End of Scholastic Chess Camp 2016

Today we had the final day of Scholastic Chess Camp 2016 @ Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. We celebrated our last day by playing in several chess tournaments online-- at chessDOTcom and Chesscube. It was fulfilling to see my newest camper, Mike Al win his first championship over at chessDOTcom. Mike Al's only goal was to rank up his rating to at least 1200 but at the end of the day, his rating was much higher than Drew dlr.

"I've done it coach!" -Mike Al

Drew dlr placed fourth in a tournament where we both qualified to join in and in fact we played against each other in the 4th round. I will surely miss this boy as he moves on to high school. I have high hopes for him in his academics and when he represents his school in chess in the next four years. This year he will be reunited with David F and other former teammates. I'm sure they will bring pride and honor to their school.


Sandro F was quite a bit confused the entire 2 weeks of chess camp but the good thing is that he was aware of it. Mike and Drew were very supportive of him and that they made sure they offered help when Sandro needed one. Sandro would need to put in more "chess time" this summer so he can provide the necessary points for us to win our sixth MISAA Chess tournament this coming school year. Fingers crossed.

I have posted several photos of our day-to-day activities in the last eight days on our Official Facebook Page.


I would like to thank everyone who supported our camp especially the Lola of Sandro F for allowing us to use her place as our venue, thanks Ma'm!

Thank you too to the parents of our campers, Drew dlr and Mike Al, for entrusting their kids' chess development to me in the last six years.

Thanks be to God!

And with that, I officially begin my summer break.

Hanggang sa muli!  

My 40th Birthday Alphabet AKA The Mind Inside

Anticipating antsy audiences

Becoming brave bastards

Calmly cooling and chilling

Deciding direct dissection

Energizing, exciting eulogy

Featuring friendly foes and fiscals

Gravitating gaze galore

Hiding her hurts and heartaches

Inside intimate intellectuals

Justified jokes and jazz

 Keywords: Knockout Kings

Lovely language, letters and long-lasting laughter 

Mothering may matter

Naughty and naive neighbors

Offering oddities and oxymorons

Partnering people's perspectives

Quarantining the Queendom of the Queer   

Restless, rusty, random roundabouts

Secret society's super simple solution

Translating tremendous & troublesome tiny taboos 

Uniting universal uniqueness

Voicing out voluntary visions of Valentinos &  Valentinas

Waiting for wanna-be's, warriors & watchamacaliit

Xeroxing xylophones and xenons

Your yearly yonderly yuppy

Zapped, zigged and zagged.

Chess Camp 2016 @ Wack Wack Village

Our Chess Camp 2016 begins tomorrow at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. We are on our fourth year of offering this by-invitation-only chess camp. Everything is set and everyone's rarin' to push those pawns and pieces.

Scholastic Chess Camp 2016 will run for eight sessions from June 6-9 and 13-16 with weekend breaks including Fridays.  I'm in the process of having a guest player join our camp on our last day for our tournament. Hope this one pushes through.

Summer Time 2016

It is summer time for me and last weekend one of the things in my "must-do" list was accomplished: fix the roof before the rainy days become typhoon days. Water spout cleared and installed, roof nails hammered-in and sealant was applied all over.

I have six weeks for this summer break and I intend to make it as productive as I can. Tomorrow my daughter's teammates are coming over for a two-hour basketball training. I haven't met any of the girls in the team but my daughter P cautioned me that everyone's on the beginner level. And with that, I plan to follow the fundamental drills used by Coach Aik Ho in his basketball clinic in New Zealand:


And so I review the video.

Summer 2016 Pocket Tournament

Scholastic Basketball Camp Summer 2016 Pocket Tournament from May 28 - June 5 at the Basketball Court of Southern City-Tanzang Luma IV. Details:

1. Minimum of 6 Teams. 5 Teams and lesser, NO TOURNAMENT.

2. DEADLINE of SUBMISSION of TEAM LINE UP and TEAM REGISTRATION FEE of 3,500.00 on May 25, 2016 @ the residence of Coach Francis, 7:00 PM or EARLIER.

3. Player's Age Requirement: 17 Year Old and Below or BORN 1999 or YOUNGER. Photocopy of Birth Certificate is SUBMITTED together with the TEAM LINE UP.

4. Number of Players per Team: Maximum of 12 Minimum of 10. PLAY ALL Rule.

5. Questions and protests will only be entertained on the opening day.

6. Elimination Round: SINGLE ROUND-ROBIN

7. Top 4 Teams after elimination round:

Top 3 vs Top 4: Battle for 2nd and 3rd Runner Up Finish

Top 1 vs Top 3: Battle for Championship

Schedule:

May 28, 2016 Saturday:       Day 1, 3 Games (Games 1-3)

May 30, 2016 Monday:         Day 2, 3 Games (Games 4-6)

May 31, 2016 Tuesday:        Day 3, 3 Games (Games 7-9)
June 1,  2016 Wednesday:   Day 4, 3 Games (Games 10-12)
June 2, 2016  Thursday:       Day 5, 3 Games (Games 13-15)

June 4, 2016 Saturday:         Day 6, 2 Games (Games 14-15)

Game #14:      Battle for 3rd
Game # 15:     Battle for Championship

Awards:

Mythical 5
Tournament MVP

Champion: Trophy

1st Runner Up: Trophy
2nd Runner Up: Trophy
3rd Runner Up: Trophy

Thank you.

Let's do this!

Philippine National Elections 2016

On May 9, 2016, our Nation will be going through the democratic process of choosing and electing our national and local leaders. There will be 18,083 positions and 44,471 candidates for this year's polls. While we have been amused, terrified and taken-as-bobotantes by the circus-like election campaigns of these TRAPOS, the truth of the matter still stands---we are in for another change.  Whoever is sworn in on June, the people will be hopeful and watchful of how truthful the elected politicians will be to their plataporma de gobyerno.

We are expecting more than 54.4 million registered voters to come out and there are 92,509 precincts all over the county. And for those based overseas and wanting to vote, there are 82 foreign posts to serve 1.38 million of them.

It's been said time and again, none of the Presidentiables have taken sports as their primary objective when they take the highest post in the land. With all the issues hounding and pounding our society, I have never heard any of them talk about improving the sports program of the Philippines.

Why oh why?

Education? Poverty alleviation? Health services and delivery? Tanim-bala? Airport problems? Taxation? Transportation? Crime and Drug abuses? Police and Military abuses?

No one cares about the arts and sports development program in a land where more almost everyone is an aspiring athlete or an aspiring artist.

Whatever happens, there will always be that Resiliency of the Filipinos and this spirit is empowered and boosted by our natural and held-on belief on our Universal God. Be it God the Father or Alla, we Filipinos have been a very spiritual nation. We just have to keep holding on, believing in God and working on to reach our highest potential as a country and individually.

And before I regress, I'd like to share the following links for voter's education:

• Official COMELEC Website
• Online Voter's List 
• Online Status Verification

Rappler Philippines have posted a series for voter's education:

• Guide to 2016 Phl Elections
• By the numbers: Candidates in the 2016 Elections

May the Divine assistance be always with us!

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

On May 1, we celebrate the life and work of one of the holiest man who've ever lived on Earth, St. Joseph the Worker, protector of Jesus Christ and most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St Joseph is the Patron of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants and a happy death.

According to Catholic Online:

"Joseph was foster father to Jesus. There are many children separated from families and parents who need foster parents. Please consider contacting your local Catholic Charities or Division of Family Services about becoming a foster parent."

Here is a YouTube video about St. Joseph:



Let me end this post with a prayer to St. Joseph: 

"Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls - Pray for me."

Queen of Heaven, pray for us!

The Golden Arrow Prayer

One of my "quick-hitters" for prayers, The Golden Arrow. I found this prayer in the Pieta Prayer Booklet which I carry with me wherever I go. Its either in my bag, in my bike, inserted in my books, notebooks and my notes.

Aside from praying my set: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, St. Michale Prayer, Guardian Angel Prayer and Memorare, I make sure to pray the Golden Arrow often within a day. I hope you guys pray these prayers too on a daily basis.

So here is a copy of the prayer:

THE GOLDEN ARROW PRAYER
MAY THE MOST HOLY, MOST SACRED, MOST ADORABLE, MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND UNUTTERABLE NAME OF GOD BE ALWAYS PRAISED, BLESSED, LOVED, ADORED AND GLORIFIED, IN HEAVEN, ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH, BY ALL THE CREATURES OF GOD, AND BY THE SACRED HEART OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR. AMEN. 

After receiving this prayer, Sister Mary of St. Peter was given a vision in which she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus delightfully wounded by this "Go/den Arrow" as torrents of graces streamed from It for the conversion of sinners. 

Queen of Heaven, Pray for Us.

John Kerry Carries the Same Tune: Religion

And just like that, Secretary of State John Kerry spills the beans on a very sensitive matter: R-E-L-I-G-I-O-N. Almost a decade ago, its then Prime Minister Tony Blair who thought of studying religion and reaching out globally and say "Religion is the future of the world".

John Kerry said in a speech at Rice University:

“The more we understand religion and the better able we are as a result to engage religious actors, the more effective our diplomacy will be in advancing the interests and values of our people,” 

And adds:

“It is up to us to recognize that we can’t lead a world that we don’t understand,” ...  “and that we can’t understand the world if we fail to comprehend and honor the central role that religion plays in the lives of billions of people.”

Tony Blair's Leap of Faith  carries the same tune right?

Click here to read the entire speech, as well as the question-and-answer session that followed at the speech of John Kerry at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Safety.

Life on Hold

Got a call from my wife
Her tone, her voice can't make much of a lie
And then she said "Got back from a meeting...with the nuns"
And so I knew it wasn't good, the meeting not nice

For a year or almost a year
I worked and coached a high school basketball team without fear
I learned the ways and went through the maze
Of working for this school that's not really blessed with grace

When friends and colleagues learn about my team
They look at me with silly grin
They ask sheepishly "how are you doing in that gym?"
I answer "Everyone's adjusting and everyone's learning"

And after about ten months
During this Summer Camp month
All hell broke loose from the nun's camp
They are asking for a lump sum

My camp it seems too good for the nuns
How come it had to be me running the camp?
Why didn't they see this in the last 50 years?
It took me and not them to see the beauty of the beast

They've gotten used to their ways
Their abusive and tyrannical days
Their teachers have learned to sway
But were always dumped in favor of the Greys

To end the meeting with the Greys
A shot was fired in a sense
Telling my wife that I won't be back
As a coach for next year daw

Do I care about it?
I'll be ready to leave today
The school that's been there for 50 years
And yet only has 600 students for the past year

A school that asks for 50k a year
But gives nothing for the kids
How can you expect them to grow
When the parents are campaigning to leave

I gave my best
I worked my best
I tried my best
Its your turn PS

Give back, give back
Help and share
It's time you give what's due to the students

I'll be perfectly fine. I wonder what will happen to my players and to the parents who opted to stay because I was there?

I wonder.

The Buzz on Amoris Laetitia

We had our regular round table discussion (without a round table) after our Holy Rosary prayers today and focused on the recently released Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). I haven't read the entire document though but watched the EWTN's World Over Episode with Raymond Arroyo:
  

I don't know what will come out of this but it doesn't look good.

Let us all pray for the enlightenment of those who appears to be in error and for those given the opportunity to help and in a position to rectify the situation, may they provide the true and correct solution to the "errors".

May the Queen of Heaven, Mother of God pray for us!

Hour of Code Discovered

Our school is going to celebrate S.T.E.A.M. Week (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) and in the first two days of the celebration, there will be Hour of Coding for our middle school students.

Just what is Hour of Code?

"The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event. One-hour tutorials are available in over 40 languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104."

There are 198,474 Hour of Code events around the world and its interesting to know that my students will be participating. And guess what? Participants are learning in 40 languages.



Who's behind this project?

"The Hour of Code is organized by Code.org, a public 501c3 non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. An unprecendented coalition of partners have come together to support the Hour of Code, too — including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the College Board." 

There are so many things to do and learn from in the whole wide internet. Try this one out for your class or for your kids or even for the kids in the community you're helping.

Check it out!

Scholastic Interventions

Scholastic Interventions is a dream, a project and a mission by our family: Francis, Claire and our four kids Pat, Free, Migs & Fids.

Scholastic Interventions (SI) is envisioned to give and provide interventions in the areas of academics, sports and events by providing workshops, mentoring, coaching and consultancy in the academe and baranggay communities.

SI has been working with kids of all abilities in several places, community-based and school-based settings. Since 2004, we have reached out and provided privately-sponsored activities like chess camps, basketball camps, teacher training development and events organization. Work in the areas of Marian Spirituality has always been the main motivation of Francis and Claire.

As of April 2016, we have decided to change our name (and dream) from Creative Education Interventions to Scholastic Interventions to reflect a more realistic description to what we have been doing:  doing interventions in the context of scholastic endeavors: teacher training and development, reading camp, chess camp and basketball camp.

To date, Scholastic Chess Camp and Scholastic Basketball Camp are the two major projects we use to help spread and promote Marian virtues and teachings together with the basics of the two sports. We have produced several student-athletes in the last twelve years and they are now giving back by assisting us in our weekend projects in Cavite, Quezon and Manila.

Help us in our endeavor, pray with us and promote physical, spiritual, academic health and wellness among the youth of our nation. Anywhere you may be.

It is worth mentioning that in the last couple of years, Jason F of OBBO Socks has been helping us in bringing our Scholastic Basketball Camp in Imus City.

For the Glory of God, in the service Men.

Semper Ad Meloria!

The Divine Mercy Prayer

The "3 o'clock Prayer" as we know it, is the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy whose roots date back to September 13, 1935 with Sister Mary Faustina receiving the prayer from Jesus Christ though a vision. The ABC of the prayer:

A— Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach  Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and
asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B— Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C— Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our
trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

The message of mercy is that God loves us — all of us — no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.

Here is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song:




The Original Divine Mercy image which is also known as The Vilnius Divine Mercy Image has this background story:

The original Divine Mercy Image, painted by Eugene Kazimierowski in Vilnius under the direct supervision of St. Faustina and Fr. Michael Sopocko. It was completed in 1934, and first shown for public veneration in 1935 at the Church of Our Lady, Gate of the New Dawn, where the Ostra Bramska Image, also known as Our Lady of Mercy, resides.

St. Faustina was apparently very disappointed with Kazimierowski’s work during the painting of the image, because it was not capturing the beauty of Jesus as Faustina had seen him. Jesus appeared to St. Faustina again, and told her to settle for this image with these words:

“Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace.”
                                                                                                                                      (Diary, 313)

The image fell into disrepair from storage during the second World War, and the following decades when public veneration of the Divine Mercy was forbidden. The image was restored back to it's original beauty in 2003 by an artist of Vilnius. 

Here are other online resources for Sister Faustina's visions and the Divine Mercy Prayer:

1. Faustina Message
2. Divine Mercy in my Soul
3. Divine Mercy Sunday

Let's celebrate the Divine Mercy Weekend 2016 on the 2nd and 3rd of April by praying the Divine Mercy Novena!

Our Lord's Passion by Preciosa Soliven

Hello everyone.

Today I am sharing the two articles by Ambassador Preciosa Soliven, publisher and columnist for Philippine Star, educator and owner of OB Montessori School. She shared and wrote the details of Jesus Christ's suffering based on the book The Life of Mary as seen by Mystics. This is a compilation of the private revelations and visions of the following: St Elizabeth of Schoenau, St. Bridgette of Sweden, Venerable Mother of Jesus of Agreda ( Mystical City of God) and Sister Anna Catherine Emmerich.

I was gladly surprised to have read her column and was brought back in time when all I ever wanted to read were books about Mother Mary: The End of Days, Mystical City of God, The Secret of the Rosary, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and  Imitating Mary.

Here are the two links for the articles on the The Way of Our Lord's Passion and Cross:  Part 1 and Part II.

St. Louis de Monfort and His Books

St. Louis de Monfort was, according to Wikipedia:

"was a French Roman Catholic priest and Confessor. He was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI.

As well as preaching, Montfort found time to write a number of books which went on to become classic Catholic titles and influenced several popes. Montfort is known for his particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the practice of praying the Rosary.Montfort is considered as one of the early writers in the field of Mariology. His most notable works regarding Marian devotions are contained in The Secret of Mary and theTrue Devotion to Mary.

The Roman Catholic Church, under the pontificate of Pope Pius XII canonized Montfort on July 20, 1947. A "founders statue" created by Giacomo Parisini is located in an upper niche of the south nave of Saint Peter's Basilica." 

St. Louis went on a mission and traveled on foot and was also known as a priest, preacher, Mariology writer, poet and founder of a congregation.

He wrote several books:

• Admirable Secret of the Rosary
• True Devotion to Mary
• The Love of Eternal Wisdom
• True Devotion to Mary.
• Secret of the Rosary

Right now I'm reading his book called True Devotion to Mary.  Just click on the link and you may download the book for free.

Here are five website links where you can legally download Catholic books for free:

1. Free Catholic eBooks Download
2. Free Traditional Catholic Books
3. Good Catholic Books
4. Catholic Spiritual Direction
5. Catholic Books Online 

Hope you guys find the spiritual book you need.

World Religions: Handouts for Sacred Places

I found an acrobat document which appears to be a scanned pages of Special Edition of US News and World Report issued November 26- December 3, 2007. The cover title says Sacred Places, Inside the World's Most Spiritually Important Sites and What they Mean Today.

For those who are looking for something substantial and insightful on the subject, this will hopefully serve as a good introduction.

The link is here with the ebay link.

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess

As we celebrate the birthday anniversary of Robert "Bobby" Fischer, the American chess Grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion, I am sharing one of my favorite chess books: Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. A chess puzzle book written by Fischer himself and co-authored by Stuart Marguiles and Don Mosenfelder. Both Marguiles and Mosenfelder were leaders in the educational design of their time.

A great starter book for any beginner or interested student of the game. I have given copies of this book to my students and friends. I have repeatedly read and gone through the pages through the years and it helped sharpen my chess skills: tactics and more tactics.

He was an eccentric genius who was known for his controversial public remarks in his later years. He had trouble with the United States Government and this prevented him from going back to his native country in the last years of his life.

Happy birthday Bobby!

My Notes on The Future of Faiths

As I journey through the third term with my seventh graders for my World Religions class, I can't help but smile and give my students an imaginary pat on their backs after the first part of our discussion of the future of religions.

They had been with me since sixth grade and their growth in their knowledge of world religions, different faiths and beliefs were tremendous. Coming from our Face to Faith Team Blogging activity in second term, these kids are now almost-ready to take on their Ethics class next school year.

Thanks be to God for the beauty and satisfaction I find everyday in teaching and the opportunity to be part of the lives of my students. Praise be to God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit and to the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and all the angels and saints!

I'm sharing my notes on my lecture-discussion on the topic The Future of Faiths:

Looking Over the Spiritual Horizon (Religion  Today and Tomorrow) from the book Many Peoples, Many Faith, Women and Men in the World Religions by Robert S. Ellwood and Barbara A. McGraw.

Things Old and New

1. Some of the religions and belief systems we have looked at are very much rooted in the past, if not irrevocably locked in the past. Some of these religions may give religion a romantic patina or sprinkle it with the blood of grisly sacrifices that are all gone, thankfully they're gone.

2. The past is much simpler, more pristine or pure, the works of the Divine more evident and the moral teachings or values are clearer, somewhat.

3. As we move through time and space, as we practice and live our beliefs, it is expected that we bring along our traditions with us, continuously evolving yet staying in the past.

Will religion survive? Will God survive?

In the 18th century, the scholars and eminent voices from the "learned" circles all over the world have predicted the fading away of religion. If we look at history, as we always do in our class, "Death of god" is nothing new. We have seen how a society's religion and the gods it brings along dies or are placed on the sides when a new, more dominant and stronger "civilization" led by its mega-strong army claimed its rightful place in the conquered society.

Religion is always changing. That's a fact. Maybe subtle or the opposite, but it changes.

What are the factors affecting Religions Today?

1. Nuclear Proliferation
2. Technology
3. Ecological and Population Crises
4. Gender Inequity

Work on your reading assignments and we will continue our lecture-discussion next week.Have a great day! Be safe and my the blessing and protection of God be with you all!

The Garabandal Story

Mother Mary, the Mother of God, and St. Michael the Archangel visiting a small, laid-back village called San Sebastian de Garabandal in the early years of 1960's.

According to the Official Website of the Workers of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel:

"San Sebastian de Garabandal is situated at the very end of a winding road cut into the side of the mountain. A solitary cluster of nine pine trees stands starkly on a rise against the horizon to the south. The village itself consists of some eighty rustic stone buildings huddled together on a small strip of land overlooking a wooded valley.

Like Fatima and Lourdes, Garabandal is a place of unearthly serenity and beauty. The villagers were known throughout the region for their piety and their faithful observance of devotional prayer which they offered together as a community several times each day.

In 1961, it was the poorest and most isolated of all the agricultural hamlets in the region. The only access to the village was via the three and a half mile oxcart path that went up from Cosio, the next closest village."

Here are the videos I recently watched and gave me the motivation to pursue the story:

Maria Saraco's First Focus Interview:


Maria Saraco's Second Focus Interview"