Admin News
by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent
Last week, our students were involved in a number of Culture Week activities, culminating in our annual Sinulog Family Day. For those who are not aware of what Sinulog involves, here is a short outline of its history:
Sinulog Festival is an annual religious and cultural festival held in celebration of one of the country’s most famous historic relics: the Santo Niño de Cebú. This was the statue of the baby Jesus that was handed to the Rajah Humabon of Cebu by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. This festival has grown to become one of the most important events in the religious history of the Philippines, as it paved the way for the birth of Christianity in the country. Source
Sinulog Family Day @CIS combines house activity day (HAD) activities in the morning that are organized by our student councils, a street parade and performance by a group of Sinulog Dancers, and a PTA-organized lunch. It was wonderful to be able to do this in person again, and we are glad everyone enjoyed the festivities. We hope those who attended also enjoyed learning more about the friendly, colorful Philippine culture in a multitude of ways over the course of Culture Week. Thank you to the multiple organizers of the day, your efforts are very much appreciated! Please enjoy the photos of the events below!
Photos by Mr. Marlowe Guinto
Next week, we will celebrate another cultural event, our annual Chinese New Year! The Mandarin classes have already been investigating what this involves and will share details and photos of our celebrations next week. For now, we hope you enjoy the 4-day long weekend to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Xin Nian Kuai Le | 新年快乐 | Happy Chinese New Year!!!
Upcoming events of note
- Jan 20 – 23: Chinese New Year Holiday
- Jan 24: ASAs Start (ASA selection has commenced – refer to the sign-up form send via email from Mr. Pierra)
- Jan 25: ES Conferences (no face-to-face classes for ES students)
- Jan 25-29 ISAC 2 Boys Football & Girls Basketball Tournament (Brent Subic/Wed. & Sun. are travel days)
- Jan 31: Parent Coffee Meeting (8-9am, Annex)
Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar for the complete calendar of school events.
Philippine Culture Week
Classroom Activities
Sinulog Dance
Weaving
Jeepney Ride
House Activities Day (HAD 2)
by Seohyun and Jooha, Student Council
Saturday, January 14 was a memorable event for the CIS community. Students got to enjoy the school’s second successful HAD after a two year-long break from online classes.
This HAD stood out from the rest because it was integrated with some of the 
best aspects of Filipino culture: the food, people, and Sinulog! Through traditional games such as Bato Lata, Takyan, and the Coconut Husk Race, the students from grades 2 to 12 worked together in an attempt to bring their houses up on the leaderboard.
Seohyun and I mainly walked around each station, ensuring that the games were rolling out efficiently. It was definitely hard to resist the temptation of playing the games due to the loud cheers of endless school spirit. Whether it was cheering for their respective teams in the Coconut Husk Race, or celebrating their win when the last bottle got knocked down in Bato Lata, the team spirit was present throughout the day.
The whole event wouldn’t have been possible without the involvement of the Student Council members, teachers, admin, maintenance team, PTA, and the students. On behalf of the Student Council, we would like to thank everyone for their participation in providing an unforgettable experience for this year’s HAD/ Sinulog Family Day.
Throughout the day, we have seen everyone have fun playing the games, but we would like to recognize the final results for HAD 2. Tied in first place, Mahogany and Molave earned 80 points each. In third place, we have Acacia with 43 points. Finally, in fourth place, we have Narra with 37 points! Now the question is, who will be the winner of the next HAD 3?
Grade 7: Language & Literature
by Mr. Corryn Smith, ELA Teacher
Unit 3: Novel Study
Point of View: How is a character’s point of view shaped by their feelings in a story?
Connecting to a character’s point of view through sensory language/ description.
In grade 7 Language and Literature, students are exploring the key elements of a character’s point of view in a work of fiction. In this case, students are learning about the first part of our class novel Bamboo People as told through the main character’s(Chiko’s) point of view. Since Chiko is the narrator, there is explicit dialogue told with every little detail. This gives us (the reader) a very good sense of what is going on around the character (his thoughts and feelings; his attitude towards all of the things happening in his life).
Students demonstrate their grasp of Chiko’s point of view through a series of journal responses exploring their own thoughts and feelings during a challenging time in their own lives: the pandemic.
In the examples below, a student responded to the following journal prompt analyzing the features of descriptive writing and connecting with the tone of the narrator Chiko. Since quarter one, students have been building upon the skills of descriptive writing and sensory language and how these features communicate a writer’s tone: “What family treasures do you value at home? How were they a source of comfort during the pandemic? Be specific and detailed in your descriptions. Consider the use of sensory language. For example, this can include descriptions such as the sounds of your sibling’s laughter or the smells of a home-cooked meal.”
Original student descriptive writing sample:
Revised student descriptive writing sample:
The second example below demonstrates the student’s growth in applying descriptive writing and sensory language after receiving both peer and teacher feedback.
College/Careers Counselor Corner
by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner
College Events (Virtual and Face to Face)
DATE
February 3
Friday
9:15 – 10:00 AM
Canteen Annex
University of Essex (UK) –Face to face info session with the university rep: Learn all about the programs and application process.
February 10
Friday
9:15 – 10:00 AM
Canteen Annex
Istituto Marangoni (Italy) – Face to face info session with the university rep: Learn all about the programs and application process.
SAT Update for 2022-2023
| SAT Test Date | Deadline for Registration, Changes and Regular Cancellation |
| March 11, 2023 (Digital) | February 24, 2023 |
| May 6, 2023 (Digital) | April 21, 2023 |
| June 3, 2023 (Digital) | May 19, 2023 |
Test dates labeled Digital means that students will bring a device to the test center and take the exam using their device. The College Board may provide devices for test-takers who do not have access to a device. All test-takers for Digital SATs are still required to report physically to the test center to take the test.
To register for the SAT, you may click on this link. If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Jenny Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph.