New Classroom Decorations

Hey Girls, and my Guy teacher friends too, you know how I love teaching.  Well now I love to shop for classroom decorations both for holidays and for year long supplies.  I used to just go to our big box store (you know the one, smile) and it was OK.  But not really.  Selection was so so and the prices were not always good either.

Well now for any type of classroom decorations, I GO ONLINE.  The experience has changed my classroom for the better...I mean way better.  On the Internet site called school supplies for less, there are three separate ways to optimize your time to organize your shopping visit:  you can shop by grade or by type of item or by price starting with under ten dollars.

AND DO THEY EVER HAVE GREAT SELECTION.  There are literally thousands of different items.  And the vast majority are in the lowest price category:  under ten dollars.

I save up my orders till I get to $75/.00 when the SHIPPING IS FREE.  Some times I share an order with others at my school.  Let me know if you try them.  Support is there for you with an 800 number answered by a live person.  Lastly, They are FAST!  Orders seem to come even faster than when I waited for my regular shopping day and then trudged around town forgetting some of my stuff anyway.

Walden University for my Masters Degree

I need to tell you of my excitement about enrolling at WaldenU.edu.  You know that I am working on the hospital psych ward as a nurse.  Now I am set to finish up my BA and then get a MASTERS Degree in psychology while still working!  And Walden University's online degree programs is one of the most experienced in "distance Learning"...My father's best friend went there over 40 years ago.  He said it is highly regarded besides being accredited.

If you want see and learn about Walden, visit its website.  I can get tuition aid and since I will still be working full time, it will be relatively easy to swing financially.  The best part of the program is all the ways they have for students and faculty to interact with each other.  It looks like the best of both worlds to me:  I will meet new people with my common interests, get the Degree I really want and then get started on my new career!  Later I plan to go for a Phd!!!

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Educational Assistant Interview

I applied for an Educational Assistant last November 2008 and received a notice that I am eligible up to Level III and that they will contact me for interview. Yesterday, June 17, 2009, I was surprised to read the subject of my inbox about Request for Interview at Wilcox Elementary School on Thursday or Friday. I replied that I am available on Tuesday and Wednesday and so they set to on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Right now, I am looking for resources for my interview.

Preparing for Praxis I Test

In order to become a teacher in United States, especially in Hawaii, we need to take take Praxis I and Praxis II, if we got lucky, we can then apply teaching license.

I took Praxis I ( Reading, Writing and Mathematics), unfortunately I failed on reading just 2 points away from the cut off score. I should have taken the test with an extra 50% time for each session since English is my Second Language. But I will still still keep trying. This coming April 25th, is the schedule of the test in Reading. I hope I can make it. 

Guro: Stories of Hope and Dedication

To all my readers and visitors especially teachers, this post is dedicated to you. I was a part of the Philippine Innovative Teachers Leadership Award (ITLA) under Partners in Learning - a program of Microsoft Philippines in Integrating Information and Communication Technology in Basic Education. I got this in my email.

Guro: Stories of Hope, Dedication Part 1 of 3

Guro: Stories of Hope, Dedication Part 2 of 3



Guro: Stories of Hope, Dedication Part 3 of 3

Dear Teachers and Educators,

Warm greetings from the Foundation for
Information Technology Education and Development, Inc. (FIT-ED).

We are very pleased to inform you that the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for
Peace and Development, in cooperation with FIT-ED, has produced a special
documentary on the Filipino teachers entitled “Guro: Stories of Hope, Dedication
and Courage.” The documentary celebrates Carlos P. Romulo’s contribution to
education in the Philippines , and gives a glimpse of the state of Philippine
basic education, as seen through the eyes of three public school teachers.

With this, we invite you to visit the http://www.youtube.com/SKGuro site and view the documentary
that presents the joys and conflicts of Filipino teachers as they struggle to
fulfill their mission to educate students in the most challenging environments.

We would also like to invite you to share your thoughts,
reactions and feedbacks by posting your text comments and/or video responses to
the site. You may do so by creating your own You Tube account at http://www.youtube.com/signup. The whole sign-up process is
easy and won’t take much of your time.

We thank you in advance
for your time and attention. We also encourage you to share the site with your
colleagues, students, friends and more so we can together celebrate the nobility
of the Filipino Teacher.

Sincerely,
Diane Kuizon
FIT-ED

From the Principal’s Desk: Hope for Change

What I would like mostly to happen to Lupon Vocational High School is always soaring high to its excellence in both academic and technical aspects.

In my three years of leading the school, there were many times I was confused where to start and what to start with. Sometimes, I asked myself: How can I improved the school? How can I make her competitive? How can I convince the teachers and personnel to help me improve the school? How can I create closeness to these people? Do they feel what I felt? Do they hear what I say? How can I be responsible in running the school? These are many more questions that bothered me most in order to ease my mind, I purposely ponder that our work in this world is our mission. We are created by God intended to work as a source of living.

My undertakings was began in my first year of assuming the school's responsibilities. It all started when I discovered a potential teacher, I see her talent, I begin thinking hoe can I help shape her into a shining star. She is very resourceful she tried to apply through Internet the "Search for the first Philippine Innovative Teachers Leadership award" sponsored by the Partners in Learning through Microsoft Philippines SY 2005 .Luckily, her entry passed that qualified her to the said competition held at Cebu City and the result was, she was one of the finalists in that leadership award entire Philippines. When she returned to school, she received praises and shed her talents to teachers. Presently, she is known to our school as ICT coordinator, to the Division and even to the Regional Level. She serves as trainer in ICT. She is Shirley Z. Paran, Math teacher in our school.

Another batch of trainers came again from our school, when Mrs. Candida C. Mejos, Education Supervisor I in Values, approached me that the first batch of BEAM trainers will come from our school. Again I sent Evelyn Macarona from LVHS - Annex B and Mrs Elfleda C. Dionio from the main. Come next in the third year batch Jo-Ann C. Josol also was chosen and passed the screening as BEAM trainer in thrid year Science. Vocational teachers also where sent to trainings to TESDA and some of them passed the ASSESSORS ASSESSMENT LICENSURE and same time they were invited as trainers/judges in skills competition. With the involvement of these teachers in different trainings, their potentials where developed and become assets of the school.

I remembered when Ma'am Thelma Almario - District II Congresswoman, gave me a copy of her speech during the Davao Oriental 40th Foundation with the title, " In Setting Further Thousand Miles Journey". I was impressed with the content of it. According to her a person cannot reach a thousand miles journey of achievements without taking the first step and finish the journey. This really touches my experiences while I am on the way to my adventure, I am also learning to do the job that achievements will really begin from the bottom until it will reach the top. And this can be done if school heads has leadership to manage a team. work with them harmoniously, acquainting themselves with the dreams, thoughts, hopes, opinions and values.

Best school managers are readers of people, they understand what they feel and recognize what they sense. And this is true to my experienced, had it not been to my openness to the teachers development, giving them freedom to uplift themselves in their own field.

I think our school is still a like a lake without running water. These teachers are now fully utilized to improve a student's performance.

For me, its fun and enjoyable to work in a place where people are always hoping for change. Hope is the only way to create improvements. God has a specific purpose and plans that we need to be sensitive. Whatever mission intended for us, we must make the most of our given skills and talents. I just pray to Allah, that He may give me good health strength, and guide me in my right direction to overcome sometimes failure in life to forgive people who make always excuses, complaints and especially those who do not accept their mistakes.

For me, nothing compares to the joy and fulfillment of going through life with people who are your friend, whom you can laugh with, understanding and most of all committed to service.

"Remember you will not always win, some days, the most resourceful individual will taste defeat. But in their case, there is always tomorrow after you have done your best to achieve success today", Maxwell Maltz.

-Fatimar R. Macarona-

Featured School: Lupon Vocational High School Soars Higher

Upon entering its newly painted gate and fence, and being amused by the attention-grabbing murals, eye-catching landscape and newly established pathways, stage and covered court, and diligently enhanced classrooms, who would think that Lupon Vocational High School started from a simple, plain and poorly equipped school?

Lupon Vocational High School (LVHS) was established in 1969 by virtue of Republic Act 5531 under Presidential Proclamation No. 95. It occupied a portion of school site donated by the former mayor of the municipality of Lupon, Sultan Commara Manuel. The school lot, which has an area of 25,000.00 sq. meters, was shared from the 18-hectare lot occupied by the Lupon Central Elementary Schools 1 and 2 and the TESDA School. LVHS is located at Cambing Baratua St, Lupon, Davao Oriental, with its boundaries and outlet going to Maryknoll High School and Barrio Picas.

The operation of the school started in school year 1976-1977 with an initial appropriation of two hundred fifty thousand (P 250, 000.00) pesos. The curriculum was patterned from that of Davao School of Arts and Trades which specializes on Automotive Technology, Electronics, Welding and Fabrication, Food and Cosmetology.

The school started with only just 3 teachers, 100 students, one Accounting Clerk, one Supply Officer, one Utility and one Watchman. LVHS was headed then by Mr. Tomas P. Briones as Principal. This was temporarily housed in 3 classroom Marcos Type building borrowed from Lupon Municipal High School now Lupon School of Fisheries. Pioneers were: Tomas P. Briones – Principal, Esmeraldo G. Dagupion – Accounting Clerk, Manuel A. Tomas – Supply Officer, Rogelio Miranda – Utility, Rolando Salamanca – Watchman, Fatimar R. Macarona – Teacher 1 and Ester Pleños Teacher 1. After a few months of operation, six teachers from Lupon School of Fisheries had transferred to Lupon Vocational High School. They were Custodio Pesquera, Josefina Arbol, Ely Palomo, Candida Mejos, Candelaria Bautista and Loreta Alaba. After a year, LVHS had transferred temporarily under the Lupon Grandstand while waiting for the completion of the construction of a five classroom building intended for LVHS. Many years had passed the school grew bigger and bigger until it reached to total population of 1,800 enrollees in the year 2000. More buildings were built and more items were created within these years of operation, the school was able to establish excellent records of accomplishments most especially in Skills Competition and also in academic such as Schools Press Conference and other Academic Competition.

In 1992-1993, the school was administered under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and offered post secondary courses. Many of the graduates from the five-year operation of Post Secondary Courses are now occupying good positions in the company they are now working in. After the operation of these courses, the administration of LVHS was returned to the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).

At present, LVHSl has 19 buildings with the following utilization: 34 classrooms, one H.E. building, one shop building, two school canteen and one school library, one Guidance and Planning Office, School Supply Office, School Paper, SBO, CAT and office of the Principal which includes the Personnel’s Office, one Faculty Room, one Computer Room, Guard House, and ICT building.

LVHS has two annexes. Lupon Vocational High School Annex-A is located at Bagumbayan, Lupon, Davao Oriental. The 10-hectare site was bought by Congresswoman Thelma Almario as Agricultural School. Lupon Vocational High School Annex-B, now known as Lupon National Comprehensive High School, is the secondary program of Lupon School of Fisheries turned over by the TESDA to Lupon Vocational High School on May 29, 2002.
In 2004, under the direction of Mrs. Fatimar R. Macarona, the Schools Division tasked LVHS to make a project study on the re-inclusion of Technical Education Curriculum by Lupon Vocational High School. After a year, Technical-Vocational subjects were again incorporated in the secondary school program of LVHS. Technical-vocational subjects are taught as exploratory courses in the first year and as a specialization in the second year up to fourth year.

Not only were the physical features of the school developed but also the performance of the teachers and students. More students from LVHS received awards and achievements from national competitions and their teachers became more competitive and excellent in their fields.

Few years from now, LVHS will meet its grandeur and emerge from the rest. The place where the LVHS students are standing right now is the same place where successful businessmen once stood. The chairs they are sitting on are the same chairs which inspirational leaders once used. The walls that witnessed a remarkable process of developing competitive individuals are the same walls watching the present LVHS students grow. That’s LVHS continuously soaring higher