Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts

September 15, 2020

Back to School: Start of Online Distance Learning

Here in my country, June is the usual start of the school year but because of the COVID19 pandemic, the opening of classes has been moved to August and now October but some of the private schools started as early as July. We’re supposed to start in October too but my son’s school changed their mind. So I was preoccupied last week because of the change of schedule, we had a dry-run and yesterday was my son’s first day of Online Distance Learning.

It was funny because for the longest time I wanted to try homeschooling especially when my son was still at lower level, ayaw ko kasi siya nabubully and ayaw ko din siya naiiwan ng school service. But my husband and son do not want my idea, only child na nga so kelangan daw ng social interaction sa classmates. Now, it is my chance to try homeschooling because of the community quarantine but in the end, we decided to stay at the present school.


I like Online Distance Learning because I don’t need to wake up early since my son does not need to travel to school. I save money because I don’t have to pay for school service. Lastly, I have peace of mind because my son is just at home. What I don't like is, nakauniform pa rin sila, Waah, effort pa sa pagplantsa and my son is complaining kasi mainit, so kelangan nakaaircon din katulad ng classroom nila.

Since this is the first time that we tried Online Distance Learning, we are still adjusting to this new normal. My son is still adapting to the change and there are still hiccups like he failed to submit on time because he was not aware of the due date. Normally, he will do his assignment at the end of the day but he has no idea that he could no longer submit the activity after the class period. This morning, they waited for more than an hour because their teacher could not connect, so wasted time on that moment.

I don’t know what will happen for this school year but we will just take one day at a time. My back to school preparation is not yet over because we don’t have the hardcopy of ebooks and our school supplies are not yet complete. I went to the bookstore last weekend and nakadalawang bookstore na ko pero kulang pa rin nabili ko. It was my first time visiting the mall since March 10. I will share my story in the next post.

Let me end this post with some “Back to School” quotes. By the way, I designed this First Day of School Banner for my son and you can download my FREE BACK TO SCHOOL BANNER HERE. (Grade 1 to 12 Level only) (Update 2021-2022 School Year)


“I’ve always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings” - Jenny Han  

 “This is a new year, a new beginning and things will change” 

  “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom” - Oprah Winfrey
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June 24, 2019

Donate a Book; Share the Joy of Reading

Donate a Book is one of the projects of #SMShareMovement and I think it’s been years already that I’ve been seeing this every Back to School season but I’ve never donated my son’s books. I always keep my son’s school books for future use. And if I feel that he no longer needs it, I will give it to family or friends.


But I think they never used my son’s books din kasi nakita ko na nakatambak din siya and nabaha na nga lang so I stopped giving my son’s books so from Grade 1 to Grade 4, nakatambak siya sa house. When I went to SM, I saw “Donate a Book” project again but since I was busy for my back to school preparation, hindi ko siya naasikaso.

Then last weekend, I saw one FB post, she donated 57 books and got 57 coupons so it means, one coupon per book. And because of that, I decided to give it a try so we went to SM Sta Rosa to donate my son’s books. I only bring Grade 1 books para hindi naman mabigat dalhin. Good thing I did that because we still looked for the staff pa kasi wala tao sa booth. So imagine kung ilang books ang dala ko habang naghahanap ng staff, ang bigat lang.

I thought I will get one coupon per book but I was wrong. The staff informed me na kapag may sulat na daw yung book, per bundle daw. So 5 books = 1 coupon so in the end, I only got two P50 Off Coupon. Imagine I spent P7000+ for this set of books and P100 na lang value niya after gamitin. But of course, it is better than nothing. Wala naman ko nakuha sa Nursery to Kinder books na pinamigay ko din. Hehehe! At least may pakunswelo si SM sa pagdonate mo, nakatulong ka sa ibang bata and nabawasan ka ng tambak sa bahay mo.

But keep in mind that there are terms and conditions in using the coupon. P50 Off Coupon with a minimum of P500 single-receipt purchase of regular-priced items from the SM Store’s Stationery Department Store.

1. Can only be redeemed on regular priced SM Stationery items from the SM store. May 20, 2019 - July 07, 2020.
2. Offer is not in conjunction with other ongoing promos or discounts.
3. Only one dicount coupon may be used per transaction.
4. Folded, crumpled or stapled savings coupons may still be accepted by the SM Store given that bar codes are not encroached and security features are still intact.
5. Must be surrendered to the cashier upon redemption.

I already used my one coupon and I still have one coupon pa, next time na lang pag worth P500 na yung bibilhin ko. Next year, I will donate our Grade 2 school books naman.
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June 11, 2019

How to Reuse or Recycle Old Notebooks

If you're a parent with school-aged kids, you've probably asked yourself at the end of every school year, "What should I do with all these old notebooks?"

It's easy to throw them away and buy a fresh set of school supplies every year. But many notebooks still have plenty of unused pages that can be reused instead of ending up in the trash.
 
Ever since my son started school, we've always had piles of notebooks, papers, and books after every school year. So before buying new supplies, I do my own inventory. It helps me decide what we need to buy, what we can reuse, and what we can recycle.
 
One year, I spent less than PHP400 on my son's school supplies instead of PHP1,431 at the school bookstore. That huge difference came from simply reusing the supplies we already had, especially notebooks.

 
It's a small habit that saves money while also reducing waste.
 
I also shared before how I turn used paper into a DIY scratch pad. If you haven't seen it yet, you can check out my DIY Scratch Pad post.
 
Today, I'd like to share three simple ways I reuse and recycle old notebooks.
 
1. Reuse Old Notebooks
 
After the final exams, I gather all of my son's notebooks and check which ones still have enough unused pages. One year, I was able to reuse his Math, HELE, and Araling Panlipunan notebooks.


For the Math spiral notebook, the cover was already worn out, so I removed the damaged cover and spiral binding. I then sewed the pages together and made a new cover using cardboard. I was even able to turn it into two new Math notebooks.

 
For the HELE and Araling Panlipunan notebooks, I simply removed the used pages and replaced the covers so they looked almost brand new.

 
2. Make Scratch Paper
 
My son used composition notebooks, so instead of tearing out the used pages, I carefully cut them so I could still use the blank side.
 
You can organize these pages using:
 
a paper clamp
padding glue to make a scratch pad
fasteners
 
One year, I had extra fasteners, so I used those instead. Since notebook pages aren't always perfectly uniform, fasteners made everything much easier to organize. I even included leftover writing notebook pages from Grade 3.



3. Make Your Own DIY Notebook
 
Whenever I collect enough unused pages, I turn them into brand-new notebooks.

For notebooks that no longer have enough pages to be reused for school, I remove the used sheets and save all the blank ones. Instead of buying filler paper, I simply bind these pages together.
 
You can staple or sew the pages along with a cover. I usually sew mine using the original notebook holes as a guide.
 
At one point, I made six filler notebooks, which meant I didn't have to buy refill paper for my own notes or journals.
 
This is a simple DIY project that helps save money every school year. I'm also thankful that my son has always been willing to reuse his school supplies.




Note: I got the pencil wrap PDF from Pinterest. I simply printed it and used it for our notebooks.
 
Update (2020)

When COVID-19 happened, we were all stuck at home during the community quarantine. Since we couldn't go out, I started organizing and decluttering my son's school supplies.
That became the perfect opportunity to make DIY notebooks again.




 
This time, I was able to make four notebooks. I also designed and printed my own notebook covers using patterns from the Nautical Collection and the Chery Rush font from Design Bundles and Font Bundles websites. 
 
Update (2021)
 
During the 2020–2021 school year, my son attended online classes, so he rarely used his notebooks.
 
Most of them still had plenty of blank pages, so we simply reused them for the following school year instead of buying new ones.
 
I also went through my own old notebooks and saved every unused page for future DIY notebook projects.




 
Update (July 2026)
 
It's been a while since I last made a DIY notebook.
 
These days, students don't write as many notes because it's much easier to take photos of presentation slides or the whiteboard. My son now uses just one notebook for all of his subjects.
 
This month, I finally went through all of his old high school notebooks. As always, I couldn't bring myself to throw away perfectly good paper, so I carefully saved every unused page.





 
Today, those forgotten pages have become a brand-new notebook.

One thing that's changed over the years is that my DIY notebooks have improved, too. I've slowly collected crafting tools that make the process much easier and give the finished notebook a more polished look.
 
For this notebook, I used a stock photo for the cover and added the quote: "I found me under an umbrella by the sea."
 
I'm not really a rainy season kind of person; I miss the sunshine. But I love how this little project transformed something forgotten into something beautiful.
 
Materials & Tools:

Printer
Photo paper
Cold laminating photo top
We R Makers Mini Guillotine
We R Makers Mini Cinch
Binding wires
 
Looking back, this little tradition has lasted much longer than I ever expected. What started as a simple way to save money has become something I genuinely enjoy. Every notebook I make is a reminder that with a little creativity, even something as ordinary as leftover paper can have a second life.

Update: August 2026
 
Last month, I came across a blog comment asking how to bind a book without folding the pages in half. My answer was: use a thermal binding machine. Thank you for the comment because it encouraged me to finally try the thermal binding machine I purchased last year.

I still had some old notebook pages that I wanted to repurpose, so I cut them in half to create smaller notebooks. For the covers, I used patterned paper and measured it according to the height, width, and thickness of the pages. I then added a hot melt glue strip along the center of the cover, where the pages would be bound.


 
After preparing the pages and cover, I turned on my thermal binding machine and started binding the notebooks. The whole process only took a few minutes. It was much faster and easier than manually cutting and aligning my old notebook pages.

 
Using a thermal binding machine is a great way to give old notebook pages a new purpose while creating something practical and handmade.
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February 10, 2019

School Field Trip 2019

Since last year my son kept on telling me that he will join his Field Trip on February and I kept on persuading him not to join his field trip because his daddy will have a business trip on that month. Mahirap magcommute ng madaling araw at gabi and we can visit those places naman kahit hindi field trip.

Then last month, the school gave the Field Trip form and when I read the itinerary, I still convinced my son not to join because I find the fee expensive, PHP1790. Ang mahal para sa Kidzania at National Museum, free lang naman yung ibang place. I even told him, yung P1790 na yun sobra pa sa Kidzania namin dalawa and whole day pa kami pwede magstay.

Kidzania Manila 
National Museum of National History 
McKinley Grand Canal - Walking Tour 
Shrine of Jesus WTL (again)

But he really wanted to join and my husband wants my son to join too so ako lang naman talaga ang kontrabida sa buhay nila. My husband always tells me, iba ang lakad with classmates at iba ang lakad with family. Good thing that my husband is available on that day so hindi ko na problema maghatid at sundo. So I paid the Field Trip fee bago pa magbago isip ko. Hehehe!

P.S. As of this school year, the chaperone is allowed na if grade 1 to 3 ang bata. Grrr! I’ve been waiting for them to change this policy, ngayon pa talaga binago. Grade 4 na anak ko so hindi ko pwede sumama. Hayz…

Fast forward to his field trip…

Me: Ethan, don’t forget your passport ha.
Ethan: How about my credit card?
Me: ATM lang yun.
Hubby: Bakit may passport pa at card, san punta niyan?
Me and Ethan: Kidzania.

Yes, may passport at ATM sa Kidzania. May driving license pa nga. Hehehe! I allowed my son to bring his smartphone in one condition “Take Photos”. While my husband and I were busy at PTAA Travel Tour Expo, my son sent one group photo at Shrine Of Jesus WTL so I felt happy at naalala ang bilin ko. So in my mind, this time marami na pictures anak ko sa Field Trip compared last year.


But I was wrong, after the field trip he showed me his phone gallery and guess what? Yung group photo lang ang may mukha niya. Puro painting sa National Museum. Waah! Nakalimutan na niya ang lahat ng bilin ko when they went to Kidzania Manila. So for the very first time, wala na siya tagakuha ng photos and videos. They stayed here from 1PM to 5PM and he was able to do 6 activities; Bank, Pit Crew Training Center, Cleaning Energy Center, Century Tuna Marine Research Lab, Driving, and Newswriter.  Check our Kidzania experience here.


Anyway, since Mckinley Grand Canal Tour is part of their itinerary. We decided to pick up our son at Venice Grand Canal Mall. So after our travel expo trip, we went straight to Venice. It was my first time there, so maganda naman pala. I remembered our trip in Venetian Hotel in Macau. There is a gondola ride but it is too expensive for my budget, P400 per person. Waah! Okay na ko sa tingin na lang, hehehe!






There are so many restaurants in Venice Grand Canal Mall and I saw the Isla Sugbu Seafood City and we’re supposed to eat here kaso sa pagod namin, gusto na namin umuwi agad. Maybe next time I can finally try this paluto all you can.



Grade 3 Field Trip
Grade 2 Field Trip
Kinder Field Trip
Pre-Kinder Field Trip 
 Alice in Wonderland
 Gardenia Plant Tour
 Manila Ocean Park 

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December 13, 2017

First Communion of my Son

Nowadays, interfaith marriage is very common so I know that I’m not the only one who belongs to mixed marriages. When I say mixed marriage, it means that the husband and wife have different religions or beliefs. I’m a Born Again Christian and my husband is a Catholic, we may have different beliefs but it was never an issue in our marriage. We don’t convince, persuade or force each other to convert. We do respect our own choices, beliefs, and values.

I was also a product of mixed marriages, my father is Protestant and my mother is a Born Again Christian and as we grow old we chose our own beliefs. So when it comes to my son, I give him the freedom to choose. As long as we believe in one God and we know that religion alone will not save us. But of course, I would be happy if we have the same belief.

Since last month, my son was preparing for his first communion, he was baptized in the Catholic church and also studying in Catholic School. Two weeks ago, he told that non-communicants are on vacation already.

Ethan: Mommy, non-communicants will not go to school starting Monday. December 11 na sila papasok.
Me: Talaga, one week yun. Ang haba ng bakasyon. Gusto mo bakasyon na rin tayo, wag ka na pumasok.
Ethan: Huh! I’m a Catholic e.

Natawa na lang ko, may paninindigan na pala anak ko. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just testing him. We already bought white longsleeves, nagphotoshoot na rin sila and we already invited my in-laws to attend my son’s communion.


The day before his communion, my son was asking me if I’m excited.

Ethan: Mommy, are you excited?
Me: Bakit?
Ethan: First communion ko.
Me: Kelangan ko ba maexcite? Are you excited?
Ethan: Yes, first communion ko yun. What’s the taste of the bread?
Me: Tasteless Hehehe!

Kaloka, curious pala siya sa lasa ng hostia


Fast forward to communion, we picked up my in-laws, and off we went to church. Sa sobrang aga namin, nakadalawang mass pa kami. lol! It was my first time witnessing communion. After communion, we went straight to Nina’s Kitchen to celebrate.
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June 08, 2017

The Week that Was

Just when I thought that I could already blog every day because my son would be back to school but I’ve been nursing a cold and cough since Monday evening so I really took the time to rest. I still have colds and cough and hopefully, I will be healed soon. 

 Well, what happened this past week.

 Flu Vaccine 

 We had the flu vaccine last weekend and a few days before the vaccine, we already informed my son about it. I’m not sure if my son has a “needle phobia” but he really dislikes injections. Just the thought of a vaccine makes him cry. It’s our dilemma every year, agaw-eksena talaga. But I’m happy to say that he is improving na, he still cried but at least hindi na mega cry and hindi na pumipiglas. I hope next year, he can conquer his fear. 

 Back to School

 I envy those kids who are still on vacation because we’re back to school last Monday. Ang hirap gumising ng 5AM again. Waah! Parang ang bilis lang kasi, til first week of April ang end of school year namin then pasok na agad ng June 5. Good thing we went home one week before school starts or else, good luck sa jetlag and preparation for school. 

 Birthday at Vikings 

 Because of the vaccine and back-to-school preparation, we just had a simple birthday celebration of my husband’s birthday. We just went to Vikings to take advantage of the free birthday buffet. I already blogged about this before so I will just tell the few changes that I’ve noticed. 

 Read: Lunch at Vikings at SM BF

 We were there past 12NN and we’re glad that there is an available table for us. I informed them that we are going to availof  the birthday promo so they just asked for my husband’s ID. Then we started our feast, we don’t really eat a lot so lugi talaga kami sa buffet kaya it is better if may discount or promo. Sharing with you, my plate. 


They also gave us a soup. Wala nito dati. 

After several minutes, I saw the staff gathered together, they were holding cakes and banners for the birthday celebrant. Then they started to sing “Happy Birthday” while distributing the cake to all the birthday celebrants. So it is a different experience compared to our last visit, before kasi per table ang sing and dance nila. Now, isahan kanta na lang and they still go to your table to take your picture. Which is okay for me para mas mabilis din. I remember eating in two buffet restaurants, nakauwi na lang kami wala kami cake or greetings (birthday promo din). 
Improving ang complimentary cake kaso hindi sinindihan. hehehe!

When it comes to bills, paying bills is fast na. They go to your table and they process the payment there (credit card payment). I remember our last visit, it took them forever to process it. So may nangyayari naman pala sa survey na sinasagutan ko. :)

Vikings Birthday Promo

 1) Birthday celebrant of all ages can avail of the birthday promo on the day itself and on their birthday month. 
2) Celebrants can eat for free ON THE DAY of their birthday for both lunch and dinner, as long as accompanied by ONE FULL PAYING ADULT. 
3) Celebrants can eat for free for ONE MONTH for both lunch and dinner per day, as long as it is within the month of his/her birthday and accompanied by FOUR FULL PAYING ADULT. 
4) One full-paying adult is an adult guest who will be paying the full rate without any discounts. 
5) Requirements for Celebrants: Celebrants must bring an ORIGINAL and VALID government-issued picture I.D. with the birth date imprinted on it, both local and foreign I.D.s are accepted, for proof (such as S.S.S., N.B.I., Driver’s License, Pag-Ibig, P.R.C., Barangay, Unified, Police Clearance I.D. and Passport) In the case that the celebrant doesn’t have a government-issued picture I.D., he/she may bring his/her birth certificate supported by any picture I.D. (school I.D., parent’s I.D., company I.D.).
6) This promo can’t be used in conjunction with our current promotions or discounts. 
7) Special Gift Certificates to avail of this promo are not honored. 
8) This promo is available in all Vikings branches. 
9) This promo is available until December 31, 2017. 

 Vikings BF Paranaque Branch Buffet Rates 

 Adult Rate 

 All Day Buffet Rate: P738 (+5% service charge) 

 Kid’s Rate Kids below 3 ft: FREE 
Kids 3 ft - 4 ft Weekday Lunch: 208 (+5% service charge) 
Kids 3 ft - 4 ft Weekday Dinner: 208 (+5% service charge) 
Kids 3 ft - 4 ft Weekends/Holiday Lunch & Dinner: 208 (+5% service charge)
Kids 4 ft - 4 ft 6" Weekday Lunch: 418 (+5% service charge) 
Kids 4 ft - 4 ft 6" Weekday Dinner: 418 (+5% service charge) 
Kids 4 ft - 4 ft 6" Weekends/Holiday Lunch & Dinner: 418 (+5% service charge) 

 Wonder Woman Movie Night 

 Every year, my husband’s company gives free movie nights and this year's movie is “Wonder Woman”. My husband doesn’t want to go anymore because we’re both not feeling well but I told him, sayang naman ticket. So we still watched the movie. I liked the movie, gandang-ganda kasi ko kay Gal Gadot. But if you ask my husband and son, okay lang sa kanila movie. 

 So that’s it for now. Looking forward to our three long weekends. 

 June 12 Independence Day 
June 19 Laguna Day 
June 26 Eid’l Ftr
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October 14, 2016

School Field Trip

Two months ago, I received a letter about my son’s field trip and he was hesitant to join because of the no chaperone policy. Last year, he did not join the Field Trip so now, I persuaded him to join kasi sayang naman ang bayad. The Educational Trip fee is included in the tuition so whether you join or not, they will not refund the payment. 

 Read: When Plan Fails

 I was able to persuade my son but when he agreed, I felt nervous because this is the first time that my son will go on a trip without chaperone. Sa dami ng nangyayari sa bansa, I cannot help but be a paranoid mom. One week before the trip, I bought cellphone for my son so I can call or text him.

 Read: Where is my Son?

 But few days before September 9, they canceled the Field Trip because of the Davao Bombing incident. There are so many bomb threats during that time so just to be sure, they moved the schedule. 

 Fast forward to yesterday, I took a bath and my son asked me, 

 Ethan: Mommy, why are you not wearing pambahay? 
Me: I will go with you and daddy sa school. 

 We went to school for my son’s Field Trip. Like I said before, I’m such a paranoid mom so I asked my husband to file a vacation leave so we can follow our son. Bawal chaperone pero pwede naman magconvoy. Hehehe! 

 Itinerary for the day: 

 PHILVOCS 
Philippine Science Centrum 
Manila Boystown 
Exploreum 

 First stop is PHILVOCS, I thought we were so late because we cannot see the bus on the road. Yun pala, mas nauna pa kami nakarating sa bus. And because I was early, I was able to take pictures of the lobby.



They allowed us to enter, maybe because there is no entrance fee in PHIlVOCS. So I was able to watch the video about volcanic eruption, earthquake and tsunami. The videos are very informative, kids will know what are they going to do if there will be a disaster. 



Actually, my son was surprised when I called him at PHILVOCS, he did not notice that I was standing in front of him. He has no idea that we will follow him. Hehehe! S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E!!!!!!!

 Ethan: Why are you here?

Next stop is Science Centrum, we have visited this place when my son was 2 years old. This is the first field trip that he joined, it was his cousin’s field trip and pwede magsama ng buong pamilya basta magbayad. Lol. We’re not allowed to go inside so no picture, hanggang labas lang ako. 

 Read: Science Centrum

 Entrance Fee

 Students and Adults: P130 maximum stay of 1.5 hrs. P60 extra hour thereafter 
Senior Citizen with ID: 50% off
Teacher with ID: Free 

 My husband and I took our lunch while waiting for our son. When my son went out, we told him that we will meet him in MOA. We will not go to Manila Boystown anymore. If you remember my post yesterday, I have a problem with Paypal so I need to go to the bank to deposit my payment. 

 Read: Why I Can’t Use my Paypal Balance?

 And because of that, we’re so early in MOA. We paid our bills, we ate at Paper Moon Tokyo Cafe and napagod na kami sa pag-ikot wala pa rin anak ko. I was texting and calling him but he was not answering. Napaparanoid na naman ang lola niyo. I felt relieved when I saw the bunch of kids walking to Exploreum. Akala ko naiwan na sa boystown anak ko. Hehehe! 

 Again, hanggang labas lang kami but few minutes before the time. Pinapasok na kami ng guard hanggang dito lang. Hehehe! So I was able to take a picture and video of this. Then I saw my son na, uwian na. 

Honestly, nakakapagod magconvoy. Parang paparazzi lang ako na buntot ng buntot at picture ng picture pag nakikita ko anak ko. But at least, I have peace of mind that my son is safe. #paranoidmom 

 Maybe next year, I will not follow him anymore. Maybe... just maybe ... hehehe!

My son went home with 200ml Safeguard Body Wash and pin. Freebies at Exploreum. 
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