The Wiz (page 6)

Linggo ng Wika

(page 3)

Bukas Palad

(page 5)

CISM Gym

(page 12)

DRAGON CHRONICLES

ISSUE NO. 1

U.N Day (page 4)

• • •

It is without a doubt that exciting new challenges await us as we usher in the year 2012. Though we may find ourselves anticipating the fun and interesting activities in store for us next year, let us take some time to recall the meaningful experiences we were fortunate enough to witness last 2011. These activities have helped reinforce timeless values, such as unity and cooperation amongst students and teachers. It is with great pleasure that we at the Dragon Chronicles embark on a retrospective journey in reliving all these events for you. The school year kicked off with the Pista sa Nayon celebration. Dressed in elaborate costumes

showcasing the many colors of Filipino culture, CISM students paraded around the streets of McKinley Hills to show their appreciation for Philippine tradition. The pupils also showcased their prowess in dancing and reciting declamations through their various performances. To cap off the event, everyone was invited to partake in a sumptuous feast filled with delectable Filipino dishes. Next, came the highly anticipated UN Day. Upper school students exhibited their vast knowledge on topics such as geography, history, and the United Nations through an Academic Bowl. Apart from this, the whole CISM community adorned the campus with colorful booths with fun-filled games and a wide array of international delicacies. Following the UN Day, CISM students displayed their talent and skills in drama after months of preparation, with the production, “The Wiz”. With Mr. Michael Williams as the director, the play ran smoothly, without experiencing any glitches. These made students garner a thunderous applause from the audience.

Given the apparent success of the three events, it would be interesting to see what the coming year has to offer. Without a doubt, all the activities lined up will continue to build a stronger CISM Community, and rest assured, the Dragon Chronicles will be there to document and deliver to all our readers every meaningful moment that make CISM history. Have a wonderful year ahead!

Postscript Last year’s Christmas Season was somewhat dampened by the onslaught of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan and Iligan City. However, this incident brought out the best in the human spirit: an outpouring of kindness and generosity. Many of us donated goods, and some gave of their time volunteering and participating in the relief efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by the calamity and our thanks go to the wonderful volunteers whose efforts may somehow ease the pain of those directly affected by Typhoon Sendong.

EDITORIAL

Dragon Chronicles is a newsletter

of Chinese International School Manila (CISM) published twice a year. All reports, literary materials, photos, and sketches are created by CISM students and are a property of the school.

Photographers: Edgar Karen Steffi Steffi R. Stella Advertising/ Fundraising Regina Grace Edgar Madeleine

Writers:

Steffi Pamela Marjorie Madeleine Vanessa Caitlin Steffi Grace Chloe Serena Uy

Artists: Steffi Edgar Regina Maureeen Marlon

Marjorie

Editor-in-chief: Serena

Literary Editor- Marjorie

News Editor- Madeleine

Arts and Entertainment

Editor- Marlon

Advertising/ Fundraising-

Karen

Advisers: Ms. Ferreira and Ms. Que

by Karen

Grade 10

• • •

` Last August 26, CISM

held its first fiesta entitled

Satulawit : Sayaw, Tula, and Awit.

This fiesta was held to raise a

cultural awareness amongst the

students and to show our

appreciation for the Filipino

Culture.

The school had a festive

air, with the hallways decked with

banderitas. A buffet table filled

with sumptuous Filipino cuisine

was laid out. The day kicked off

with a parade of Grade 3-11

students walking down the road of

McKinley Hills. The children from

Pre-K to Grade 2 stayed on the

sidelines and waved to the older

children as they marched down

the road. After the parade, the

lower-school students were

treated to a program by the upper

–school students with a variety of

songs, dances, and declamations.

The performances that

stood out were the declamations

of Chareleston Wee and Serena

Uy. During the Tinikling

performance of Grade 9 students,

adults were encouraged to give

the dance a try . However, the

only brave soul to volunteer was

Mrs Gana, who gracefully showed

her dancing skills.

This celebration, the first

ever done in CISM, was a

success. I’m sure that the

students and teachers will make

this a yearly activity.

EVENTS: Linggo ng Wika

R-L First row: Ms. Oraa, Lin lao shi,

Chen lao shi

Back row: Mr. Azarcon

Mrs. V and Mr. Acuna

Upper school students

parading around McKinley Hill

1st graders excitedly waving for

the camera

Upper school students

waiting for the performance

to begin

The Chinese teachers

hamming it up for the

camera

by Steffi and Cailtin

Grade 8

• • •

This year's celebration of

United Nations Day featured the

past years' array of diverse

foods and an academic bowl.

The bazaar enthralled us with

the different cultures of

countries like of Switzerland,

Malaysia, and Japan. On the

other hand, the academic bowl

took on a slightly more serious

note with the middle school and

high school divisions competing

for the title of the class with the

most knowledge on the UN. The

6th graders emerged victorious

in the Middle School division

while the 10th graders prevailed

in the Upper School division.

Celebrated on October

24, United Nations Day

commemorates the founding of

the United Nations in 1945. The

organization was established

after World War II, and is

currently made up of 155

member states. Their main

goals are to promote peace,

uphold human rights, and aid

social and economic

development. In addition, it also

celebrates the world’s diversity

and all the unique people in it.

The presentation before the

bazaar included a dance

featuring some of the latest

Korean pop music, better known

as K-pop, a performance of the

John Lennon song Imagine, as

well as a riveting speech on the

world’s future, ending with a

parade of the students holding

the flags of the UN member

countries before proceeding

outside for the food fair.

Brightly decorated booths

with a colorful assortment of

food adorned the front of the

school that morning. People

dressed in various costumes

from around the globe strolled

around tasting the many

different cuisines served.

Adobo, fondue, meringues, and

siomai were only a few of those

served. Different games and

activities were also hosted in

certain booths including the

Mexican chilli-eating contest and

Australia's "feed the hungry

crocodiles." In between looking

and sampling the food and

drinks, students took turns

manning their booths, taking

shifts and chatting with each

other. As the day drew to a

close, students were bustling

about, frantically trying to sell

the last of their goods. Everyone

left the school with full stomachs

and bright smiles.

EVENTS: U.N Day

The 8th graders sold delicious

chocolate fondue

The judges watching the

Academic Bowl contestants

carefully

The Grade 3 students for Japan!!

by Serena

Grade 9 • • •

Last September 17, the

CISM Upper School students

visited Bukas Palad, an

organization dedicated to helping

less fortunate families. Upon

arrival, we were shown a video

on Bukas Palad’s history. Chira

Lubich, founder of the Focolare

Movement in Italy, set up a clinic

along Pasay Road addressing

the medical needs of people in

the area. Since then, this health

center has grown to become a

foundation intended on helping

poverty-stricken Filipinos by

providing them education,

feeding programs, and medical

missions.

After watching the

inspiring presentation, we were

dispersed into different groups. A

number of us were assigned to

the feeding program while others

were tasked to sort books, tutor

the kids, or clean the area.

These assignments enabled us

to interact with the children in

Bukas Palad.

Since the month of

September marked the

celebration of the Mooncake

Festival, we treated the kids to a

dice game. By doing this, we

hoped to give them a glimpse of

our school’s Chinese heritage

and culture. Throughout the

game, many of the children were

bursting with energy as the dice

began rolling. The children were

attentive, smart, and

cooperative.

When it was time for us

to say good-bye, we could see

the grins on their faces. The

Bukas Palad facilitators thanked

us for making time to visit them.

All of us were glad to have

participated in such event. One

of our goals, which was to bring

a smile to everyone’s face, was

easily accomplished since we

were all dedicated to producing a

successful affair from start to

finish. We all worked hand- in -

hand in pulling off an amazing

event. We could not have done

this without the guidance of our

Service Learning teachers, Mr.

Azarcon and Ms. Panes.

Events: Bukas Palad - Extending our hands to the Less Fortunate

FFORTUNATE

Upper school students working

hand in hand to create a

successful event

Upper school students

teaching the kids with a smile

U. N. Day and the Academic Bowl

The Wiz

by Steffi

Grade 10 • • •

Stress isn’t something

new to us. It happens when

you’ve got too many things to

do within a very small amount

of time. I admit: I’m stressed

everyday, even during the

weekends, because of having

to balance school, other

extracurricular activities such

as tennis, and my friends.

Millions of people, especially

teenagers across the globe

suffer from stress, and some

of them don’t know how to

deal with it! If you continue to

find yourself sleeping late at

night and waking up with eye

bags, then here are some tips

to help you unwind and enjoy

yourself while maintaining

your responsibilities!

1. Music is probably one of

the best ways to unwind in the

middle of the day. Playing an

instrument proves to be

relaxing, whether it’s the

guitar, the piano, or even the

saxophone! Try learning a

new song, or play one you’re

particularly fond of. If you

don’t play an instrument, you

can always listen to your

favorite songs. Making a

homework playlist is very

helpful, and listening to it

helps you get homework

done!

2. If you’re particularly

stressed about something, like

an upcoming competition, it’s

always nice to talk to

someone about it. Although

nothing gets done, just talking

to someone, whether it’s your

parents or your friends, still

helps. Who knows, they may

offer you some help or advice.

3. Just came home from a

hectic day at school? Make

some “me time” for

yourself. If you normally stay

home on school days, spend

the day with yourself!

Listening to music, reading a

book, or even taking a nap

(but not when you’ve got too

much homework to do) will

take things off your mind for a

few hours.

4. Are you stressed to the

point of getting angry at

everyone around you? The

best way to relieve yourself of

stress and anger is through

exercise. Not only does

exercise help blood

circulation, but it also raises

your endorphin levels (which,

in fact, make you feel good)

and helps you lose weight. By

exercising, you turn channel

your negative energies to

something more productive.

5. Find time to hang out with

your friends! No matter how

stressed out you are over

homework, it's always good to

hang out with a friend or two.

While you’re with them, your

stress levels can decrease,

plus you’ll have fun chatting or

playing Monopoly Deal! But be

warned: don’t do this when

finals are around the corner!

Everyone has their own

way of unwinding, whether it’s

writing in their journal or doing

yoga, and some of these ways

don’t seem to work on other

people. But don’t stress!

Finding ways that help you

relieve stress is a way of

unwinding in itself!

LITERARY Stress

by Grace

Grade 5

• • •

Just a few weeks ago, the CISM community made its 5th stage debut as they all performed the musical, “The Wiz”. Based on the original Frank Baum story, The Wiz is a modern day interpretation of the Wizard of Oz.

Weekly rehearsals under the tutelage of esteemed director, Michael Williams, started in September and culminated in a frantic pace of daily practice in December.

On the eve of December 15th,

every student from Dorothy to the smallest field mice was ready. The show opened with an impressive speech recited in Mandarin by Gretl Bagdhadi and in English by Ashley Kang.

As the curtains dramatically

opened, the radiant voices of the cast floated throughout the Newport Cinema. The dances were well-executed and the actors gave stellar performances.

Throughout the show, the cast

remained energetic and just as fresh as when they started. The play ended with a thunderous applause and a memory that everyone will surely remember!

EVENTS The Wiz

R-L : Jose, Sam, Zoey, Megan, Seth, and Andy rehearsing

Our teachers who helped immensely: Mr. Matt Chen,

Ms. Dan Li, Ms. Jin Shang, Ms. Nancy Zhang, and

Ms. Therese Lin

The Yellow Brick Road rehearsing

Opinion: Casual Friday

or Jeans Friday?

Casual

Fridays is now

very much

part of my life

!

• • •

Every Friday, students at CISM are

allowed to leave their uniforms in the

closet and come to school in jeans.

Although wearing jeans is welcome by

most in the student body, some have

asked if they can wear other more

casual outfits such as shorts and skirts.

Last month, I went around the

school and conducted a survey on this

topic: Do you prefer casual Friday or

Jeans Friday? Of the 20 students I

interviewed, the overwhelming choice

was casual Friday – 19 to 1. Reasons

given ranged from comfort to being able

to fully express themselves.

Personally, my choice is casual wear

because I am more comfortable in

leggings made of stretch material than

jeans but I agree with one of the

students that a dress code should be

enforced. Casual Friday will certainly

allow the students to express their

individuality but there should still be

proper decorum and discipline. I am

sure the school administration and the

student council can come up with rules

that will be acceptable to all.

LITERARY

Muji Addiction

By Chloe

Grade 6

by Grace and Regina

Grade 5

• • •

Hold on, is that a Mongol?

Nowadays, instead of using the plain,

pioneering Mongol, students have become

more demanding: using erasable pens,

mechanical pencils, and other fangled

writing gadgets. For the time being, the

only competition of Mongol is Muji. Times

are changing; new generations of pencils

are being created. No more old fashioned

“#2” pencils!

For a start, Muji wouldn’t be where it

is today without its trademark simple, chic

design, which causes it to run out of stock

everyday! With stationary, furniture,

snacks, utensils, and clothing, Muji has got

it all! Every weekend students go to Muji

extremely early to avoid bumping into a

wild rampage of Muji addicts.

From the second your new treasure

lands in your hand, to the time you are buying

ink refills, every aspect of the experience is just

marvelous! Stroke by stroke, mesmerized by its

brilliant bright colors, you know that this is

your buddy. Both of you glued to the boring

assignment; hand in hand battling the forces of

homework and in the end, triumphantly beating

LITERARY Noblesse Oblige

• • •

Fortunate am I to be so blessed As are my acquaintances who have no less So why the disparity with my neighbors? Don’t they, too, deserve a shot at happiness? These were my thoughts as I traipsed in But it seems my impressions were terribly wrong For despite their experiencing and possessing so little The crinkles in their eyes disguise a happy song I came to teach, so I was the teacher – Or so I had thought But they were the teachers who taught me life’s meaning They taught me to share; reminded me thanksgiving And so I’ve learned to share the knowledge I have I’ve learned to share also material things I’ve learned to appreciate all that I have I’ve learned to embrace what life brings Being blessed by Him with so much Makes me so fortunate to be in my place So I, myself, decide to give back From now and ‘til the end of my days I may not be an affluent individual But don’t all the little things count? So I’ll do all I can; I’ll give what I can For since then I've put myself under the Noblesse Oblige

LITERARY Memory

by Pamela

Grade 6

• • •

Remember the first time you were lost daydreaming. Was it important

or of only sentimental meaning? Was it a session of reminiscing? Or

an untimely meeting? Or was it a loss or

Sin that was very demeaning? Of pain or of sorrow, all the same. Or a

loss in

A meaningless game. It is etched inherently in our minds

Like a spirit, obsessed with winning. Being

Alone and afraid, or filled with

Anger and unending

Rage, we all

wonder

what.

is

the

meaning

of everlasting

dreaming? A good

experience, or a bitter-sweet sensation

maybe. Or an upheaval of emotions that may

become unexplainable pain, leading to the darkness of

sweet, lovely insanity. But if life were a prolonged dream, what will

become of its

beauty? Dreams derived and thrive, of imperfect worlds that we call our

lives.

Juxtapose a dream and your life and see, if life were a prolonged dream,

it wouldn’t last. Not even in the peaceful haven that is your Memory.

Beauty in the sky

Is celebrated tonight-

Moon cake festival

Autumn Festival

A Haiku

By Madee

by Vanessa

Grade 11

• • •

CISM ‘s Gym

After a year of construction, Chinese International School Manila’s gym is complete and operational. With a basketball court, a running track, and a badminton net, students will surely enjoy its facilities. Please note that the gym’s floor is made of Pulastic, a seamless, non-porous, smooth surface that should only be walked on using flat and non-marking soled shoes.

We would like to thank the CISM students, faculty, and staff for supporting the Food Sale we held last October 17 that helped us raise money to print the first issue of our 2011-2012 CISM