Reflection

It is only a few months more before I graduate. From Grade 11, I've been doing many things and participating in so many activities for CAS. Unfortunately, I missed posting or writing about a lot of them mainly because of my laziness. At first, I thought these were not really important, so I focused my time on my subjects to get better grades. However, I realized that without these activities, my life in this school would not be interesting. So I started planning to do my blogs, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't write about them completely because of so many IB requirements to submit, tests reviews to do, tests to pass, and university applications to be done. Sometimes, I felt like giving up my life, but when I reflect on all the activities that I have done, I feel a sense of happiness because I feel that I have accomplished more in giving joy to others with my music, in visiting elementary schools where I see the smiling faces of children to give stuffs or when I played with them, in giving service to poor people who really need help, and so many more. When I think back, I remember all the hard times I went through, carrying heavy stuffs, washing instruments for the dentists, practicing, running, walking, travelling to far places, even getting nervous in doing sports and joining in bees. But I feel happy because I actually enjoyed every single activity that I joined. I also became stronger, so I will never have any regrets. These will all be my great memories of my school life in Brent. I am sure that everything I learned about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, my ability to work with others, and my training in giving service to others will all be useful for me in the future because I will be able to use all these experiences in my development and in my ability to improve the lives of other people. I am really thankful that I have this great opportunity of learning all of these things in this school. 

Golf Lesson: Putting

Every Saturday, I have my golf lessons at Camp John Hay. Today, I learned how to putt in golf or how to drive the ball into the hole. My teacher also taught me when not to putt. It was a bit tough because my shooting skill is not yet perfect, but I will do my best to learn more and become better at it.

Attending my golf lessons regularly every weekend is very important for me. I have committed into making myself healthy and one way to do this is to exercise. My golf lessons give me enough exercise, making my muscles stronger, and hopefully, I can lose some weight.

Playing golf seems easy, but not really. I learn a new golf skill, a new move, or a new way every weekend, but I also learn many other things when I take my lessons in golf.  I learn a new skill and try to develop it with more practice. I also get to meet my very kind teacher who is very patient with me even if I make many mistakes. I do my best to listen to all his instructions and work cooperatively with him so that I can learn easily.

Filipino Day

During the Filipino Day, I participated by playing the violin for the opening and closing songs in church. I always feel good whenever I play the violin, especially during the service because I feel privileged to use my God-given talent. This is my way of praising God and thanking him for giving me this talent that I can share to others. I feel that I am blessed and loved by God.

I saw teachers and students wearing their Filipino costumes on this day. There was also a presentation where teachers and parents and students performed on stage in the Griffiths Theater. It's always good to see that Brent School celebrates this special day!

The Filipino day is a good learning experience to me. Since I had to play at church, I did my best to practice the songs and worked collaboratively with other students in order to make good music. I did my best to persevere and commit myself to what was assigned to me so that everything went smoothly as planned and practiced.

Gawad Kalinga

I participated in the Gawad Kalinga, a community service activity of the school, where we were tasked to go to a particular area in the suburb. There, we had to transport and carry building materials for the renovation of some houses and structures which were affected by the recent typhoons.  It was a great challenge for all of us, especially for me, because it was really physically challenging. It was a very hot day, and the building materials were not that easy to carry. However, we all felt good at the end of the day, knowing that we were able to share our time and effort in rebuilding the structures in this community.

I learned many things from Gawad Kalinga. I was able to know how bad it is for some people to have nowhere to live, so it felt good to have participated in this service activity, with the hope that when their houses are done, they will have a place that will protect them from future calamities. I also learned that work can be easily accomplished when done cooperatively with my classmates and schoolmates. Passing the materials along made things a bit easier than carrying them alone. I have learned the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and commitment in this activity. I am happy to have met new faces there, but I am happier that I get to do this with my friends at Brent.

MENSA

I know I am not perfect, but I have always been trying my best at everything. Sometimes I think I am just an average student, but I try hard. I don't get enough sleep at night because of too much school work and tests to study. Recently, I was encouraged to take the Mensa test for me to know what my IQ really is. I was surprised when I received a letter telling me that I am qualified to join the Mensa Organization because of my test result. I am really very happy to find out that I am actually a good student! 

This had been a great challenge for me, and I am glad that I faced it and did not quit in the middle of the exam. I did my best to answer every question even it became too boring sometimes. I was tired from the long trip and Manila weather is not that great because it was too hot.  Anyway, taking this test made me realize many things. I became aware of my strengths and I have the chance to develop myself further by improving my weaknesses. I was able to face this new challenge in my life and I learned much about myself. I am really happy that I have made my parents proud of me! ^^

Golf Lesson

1. take back and stop means top of back needs get the timing a little stop
2. left arm turns 

These are just some of the things I learned today from my golf instructor. It's fun to get to play golf at the practice area. But playing on an actual golf course is more fun even if it needs much time for walking and following the ball to shoot it in the final tee.

Learning a new skill is important. Even if I don't plan to become a professional golf player, it's good to know more about this game. Not only do I develop my skills in this sport, but more importantly, I get to exercise and make myself healthy. In this activity, I learn to keep my determination in doing my best to keep myself fit for my own benefit. I also learn to know my strengths so that I can maintain them, and also my weaknesses so that I can improve on them.

There were times that I felt like giving up, especially when I couldn't cope with the stress of the practice, but I learned to persevere and be committed so that I can achieve my goals of being healthy.  I also realized that if I listened to my instructor well and be cooperative throughout the process, I can learn much faster.

Lessons and Carols 2015

I participated in the Lessons and Carols at the school chapel. This is done at Brent School every December, and I am very honored to have played in this orchestra. We played many different Christmas carols and  we accompanied songs sang by the choir. There were many people who attended, and I was happy that my parents were there, too. Joining the Lessons and Carols is a wonderful thing, because we don't only get to enjoy it, but we are also able to make many people happy on Christmas.

For me, this activity has teaching me many things. I have joined even in the previous years, so I am getting to develop my music skills whenever we learn new pieces. Practicing after school is very challenging, especially because there is a lot of homework to be done, but I am always glad to accept the challenge because of my love for music.  I grow more aware of my strengths and weaknesses in playing the violin, so I get to improve myself and be better at it. It is also important for me to not only be committed to this task, but also to work collaboratively with my group, because if I don't, then it is impossible for us to have great harmony.

Playing Golf

I played in the golf field at Camp John Hay today. I played with my classmate, Christy, and we had a great time. I applied the skills that I have been learning from my golf instructor, and he said I did very well with my moves. It is fun to get into sports like golf. This gives me the opportunity to exercise for my health while having fun.

I was able to initiate and plan this activity with my friend and neighbor, Christy, who was willing to spend time in the field with me. Playing golf and applying all the skills I have learned so far gives me the chance to be more and more aware of my strengths and weaknesses in this activity. It is challenging, especially when playing with a very good opponent. I learned that if I persevere and stay committed and not quit in the middle of the game, I can learn more and be better at this sport.  Playing with Christy has also given me the chance to develop my skills, because I can learn from her the things that I still don't know, and she can learn from me, too.

18th Philippine Mathematical Olympiad Participation

My classmates who attend High Math IB and I formed a math club and studied together. We discussed many things in the club, including how to solve difficult problems. We participated in the 18th Philippine Math Olympiad. I received a certificate for participating in this activity and for being able to reach the qualifying stage.

Math has always been my favorite subject. I think I am good in algorithms, problem solving, and the like. Joining the math club and participating in the Math Olympiad has increased my awareness of my strengths and weaknesses in this subject. I realized that there were many other students much better than me. This gave me the chance to reflect on myself and think that I can do better, so I have to learn more about Math.

Being a member of the math club is great. I get to learn from others and they learn from me, too when we have discussions. We learned how to plan for the things we needed to review before the Olympiad, so we worked well together.

Even if I didn't get the highest place in the Olympiad, I am still proud that I was able to join this activity!

Volley Practice on OCT 10 , 2015

I  usually practice forehand stroke and backhand stroke for 20 minutes whenever I took my lessons in volley. In an actual tennis match, these are very important. I enjoy playing tennis, so I always do my best to be on time when I go for practices.

This activity is a great way for me to exercise. I learn the importance of perseverance and commitment because I really want to be in shape even though it is not easy for me to do. I also become aware of my good and bad points, so I keep the good ones and try to improve on the bad ones. I am happy to learn new skills and develop them whenever I go for my practice. I know I will never become a professional tennis player, but I am trying my best to keep myself healthy.

 Fore hand

back hand

 volley  step

Bodiweng Elementary School

It takes one hour to get to Botiweng from Baguio. We were on our way to the elementary school for our community service and outreach, so we were all excited to get there. We rode in two cars, my family's car and my neighbor's car. I rode in my neighbor's car since my friends were all there.  Suddenly, there was a really steep slope.  It looked very dangerous...and we were all very surprised when we heard an explosion.  The brake of my friend's car exploded and hit my father's car in front of us. Luckily, no one was hurt. We then all rode together in my father's car and got to Botiweng safely.

This experience has given me great lessons. I learned how to plan our activities in the elementary school with my family and friends very well that even if we encountered some challenges in getting there, we were still able to perform well for the children. I also was able to work well with my friends and show my commitment to the task even if it was not that easy to find time because of so much homework to do.

I am happy that I was able to meet a new challenge and overcome it, and also I was able to give some happiness to all the school children in Botiweng.

  brake  explosion....the left side back mirror was gone

Pep Rally 2015

The Pep Rally is always a fun after school activity for all Brent students including me. We all get to compete with each other in different activities. I belong to the red house. We cheer and dance and have a lot of fun in games.

The Pep Rally happens every year, and it's great because our red house team keeps winning. I am really proud of my team and it makes us all happy. This year, I didn't get to dance, but I was happy to be assigned to moving the table tennis table as opening and closing props together with other teammates. It was not an easy thing to do, but I did my best to persevere in order for our team to deliver a good performance.

This yearly activity is a great learning experience for me. It teaches me to work in a team and collaborate with my teammates in order for our house to win. I also become aware of my strengths and shortcomings in order for me to make myself better. This is a very good team-building activity for all of us that we all get to develop our skills in working well with each other.