NEAR END

As 2013 came, it brought to us new beginnings and new endings. And now, third grading is done! We’re getting closer into the finish line. But the question is, “were my efforts worth enough for me to achieve what I really want?”

Few days left before the graduation but still I’m not ready for it. I don’t know if my efforts for this grading satisfy myself. For sometimes I get really lazy to do my schoolworks. But I know that I did my very best. Third grading is full of knowledge, experience and memories to be cherished. In entering the third quarter in ICT, it was really fun exploring the Microsoft Frontpage. Because it was my first time to meet it. I felt excitement while editing and creating my design on web page window. It’s like I was creating a website of Vigan about its culture and arts. I find it so exciting! Sometimes, I get disappointed with myself because sometimes eventhough I reviewed hard I still get errors and get low score. I’m also happy because there are memories and experiences I have; giving forgiveness to friends, meeting new practice teachers and still getting stronger with the two of us. J Taking new beginnings and endings.

Moving on, I will still do my very best and exert more effort as I get into the finish line.

New Year, New Me

It’s Time to Make the Difference

“The Old year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!” – Edward Payson Powell

It’s a new year, but people still have the same old way. Nothing changed but the numbers on the calendar. New Year’s about getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to give more, to love more. New year, new adventures, new beginnings, new dreams, new hope, new love, new story, new memories. Tomorrow is a new beginning, a brighter future, a new start, a new satisfactory in life… Share love and live life to the fullest… New life, new year, new things to remember, new environment, new beginnings, new endings.

People are saying. “New Year, New Me!” Like no I’m not gonna change by the day, I’ll change over time for right reasons and learned lessons, not a new me for a new day. Let us try to make the best of it, new year, new me, new future, new beginnings, new mistakes but the end of this year and all the years I’m still who I am. And for this another year, I want to speak up more, listen and pay attention wisely. Embrace my haters, make friends with my enemies, and don’t let any nonsense or drama take over me. I learned that you can’t avoid drama and some people will dislike you for no reason and if I let that bother me, they’ll always win.

So, for this year I will do the good things that I never do, continue doing good things which I have started. I know that life is short and it’s time to make the difference. I will not waste every tick tack of the clock by doing what I can do today and by dreaming as if I will die tomorrow.

 “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right”. – Oprah Winfrey

“Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits” – Author Unknown

“New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday” -Charles Lamb

ESSENCE OF CHRISTMAS

                                 True Essence of Christmas

         “Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart.” - George Matthew Adams

Everyday is Christmas. But can we really feel its true essence? Christmas is always defined as a celebration of the birth of Christ among the Christians. Christmas season starts when the month of December enters. We started to put up our Christmas decorations such as lanterns, Christmas lights, Christmas trees and the “Belen”. We spent a lot of money just for our houses to be decorated. Christmas season is also the start of children’s door to door carolling at night. They ask for what they call an “Aguinaldo”. These are just some signs that Christmas season has started.

Christmas is about love. Caring one another, spending the time to do the little things to make the holiday special for our loved ones. Christmas is also about togetherness. Being with the people you love, laughing, sharing a meal, sharing happy memories. Christmas is also about giving. Doing things for others - collecting food for the needy, helping with toy distributions to needy children. Remembering those less fortunate.

Christmas isn’t only about the gifts we receive from our parents, relatives and friends but most of all it is about preparing ourselves to be prepared for this very special occasion. We are easily occupied by the evils of this world and we forget the true essence of this occasion. We are easily blinded by the worldly happiness that why we do not appreciate God’s promise of unending life. We should remember that the true essence of Christmas is sharing and giving and this should be done everyday and that is love that must be shared by one and all.

“Until one feels the spirit of Christmas, there is no Christmas. All else is outward display - so much tinsel and decorations. For it isn't the holly, it isn't the snow. It isn't the tree, nor the firelight's glow. It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again.” - Author Unknown

EQUAL RIGHTS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES PROGRESS FOR ALL

EQUALITY FOR PROGRESS

“We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors… but they all have to learn to live in the same box.”-Unknown. This quotation tells us that we have equal rights, equal opportunities. And for this year, the theme for International Women’s Day is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All”.

Honest equality between women and men, girls and boys can only be apprehended in the process of a just, fair and civilized transformation of our society as a whole. There’s need for us to unite and enable women to take their rightful place in production and political activity to improve their economic and political status. We are in a democratic country and we have the right to do whatever we want to do as long as we are not hurting anybody. Women are known as “weaker than men.” But, this must change. We dare for a change!

Women must not be treated as ordinary inactive participants in national development. They must enjoy important rights and freedoms suitable all human beings, both in democratic and public life. Women need to be treated fairly in families, workplaces, public life and the church. Women are backbone of our families and play major roles in our economy, especially in rural areas. The life and health of women are of central importance to the future development of our nation. Women bring special gifts to the progress of our country. They also have the right and duty to take part in the political and administrative work of our nation. Politically, women have contributed a lot in all our struggles.

We must get off the discrimination between men and women. Equal rights and equal opportunities should be given to all of us for the progress. 

Responding to Climate Change

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is caused by human activity. And there has been a significant climatic change that has taken place throughout the years on Earth. These changes have affected the society in more than one way.

Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions. Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processer, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions.

Nowadays, there is nothing society can do about the long term influences of climatic changes. Society has tended to address the short term effects of climatic changes that influence the global temperature within the life span of present generations. Climatic changes affect society, health and economics. Society depends a lot on natural resources for various aspects. First of all, society depends largely on forests to supply trees which in turn supply wood for construction. Other resources include oil and animals. The health of people will also be affected. If we will not going to use our resources in a right way. Because if we will abuse them, its bad effect will return to us.  And if this will increase, it will affect the economic rate of the society.

We don’t know what climate change will bring to us. So, we should ready ourselves in whatever may happen. And we should not abuse our resources that protect us.

Reflection: SECOND GRADING PERIOD

Next Page Please!

               

                            Time runs fast. Every tick-tack of the clock brings us changes. Almost 4 months have already passed and second grading is about to end. We have to open new chapter of our 4th year high school life, 3rd grading period. Next page please!

                   Going back to the previous chapter, I would say that it was full of experience. My knowledge in first grading became wider, these were doubled, tripled. I have learned new pieces of knowledge which my teachers have imparted to us again. Entering the world of HTML(Hypertext Mark-up Language) is definitely exciting. I have discovered creating HTML file and tried it in a HTML editor, Notepad. But this was only "start tag" and I learned more about this. As time goes by, I discovered that I can still reformat this by turning it to bold, italic, underline, subscript, superscript, etc. That was not the "end tag". I have discovered also the font attributes. I can format now the text using font attributes, font size, font color, font face.

                            I have my great experience this grading period, because in our Analytic Geometry subject, we had our educational hike out at the radar satellite station. A deathly hike out. It really challenged our patience and strength just for us to reach its top. It was not easy to climb but we did it! And I am proud to say, “I SURVIVE!”

                     Beyond these experiences and pieces of knowledge, there are also problems. Many projects are assigned to us and when the deadline came, we were running of time and rushing everything. There are also times that I got low in our quizzes. In address to these problems, I use my time wisely and finished my projects and assignments in time. And I tried my best to review our lesson to get high score.

                        Moving on, I will strive harder and I will be more studious. And be always positive. I will be more confident so that I can be out of my shell. I will start the next page with a more confident me.

UPHOLDING ENGLISH PROFICIENCY FOR COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

ENGLISH, ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

                           Language is used for expressing our thoughts, and for verbal thinking, problem solving, and creative writing, but it is used essentially for communication.

                    English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is considered as the universal language, for with it is understood by almost all countries around the world. It is used by most people as their second language. First, it is a way of communication in business; it plays an important role in the basic education, particularly to speaking and writing. English proficiency pertains to the ability to speak, read and write in English. To be considered as truly proficient, we should have an advanced skill in this. We know that English is the universal language, to communicate to those people in other countries; we have to speak in English so that they will understand what we are saying. English proficiency can be an important aspect of education. Even native English speakers can benefit from increasing knowledge and improving writing skills. There are many accessible ways to improve English proficiency effectively without taking formal classes. One of the most important aspects of gaining proficiency in any language is speaking it regularly. Self-study can improve reading and comprehension skills. Watching and listening to media in English. The internet is full of resources that can help you improve your English proficiency. Reading news articles at English  news websites is a way to work on reading comprehension.

                          In upholding English proficiency, we can improve our communicative competence. Enhance our English speaking and creative writing. We can develop our communicative competence by upholding English proficiency.