Building a nation of readers; Recognizing the heroes of education

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Some rights reserved by Melanie Holtsman

Some rights reserved by Melanie Holtsman

My then nine year old daughter beamed at me, as she proudly held a certificate. I noted the top portion, “National Reading month” and as I scrawled to the bottom “Most number of books borrowed at the library”. Aww, my daughter loved the library so much . It was practically her hangout. All my children are avid readers. I started them as early as six months old, through picture books. Every night before they slept, I hugged them all and read them a story every night. I read with different voices to make it seem like a play. I read children books from many publishers and told them to remember “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

scholastic books

And so, that is how my children loved to read. They are now adults who have left our family abode and now soaring high in their respective careers. Reading is important to children . As a parent, you have the power to boost your children’s learning potential simply by making books an integral part of their lives. I also see reading as a nurturing activity that will bring your kids closer together.  I loved that the school of my daughters also nurtured this love of reading.

It is just timely that Scholastic , the world’s largest publisher and distributor of over 600 original titles annually , continues to purse various initiatives in its commitment to help build a nation of readers such as the Scholastic Literacy Pro and the Literacy Pro Library

Scholastic Literacy Pro is an online monitoring program which provides teachers with accurate and timely reports on their students’ progress and performance, giving them research-based insights to make informed teaching and learning decisions. It also promotes the student’s growth in reading by developing an individualized reading plan with corresponding teacher reports. It’s three-pronged program is to create successful reads involved in the following action points: assess, inform, develop.

 

scholastic literacy pro

 

The Scholastic Literacy Pro Library is an ebook library which gives readers if different proficiency levels unlimited access to more than 650 fiction and non fiction ebooks.  There is a  guarantee of 150 new titles every three months and LitPro quizzes for titles. MGC New Life Academy in Bonifacio Global City and De La Salle-Zobel in Alabang are among the first educational institutions to implement this groundbreaking programs from Scholastic. More schools are scheduled to joined their ranks.

scholastic readers cup

 

It takes unrelenting efforts to spread the advocacy of literacy to produce a nation that is globally competitive .  Our children should be able to attain a creative, analytical and educated mind that will open doors of endless possibilities. On August 12 2015, the second Scholastic Readers Cup was held to culminate the interschool competititon recognizing the exemplary efforts of educators , from teaches and librarians to principals and schools . This year, the Readers Cup was given to a number of educational institutions including SJ- Sto. Rosario Academy, OSJ- Holy Family Academy, St. Thomas Academy, Dr. Yanga’s Colleges Inc., St, Paul College, Balayan, Iloilo Scholastic Academy, OSJ – Saint Joseph Institute, Saint Mary’s Angels College of Valenzuela, OSJ- Saint James Academy , OSJ- Joseph Marello Institute, Sta Teresa College, Notre dame of Greater Manila, MGC New Life Academy and Falcon School.

 

Scholastic readers cup

“Our teachers, librarians , principal and school administrators are doing a fine job at helping is raise a nation of readers, and we should all be grateful to them. The Scholastic Readers Cup is just one way of giving recognition to those noble educators. They are the real heroes in our quest  for a more globally competitive  Philippines.” says Fritzie Salem-Cruz, General Manager of Scholastic in the Philippines.

Indeed, the home and school both provide the nurturing environment for building a nation of readers.

 

Gabay Guro throws the biggest tribute for teachers

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“One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change a delinquent into a solid citizen.” Philip Wylie

Don’t we all remember the teachers who influenced us when we were children? When I think of teachers, I remember my dad Jose P. Lardizabal (Accounting / MBA teacher) and mom, Salustiana Veloso (English and Speech teacher). I knew the students under my parents were appreciative of their education because they would often rush up to greet them during our family days out. I like it when hard-working teachers are given recognition . Teachers lay the foundation for future generations. The knowledge, values and attitudes they imparted in us made us what we are today, together with the family values. Many times, we never have the opportunity to thank them for their positive impact in our lives. Now, however belatedly we have a chance to give due recognition to those who personify the best qualities of the profession. National Teachers’ Month provides such opportunities where each of us can take time to honor our teachers. Even companies and school give their own tribute.

Teachers-Quote

For instance, the PLDT-Smart Foundation’s Gabay Guro (2G) is throwing the biggest tribute ever for our beloved teachers as it celebrates Teachers Month through a grand gathering on Oct. 26 at the MOA Arena.

Gabay Guro

Hosted by no less than TV 5 artists Edu Manzano and Derek Ramsay , the annual Grand Gathering breaks the so-called network-exclusivity “barrier” as it will also feature performances by the country’s biggest celebrities from both ABS-CBN and GMA-7. Among them – Ryzza Mae, Anne Curtis, Judy Ann Santos, Marian Rivera, Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez and Rocco Nacino. The Gabay Guro team, led by PLDT-Smart Foundation Chairman of the Board of Trustees Manny V. Pangilinan and 2G Chairman Ms. Chaye Cabal-Revilla, will be there to lend their invaluable support to the teachers.

Not only will the teachers get to be honored by the celebrities and honored guests but a big surprise awaits them —a house and lot courtesy of Stateland, Inc. and a brand-new Foton L200 van – for the two luckiest teachers this year. Other prizes up for grabs are livelihood program packages and cash gifts.

gabay guro1

Gabay Guro is an education arm and a flagship project of the PLDT-SMART Foundation. It is a program run by volunteers composed of executives from the PLDT Manager’s Club Inc. (PLDT MCI). It is the brainchild of MVP’s VP for Finance, Ms. Chaye Cabal-Revilla, and is supported by the PLDT-Smart Foundation of the Manny V. Pangilinan group.

For the last six years, Gabay Guro has been in the business of “changing the lives of those who changed ours” by focusing on the core program of the foundation benefiting the Filipino teachers. The core program is defined by the pillars by which Gabay Guro is anchored on – Scholarships, Trainings, Housing and Educational Facilities, Livelihood Programs, Broadbanding and Computerization and Teachers’ Tribute.

The Teachers honored on this day will surely appreciate the Gabay Guro efforts. Each one of us can still offer our own tribute. The best way to honor to the teachers in our lives is to honor their lessons, the lessons they imparted to us by living a life according to their teachings.

For more information, please visit the Gabay Guro official website, www.gabayguro.com and like the Facebook Page www.facebook.com/gabayguro or follow us on Twitter @GabayGuro, where you can also have a chance to get tickets to the prestigious Grand Gathering at the MOA Arena on Oct. 26.  

A Safe School Program to prevent bullying, abuses & discrimination

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Parents are so blessed these days. There is a growing awareness that bullying in schools are not tolerated anymore especially after the Department of Education announced a landmark policy last May that aims to protect children against bullying and other forms of violence in schools.

Twenty years ago, I fought a lonely battle with the teacher and guidance counselor of my daughter’s school. They didn’t think bullying was wrong. Bullying is part of growing up. Really? My daughter lost interest in studying. Her grades dropped. Much as I developed extra-curricular activities for her, she still had to face the bully at school.

Bullying should not be tolerated. Bullying damages the physical, social, and emotional well-being of its victims.

“Bullying is NOT pre-wired, harmless, or inevitable
Bullying IS learned, harmful, and controllable
Bullying SPREADS if supported or left unchecked
Bullying INVOLVES everyone—bullies, victims, and bystanders
Bullying CAN BE effectively stopped or entirely prevented”

Indeed, bullying in the school has been a common problem in the Philippines and worldwide. Negative effects of bullying on our children can last a lifetime and curb their potentials.

When I got invited to talk about the need for anti-bullying program in Wadeford School in Kalibo, Aklan over the weekend, I suggested a Safe School Program. A safe school program not only covers anti-bullying intervention. It creates a safe and caring school community by providing a comprehensive, school wide framework for the prevention of bullying or any form of discrimination or harassment.

It inspired me to see a number of eager parents and teachers in attendance. First I explained the four kinds of bullying:

1. Physical bullying

    when someone hits, shoves, kicks, spits, or beats up another person
    when someone damages or steals another student’s property

2. Verbal bullying

    name-calling, mocking, hurtful teasing
    humiliating or threatening someone
    making people do things they don’t want to do

3. Social bullying

    excluding others from the group
    spreading gossip or rumours about others
    making others look foolish
    making sure others do not spend time with a certain student

4. Electronic bullying

    using computer, e-mail, phone or cellular phone text messages to:
    threaten or hurt someone’s feelings

    single out, embarrass or make someone look bad
    spread rumours or reveal secrets about someone

Secondly, it was important to know their beliefs in bulllying.

I asked: “Do your beliefs promote or prevent bullying?”

Perhaps not many parents are aware of the ways their beliefs may color their views and influence on bullying..such as choices they make to intervene in—or ignore—the bullying around them.

A parent admitted that someone brushed away bullying as just “away-bata”. It has been tolerated as such for many years but we know now that it can be damaging to a child’s learning potential and psychological being.

Lastly, I also touched on cyber-bullying. Though this is the least prevalent form of bullying, knowing that such can happen 24/7 is enough to be concerned.

Collaborative effort of the school administration, teachers, parents, and students is needed for an effective safe school program.

Everyone from the parents, educators, the students and community should stand up and voice out that bullying should stop. Domestic violence should stop. Preventing and stopping bullying involves a commitment to creating a safe environment where children can thrive, socially and academically, without being afraid.

Based on the response and questions from the parents, I am happy to see that indeed, they recognize that bullying should not be tolerated. That is a good sign, the first step in initiating a safe school program is the right attitude that bullying can be prevented.

The goal of a Safe School Program is to use interventions at the levels of the student, parents, and school and to ensure that students are given a consistent, coordinated, and strong message by everyone in the school that 1) bullying will not be tolerated and that 2) we can prevent bullying if we work together.

It is heartening to see the Parents and Teachers Association of Wadeford School actively pursuing plans to undertake an anti-bullying prevention program. There is much to learn so I told them to download the toolkit to prevent bullying in children’s lives as a starting point.

Most of all I am grateful to Harvey Ylanan for bringing me to Kalibo. It is my first time to be there and it was a great place to be … far away from the maddening (sometimes) noise of Manila.

One should take the proactive approach to cyber bullying

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In the nineties, bullying seemed insignificant at least for social bullying. Even if I fought it out in school, I was the only parent who complained. My daughter continues to add “The sad part is that guidance counselors, teachers, and even some parents don’t think much of bullying. They pass it off as play, or maybe an early life lesson: the world can be a terrible place filled with people who will treat you with undeserved cruelty.”

Programs to help reduce bullying start with a comprehensive approach that involve a collaboration between students, parents, the school and the community. Positive change will result when all parties concerned become involved stakeholders and take personal responsibility for standing up , voicing out and eliminating bullying.

Everyone from the parents, educators, the students and community should stand up and voice out that bullying should stop. Domestic violence should stop. Preventing and stopping bullying involves a commitment to creating a safe environment where children can thrive, socially and academically, without being afraid.

Creating a Safe Environment for Young Minds


Malayan High School for Science invited me to talk about “Creating a safe environment for Young minds” particularly on cyber-bullying. It was also the Unveiling, Launching, and Signing of the MHSS Safe School Program.

I laud the school’s effort in creating a safe environment for young minds. The school, the students and parents are all part of the solution . I wish I were still a parent with school children. I would have enrolled my children there. I know I would be able to work hand in hand with my kids and the school. In the nineties, I was helpless because the school did not want to cooperate with me. Even if I coached my kid at home , my efforts did not bear fruit.

I am impressed that MHSS provides a safe learning environment for students and that they consider this a top priority of every school. With a safe environment, students will be motivated to take up new challenges, and to remain focused in learning.

The proactive approach to preventing cyber bullying

Children should always remember that safety is their number one concern. They need to know that telling is not tattling. Students should know it is safe to inform trusted adults about what is really going on and also teach adults about new technologies that kids are using to bully. The more senior students can serve as mentors and inform younger students about safe practices on social media. I presented a video on cyber bullying awareness with catchy lyrics from Taylor Swift’s song entitled “Mean”.

I also shared Sonnie Santos’ tips on a proactive preventive approach to cyber bullying and how to protect oneself online.

During my days as internet safety head in the mid-nineties, I helped kids around the world as they built the content of their online journal or websites. One of these kids is now 28 years old. I met him when he was only 12 years old. So I asked him what he thought of cyber bullying. He provides valuable input.

The web is making the world much smaller, in ways that we don’t quite yet understand. With this smaller community we also have a great responsibility with how we treat one another. People, especially kids and teenagers, have to understand that everything we put on the Internet can be saved and it can come back to haunt us. Any job or graduate school recruiter has the obligation now, to Google your name before they think about offering you an interview or offer.If you have a friend who is cyber bullying someone, you have the responsibility to tell that friend to stop, not only because it is wrong, but also because it will cause harm to that person’s digital presence in the future.

For the people who are the recipients of that bullying, I would say the same thing. Expect everything put online to stay online, forever. If someone is cyber bullying you, document document document – through screenshots or whatever means you have available. That person must stop and apologize, because whatever he or she is doing will affect them later if they do not manage their digital presence.

One may get rid of school bullying once they graduate from high school but the online bullying can persist and move on to cyber harassment later on. It is important to take this proactive stand and prevent from being a victim.

I hope the students become more proactive with their safety and be part of the solution. Make a stand to stop bullying in any form. With the help of their school and their parents, I hope the students create a positive environment for themselves, their peers at school and on social media.

Yellow Boat of Hope so no child is left behind

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What does education mean to most of us in the cities? When my kids were then going to school, it meant yelling at them at 5:00 AM to wake up so they wouldn’t be late for their school bus when it arrives at 6:00 AM. Sometimes, I would drive them to school especially during exam days. Those days seemed stressful to me just because I wake up so early in the morning. I have had it easy, I guess. For most children, it means getting up and commuting through jeepneys or tricycles. Sometimes, it meant walking to school.

But for some determined children in Isla Mababoy, Brgy. Guinhadap, Monreal, Masbate, it means getting up and wearing swimwear just to get to their class. These kids are determined to get an education because it is their only ticket out of poverty.

It is a tough swim for the kids from Isla Mababoy. It’s a 300-meter swim (around 20-30 minutes) from the island of Mababoy to the main island of Guinhadap.

Watch this video:

Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation

I have been aware of Jay Jaboneta’s Yellow boat project since April 2011. His story of seeing kids swim to school in Zamboanga and doing something to help them touched me.

It started with a Facebook wall post and soon help poured in. Yes it was a life-changing facebook wall post. In less than a year, many schoolchildren have stopped swimming to school and help did not stop there because the project gives assistance to their families and community.

The boat’s name is Bagong Pag-asa” (New Hope), to signal a new beginning for the kids in recognition of their determination to obtain an education no matter the hardship.

The Philippine Funds for Little Kids NOW known as the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation have since provided these communities in Masbate and Zamboanga, yellow school boats . It does not stop there. The Foundation has since moved on to helping support them through provision of other school supplies, medical/dental missions to their communities, scholarships and even through livelihood programs.

The Yellow boat for kids

Thanks to Eton International School and Jacqueline Marzan Tolentino for donating one yellow boat in behalf of my name (@momblogger in twitter) . When Eton International School invited me to deliver a talk on “Parenting in the new digital age” for their 8th Leadership Awards in March, I chose the donation of a Yellow boat for the Masbate Funds for Little Kids. It is our own small way of creating more opportunities so that no child is left behind in our country.

Let me share this quote from Jay Jaboneta which reflects what they are doing:

““The great thing a little lamp can do which the big sun cannot do is to give light at night. It shows no one is superior by size but by purpose. If we cannot do great things, we can do small things in a great way. Little things make a big difference to God.”

I am such a firm believer in being part of the solution, even small steps like that facebook wall post that changed the lives of 200 kids in Zamboanga.

We are all part of the solution.

YOU are part of the solution.

If you are interested to help, visit Facebook pages of Masbate Funds for Little Kids (Isla Mababoy, Brgy. Guinhadap, Monreal, Masbate) and ZamSur Funds for Little Kids (Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur) or Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation.

Monetary donations

Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, Inc.
Banco de Oro – Mayor Jaldon Branch Zamboanga City
S/A no. 3170134579
BDO Swift Code BNORPHMM

For in kind donations, you can send it to Zamboanga City, where is headquartered through:

Dr. Anton Mari H. Lim, DVM
Unit 4, Dian Hap, Bldg F, Nuñez St., Zamboanga City 7000
T. N. (062) 991 0226

For any inquiries, please email Jay Jaboneta at jay@yellowboat.org!

Bullying in Philippine Schools

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Updated May 17 , 2012– I recently appeared on Talkback with Tina Palma on Bullying. This is my updated post on Bullying in Philippine Schools and added the latest Department of Education policy on bullying.

This is a guest post by my daughter, Lauren. I’ve always wanted to tackle the topic of bullying for a long time now since I was so problematic about it during Lauren’s early years at school. The harrowing effects of bullying are best illustrated by the victim. In this case, Lauren tells her story.


Photo Credit: kidsgoals.com

I attended a private, all-girl schools from elementary up until high school and I can tell you – those were far from the best years of my life. I don’t know if it’s really in my nature to be shy and socially awkward or if my experiences in school turned me into that kind of person. One thing I do know is that a lot of the insecurities I have about myself is rooted in the fact that I got bullied a lot during my early elementary school years.

I can never forget my first bully. Her name is Kathleen and her family owned the school bus service I rode to school and back during my elementary years. We were both in grade one and for some strange reason, she took an instant dislike to me. I have no idea why – I’ve always been a quiet sort of kid who always stood out of other people’s way and I can’t remember doing or saying anything that would make her hate me. But hate me she did. She never beat me up or anything – oh no, girls are way more subtle and cruel than that. She had her own circle of friends and was somehow able to convince them to hate me as well, Going to school every morning and coming home in the late afternoon was a ritual I always dreaded. I got stuck in the worst seat, never got snacks passed my way, and pretty much had to beg the other girls to let me join their games whenever we’d get stuck in traffic.

There were many others after Kathleen – the girls who made fun of me for spending my lunch hours reading in the library, the girls who decided that I had a crush on this other girl and humiliated me about it every chance they got, even a teacher who spent an entire homeroom period picking on me because I got bored one day and felt like passing a survey in class asking if anyone else hates math as much as I do. I’m pretty sure there was more but I must have buried those memories in my subconscious somewhere. I do know that my grades went down drastically, I took to daydreaming and paying little or no attention in class, and wrote my mom a lot of notes about the “terrable days” I would have in school.


One of the many notes Lauren would write me from school.

Things didn’t get any better for me when I attended high school. I moved to a different school and made the mistake of speaking to my new classmates in English on the first day. For that reason, or whatever other reason, they decided I was weird and I spent the next four years trying and failing to fit in.

I know that my experiences as a bully victim don’t sound particularly traumatizing, but you don’t have to get beat up in the playground to develop emotional scars that stay with you for the rest of your life – especially when the damage is psychological, which is what female bullying is about. Think about it. You’re a little kid, and all you really want is to make friends with the kids you go to school with everyday. Then you find out that not only do your schoolmates reject your attempts at friendship – they also make fun of the most trivial things about you, like the way you speak. You start to wonder if maybe there’s something seriously wrong with you because nobody can seem to like you for the way you are. You start hating yourself and constantly doubting your abilities, and you find it difficult to open up to people and form deep friendships with anyone.

The sad part is that guidance counselors, teachers, and even some parents don’t think much of bullying. They pass it off as play, or maybe an early life lesson: the world can be a terrible place filled with people who will treat you with undeserved cruelty. I do understand that kids have to grow up and learn that hard lesson someday, but I think anyone under the age of ten is too young to deal with that much reality. At that age, it’s important for children to learn to accept or at least respect people for exactly who they are instead of making fun of their differences. What kind of lesson will be passed on to them if their elders shrug off bullying as something totally normal?

Notes from the Mother

No parent wants to see their child get hurt. But according to a recent US study, 77% of students are being bullied mentally, verbally, or physically by their peers. Filipino children are equally exposed to bullying, and are even more at risk since Filipino parents often mistake bullying as a painful, yet necessary, rite of passage. Children who are either bullied or bullies themselves—are suffering from deep emotional scars. Aside from being withdrawn and depressed, victimized children are more likely to drop out of school, take up vices, and get into fights.

Thank goodness, Lauren didn’t drop out of school. The effect on her was mediocre academic performance. I could see the drastic drop starting third grade till I pulled her out of that school in Grade 6. Though intelligent, she was not motivated enough to score high in her tests until she attended college. Only then did Lauren blossom, away from the ravages of shallow high school classmates and their bullying antics.

During her elementary years, I was helpless against the bullying that victimized my sweet and gentle daughter in her School. I talked to the school’s guidance counselor and all she could tell me is that “Lauren had to learn to live with these bullies”. Moving schools was an option but where? Anti-bullying campaign in Philippine Schools was not yet in place in the mid-nineties and even today.

Good news to parents. Be aware . There is now a Department of Education policy to protect children from bullying. A Child Protection Committee (CPC) will be established in all private and public elementary and secondary schools. The committee will be composed of school officials, teachers, parents, students, and a community representative.

(If you want to guest post in my blog, drop me a note with the suggested topic)

Other Resources

13Dec 2011

What is most important for you in a child’s education ?

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It was one of those nights when I’d sit on my dad’s lap. I will always remember dad’s favorite line ““Study well, little girl. Education will always be with you even if I am not around.”

Education is one of the greatest investments dad could ever give us despite the limited resources. Born from a poor family, dad struggled the corporate ladder just to give us the best education he could afford. Dad may not be around now but true enough, it is education that armed me with the skills, the accumulated knowledge and values to rise up from the challenges that came my way. The words of my dad carried on to my three children. I didn’t have to prod my kids to study and educate themselves. They understood the value of education that is to prepare them even at an early age to educate themselves throughout their lives. I smile as I watch my grown-up ladies from afar, now financially independent and making life decisions with our blessings.

When we come across the word ““education,” many of us strongly associate it with schooling. If you put education in the context of your own child, what is education to you?

As a mom blogger, I get a chance to visit schools and check out their curriculum and programs. This is an opportunity to share these information to my readers and for them to discern if this is the right school for their child. I came across a few heartwarming videos about little girls manifesting good deeds to others at their tender age. It seems to be an advocacy and I admire the institution that helps parents so that the very essence of education and learning — a thinking head, a caring heart, and a serving hand comes out naturally from kids as they go through their daily lives. Take a peek at this . . .

I believe that schools and parents play an active role as partners in educating and motivating our children today to dream for a good purpose, think for a good reason, and care enough to serve others.

Parents in search for schools that value academic excellence, moral uprightness, and social responsibility should consider the development of their child’s God-given talents.

I was struck by the Giftedness Instruction for Talent (G.I.F.T) Development Program in St. Paul College Pasig. I often told my little girls back then that ““you are God’s gift to me.” I believe in honing those God-given talents and made sure my girls got the training in piano, singing, and writing even if their school did not provide for it.

The G.I.F.T Program is a curricular innovation aimed at discovering and honing the students’ talents in the various fields of arts and sciences. More than what our kids get out of school clubs, I read that G.I.F.T. is the most comprehensive talent development program integrated in basic education which features 32 specialized courses in five Talent Learning Centers.


Grade school kids enjoy tinkering with the MAC and learning during their GIFT – Digital Arts and Creative Writing classes.


Brave and aspiring young gymnasts have fun at the balance beam in their SPCP GIFT – Gymnastics class


Young kids do their warm-ups before the GIFT – Taekwondo class. As early as preschool, kids get to explore the basics of this sport.

Bringing out the giftedness in every individual heightens self-confidence and self-esteem. Self-confidence that emanates from integral formation begets good citizens which are what our country needs.

If you are searching for a school, it is important to know what you want for your child. Choose a school that complements your values. While basic education is the focus of an academically prepared, morally upright, and socially responsible child, a formal structure of talent development instruction makes learning truly relevant and functional. Investigate the school’s teaching methods if it will stimulate or hone your child’s talents, strengths, and interests. This might just be the school that matches the individual needs and interests of your child.

What type of education are you looking for your child?

Finding the right school for your child

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“No one school is right for every child. When searching for a school for your child, the question is not whether a particular school is good or bad, but whether it’s the right school for your child. You might ask the school, ‘What is your definition of a successful child at this school?’ or ‘What kind of child would find success here?'” David Harris

school-dayIt must have been two years ago that I told my daughter to write a guest post in my blog on bullying. She didn’t hesitate to share her experience to my readers because doing so will raise awareness to parents that their kids should never ever be bullied at school.

One thing I do know is that a lot of the insecurities I have about myself is rooted in the fact that I got bullied a lot during my early elementary school years….they pass it off as play, or maybe an early life lesson: the world can be a terrible place filled with people who will treat you with undeserved cruelty. I do understand that kids have to grow up and learn that hard lesson someday, but I think anyone under the age of ten is too young to deal with that much reality. At that age, it’s important for children to learn to accept or at least respect people for exactly who they are instead of making fun of their differences. What kind of lesson will be passed on to them if their elders shrug off bullying as something totally normal?

Her reflection of her bullying experience just tore me apart. I felt so helpless because during those days, children just had to deal with bullies. I considered moving schools but all the schools in the nineties were just Montessori-imitations or the usual large traditional schools. Parents are fortunate these days because they face a wide range of options aside from traditional Catholic schools that I attended to. Take for example, homeschooling that my friends, Jen and Julie are doing to their young kids. Then there are the non-traditional schools , the alternative to traditional schools.

As a mom blogger, I get a chance to visit non-traditional schools and check out their curriculum and programs. This is an opportunity to share these information to my readers and for them to discern if this is the right school for their child.
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