DISCOVER POTENTIAL. DISCOVER THE FUTURE.

Dear parents,

Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of the Lenten season and amidst the crisis gripping our nation, we believe that now more than ever, many of us turn to our faith for comfort and strength. 

The Lenten season is a time our Church provides us to remember the life, passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His great love for us.  And we'd like to share with you some solemn traditions to remind us and our children what Lent is really all about.
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Here are some ideas:

Abstinence ​

While full-day fasting may be too extreme for some, and our young children are not yet even required, there are families who maintain this practice through other forms of abstinence throughout the season of lent— from meat, festivities, shopping and other things considered extravagant.

Why not also try technology abstinence? Maybe we can practice no screens after dinner, or limit access to electronics unless it’s for school.
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It’s going to be pretty tough and you’ll be met with some resistance – but remind your child that this is nothing compared to the suffering that Jesus endured for us, a little sacrifice will make them better people.

 Confession Journal

If it applies, Lent is a great time to take the family for confession. Once we are able to go back to church, maybe take this opportunity to make a mid-year resolution to attend confession regularly for the rest of 2020.

Another idea is to write a confession journal, where we write about our weaknesses and shortcomings without judging yourself and offer them to the Lord. Then the family can gather together and share among another their confessions so that each family member can pray for one another.

This is a great way to teach children how to be mindful of their actions and to always strive to be a better person.

Family Prayer

We believe that praying as a family is an activity that should be practiced everyday – “a family that prays together, stays together”, after all. But it’s particularly important during the Lent season.
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Set a time every evening when the whole family can get together and pray. It doesn’t even have to be any specific prayer – the important thing is that we’re taking time to be with our Lord and Savior, and it may be the beginning of building a great new habit for your kids.  And let's take advantage of the daily masses that are being streamed online.  Now, more than ever, we need to come together as a family and return to God.
 
Give Back

Honestly, if you can come up with any excuse to give back – do it! This is a beautiful way to honor Jesus’ sacrifice to help and ultimately save mankind. Let us try to be selfless ourselves to our brothers and sisters.

Go through old clothes, boxes hidden in the garage or storage room, and shoes that no longer fit. Everyone in the family should have a little bit to give – and to most people who are not as fortunate, it goes a very long way.  Thinking of how to entertain your kids while we are on lock down?  Why not try this?  And find time to search already where you can share your blessings even if you can't do it anytime soon.  Gather together and check the numerous foundations and organizations online.  Then assign your eldest to remind you to trek to their office once everything is back to normal.

During the Lenten season, let’s be mindful of how much we are actually following God’s Word and take the time to reflect on our lives.  These meaningful activities will stay with your children long after they grow up.

We hope that you enjoyed this article! If you want to read more about parenting advice, news about our school, and takeaways that can help you play an active role in your children’s education, tune in to our blog!
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Until the next post!

Dear parents, 

Choosing the right school for your child can be a herculean task. With so many schools popping up in Metro Manila and a huge shift in the educational and occupational spaces, it’s a confusing time to be school hunting.
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Luckily, we always remind parents to take their time when making the decision, and we already have a list of questions that you can use to point you into the right direction!

​1. Are the teachers both competent and passionate? 
Do you remember your favourite teacher? The one that really stuck with you, whose class you enjoyed because he or she was such a great educator?
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Teachers play a massive role during our children’s formative years. Your child will take with him or her at least one lesson or memory from the classroom that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Take some time to visit the campus and have conversations with the staff.

2. Is it easy to communicate with the school?
At the same time, you should easily be able to get in touch with the school so that you can play an active role in your child’s education AND upbringing. 

Remember parents, our kids spend so much time in school that what we see at home may not be the big picture.  Now than ever, our support and encouragement matters the most to our children.

​3. Are there any value-adding qualities and programs embedded in the curriculum?
Aside from the standard requirements (K12) for schools, you should look into possible enrichment programs that can supplement your child’s learning. 

Do they teach about financial literacy? Do they employ innovative teaching strategies to encourage your children to take an active part in learning about the world by asking questions themselves (i.e. inquiry method) as opposed to the conventional idle listening and passive learning? 

​Do they organize activities that let your children experience and explore possible future careers that will help them realize and develop a genuine interest to pursue a certain dream? Do they have any projects that instil love for the environment? Are there programs that encourage talents and affinities? What we discover and develop during the early years of our life opens so many more opportunities in the future. It’s worth taking a look at.

4. Do they foster a welcoming environment?
School is supposed to be a safe space to ask questions, learn new things, and practice our social abilities.

We at Child’s SPACE honor the trust given to us by students and their parents. We will not limit our students’ potential by failing to provide an environment conducive to learning and building meaningful relationships.

5. Can they utilize innovative methods and modern technology to maximize your children’s potential?
To best prepare our children for the future, the school has to adapt to the rapid changes that are happening—thanks to technology.

And it’s not only about technology; there are new teaching methods and techniques that are being discovered, that could be so much more effective than the old way of doing things.

6. Are they likely to raise kind kids?
Great education is facilitated by both the school and the student’s family. It’s a team effort. Whether or not the school supports your values is a factor that you shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

7. Are they able to practice holistic teaching by recognizing and cultivating multiple types of abilities and learning styles?
As the famous allegory says, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

​Intelligences, or in this case, more appropriately termed as “abilities” or “aptitudes”,  come in different forms. It may logical-mathematical, naturalist, linguistic, musical, and interpersonal intelligences or aptitudes, among many others. The point is every student has his/her own innate abilities and interests.

In order to nurture a student’s true potential, a great school shouldn’t only look at their academic standing, but also their other abilities. It is also necessary that a school recognizes its students different learning styles to be able to use an appropriate teaching technique to maximize the children’s learning experience. 

In the world today, there’s an abundance of opportunities for individuals with all kinds of talents, and focusing solely on academic standing, specifically mathematics and science scores, won’t only hamper a student’s potential, but it can also have an impact on their self-esteem. 

8. Is there a balanced assessment?
Educators play such an important role in a child’s development, so it makes sense that they should be more involved in not only the assessment part, but also when communicating this information to the students and parents. There should be other tools like reports, portfolios, and feedback.

​9. Are there programs that cultivate a sense of community and instill a pay-it-forward thinking?
Just like some companies commit to social responsibility, students should also learn from an early age to give back to the community and be part of something bigger than themselves. They aren’t only going to learn a lot of practical skills, but they can experience how doing simple acts of kindness can make a difference in the lives of others and theirs as well. 

Dear parents, choosing a school isn’t an easy decision. But this is such a great time to be a kid! There are so many more possibilities now compared to when you and I were young.

Just put on your detective hats and you’ll find that your efforts will be more than worth it. 

If you enjoyed this article and want to read more about parenting advice, news about our school, and takeaways that can help you play an active role in your children’s education, tune in to our blog!

Until the next post!

​Dear Parents, 

Today we'd like to talk about a recent event that we are so proud to have at our school every year:  Business Week! 

Stalls were set up, signs were posted, and wares were showcased for our own little market. 

The students made turon, palitaw, lumpiang togue, ice candy, sago't gulaman and a lot more... No wonder one of their favorite parts of the event was eating what they made.

They also crafted fun accessories like key chains and designed the shop signs that advertised their products.

Our students surprised us with how savvy they were during the event…

Some students focused on the product side of things, making them more appealing to customers and producing more of the popular dishes like togue. Others made adjustments to financial aspects like adjusting the price to suit customer demand.
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They also learned how to speak to customers and handle transactions so everyone got served quickly.

​Why are we so invested in teaching our students about business?
Dear parents, we believe that we are filling an important gap in knowledge that will help shape our students into financially responsible and forward-thinking individuals. Not only does it incorporate integrated learning by combining math, science, and communication, students are exposed to the “real world.” They learn how products are made and the cost of labor, raw materials, and how to leverage them into profit.​

​It was an awesome sight to see everyone working hard together to essentially operate their very own businesses, from production, to sales and customer service. Special deliveries were made quite quickly and happily.  After the event, we asked some of the students if they had a good time and if it was a learning experience for them – we were met with a resounding YES!

​Here are some of the feedback we received from our students:

“My most memorable experience is when I learned to work and how business works.”
“I learned that it is important that kids like us can experience being an entrepreneur.”
“I learned that we should work really hard to earn money and should have patience to get your goal.”
“We learned how to save money and share it with others, like donating to the immersion.”

​Parents also observed positive changes at home.  To earn some capital, they were introduced to chores they don't normally do; they also learned how to independently make iced candy, milk tea, palitaw and many others.

It would be our honor to watch them confidently move forward into the future with all the fun and meaningful lessons we learn at our school.

Dear parents, how exciting it is to see how hard our students worked for themselves and for others, and how these lessons will positively impact their future.

We hoped you enjoyed reading about Business Week! We still have more fun and learning to look forward to in the year ahead – so stay tuned to the blog.

Until the next post!

Dear Parents,

Valentine’s Day is such a wonderful occasion - it’s a day to celebrate love!

Going around Metro Manila, I’m sure you’ve seen the multitudes of couples in cafes, restaurants, on the streets, flowers in hand and smiles on their faces.

But Valentine’s Day is not just for couples. It’s a great time to also show your love for your family! So why not come up with new traditions that you can do every year at home?

​And remember: Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to only be on February 14… In fact, since families are sources of love and security for children, these activities can be done anytime during the year.

Here are some ideas:

Heart Jar
On the night before Valentine’s Day, grab a glass jar, some paper, and a pair of scissors. Cut the paper into hearts, and ask everyone to write down one thing they love about each family member and drop it in the heart jar. The next day - which is Valentine’s Day - read them one by one.

Valentine’s Dinner
Sharing the love at dinner doesn’t have to be at a fancy restaurant. In fact, it’s a great excuse to get everyone together to help out at the kitchen! Make Valentine’s-themed dishes like heart-shaped pancakes, desserts with pink frosting - get creative. What matters is that you spend quality time together.

I love you post-it notes
Get a stack of post-it notes and have everyone help write “I love you” and other sweet messages on each one. Then split up and stick it everywhere around the house that’s somewhat hidden but they’re sure others will see eventually. Try the inside of a refrigerator door, on someone’s pair of shoes, the bathroom mirror, the first page on a school notebook, etc.

Spread the love
What better way to teach your children how to show love to others than by practicing simple acts of kindness? If there’s a local charity you want to donate to, or an organization that takes care of the less fortunate, let your children in on it. Teaching by example is the best way children learn good values.

​We even had our own activities in school to celebrate love day! Every month, we have what we call a “monthly value” – for this month, it was love. Every single student and teacher had their own envelopes up on our bulletin board and they served as “mailboxes.” Students and teachers alike then put notes in those mailboxes, and we got to open them last Friday.

And dear parents, we hope you enjoyed your gifts! Each class from pre-school to highschool prepared simple tokens like chocolate balls, cookies, and even plants.

Dear parents, Valentine’s Day isn’t just an excuse to have special desserts, binge on chocolates and admire flowers - it’s a great opportunity to heal others through unconditional love.

We hope you enjoyed this article - stayed tuned to our blog to get more ideas like these, updates on upcoming school events and parenting tips from teaching experts.

Until the next post!

Dear parents,

Happy Monday! 

To continue our discussion on new age skills and learning techniques, today we’d like to talk about the advantages of teaching students how to ask questions.

Our school integrates what's called the Question Formulation Technique in our lessons. In the simplest words possible, it’s a classroom technique where students learn by asking questions.

Studies actually show that learning by asking questions taps comprehension and memory enhancement. What’s more, it teaches students to take ownership of their learning.
The QFT Framework is built around two components: QFocus and the QFT rules.

QFocus

Usually, a visual aid is employed that students can use as the focal point of their inquiry - it can vary from an abstract image to a tree or to a person.

It can also be a simple statement such as: “The sky is blue” - anything works, as long as it isn’t a question.

​The Rules

1. Ask as many questions as you can.
2. Do not stop to judge, discuss, or answer any questions.
3. Write down every question as stated.
4. Change any statement into a question.

Why is it important to ask questions?

Curiosity has inspired all scientific discoveries.

Why does an apple fall from a tree?
How do birds fly?
How do planets stay in orbit?
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Asking questions is the beginning of self-driven learning about a subject and encourages us to think like scientists, unrelentingly making our own discoveries.

What are the advantages?
​Safe Learning Environment
Just having the opportunity to ask questions is empowering for students to take a more active role in their own education. They are also more engaged and the classroom becomes a dynamic environment.

Builds Integrated Life Skills
Just the act of formulating the right question to draw out the answer you need already taps many integrated skills like critical thinking, research, and resourcefulness.

Encourages Meta-Cognition
Meta-cognition means awareness of your thought process. By developing this skill, students will be able to pinpoint their own intellectual strengths and develop them as they grow older.  They are not only learning new words or equations - they are learning how to think efficiently and effectively.

Trains students to be proactive and have initiative in learning
Being proactive is one of the most important traits a student can have in this new job economy. Right now, so much of our growth is in our hands. 

We can learn almost anything under the sun, create new relationships, and even build amazing things much faster and easier than we ever could before.

Dear parents, isn’t it great that we’re discovering new, more effective ways to teach our youth? We can hardly wait for what the future will bring.

Until the next post!

Bugg, Julie & Mcdaniel, Mark. (2012). Selective Benefits of Question Self-Generation and Answering for Remembering Expository Text. Journal of Educational Psychology. 104. 922. 10.1037/a0028661. 

Dear Parents, 

In the spirit of the upcoming Business Week, today we want to talk about a question I'm sure we've all been asked as kids... 

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

The usual answers were astronaut, doctor, or maybe even teacher. But as we look into the bright eyes of our little ones as they answer "YouTuber!" or "Robot builder!" - well, we can' t deny things are very different nowadays. 

The same way that the Industrial Revolution greatly changed the job economy, today we are going through another technological growth spurt - one that is totally unprecedented. So we'd best prepare. 

Here are some of the new careers your child will consider as he or she gets older:

A professional who uses virtual reality technology to simulate experiences for customers. These could be for the purpose of entertainment or for marketing.

A professional who writes code and designs parameters that "teach" machines how to find patterns in big data. Machine Learning is part of Artificial Intelligence.

A professional who understands how to extract big data (from machine learning software) and can apply it to their particular industry like real estate, commerce, etc.

A professional who designs the user experience for when a person visits a website, uses an app, works with software and for any interaction with digital tools.

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And so many more... Nowadays, they can work from anywhere around the world!

Dear parents, we're so excited to see all the great things that our children will be able to build in the future - so we want to make sure to arm them with the right tools for the job.

Traditional education institutions have truly served to teach us the fundamentals of modern knowledge, and built our character as valuable members of society - among many more lessons.

But now it’s so encouraging to see more options for families who want to prepare for the future - perhaps more than when you and I were younger. 

​Our integrated curriculum such as our Business Class and Computer Science, as well as our general approach to teaching and learning, allow students hands on experiences that help our students see connections across disciplines and apply content and knowledge to real life situations, which give them more a dynamic and personalized learning experience.

In addition to the above, through Project and Problem-based Learning in high school, students acquire, use and develop important skills like critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, oral communication and more.

We also have Family Missions to expose students to reality outside their world - to realize they can do something today, and through these experiences remain proactive until they get older. It’s also a great chance for us to give back to our amazing community. 

Dear parents, again, the future is awesome. We look forward to working together to prepare our youth to make big waves in our country. 

Until the next post! 

Dear parents,

Business Class is now officially open! We’re also launching Business Week on February 10, so stay tuned for that announcement. 

But before that... We found it important to start the conversation with why Business Class is such an important part of our curriculum  - and why we’re so passionate about teaching kids about the world of business.

Financial Literacy is the first and most important lesson we teach our students. We want them to understand that money is a finite but useful tool that provides both value and opportunities, but can only be acquired through hard and smart work.

We teach them the difference between wants and needs and how to save and spend wisely.

In class, they learn about the production of goods and that resources come from nature so we should always be mindful and recycle what we can. We also teach them about marketing and advertising and how those can impact their financial decisions.

They also find ways to grow their capital by "working" at home - parents give them chores and they are paid, which they'll put together as their working capital.

Business Class at Child’s SPACE is a perfect application of our championship of integrated learning! Not only does it reinforce traditional skills like math, science and language, but also the relationships and associations between them when practiced in the real world.

When earning their capital at home for example, students practice negotiation and minor accounting – how many chores do I need to do to earn 20 pesos? This also helps them understand the weight of the value of money.

The best part is that they also learn the value of generosity – part of their profit from working at home and from what they earn during Business Week will go to our Family Missions as our way to give back to the community.

​​Parents, the skills that today’s economy demands are vastly different. We need more problem-solvers, creative thinkers, innovators, and challengers. We believe that traditional education should be augmented to well-equip our children for what lies ahead.

This article from entrepreneur.com defines business in education as teaching: 

"- not only the capacity to start companies but also to think creatively and ambitiously."

We say it all the time ourselves: 

The children are the future.

We need to prepare our children to not just survive but thrive and even shape our future.

Dear parents, the future is so awesome - especially for our children. The past few decades have brought us so much progress and discovery, and opportunities to help others and make the world beautiful. Wouldn’t it be best to prepare our kids to conquer it?

Until the next post!

PS. Stay tuned for news on the upcoming the upcoming event, Business Week - where our students put their skills to the test!

Dear parents,

All of us have high expectations of our children - and we can admit that most of the time, we think they are the brightest, most talented, and most well-behaved child we've ever met.

There are a few problems with that. First, our high expectations rub off on our children and they start being afraid of making mistakes. Second, when they encounter a tough challenge, it’s easier for them to give up.
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These problems are part of what we call a "Fixed Mindset" - the idea that if we aren't inherently good at something, we just don't have the talent for it.

​If we allow this thinking to continue, it could negatively impact our children's growth! They'll start an activity with unrealistic expectations and are more likely to quit halfway if they get stuck.

Even worse, they'll start shying away from situations where they could "fail" and stay in their comfort zone.

But that's not how we grow... We only grow when we make mistakes, overcome challenges and learn from our experiences.

That kind of thinking is part of a healthy "Growth Mindset". It's when we understand that we're not going to be great at something at the beginning, but after practicing for a while and learning through trial and error, our skills are going to improve.

Dear parents, it's easy for us to go overboard with praising our children and it's in our nature to shield them from the pain of mistakes. But it's also our job to make sure they grow into healthy, determined and mentally tough individuals that are prepared to take on the challenges of real life.

Here are some encouraging quotes for you to share with them:

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. - Albert Einstein

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. - Thomas Edison

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. - Henry Ford

The Apollo rocket, on its way to the moon, is only on course 2-3% of the time. 97% of its journey, it veers off course and has to find its way back. But still, it reaches the moon. - Anonymous

Remember parents, only God is perfect.

Until the next post!

Dear Parents,

I bet you’ve heard this one before:

My New Year’s Resolution is to be more organized!

Being and staying organized is an awesome habit to have - but oftentimes, it’s a hard one to keep. Still, we all know the benefits, like that we have more time, we get less overwhelmed, and most importantly, are able to focus on what we need to do during the day.

A great way to stay consistent with your habits is to get an accountability buddy… And who better to buddy up with than with your kids? Children learn by example, and it has the added bonus of helping you be more mindful about your own habits.

Here are a few ideas to get started:

Use checklists
Checklists are a great tool to keep tasks organized and save some brain energy for more important things! It’s also a great way to teach your children how to plan the day ahead. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin always plans the next day in his journal? Here are some examples that your child can put:
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• Brush my teeth
• Make my bed
• Go to school
• Do my homework
• Pray before bedtime

Prepare everything you need the night before
Another great habit to help you stay organized is to prepare everything you need when you wake up tomorrow. Teach your child to pack their bag and prepare their school uniform for the next day. When they wake up, they get ready for school in a shorter time and don’t feel rushed or pressured - which we all know, is when we forget stuff at home.

Have a designated area for everything
The closet is your first challenge! Let your child sort their clothes into separate piles for going out clothes and pambahay clothes and make this a habit. You can use plastic boxes for bags or simply hang them in one place. Toys should always be packed-up in boxes after play time.

It’s also a great practice for a child to clear their desk after homework and return their pencils to their case and books into their bag so they don’t forget them at home.

Once a week clean up
Part of developing an organizing habit is forgiving yourself when you make the occasional slip up! You and your child can take a few minutes a week cleaning up and reorganizing your things.

Everytime you buy new clothes, give one away
Wouldn’t it be great if we could not only save space in our closets but also help our brothers and sisters? This is a great habit that teaches your child the value of generosity and not being greedy or possessive. 

That’s it for now dear parents - I’m sure there are so many more ways we can all stay organized. What’s important is that responsibility and accountability is learned and practiced while your children grow up, and we could probably use the practice ourselves sometimes!

I hope this gave you some cools ideas - do you have your own way of staying organized with your child? Why not talk about them in the comments below?

Until the next post, and goodluck!

Dear Parents, 

We’d like to share a poem by Rachel Lucacsko:

We've been learning for a while,
In fact 100 days. 
We can spell, read and write.
We can count in many ways.
We've had fun and made good friends,
But it isn't over yet!
Let's keep going, going, going...
And see how smart we can get!

​​Last January 7, 2020, we had our annual 100 Days of Kinder event. While we normally hold this event during December, classes were cancelled so we had to postpone - well, it’s a great start to our 2020, at least. Our students proudly showed off each of their collections to their fellow classmates, upperclassmen and their parents.

​There were rows of toy cars, tables full of action figures and even a mini library! You'd see happy meal toys, a collection of bouncy balls and an aspiring zookeeper presenting his awesome animal figurines They were excited, we the teachers were excited - even the upperclassmen were excited! Since the Grade 6 batch had their own 100 Days when they were younger, it’s something the whole school looks forward to. What a cool tradition, right?

​And what a day! And what a hundred days it has been as well. Parents, your kids have been working hard - learning new skills, practicing their maths and language, and working together to achieve great things. 

​We're always so excited for this event as a way to teach our kids the value of collecting items - to be proud of their interests, and to see how each and every one of us can be different from each other but still work together.  It was the perfect chance to not only take part in their classmate’s interests but also to practice their presentation skills.

​But the most important thing that we learned is that we should also work hard for others. Last December as part of the 100 Days event, we had a food sale on campus - all the proceeds went to Kuya Romnick, Ate Lala and our helpers in school. We also launched a school drive for 100 pairs of footwear that we could donate. Dear parents, we're so proud to say that it was a total success! 

​We can't wait to hold this event again next year - and for the many activities we can look forward to this 2020.

Thank you dear parents for your continued support. We hope you had fun reading this school year's 100 Days of Kinder. 

Until the next post!