Raffy's Math

A Fifth Grade English class taught by Teacher Annie talked about the global economic crisis. When asked what the children can do to help make things better, Raffy (not his real name) introduced a new way of doing Math. Here's what he said:

Add Consuming

Subtract Wasting

Multiply Saving

Divide Consuming

Let's make the world a better place to live in. Let's do Raffy's Math!

Photo credit - www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

The FHMS Team

The school year is almost at its end. We are all busy preparing for graduation and donor hour. To plan for these events and to fill our tanks, the faculty and staff of both Food for Hungry Minds schools had a plenary meeting. Everyone was present for the first time the whole year.

We reflected on what was most significant to us. One teacher said that hearing the children speak in English was very heartwarming to her. Another one said that celebrating her birthday in Hungry Minds and receiving a cake for the first time really touched her. Another teacher said that going to Enchanted Kingdom and having a child hold her hand and trust her really left a mark.

I am grateful for this year's faculty and staff. Though we lacked one teacher for most of the year and will be hiring one soon, the team made it and did great! I know that the heart of Hungry Minds is in its people, and what a heart that is because of this team!

Beth and Teacher Lia: A Story of Hope

Since she started in Hungry Minds, Beth (not her real name) has always been at the top of her class. In fifth grade, she started taking lessons for sixth grade Math. She consistently ranked number 1 every quarter since Grade 4 until now that she is in Grade 6. However, Teacher Lia (not her real name) noticed that lately Beth's projects were being turned in late. Her scores in Science were also unusually low.

When Teacher Lia asked about this, Beth said that she was tired. Life was just too difficult. Her family has had no electricity for six months. Her father is unemployed and her mother works in her aunt's store from 5:00 in the morning to 8:00 in the evening. Beth studies using a gas lamp every night, but lately she just felt tired and hopeless. She was also ashamed that in the area where she lives and in Grade 6, her family was the only one with no electricity at home.

Teacher Lia assured Beth that she is not alone. Teacher grew up in the province and in their barangay their family was the only one without electricity, too. Until she was in high school, she used a gas lamp to study every night. She was the eldest sister, so she had to take care of her younger siblings. She worked in the fields to help her family earn money. Yet, Teacher Lia graduated Class Valedictorian in Elementary. She also managed to finish College under a scholarship. She now lives comfortably with her husband and children who attend private schools.

Indeed, Beth is not alone. There are many families with children who suffer from shame and sadness because of poverty. Yet, Teacher Lia showed Beth that despite her family's hardship, there is still reason to hope. Maybe this is why I saw both of them smiling this morning.

A Poem on the Wall

As part of cultivating a culture of innovation and creativity in Food for Hungry Minds, teachers were asked to come up with something different this year. They could choose to do any project as long as it is in line with their work.

Teacher Kristal, one of the FHMS Malolos teachers, decided to put a Freedom Wall. This is was a venue for the children to express their thoughts. There would be an article posted every week and the children could write respond to the article.

Here is a poem written on Teacher Kristal's Innovation Project, The Freedom Wall. The author is Ica (not her real name), a sixth grader whose father suffered from a stroke when she was so much younger. Her mother sells food in their store at home. Living in a one-room house with only some chairs for furniture, I am touched by the way she could have such a strong sense of self inspite of their difficulties.

I am

I am cheerful and generous
I wonder what the world should be
I hear chirping birds
I see glowing stars every night
I want to spy on the world
I am cheerful and generous

I pretend to be one with the swaying trees
I feel happiness inside of me
I touch a crying heart
I worry about how flowers glow
I miss the happy moments that passed
I am cheerful and generous

I understand how a child should grow
I say, "Let's stand together in unity"
I dream of a peaceful world
Yet I hear its sorrow
I hope a time will come that we will be as one
I am cheerful and generous.

Five Years and Counting

I finally got down to writing a blog. Maybe it is timely since today I celebrate my fifth anniversary as a member of Food for Hungry Minds. It has been such a journey. We started out with 28 children in our school in Makati. There were three teachers, myself included, and a social worker on staff.

Today, five years later, Food for Hungry Minds serves 155 Elementary students in two schools, Makati and Malolos, Bulacan. There are 43 students being supported in different high schools, private and public. There are also 15 employees on staff. There is even an on-going expansion program in Honduras in Central America. How the organization has grown!

I could say that I have grown, too. I met people who became my mentors, colleagues who became friends, and students who have changed my view of the world. What a gift it is to be part of Food for Hungry Minds!