Young Cebuano scientists and their mentors were going to the town of Sibonga for the Cebu Division Science Fair and Quiz 2009 (Nov. 4, 5 & 6). This year's theme is "Adapting to Diverse Science Culture for Development". The team from Carmen National High School is composed of 17 students and 7 teachers.
The following are the honors received by the team.
2nd Place - First Year Written Quiz 2nd Place - Second Year Written Quiz 2nd Place - Third Year Written Quiz 5th Place - Team Orals (Quiz Bee) 5th Place - Oratorical Contest
Bidlisiw is the official paper of the student body of Carmen National High School. I got hold of a copy last Friday when a female student hand me one after the teachers' practice of a folk dance to be presented this coming Tuesday for the 158th Founding Anniversary of Carmen. The front page made me smile from ear to ear because I saw my students' pictures displayed on it. Paulo Amiel Coloscos, the editor-in-chief wrote the headline about the culmination activity of the English Week '08 which happened to be a Yuletide Showcase. Two of the pictures posted on the upper right corner of the front page are excerpts of the Broadway Musicals which my students performed under my direction and training. The third picture is the Sinulog performance of the Carmen contingent of which majority of the dancers are from CNHS. Almost 90% of the articles of the latest BIDLISIW issue were written by Paulo, and he is not just good, but he is really excellent in writing. Kudos to Paulo! I suggest that he should apply for a staff position in the UP Cebu's TUG-ANI. I'm really sure that he is ready for college campus journalism.
Paulo and proud mother (Mrs. Eunice Coloscos)
Bidlisiw brings back to me the events of the Yuletide Showcase which happened on December 12, 2008. It is just so right that I kept some pictures of the show; and here I posted some clearer take of the performances.
Phantom of the Opera
Yancy Saison, Maria Christina Bregente and Patrick Salili doing the finale of their performance.
Yancy, Christina and Patrick portrayed Raoul, Christine Daae and the Phantom of the Opera respectively; the unforgettable characters of the famed musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber. These three students are really talented, they did their best during our practices and on the final performance as well.
Les Miserables Pearl Joy Celades as Cosette and Bebilyn Gica as Eponine
Les Miserables is a musical composed in 1980 by the French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg with a libretto by Alain Boublil. Many songs from that play became worldwide hits like 'I Dreamed a Dream' which is currently getting attention in You Tube because of Susan Boyles performance on 'Britains Got Talent' and of course the timeless 'On My Own'.
Bebilyn sang 'On My Own' and the rest of the characters did a dramatic scene from the original story of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, of which the Broadway Musical is based upon. Japhet Villaber's performance as Marius Pontmercy was quite a remarkable one, but his picture was not posted on Bidlisiw, so I am posting one here.
Japhet Villaber and Bebilyn Gica
Bebilyn sang Lea Salonga's version; and after her performance I call her Lea Salonga of CNHS. Here's a YOU TUBE video of Lea's rendition of 'On My Own'.
Center Fold
On the center fold of the paper is a photo gallery of the teachers and students of CNHS. The other two performances of my students are included here. One is the short play which I had written, directed and voiced, 'The Temptation of Talilay', and the other is the choral presentation of my second year section 7 English class, which won the Christmas Carol Competition.
The Temptation of Talilay
The plot of 'The Temptation of Talilay' is very simple and common. It is the dilemma of the student, Talilay (Gladys Remoto), lured by a debonair devil (Norvin dela Calzada) and saved by the flamboyant angel (Arnel Arenza). I had to practice using my voice in various ranges, from the lowest note to the highest one that I can reach to make the characters believable. I felt like I was auditioning for Disney animated movie during their performance. I was just glad that the actors were excellent and had done it like a pro.
Let it Snow
Everybody loves underdogs! Who would have thought that the last section of the sophomore class, the second year section 7, out staged all the pilot classes, from the freshmen to the seniors. It was an amazing feat for my students. Maybe they are lucky enough, but it was not just pure luck; their hard work has paid off! From the daily practices, to the making of props, looking for costumes, during the dress rehearsals, until the final performance; everybody showed enthusiasm and full support for each other. I'm so proud of this class!
A self-photograph from my old phone, inspired by the Stage Musical, Chicago.
Cristy Martel receives her Best Actress trophy.
Pearl Joy Celades showing her emotion on stage.
Japhet Villaber with his award winning performance.
In my wildest dreams, I want to become a famous stage actor in Broadway! Yes, I want to share the stage with Lea Salonga, Hugh Jackman and Merryl Streep. It's an impossible dream, but dreams are for free. So Mr. Ares, dream on!!! LOL
I am an avid Drama fan, musical or just pure spoken lines. I think many people love to hear radio plays, watch soaps on TV and movies on DVDs or in the big screen. But for me, the best shows are performed live. I mean if you watch actors performing live in front of you, you will also be infected with the adrenaline rush they are experiencing. You can feel in the air the excitement and the other emotions they are showing.
As what Hugh Jackman announced during the 81st Academy Awards, "the Musicals are back!" I was so elated to hear that. My love of musicals started when I had played Rolf of the Children of Mary, Catmon Unit 1992 production of Rogers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music. From that time on, I tried to grab every opportunity to watch musicals on stage or just any type of drama.
As the English teacher, I'm always looking for strategies and methods to deepen the educational experience of my students in in their classrooms as well as outside of it. To help my students understand and appreciate Drama better, I organized the English Drama Festival 2009 last March 20, 2009 for my five English classes. It was really fun! My students were all enjoying and we presented an instant entertainment for everybody.
I had gained new insights about the mechanics of Drama and how to make better productions in the future from our Drama Festival. I discovered new talented students and I encouraged them to perform and participate in the different academic as well as in other extracurricular activities for the next school year.
Hello everyone!I am publishing this blog to pay tribute to my beloved town Catmon, Cebu. Catmon is very special to my heart; I was born here, I played, I prayed, I laughed, I cried, I loved, and I am educated here. In other words, I become who I am because of my birth place.
This site also serves to pay homage to the most noble profession, TEACHING. The human race have survived and evolved as a species partly because of a capacity to share knowledge, the important task of a teacher. I respected and loved my teachers in the past, but my admiration for them doubled when I become one.
I will post here some personal events, thoughts, insights, opinions and additional stuffs like poetry and other literary works, old as well as new photographs of personal, family, campus, church, community, and other activities.
The Team from Carmen National High School
The Magnificent Sibonga Church
The Long Bus Trip to Sibonga
