ISM STUDENTS REACH OUT

23 high school students from International School Manila(ISM) spent a whole week in Mano Amiga Academy as part of their ICARE (International Community Actively Responding to the Environment) week.

The ICARE program offers IS students an opportunity to contribute positively to the community, the environment, and to learn more about the Philippines and its culture. This year, Mano Amiga Academy was fortunate enough to be included in their roster of partner organizations.

Led by Mr. Ron Fast, together with Mr. Dale Hutchison and Mrs. Vicky Herrera (high school guidance counselor and the mom of Mano Amiga’s community development heads, Mina and Amor Herrera), the IS team arrived at the school in high spirits, very much excited and ready to work. The students were given the chance to interact with the Mano Amiga kids by being teacher assistants in class. They also helped with cleaning the school, preparing and constructing educational materials and visual aids for the teachers to use, and purchasing much-needed school supplies and equipment.

The week long program culminated with the unveiling of a new play area that was furnished by the highschoolers. The Mano Amiga students could not contain their excitement upon discovering that they now have a place to play and run around in.

Before they left, Ramon Austria, Mano Amiga’s school director, expressed the school’s gratitude for all the work and effort that they put in. “What you’ve done here is something that cannot be quantified or measured,” he said. “You all have truly left a lasting impression in these children’s hearts. This is your legacy, and just as we’ve benefited so much from what you’ve done for the school, know that you have also gained much because of your generosity.”

Something fishy

With the help of Living Dreams Philippines, Mano Amiga Academy students had the chance to visit the Manila Ocean park and learn about the Philippines' rich marine biodiversity.

The students, along with their volunteer Ate or Kuya for a day spent a whole afternoon observing countless fish species. The kids could not contain their excitement as they saw up close the different sea animals that they learned in class.

The boys were instantly drawn to the tanks featuring sharks and manta rays while the girls preferred admiring the colorful schools of fish. The park attendants also allowed the students to touch a live starfish and to interact with live shrimps.

Mano Amiga Teachers' Day Off

The partners and donors of Mano Amiga Academy recently had a rare opportunity to step into the teachers’ shoes for a day. In an event aptly entitled Teachers’ Day Off, several CEOs, businessmen, and even a thespian and a congresswoman, volunteered as guest teachers in Mano Amiga and taught different subjects like English, Science, and Catholic formation.

“We came up with this activity as a creative way to thank our teachers for the wonderful work they are doing in the school, and at the same time, to show our partners how far Mano Amiga has come in a year”, Development Director Lynn Pinugu shared. “It was fulfilling to see our partners connect with our students in the classroom and to hear them thank the Mano Amiga teachers afterwards for their hard work and dedication.”

Volunteers for the two-day event include Noel and Lally Trinidad, Acie Romero-Salas with her daughter Paloma, Lorenzo Ocampo (Petnet, inc.), Amanda Lim, Anay Zalamea, Yssa Fernandez and Xavier Javier (Western Union), Dee Chan, Eileen Navarro and Jeffrey Santos (Handyman), Zarah Perez (Starbucks), Cong. Lani Cayetano, and Mano Amiga President Amb. Jose Macario Laurel IV.

An Invitation: TEACHERS' DAY OFF

Did you ever have the itch to teach?
Do you have a hidden talent for storytelling, arts and crafts, or making science experiments?
Do you adore kids and do they love you back?

If you said yes to any of these questions, then Mano Amiga Academy needs YOUR help!
Interested? Contact us at 09063361663

Giving Kids an Early Christmas

an article by Ruel de Vera for Sunday Inquirer Magazine

A Philippine version of the Mexico-originated schools that seek to transform lives through education, Mano Amiga Academy just commenced its second school year with 60 impoverished students accepted for Kindergarten and Prep. This is almost double the 35 that the school started out with. “Most of our students and families from last year chose to continue on with Mano Amiga, and we take that as a sign that we’re doing well and that the community is noticing,” says Mano Amiga Director Ramon Austria. Due to its current size, Mano Amiga, which is located in Taguig City, cannot accommodate all the applicants –something they hope to change in time. The school is currently housed in a Habitat for Humanity building that they are swiftly outgrowing, especially since Mano Amiga plans to add one school level a year.

For the full article, click here:
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20091003-228242/Giving-Kids-an-Early-Christmas