Jesus' Birthday

Today is one of the most exciting day for all the kids around the world. My niece keeps on looking at the clock and hoping it's already 12 midnight. She's excited because she will be opening a lot of gifts and she told me that today is Jesus' birthday. Before we had our dinner today, she sang a Happy birthday song to Jesus... (awww.. so cute!)

How about you? Are you excited about Jesus' birthday? It's the most important birthday that we should be celebrating. I hope HIS birthday will be important to you... Don't forget to talk to Jesus today and thank Him for all that He has done in our lives. Make Jesus' birthday something special today.

A Blessed Christmas to one and all!

Be Happy!

These are my two cute cousins Rehum and Zane. Even though Rehum's arm was injured he is still able to have fun and enjoy playing with his cousin Zane. This photo reminded me to always be happy even when times are a bit painful and hard. Let's take every life's difficulty as a piece of cake with a yummy icing on it.

Crib Recall

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced the recall of more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing. The cribs are voluntarily withdrawn because hardware failures have trapped 15 children and suffocated four.

The crib sides slide up and down to make it easier to lift infants. Hardware can break, deform or get lost over the years. Some cribs failed because parents did not assemble them properly.

You can read the Consumer Product Safety Commission's news release to get the full detail of the story.

Going on a Field Trip

Yesterday was our school's field trip. We brought our students to the "Aviary" where they get to see a lot of different kinds of birds. We also went to the Ostrich and Crocodile Farms where kids enjoyed their experience. Crocodiles were a bit scary but the place is safe for children. Of course, their parents were there taking care of them.

One of the highlights in our visit to the "Aviary" is not only the birds, but this snake (shown on the photo above). I was so surprised because my students were not scared touching and holding it. Some of the parents convinced me to hold this animal but I just can't. I just touched it and it feels so slippery and cold. The care taker told us that this snake is safe, they have tiny teeth but you just have to keep away from the head. Never squeeze it, never blow an air to the head because they will be provoked.All the kids enjoyed their encounter with the Ostrich. As they enter the place they were exclaiming, "Oh, it's so big!". LOL! Even though it was raining, they still enjoyed roaming around the place.The kids enjoyed watching the crocodiles. They were shouting at them because they want the crocodiles to move but these creatures were just too lazy and sleepy. Lol!

After the activity, I saw that the kids look very tired. They all went sleeping on their parent's lap. But I'm sure they will have a lot of story to tell to their family and friends.

Give Love on Christmas Day

This coming December 25 is Christmas Day and it would be good if we teach our kids the proper way of celebrating it. Christmas is one good opportunity for all of us to show love for one another. May it be a simple word of encouragement or giving your time, or just a simple hug, all these things matters to the person whom we love. That is why, for the next week, we will be teaching our kids the lesson on showing love to other people especially to the people who really needs it. First, we will have a Bible story on “The Good Samaritan” found in the Bible (Luke 10:30-36). After the story we will have a short question and answer game. Whoever gets the correct answer wins a prize. I got this activity from Craig on kidssundayschool.com.

Here is the flow of the activity:

Preparation:
Have all the children stand up in the middle of the room.
What you do during class:
You will say the statements below one by one. If the children believe what you say is “showing love”, they will sit down on the floor. If they believe it is “not showing love”, they will stand up. Another option is to have the kids go to a specific spot in the room for “showing love” and another spot for “not showing love.”
Statements:
1. Daddy is sick and you bring him a cup of chicken soup.
2. Your little sister is hitting you, so you hit her back.
3. You give your mommy a big hug when she comes home.
4. You give grandma a kiss on the cheek because she misses you.
5. You throw a rock at someone you don’t like.
6. You throw a fight because you don’t get what you want.
7. You make a special birthday gift all by yourself for dad.
8. You don’t let anyone play with your new toy.
9. You help take care of your little brother or sister.
10. You give your mom and dad a big smile when you see them.
11. Baby is sleeping and you make a lot of noise.
12. You tell you mommy how much you like what she made for supper.

Once the children finish the activity, describe how people can show love in many different ways. We can share our toys, help out in the kitchen, be kind to our brothers or sisters, obey our parents, give kisses and hugs to those we are close to, and many other ways. Jesus wants us to love one another. In John 13: 34, Jesus says, “I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you. Think about how much Jesus loves you.

Above All by Kaitlyn Maher

I was so touched as I watched this little girl Kaithlyn singing the song "Above All". Kaithlyn was the youngest top 10 finalist in "America's Got Talent" show. I appreciate her parents for teaching her this wonderful song. It's good to teach our kids songs that will inspire and most of all songs that will truly glorify God.

The Pink Uniform

As I was walking down the road going to our school, there is this little girl. She's probably 3 years old and she keeps on peeping at the gate of our school. I asked her about what she's doing. She answered with a question. "Ate (big sister), is this a school?" and I said "Yes! Do you want to study here?" She nodded. I said, "Why?" and she said "I like to wear something like that (referring to the school uniform for girls. Girls in our school wore a cute pink uniform. I told her to go and tell her mom about it. I was waiting for her to come back but she never came back.

After 3 or 4 days, I saw her playing outside near our school. She saw me and gave me a smile. I asked her how she was doing and she answered me... "Ate,I'm sorry, I can't study at your school. "Why?" I asked. She gave me a very serious answer... because I don't have a pink uniform." LOL! She really had a very serious problem. (ha!ha!)

I'm Sorry, I'm Absent!

We have a five day break in school because of holidays. Here in the Philippines we usually don't have class on November 1 and 2 because it's All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively. The two day holiday plus Saturdays and Sundays makes the break more longer. That is why kids did have enough time to play and bond with their family.

Yesterday, it was time to go back to school. As I entered the classroom, all of my students were so happy to see me. They all hugged me and they told me they missed me. Awwww... so sweet. But there is this one student who approached me with a sad face and told me... "Teacher, I'm sorry I was absent yesterday..." I was laughing. Because of the long break, he thought he was absent from class for a very long time. I told him, not to be sorry and explained the matter to him. His face changed and he was then smiling. Cute Kiddo!

All Souls Day

We don't have class today because it's a holiday. It's "All Souls Day". It's a rest day for me. But later after church, we will be going to Oro Gradens Memorial Park to visit my father in law's grave. We usually do this every year. We put up tents, bring chairs and etc. We stay there together with the family and some relatives and friends. It's also an opportunity for us to bond as a family, enjoying each others presence.

I'm excited to go to Oro Gardens now, because my sister in law promised to bring a giant pizza. Oh, I wonder how big it would be. Anyway, I will have to go for now as I still have to prepare some stuff for our visit.

United Nations Day 2009

Last October 24, 2009 was our school's United Nations Day 2009. It's our annual activity which is geared towards enabling the kids to learn about the different countries of the world as well as pray for these countries. Through this activity, the kids will also learn that there are also other kids who lives in the other part of the world.

Same as last year, our students wore different costumes and represented different countries of the world. They all look very cute with their costumes. There parents really did a great job in providing beautiful costumes to their kids.

Kids Sunday School

Hello everyone! I'm glad I've found a great site for kids. It's kidssundayschool.com. It's actually a children ministry resource site, but you can also use the lessons in your regular classes. You can learn to be creative through checking on their crafts, as well as their games, skits, and songs. I have been using this site for years and every year they are updating each lessons to fit your student's needs. This site also provides teaching resources and other links which might be beneficial for you as a teacher.

Why don't you visit the site today and start sharing good lessons to your kids now.

A New Hope for Sick Babies

Cerebral Palsy affects approximately 17 million people worldwide and thousands of babies are born with it every year. Until now, there was no treatment. But a new study has found that cooling the bodies and blood of high-risk full-term babies shortly after birth may significantly reduce disability or death.

Cerebral Palsy can be caused when the brain is starved of oxygen at birth. It often takes hours or days for dangerous chemicals to build up and kill the brain cells that control motor function. Lowering the brain's normal temperature four degrees slows the build up and prevents damage. In the study of 208 babies, only 44% who received cooling died or developed a disability, compared with 62% of those who received normal care. "This is the most promising treatment we have today", says study author Dr. Seetha Shankaran of Children's Hospital of Michigan.

Tear -Free Trims

A child's first haircut can be a scary experience. Try these tips for a tear- free trims.

• Find a salon with able stylists who are trained to coax kids.
• Choose a salon that caters to kids. Whimsical chairs and toys will make the experience more enticing.
• Bring your child to meet the stylist at least once before the big day. Take her with you when you have your hair cut.
• Sit your child on your lap and let the stylist work around you.
• If your tot is too terrified to sit through a professional haircut, do it yourself. Use blunt-tipped scissors and dampen the hair with spray bottle. If you only get in a few snips, that's OK; offer lots of praise and try again another day.
  

Diabetes in Children

In the recent study, Diabetes is now considered as one of the most common chronic childhood diseases. It has been growing an alarming rate in children nowadays. The reason for this would be that there are now many fast food chains available. Just like here in our city, almost every corner you will find a fast food shop wherein kids are their main costumer. They also make their shops more attractive to kids. In school, I always make it a point to remind my students to eat the right kinds of food. But the bigger factor in helping them live a healthy lifestyle is through their parents.

Below are the signs of diabetes to look for in our children:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Lack of interest and concentration
• Blurred vision
• Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as flu).

(Source: worlddiabetestoday.org)

Sports Day 2009

Every year, we always had the opportunity to let our students play as well as their parents. So, last September 10, 2009 we had our Sports Day 2009. Our objective for this activity is to allow our students to learn about sportsmanship and at the same time have fun. Well, it was indeed fun as all our students enjoyed the activity. Not just the kids but also their parents. Below are the photos of the said event.