GMA News' Katipunan: Unang Kabanata

GMA News and Public Affairs did it again!

I hope this series reaches all Philippine classrooms and aid our students in learning more about Philippine history, culture, language and values. This is Katipunan Episode # 1- Unang Kabanata: Teresa aired October 19, 2013.

Let us have more of this on Philippine TV!

Ang galing GMA News!

Teen Talk: Chastity

With all the scandals that have plagued our society, thanks to the beyond-the-border reach of Internet, this email announcement/invitation reminded me that there indeed is hope for a brighter and better future for all of us:

Speakers for this event are Internationally recognized Chastity Education spokespersons: JASON & CRYSTALINA EVERT.  The event will be on September 5, Thursday, from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, at the Li Seng Giap Auditorium, 3rd Floor ACB Building, University of Asia & the Pacific, Pearl Drive, ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Ticket Price is at Php 500.00

The talk will have as its market high school teachers, Guidance Counselors, Church and Religious groups and organizations,  and other groups or associations that handle the formation of teens.

For more details, visit the Official Website at Cor Magistrorum.

 

Trese Series: Twist and Shout

Yes I read the 5 books in the Trese series created by Budjette Tan and illustrated by Kajo Baldisimo about two months ago. I was introduced into the series by one of my students last year when we were discussing Pinoy Pop Culture, particularly Filipino Komiks.

When she brought the 5 books and showed them to me, I simply nodded to show her that I do approve her reading the series but I never read it nor even touched any of it. I thought this was another thrashy-time-wasting-publication that National Bookstore was propagating by having so many stocks on display all over the Philippines.

Then I chanced upon one of our school librarian and IT guy discussing about Alexandra Trese and how almost everything in the stories are very Filipino. Something ticked and I said I should start reading Trese.

Then one Friday afternoon, the universe opened and before I knew it, I was reading Book 1 and could not even put it down. Thanks to Mr. F for lending me his 5-volume collection of the series, I managed to read it everything in one weekend.

And my daughter did the same thing, she read after me and beside me on the sofa. She would ask me which book I' have read so that she can read too. And we were in awe! Filipino mythology in twisted form that will leave the readers screaming, shouting for more.

Where's Trese Six?

Thanks Budjette and Kajo!

And today I chanced upon Rappler's interview of the creators of Alexandra Trese, Budjette and Kajo:

   

Philippine Registry for Occupational Therapy Centers

The national association for occupational therapists in the Philippines, also known as Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines Inc. (OTAP), will be launching a database of all centers, clinics and hospitals offering occupational therapy services all over the Philippines. The said database or registry will be launched by July of 2013 and will be updated on a quarterly basis.

You will have to do:

1. Accomplish the registration form
2. There should at least have two (2) active OTAP Members ( in GOOD STANDING, I added this one) practicing in the clinic
3. Pay the annual registration fee of PhP 500.00 thru Metrobank Robinson's Galleria Branch: Account Name: OTAP, Inc and Account Number: 6297629002479
4. Send the following to otap_inc@yahoo.com with subject heading: OTAP Clinic Ad (Name of Clinic):

• Accomplished form
• Scanned copy of the deposit slip with the clinic's name written on it
• Logo of clinic or institution

For further inquiries, you may send an E-mail to Ms. Joan Dominique O. Go, OTRP @ joan_go07@yahoo.com.

FIDE Trainers Seminar - RP 2013

We now have the result of the recently-concluded FIDE Trainers Seminar in Manila, Philippines. Midas Hotel was the host for the Asian Continental Championships and the seminar. THe lecturers were GM and FST  Efstratios Grivas (Greece - Secretary of the FIDE Trainers’ Commission), assisted by the first ever Asian GM (& FST) Eugene Torre and GM & FT Jayson Gonzales (both Philippines).

At least our Filipino chess teachers have "teaching certification" to show their paying clients and I do hope they know the basic tenets of teaching and learning process. As we all know, chess coaching or training is more than being a strong chess player. Chess teaching is basically teaching, bringing in the fun and excitement.

Some easily recognized names in the field of Philippine chess coaching and teaching are in the list: Erwin Carag, Rudy Ibanez and Joel Hicap.

So may I present to you the graduates of the FTS-Manila 2013:

FTS Table by buenaventura_f_a

Looking Back at 2012-2013

Today, June 1, 2013, is the very first day of my summer break from work. After the commencement exercises last night, I had a long impromptu chat with my friend Ricky at the parking lot. The usual review of the year and plans for next year.

Let me take this chance to look back at the year that was.

It was a good year and we had so much to thank for. Hearing the speakers for the night, the two student awardees and the special guest,  made me feel like I am home. It was interesting to listen to the thoughts and hopes of the leaders of the batch. They spoke of how the school nourished their lives, how the school has become their home in the last nine or ten years. They saw the school as a place where thy can be who they want to be and they did. They are the product of what the school is.

About my former colleague, I have all my prayers for her. She was the "Mother" I had when I was a newbie in my school. I had this great opportunity to work with her when she was working as the homeroom teacher for the fourth graders. Tears did fall from my eyes but I had to hold back. I didn't want to make a scene nor be noticed that I was crying. I thought I would see her after the ceremony but she left as soon as she was done with her speech.

I wanted to tell you this but I never had the chance:

Dear Mrs. Z, 

Thank you for the kindness and guidance you have shown me when you were with us. The time I had with you was short, maybe less than a year but those precious times I worked with you were remarkable. You were a mother to me without trying to. You gave me reminders about being a father and about being a teacher in Beacon. You shared stories and TOBLERON whenever you had a chance. You would always tell me that I was in a good place, I was in Beacon. I know now what you meant when you said that I was in a good place, I was in Beacon. Beacon is not just a school or a place for me to teach and work. Beacon is a family. 

Thank you so much. May the Lord our God guide you thru and give you more years to shower your loved ones with the same guidance and you have given me.

And the gifts.
   
Of all the gifts I received from my students last night, there was one I received where I felt my hair on my neck stood and my heart beat faster. The gift was a letter from my student, SB. The student wrote simple but meaningful letter in Filipino. It was a letter of thanks and a letter of looking back. It was heartfelt and it was the first thing I showed my wife and kids when I reached home. So to SB, thank you very much!

For my chess this year, we claimed the MISAA Chess Championship for the first time. I am now reaping the fruits of  more than two years of ground work with the students. As always, students will come and go but those who remain are the ones who truly loves the game of chess. The way I see it, our club will have a solid line up in the next two years. With the material that I have now, both PYP and MYP will play at a much higher lever this coming school year. Will we find a way to play for the DEPED Taguig Sports Meet? I don;t know.

For my Language B class, I have learned more about my subject this year. I have become more relaxed in teaching the units and has befriended the Language B guide more. I got into Pinoy Graphic Novels because of my Pop Culture unit. And now, my own kids are teasing me that my new chess is graphic novels or komiks.

For learning support, I have had the great opportunity to be part of SENIA-Manila. My coordinator, Ms. Y, asked us to present in the SENIA-Manila's Gathering of Professionals and it was great. Thanks!

But I still need to learn something more. It is in "doing" that we learn something more. I have to be more meticulous in my documentation. I have to, I need to.

It was a great year. Another year done, another year of fun.

Thanks much, thanks much!

 

Chess with Jughead

Chess was featured in the Best of Jughead, Crowning Achievements by Tom Root, Craig Boldman and Rex Lindsey.

In the story The Right Moves, Jughead was playing chess with Archie in the opening frame:

Archie: "I didn't know you were a chess player!"

Jughead: "The grand game of strategy and skirmish? Sure!"

Go out and buy this one, for the comic book freak and lover of chess.

Free Comic Book Day 2013

If you have time, you can still make it to the Free Comic Book Day at Fully Booked and Comic Odyssey:

2013 Summer Chess Camp @ Beacon School

The word is out, together with FIDE Instructor Norlito Bersamina, I'll be running the first Summer Chess Camp @ Beacon School this month of June. Yes you read it right, its summer time for us come June and everyone is invited to join in the fun.

The Camp is open to all interested, Beacon or non-Beacon students, fourteen year old and below.

Scholastic Chess 2013

Coursera: ADHD Materials Week 1

The ADHD online course by Coursera is up and the materials for the first week is now available. You may download and share away all of these.


Learn and share the light. God only knows how you can affect eternity by teaching and helping people.

ADHD_booklet.pdf by buenaventura_f_a

Enrichment Lessons for Summer 2013

I knew it! It is summer time and announcements are pouring in. This time we have the schedule and classes offered by different specialists to make fun learning and worthwhile for your children. From Homeschooling Solutions:

And for those who would be interested in football or soccer, we have Cheval Noir Football Academy:

2nd SENIA-Manila Conference in ISM

Its the 2nd Special Education Network in Asia-Manila Conference today. It starts at 8 in the morning and ends by 3 in the afternoon and International School Manila is hosting the conference.

Participants will come from member schools like The Beacon School, International School Manila, Brent International School, British School Manila, DLS-CSB, German European School-Manila and Faith Academy. We have a total of seventy-five participants including presenters for each workshop.

The workshop topics will be:

1. Oral and Written Language Development
2. Occupational Therapy in the Classrooms
3. Behavior Modifications
4. Social Thinking
5. Multi-sensory Maths
6. Structured play-dates
7. Cooperative Learning
8. Empowering Teachers
9. Consistency, challenge and care

I'll be giving a thirty-minute lecture on Bringing Occupational Therapy in the Middle School Classrooms. I hope the day will turn out to be successful for everyone.

   

TBS Dodgeball Open

Here is an interesting event and I guess this is RP's first, The Builders' School Dodgeball Open:

TBS Dodgeball Open Greetings!

We are writing to invite you and your students to The Builders' School Dodgeball Open to be held on Saturday March 16, 2013 from from 8:00 am to 11:30 am at the Meralco Sports Center Covered Tennis Courts.

There will be a short clinic from 8:00 am to 9:00 am.  Officials from the Philippine Dodgeball Association will teach the participants on how to play the game and they will then be distributed into teams for the friendly games that will follow. Participants must be 7-13 years old. You may bring up to 14 participants and the entry fee for each is PHP 100.00.

This Dodgeball Open is an activity in preparation for the Philippine Dodgeball Association Little League season which is slated for July this year.  We want to encourage your school to join this league.

Kindly email us your response or you may also call our office at 972.5974 on or before Friday, March 8, 2013.  We hope to see you there!

Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Victor A. VillanuevaSchool DirectorThe Builders' School

Come and join in the fun!

Free Download: Journey through Chess

Here is a free download for all our readers and visitors. Another book written by UK's Number 1 chess author and teacher, Richard James. Journey through Chess was published this year for free. It is a collection of the most important ideas and concepts from his heavy-traffic, rich-content chess website, ChessKids Academy:

Journey Through Chess by buenaventura_f_a

FIDE Trainer's Seminar in Phl 2013

It's official, the FIDE Trainer's Seminar in the Philippines will be held on May 20-24, 2013 to coincide with the Asian Continental Chess Championship.

The World Chess Federation has been training chess coaches all over the world and this will be the first time our country will be hosting the event. A good opportunity for teachers like me who, aside from teaching the usual school subjects, also run an after-school chess club.

FIDE Trainer titles to be awarded:

1. FIDE Trainer
2. FIDE Instructor
3. National Instructor
4. Developmental Instructor

Lecturers for the five-day workshop would be GM and  FST Efstratios Grivas and GM and FST Eugene Torre.

For further information and questions:

Address: Florencio Campomanes Chess Academy 

c/o Fianchetto Unit 1 Villa Felicidad # 117, 

14th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 

Tel: +63 2 4396921, +63 2 4385828 

Email: campomaneschessacademy@gmail.com, abundo@fide.com

IA Casto Abundo, +971 50 3544938 

IA Elias Lao +63 926 237 8876 

Coursera: ADHD Through the Lifespan

This just in: "Pay Attention" ADHD Through the Lifespan by Anthony L. Rostain of University of Pennsylvania. This is one of the Coursera course I'll be participating in and I hope to finish the course.  The course reviews current scientific knowledge and clinical approaches to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and examines its impact on development, functioning and health outcomes.

An intro to the course:

1st Philippine Brain-based Conference

BrainFit Philippines is hosting the 1st Philippine Brain-based Conference on March 25, 2013 at Centro Escolar University Auditorium (CEU), Mendiola, Manila. The conference starts at 1 and will end by 5 in the afternoon. Keynote speaker is Martha S. Burns, Ph. D. and she will talk about "Brain Fitness, The Key to Learning Success in Children."

For a preview of what to expect and probably to learn from the conference, here is a TEDx video of Dr. Martha S. Burns:

For the additional  information, posters and registration, drop me a line or two on my comment box so I can send you it to you by email. You may also visit the following link: http://brainfitph.blogspot.com.

CAUP Chess Officiating Seminar

Good news!

The Chess Arbiters Union of the Philippines will have their first arbitration seminar on February 22-24, 2013.

Details:

• Venue at the Alphaland Southgate Mall, Makati City beside the MRT Magallanes station
• The three-day seminar is open to all coaches, public and private school teachers, amateurs, professionals or individuals who want to learn the rudiments of proper officiating in chess tournaments. 
• Well-known international arbiters Poliarco and Rolando Yutuc and other noted FIDE and national arbiters will spearhead the lecturers and facilitators. Topics include the FIDE Laws of Chess, regulations for Swiss system tournaments, FIDE rating systems, manual and other pairing systems, rules of Chess 960 or Fischerandom chess, varied tournament time controls, determination and awarding of norms and titles, among other topics aimed to equip the attendees with scientific and in-depth know-how of chess arbitration.
• Seminar fee is pegged at P2,200 which will include manuals on FIDE Laws of Chess, other handouts, certificate, CAUP ID and snacks.
• The seminar is limited to 30 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, please contact Mr. Miles Samaniego 7812483 or Mr. Alex Dinoy 0922 8288510 or you may register on-line at CAUP secgen2.18.12@gmail.com.

Basic Checkmate Pattern: Back-Rank Mate

This week I reached my highest rating so far on ChessCube with 2065. After four weeks of downward trend, no thanks to my internet lag, I have finally recovered from losing rating points and cubits.

Here is a game I played a couple of nights ago and it ended in a Back Rank mate. Back Rank mates fall under the "Basic Checkmate Patterns" and it really is a fundamental lesson to be learned by chess players.

What is a back-rank mate?  A back-rank mate is a checkmate delivered by a rook or maybe a queen along a back rank. A back rank on a chessboard could be the squares where the rows where the King and other pieces stand at the beginning of the game. It is also called corridor mate when it is given on the edge of the board, as in the a-file or the h-file.

Watch the game below:

Basic Checkmate Pattern: Scholar's Mate

Here is a game I never thought I'd play and win over at Chesscube. My opponent carried a higher rating than mine, his was 1948 and mine was 1850. Bullet games are frowned upon by the powers that be of chess but a game is a game and I'll take this win anytime. A bullet game is also known as 1-minute game, play to finish. I used five seconds to carry out this basic checkmating pattern, a four-mover. Here is the game below, I was playing with the white pieces.


 

A game like this is often found in a beginner's chess book and in many children's tournaments. These so-called "Kiddies" in Philippine chess is 14 and under which means players aged 14 and below are eligible to play in this tournament. The f7 square on the black side is the weakest square in the beginning or opening stage of the game. If we will look into the white side, then it would be the f2 square. To avoid losing a game this way, protect these squares at all cost. Remember the weakest squares on the chessboard in the opening, f2 for white and f7 for black.

You may visit this link for further explanation on the Scholar's Mate.