Christmas Rock n' Recycle

As early as October, the school was bustling with Christmas spirit as the students worked like elves, preparing their own Christmas corners and rock band presentations.

The Mano Amiga team and students pose eagerly in front of the Gingerbread house made from recycled paper, candy wrappers and cardboard. 

In line with the holiday season, Mano Amiga announced a school-wide contest for Christmas-themed corners and rock band presentations that made use of recyclable materials. This challenged the students to use their creativity, imagination and resourcefulness in creating decorations and instruments. All the students gamely participated, eager to show their masterpieces at the school's annual Christmas party.

With a little help and supervision from their parents, the students collected various recyclable materials - bottle caps, used juice pouches, cardboard boxes, old CDs, scratch papers, newspapers, clam shells, tree branches and more - and pieced them all together to create wonderful works of art.
Plastic bottles were unrecognizable and given new life when used for a Christmas tree. Old tree branches and egg shells were uniquely transformed into winter lanterns. Old cardboard boxes were used as reindeer and Santa Claus figurines.
These works of art adorned the Mano Amiga classrooms and hallways throughout the Christmas season.

Grade 6 Rock n' Recycle Band

Recyclable works of art were also used as musical instruments during the Christmas Rock n' Recycle concert. The Mano Amiga community was treated to a musical feast from the different grade levels as each presented their own rock band. Rock stars emerged with drum sets made out of water containers, recycled glass xylophones and tambourines made out of ice cream tubs. Each showcased their creativity and talent in singing.

Grade 3 Rock n' Recycle Band

To end another fulfilled year, the whole Mano Amiga community came together in merriment. In celebration of all the winners and the year that was, the community gathered in the annual Mano Amiga Christmas Party. Smiles and sounds of laughter were evident throughout the community as we celebrated the Christmas together.

Mano Amiga Christmas Party winners with their Unilever gift packs

From the whole Mano Amiga Academy community, a Merry Christmas to all!

Peter Pan is Brought to Life for Mano Amiga Academy

Scenes from Ballet Philippines' Peter Pan. Photo courtesy of Spot.PH

"The curtain opened and everyone screamed in excitement!" Says Nicole, a Mano Amiga fifth grader, with wonderment after she and her school mates watched Ballet Philippines' most popular work -- Peter Pan.

The Mano Amiga students gasped loudly in amazement when they saw the characters fly. Scenes from Ballet Philippines' Peter Pan. Photo courtesy of Spot.PH

The sudents first met Peter Pan through the pages of the school's library book. Last December 12, his story came alive right in front of their eyes when they were able to watch the show at the CCP Main Theater. Together with their teachers, they watched in amazement as they followed his adventure in Neverland with Tinkerbell, the Darling children and the Lost Boys.

This opportunity came as an early Christmas gift to our students by one of our long-time partners. Together with Mano Amiga, they share the same vision of providing worthwhile opportunities to our students that enrich their sense of culture and compliment the learning they encounter in the classroom.

Mano Amiga's drive to provide its students with quality education extends beyond the learning they get from books. Their holistic development is also nourished with various enriching activities that are not just limited to music, arts and sports.

Mano Amiga students with their Peter Pan tickets.

The students, along with the entire audience, all sang and laughed with the energetic actors as they followed the story of the boy who would not grow up. They witnessed his journey beyond the second star to the right that took him flying around the theater and into fights against the evil Captain Hook.
They also saw his adventures,  through song and dance, with the Lost Boys and Darling children - Wendy, John and Michael.

All this coupled with the 3D background of the whole show created a window of learning for the students.
This allowed them to use their imagination and appreciate the value of creativity and the many ways it can be expressed. This also provided them with an avenue to explore different talents and other means to express oneself.

Mano Amiga Academy students happily converge for a photo after the show.

"I enjoyed watching Peter Pan in the theater and when they perform again, I hope to be able to watch. It was such a fun and memorable experience." Nicole says after asking for her view on the show.

Opportunities such as this create lasting impressions and memories for our students; ones they will carry with them and talk about for days on end.