. We postpone to November the educational field trip of the elementary and preschool pupils. We postpone to February the educational field trip of the high school to Baguio so that it will be timed with the Penagbenga (Flower) festival there. We shall not have any semestral break anymore because of the 12 days without classes that we had earlier, and that the Christmas vacation will be shortened.

Please pray every evening that the weather becomes favorable so that floodwater in LPS Bay will recede soon, so that we can return to normal classes in a few weeks time. Thank you very much.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

October 22 and 23 (Thursday and Friday), Second Quarter Tests

LEAD EDITION *Volume 29, Number 10 *October 12, 2009

WELCOME TO LPS LOS BAÑOS; CLASSES RESUME OCT 14 

LPS Bay is flooded, thus we are moving temporarily to LPS Los Baños, which is located in Anos, Los Baños, Laguna along the highway, at the opposite side of the Los Baños Memorial Garden. It is actually an interior property with a 3-m right of way, about 30 m from the highway. The lot area is 700 sq. m. (400 m2 owned by LPS and 300 m2 by the PNR). 

LPS Los Baños is the original LPS, founded by Mrs. Emma Ventura in 1977, along the railroad track. There are two houses, the original house that was previously used as the LPS Kindergarten with two spacious classrooms, two comfort rooms, a porch that is spacious enough for another classroom, and a program stage. The second house was bought later with one classroom and a porch that may serve as waiting area for parents of preschool children. 

We can house only four classes at a time in this property thus we are presently constructing a shed that could accommodate two more classes to enable the holding of six classes in the morning and six classes in the afternoon. The shed is in the PNR property with an area of 6.0 m x 10 m, sufficient for two classrooms. This shed will be available by October 14. This is the reason why we have delayed reopening of classes.  

  

LPS RESORTS TO HALF-DAY CLASSES 

We are under state of calamity, thus, we are reducing classes to four and a half (4 ½) hours. To balance the number of students, the morning classes are the nursery-kindergarten, grades 1, 2, 3, 5, and first year. The afternoon classes are the preparatory, grades 4, 6, second year, third year, and fourth year. Morning session is from 7:30 to 11:45 A.M. and afternoon session is from 12:15 to 4:30 P.M. Unfortunately, we cannot have the two preschool classes in the morning because they have the same teacher. 

Class periods have been reduced to 40 minutes per subject. PEHM, Homeroom, GMRC and Computer Education are suspended. 

Arrangement has been made with the Barangay Chairman of Anos, Honorable Vacio Olan to provide barangay tanod during classes primarily for children crossing the highway. The school vehicles will be parked along the side of the school for the arrival and departure, otherwise they are parked inside the LB Memorial Park.  

Mrs. Zenaida Quintos will go around on Monday and/or Tuesday (October 12 and 13) to make arrangement with every student/parent for transportation either by going to Anos alone or with the school service. We have only three vehicles and three drivers thus, it is necessary that proper arrangement would be done. 

For the meantime, children are required to bring their own “baon” for heavy snacks or lunch as we are not going to allow anybody buy from outside for safety measures. We see to it that there is time for them to have their heavy snacks or lunch before going home (for the morning classes) and just after arriving (for the afternoon classes). We have limited time for classes, so we must take advantage of every minute for schooling. 

 

LIFE AT LPS 

LPS Maintenance Crew in Full Action

The LPS Maintenance Staff takes center stage this time of preparing LPS Los Baños for the transfer of classes. Mr. Gervacio Lopez, Mr. Salvador (Boy) Ulpindo, Mr. Gilbert Acuarda, Mr. Roman Hipona, Mr. Agustin (Odgie) de los Reyes, and Mr. Victor (Jojo) Marquez do carpentry, mason and other works from 7:00 A.M. to 5:00P.M., everyday including Sundays. Despite the pressure of work, they keep their composure, not forgetting to smile and make jokes while working. Mr. Lopez leads in the construction of the shed, the drivers do the pathways and cyclone wire fence to enclose the whole campus, and Mr. Hipona leads in the painting work. They made our pathways very nice, including the small bridge crossing the drainage canal, and the temporary shed now looks like a permanent structure already. Their work started with the cutting and slicing of mahogany and coconut trees from the school’s farm in Pila to the construction of the shed in Anos. They asked that work would be up to Tuesday, October 13 to finish the minimum requirements of the school, including transfer of chairs and other things needed for schooling. Hopefully we can have classes already on Wednesday, October 14.  

  

LPS Bay is All Right

LPS Bay is all right, with Dr. Junjun Ventura making sure that everything is safe and sound. The floods reached, and stayed up to this writing (October 12), the floor of the primary school building, canteen, and high school (library to audio-visual room). An inch or two for a few days flooded the preschool building and the northeastern wing (prayer room, H.E., Guidance room, fourth year and third year) of the high school building only then water receded. The Administration building housing the school offices and computer room is spared from the floods.  

Worst hit is the primary school building, canteen and library. Chairs stumbled, books in the lowest layer of the bookshelves were wet, and up to now still submerged. We have to raise our farm equipment, refrigerators, and other things in the canteen, tool room, and storage room. 

Nothing to worry about the school dog, Dory, who seems to know what is happening, she sleeps most of the time. Yes, the six lovebirds are all right also, and they keep on chirping and kissing despite the high waters. 

As of this writing (October 12), the floodwater has receded significantly already, with the corridors in the preschool exposed, showing that may be we can return to LPS Bay earlier than anticipated. We can return to LPS Bay when our school vehicles can enter our campus already, inasmuch as we can easily install wood planks to be able to move from one building to another.  

  

Message from Mrs. Emma Ventura, Principal 

It is very unfortunate to have this nationwide calamity. Now, our best option is to transfer temporarily to LPS Los Baños. The good mayor, Honorable Bunoy Ramos agreed to house temporarily our school in the second floor of the under construction Chipeco building, but a close inspection of the place showed that it may be difficult for our children to stay there, and since we have LPS Anos, and with this calamity, it is better to let others stay there. I am sure our teachers, children, and parents would be more comfortable in LPS Anos. I should like to express the profound gratitude of my family for the unselfish job that our maintenance crew has shown. 

I personally talked with Anos Barangay Chairman Olan for the assigning of barangay tanods primarily for the crossing of children across the highway. The Barangay Hall is just across LPS. The entire school in Anos is enclosed with cyclone wire fence, the entrance is directly from the highway, and the gate to the railroad track is permanently closed. We like to confine our children inside the campus. Thank you for your kind understanding. Please bear with us. 

LITTLE PEOPLE’S SCHOOL, INCORPORATED 

San Isidro, Bay, Laguna

  

October 12, 2009  

Dear LPS parents and children, 

I should like to apologize for writing only now because the electricity was returned to LPS Bay only Saturday evening, October10. Nevertheless, I am pleased to inform you that classes will resume on Wednesday, October 14, at LPS Anos, Los Baños, which is located along the highway, opposite the Los Baños Memorial Garden. A barangay tanod and an LPS employee will be in front of the school on Wednesday to assist LPS children and their parents in crossing the street. To be easily recognized by the barangay tanod and employees, children should be in their blue uniform, even not ironed, and this time rubber shoes and slippers are allowed. 

We shall have half-day classes: Morning (7:30 to 11:45 A.M.) for the nursery-kinder, grades 1, 2, 3, and 5, and first year high school; Afternoon (12:15 Noon to 4:30 P.M.) for the preparatory, grades 4, 6, second year, third year, and fourth year. 

We require everyone (student, teacher, employee) to bring his or her “baon” of heavy snacks or lunch; we do not let anybody to go out of the campus for security reason. The campus is entirely enclosed with cyclone wire fence and there is an LPS employee to guard the gate. 

Mrs. Zenaida Quintos will come around to arrange for the transport of students. We shall appreciate very much if some of you will commute because we have only three drivers and three school service vehicles. I will appreciate if you can come and visit us at LPS Los Baños. 

Please fill up the form below and return to Mrs. Quintos immediately. 

Sincerely yours,  

  

Mrs. Emma C. Ventura  

School Principal  

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___________________  

Date  

Dear Mrs. Emma Ventura (Principal), 

This is to inform you that I have read carefully the VISION October 2009 Edition and your notice regarding the resumption of classes in LPS Los Baños starting October 14. Regarding the transportation of my child _________________ who is in Grade/ Year _________ 

may I request that: 

__ my child will commute by himself/herself or I will personally bring him or her to LPS Anos. 

  

__ my child will take the school service, with the pick up point in __________________. Please bring back my child in _________________. I agree with the school service fee as discussed with Mrs. Zenaida Quintos. 

I understand our situation this time thus I will provide “baon” of heavy snacks or lunch for my child. I will come and visit LPS Los Baños during my available time. Thank you. 

  

Yours truly,  

  

  

Signature of parent above printed name