Dum Spiro Spero

Campus Observer The Official Student Publication of Kong Hua School Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

dumS

piro S pero

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Letter From The Editorial Board News Buwan Ng Wika KHS Silid Wela LMS Educators’ Day Math, Science, and ICT Month Holy Wins Festival Fountrams Innovative Christmas Party Share-A-Joy Program KHS Achievements KHS History and Timeline Self-care Tips Feature Write Up Dear Sammy Klash (Theme: Quarantine/Lockdown) Crossword Reflections

Moderator: Datfel D. Felecia

Editorial Board:

Editor-in-Chief: Rainess Katrina R. Alombro Associate Editor-in-Chief: Misaki O. Nakamura Publication Secretary: Maria Lina Zenaida L. Manlegro Content Director: Alyssa Raine Q. Ang Gaeid Creative Director: Mary Kate A. Saguin Layout Director: Ma. Isabella Rubeanne G. Salas Comic Director: Pamela Aryadnie Sophia C. Abamonga Visual Director: Mic Jesster P. Gochuico Head Copyreader: Melissa Rose R. Ua-O

Staff:

Senior Writers: writers:

Derek L. Limketkai Breann Jean V. Sia

Junior Writers:

Aljonel Jess P. Dayao Janae Faith S. Weehansuh Irmina Angeline R. Alombro Alianor Lyzza D. Mautante Callie Gabrielle T. Sabal

Layout Artists: Dum Spiro Spero – A Latin phrase which translates to "While I breathe, I hope", in English. Our cover focuses on hope, healing, and serenity.

The image of the Dandelion symbolizes overcoming hardships and healing of the heart and spirit. It also represents strength– that no matter what comes our way, as long as we breathe, we will hope and we will stand.

The petals of the Dandelion flowing throughout signifies that we are still alive for we still breathe and we are still able. We are overwhelmed by the change of tides, and seasons, and of times. But, as long as we hold on to our roots and just enjoy the calm air we respire, it will ignite the flames of the burning hope in each one of us.

Words by: Datfel Felecia and Rainess Alombro Magazine Cover by: Isabella Salas and Mic Gochuico

Kenn Zyndrx Y. Subrado Niko Sam R. Go

Comic Artists:

Trixie V. Capundag Marc Farron T. Sia Tan

Photojournalist: Keanu Lance M. Abing

o Contributers: Rev. Fr. Aidan V. Zaballero, LRMS Lorraine E. Co Ella Shaina Y. Solima Andrea Clarisse A. Parojinog Nathan Robben Sia Tan

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Layout By Mary Kate “Chai” Saguin KHS Campus Observer

LE T T r i a o l t i d e ER FROM THE

Dear Readers,

boar BOARDboard d

Praised be Jesus Christ!

As we enter a new semester, we, the Editorial Board, would like to say a few words of gratitude and our sentiments to our readers and fellow Konghuanians.

First and foremost, we would like to thank the Almighty God for granting us another year of life. Without Him, we wouldn’t be able to be who we are today. Second, we would like to thank our moderator, Teacher Datfel Felicia for all her efforts and guidance in making this school paper possible. To the administration, faculty, staff, and contributors thank you for your endless contributions in making the first issue. Lastly, we thank the Konghuanians and avid readers for the support they have given us all throughout the academic years.

For the past few months, most of us have been in quarantine and isolation. We have been physically separated from the people who we used to see and interact with every day. Such people are our family, teachers, classmates, and of course, our friends.

We surely miss the routines we had at school and the much anticipated weekend gatherings with our families. Yes, there are countless things we long to experience once again. However, we cannot deny the fact that the recent happenings changed us for the better. Now, we are more conscious of our health. We prioritize it over anything else which positively impacts our overall well-being. We were granted the time to focus on ourselves, to discover our abilities, and to appreciate what we have even more. We are aware that we cannot go back to the way things used to be. Our previous routines will not be the same anymore. Now that we have entered a new year, let us look at everything that has happened on a brighter note and welcome a new beginning with optimism.

We, the Editorial Board of the Campus Observer, are glad to have you as a part of our family. We hear you and we are here for you. With any difficulties you face, we will always try to be a helping hand through our “Dear Sammy.”

Brothers and sisters, we are the staff of Campus Observer and we greatly hope you enjoy our first issue for this school year.

Enjoy!

Sincerely, The Editorial Board A.Y 2020-2021

God bless you all and all your endeavors!

KHS ADMINISTRATION

ERRATA We beg your pardon for the following errors spotted in the previous issue of the Campus Observer:

Layout By Ma. Isabella Rubeanne G. Salas

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to BATCH ‘95 for their donation to the school especially for the welfare of our faculty and staff.

Your act of generosity is a concrete manifestation of PAG-AMUMA.

- We capitalized the letter W in “we” on the Table of Contents.

- We misplaced a comma before “but”, capitalized the letter L in “life”, and misspelled “ourselves” on page 1.

- We didn’t capitalize the letter K in “Konghuanians” on pages 2-3.

- We didn’t capitalize the first letter in the quote, “We’re all in this together, forever and ever!” on page 3.

- We capitalized the letter P in “preschoolers” and added a space in the student’s name, Alaiza Faith P. Dolores on page 8.

- We misspelled Ms. K Marie D. Zambas on pages 10 and 12 .

- We wrongly phrased “We are be able” on page 11.

- We capitalized the letter E in “ecumenical” on page 12.

- We placed a comma before and after the word “but” on page 13.

- We didn’t capitalize all of the letters of the word “YOUTH” on page 14.

- We misspelled the names of Inigo Lorenzo L. Ku and Devon Ezekiel G. Aycardo on page 18.

- We misspelled the name of Selene Jia V. Uy on page 19.

- We misspelled the word “flowers” on page 28.

We are humbled by the aforementioned shortcomings. Once again, we sincerely apologize for these errors.

- Campus Observer

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

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NEWS

ONLINE NA SELEBRASYON NG WIKANG FILIPINO Isinulat ni Aljonel Jess P. Dayao

K

Layout By Mary Kate "Chai" A. Saguin

ilala ang buwan ng Agosto para sa selebrasyon ng Buwan ng Wika. Ito ay ginugunita para ibandera ang kagandahan ng wikang Filipino. Sa panahon ng pandemya at kahirapan, ang wikang pinagyaman ng kasaysayan ay may taglay na sandatang humihimok sa pagkakaisa ng sambayanan. Ito’y nagsisilbing simbolo ng pagkakakilanlan na dapat pagyamanin lalong-lalo na sa oras ng krisis na walang tigil na nilalabanan. Bilang pagpupuri, pagmamahal at pagpapasalamat, nararapat lamang na ito’y idiwang at bigyang pugay ng mga mamamayan.

Dala ng mga pagbabago na nangyari dahil sa bagsik at banta ng COVID-19, naiiba sa kaugalian ang naging pagsalubong ng Buwan ng Wika ngayong taon. Noong ika-11 ng Setyembre, ipinagdiriwang ng Kong Hua School ang kauna-unahang online na kulminasyon na may temang, “Wika ng Kasaysayan, Kasaysayan ng

Wika: Ang mga Katutubong Wika sa Maka-Filipinong Bayanihan Kontra Pandemya” Bagama’t nasa kanya-kanyang mga tahanan, hindi ito naging hadlang sa mga estudyante para malugod na ipagbunyi ang wika ng mga Pinoy.

Umawit, gumuhit, at gumawa ng malikhaing mga tula, poster at islogan ang mga mag-aaral mula sa ika-una hanggang ika-anim na baitang. Ang mga kuya’t ate naman nila sa High School ay sumulat ng mga sanaysay at lumikha ng mga poster at mga tulang akrostik tungkol sa kasalukuyang sitwasyong pinagdadaanan ng bansa. Maliban sa mga ito, meron ring inihandang mga munting laro o trivia ang mga guro gaya ng paghula sa pamagat ng mga awiting bayan, linyahan sa mga pelikula, at marami pang iba. Galak ang mga Konghuanian dahil kahit simple lang ang selebrasyon, binigyan pa rin nila ng oras at halaga ang wikang ipinaglaban ng mga bayaning namaalam na siyang magsasalba sa bayan.

Ang sumusunod ay ang listahan ng mga nanalo sa iba’t ibang mga paligsahan noong Buwan ng Wika: BUWAN NG WIKA GRADE SCHOOL WINNERS Pinagsama-sama ni Callie Gabrielle T. Sabal Unang Baitang, “Iawit Mo!” (SINGING): HOPE A: Gan, Frances Marianne L. HOPE B: Tanleh, Marchesa Melrose U. LOVE A:Galoport, Phil Fritz V. LOVE B: Gamulo, Sofia Janine B. Ikalawang Baitang, (POEM RECITATION): MODESTY: Violeta, Aaliya B. PATIENCE: Kho, Gwyneth C. JOY:Roble, Sofia Danace U. Ikatlong Baitang, (POEM RECITATION): GENTLENESS:Chaves, Alyanna Brielle B. GENTLENESS B:Ong, Caleb Hans M. KINDNESS A:Antipuesto, Aixsel H. KINDNESS B:Go, Isiah Sebastian P. Ikaapat na Baitang, (POSTER MAKING): PEACE A:Ortega, Elizatin S. PEACE B: Oquias, Destin Cidric R. UNITY A:Lao, Alexa A. UNITY B:Yap, Ron Constantine V. Ikalimang Baitang (SLOGAN MAKING): SERVICE A: 1.Centizas, Isaac Joseph C. 2.Piloton, Nathaniel Jefferson 3.Bokingo, Charles Maxell M. SERVICE B: 1.Gotil, Robbie Kenjie G. 2.Lao, Seth Malcolm J.

RESPECT A: Adoraflor, Keann Miguelle M. PIETY A: 1.Cinco, Alfonso Gustavo C. 2.Capistrano, Dustin L. 3.Belter, Michael Francisco P. Ikaanim na Baitang “Iguhit at Islogan Mo!” (POSTER AND SLOGAN MAKING): HONESTY A: 1.Chaves, Adrian Benedict B. 2.Dabatian, Ernest Karl C. HONESTY B:Cueva, Gian Vernon LOYALTY A: 1.Gotil, Monico Kyle G. 2.Fiel, Butch Marco D. 3.Burges, Mark, Jr., M. 4.Galla, Andrew Jose L. LOYALTY B: 1.Yu, Mosses Richard G. 2.Zamora, Brice Aidan B. 3.Pajaren, Anton Josef G. 4.Capuno, Ranju Raphael N. INTEGRITY A: Gacus, JC James P. INTEGRITY B: Hatayna, Joseph Justin Rae C. BUWAN NG WIKA HIGHSCHOOL WINNERS Pinagsama-sama ni Irmina Angeline R. Alombro IKAPITONG BAITANG: (Pagsulat ng Tulang Akrostik) HUMILITY A: Alilin, Jess Michael Y. HUMILITY B: Mautante, Alianor Lyzza D. SIMPLICITY A: Baring, Fave Uriel C. SIMPLICITY B: Guayan, Kerk Louies G. GENEROSITY A: Tarayao, Vince Andrei A.

GENEROSITY B: Sajulla, Arianne G. IKAWALONG BAITANG: (Pagsulat ng Tulang Akrostik) FIDELITY A: Go, Christa Louise L. FIDELITY B: Dayao, Allenette Jasmine P. COURAGE A: Pelegrino, Samantha Shelbee E. COURAGE B: Yu, Kein Richard G. TRUTH A: Bilagantol, Jordyn Iryn C. IKASIYAM NA BAITANG (Pagsulat ng Sanaysay) FORTITUDE A: Nono, Werth Sadhill C. JUSTICE A: Lim, Cedric T. JUSTICE B: Polgampolage, Paul John S. PRUDENCE A: Saldon, Veniece M. PRUDENCE B: Belter, Rei Ann P. IKASAMPUNG BAITANG (Pagsulat ng Sanaysay) UNDERSTANDING A:Chan, Angeline Christine J. UNDERSTANDING B: Dayao, Aljonel Jess P. KNOWLEDGE A: Deveza, Karl Leighann D. KNOWLEDGE B: Galleros, Christopher Jr. T. WISDOM A: Feniza, Dene Michelle D. WISDOM B: Arubio, Veju Inno N. IKALABING ISANG BAITANG: (Poster Making) PROPRIETY A: Saguin, Mary Kate A. IKALABING DALAWANG BAITANG: (Poster Making) PERSEVERANCE A: Limketkai, Derek L. PERSEVERANCE B: Cabañez, Athea Marie I.

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KHS Campus Observer

A New Medium for a New Normal

By Melissa Ua-o

he COVID-19 pandemic that is currently affecting the whole world this 2020, has forced people to create alternatives to continue living. One of the affected aspects in our lives is our education. Thus, Kong Hua School introduced its students to a new online homeschool medium which is the KHS Learning Management System.

The website brings learning to the comfort of each Konghuanian’s home in order for them to be successfully educated even in the midst of the new normal. It contains multiple features which give access to both materials and classes for the synchronous and asynchronous periods. The Silid Aralan option (which translates to classroom, in English) mimics an actual setup of a classroom where students will be able to find learning materials such as videos, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, and documents for references. Going further, the categories are sorted into their subjects alphabetically to ensure easy browsing access. Respective scores from written works, quizzes, to exams, can be viewed in the Quiz Scores area. For the synchronous sessions, there are scheduled video conferences with the teachers via the BigBlueButton website. During the sessions, students are given the ability to interact through public chats, share screen options, collaborative boards, and breakout rooms. In addition to that, parent conferences and competitions are conducted on the website as well.

The new “Learning Management System” is a new, safe, and efficient learning system that aims for the students to adapt to the new way of education due to the pandemic. Although it may not feel the same as actual classrooms, it brings their classmates, activities, and even the feeling of laughter, virtually. The features are undergoing changes as the school community alters details for a better experience. The Kong Hua School community is connected through screens all around society for the sole purpose of education. Thus, making this their new medium for this new normal.

Educators: Strongest Frames Of The Future

By Alyssa Raine Q. Ang Gaeid

With COVID-19 occurring, adjusting towards the "new normal" was a difficult leap from the face-to-face classes Konghuanians used to practice. In a single moment, teachers became frontliners risking it all for the betterment of the youth's tomorrow. Every day, they would have to commute to school and be uncertain of the possible risks of contracting the virus. To add, teachers who are not proficient in technology are forced to struggle daily to be on pace with their students and lessons. With this, it is salient to participate, respect, and appreciate every teacher we see and acknowledge.

To acclaim the meritorious day, a Eucharistic Celebration took place at around eight in the morning, which was then followed by a program at ten; all these being live-streamed on the Facebook page of Kong Hua School. Sir Allan A. Flores and Ma'am Mary Grace R. Abrenica, a Social Studies and English educator, mastered the ceremony. A speech by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel S. Regalado, LRMS was then carried out. Afterward, students and teachers had their respective production numbers which were pre-recorded. Although the event was simple in comparison to years back, the overall mood of rejoicing was still present through the countless comments of "Happy Teachers’ Day" observed at the live broadcast. To conclude, educators are and will always be the frame of every individual's achievement.

Layout by Niko Sam R. Go

ducators' Day is customarily celebrated on the 28th of September to commemorate the birthday of the renowned Chinese philosopher, Confucius.

This year however, Kong Hua School celebrated three days ahead of time with the theme, "Educators: Leading the Challenges, Reimagining the Future." It is a day to recognize and honor the teaching profession worldwide for their years of guidance and shaping the future through education.

Here is the list of service awardees during the Educators' Day event: Compiled By: Callie Gabrielle T. Sabal 10 Years of Service: Mrs. Maricho B. Chang 15 Years of Service: Mrs. Analyn T. Barcenas

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

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KONGHUANIANS EXHIBIT

THEIR INNER GENIUS DURING MATH, SCIENCE, ICT MONTH

& K

By Janae Faith S. Weehansuh

ong Hua school annually celebrates Math, Science, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Month every September. This schoolwide event is one of the most awaited activities of the year, and this school year’s online setup did not in any way hinder the students from having a productive kind of fun. Kong Hua School found a way to improvise the celebration for this year without putting the health of Konghuanians and educators at risk.

To celebrate this year’s theme “Science for the People Enabling Technologies for Sustainable Development in the New Normal”, Kong Hua School hosted its Math, Science, and ICT Virtual Super Quiz Bee last October 2 among Grade 5 – 12 students, which kicked off with a classroom elimination round. During the competition, questions encompassing the fields of Math, Science, and ICT were asked to challenge the minds of the contestants.

Aside from the Virtual Super Quiz Bee, a Virtual Robotics Contest for Junior and Senior High School students was held last October 23. This competition was hosted in partnership with Data Science and Technology Corporation and it featured Line Tracing and Robot Mimicry.

Below is the list of winners from the Math, Science, and ICT Super Quiz Bee and the robotics contest: SUPER QUIZ BEE WINNERS Compiled By: Alianor Lyzza D. Mautante Grade 5 - Service A: Baluran, Leonides Grade 6 - Honesty A: Chaves, Adrian Grade 7 - Humility A: Tan, Ashley Maegan Grade 8 - Truth A: Chaves, Ethan Dominic Grade 9 - Fortitude A: Salgados, Mary Christi Grade 10 - Understanding B: Manlegro, Maria Lina Zenaida Grade 11 - Propriety A: Salgados, Paolo Raphael Layout By Ma. Isabella Rubeanne G. Salas

VIRTUAL ROBOTICS CONTEST WINNERS

ROBOT MIMICRY- JUNIOR CHAMPION: Joshua Raphael S. De Vera- 7 Simplicity A 1ST RUNNER UP: Jude Mari N. Arubio- 8 Fidelity B 2ND RUNNER UP: Corbin Riley O. Pagaling- 7 Humility A TECHNICAL: Calix Mon Luiz Rañoa- 7 Generosity A MERIT AWARD: Jacob C. Lee- 7 Simplicity A

ROBOT MIMICRY - SENIOR CHAMPION: Kyle Austin O. Cervantes- 10 Wisdom A 1ST RUNNER UP: Kiert Jaderick L. Arquita- 9 Justice B 2ND RUNNER UP: Remwell B. Pepito- 11 Propriety A TECHNICAL: Zyldjian Coolie L. Saguban- 9 Prudence A MERIT AWARD: Jeanfer Phi N. Deloso- 12 Perseverance A Kaycee A. Lao- 10 Understanding A LINE TRACING - SENIOR CHAMPION: Zyldjian Coolie L. Saguban- 9 Prudence A 1ST RUNNER UP: Kyle Austin O. Cervantes- 10 Wisdom A 2ND RUNNER UP: Rainess Katrina R. Alombro- 11 Propriety A TECHNICAL: Ion Vladimir T. Vale- 10 Knowledge A MERIT AWARD: Matthew Edward K. Chua- 10 Understanding A

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KHS Campus Observer

KHS GOES VIRTUAL ON

ITS SECOND YEAR OF HOLY WINS

By Irmina Angeline R. Alombro

H

oly Wins, a play on words derived from the famous “Halloween” which is celebrated every month of October. This time of the year usually depicts a spooky and dark theme, putting up scary decorations and wearing frightful costumes. In contrast to all of those, Kong Hua School honors this month through an event called “Holy Wins” which symbolizes that at the end of the day God’s loving presence will always prevail.

Here is the list of winners from the Holy Wins event:

Last October 23, the Holy Wins event was broadcasted live via Kong Hua School’s official page. Many students tuned in and watched with excitement the different segments that were showcased throughout the program. Just like every year, the occasion starts with an “Animated Rosary” which was led by selected pupils and students. This was then read in five different languages namely English, Filipino, Mandarin, Spanish, and Latin. The said event also featured two contests that were highly anticipated by the Konghuanians. The first one was the “Poster Making” contest wherein students were to illustrate a poster that is in line with the theme, “Praying the Rosary, Healing the World.” In addition to that, was the “Your Saint Looks Familiar” contest in which participants did impersonations of their chosen saints and expressed their importance to the people especially during this time of pandemic. All the contestants were astounding and showcased their capabilities through means of art and performance.

Kong Hua School is grateful for the fruitful success of the festival even though it was only through virtual technology. All of the students and pupils were delighted that they were able to share their talents and skills on screen through “Holy Wins” for, amidst difficulties and challenges, those who choose to be light-bearers and seek goodness will be triumphant.

Category B: 1st Place: Precious Ana Dinorog 2nd Place: Keira Ting 3rd Place: Alliah Rihanna Maruhon

Poster Making Contest: Category A: 1st Place: Janelle Erianth Cuadrasal 2nd Place: Jenny Yap 3rd Place: Steffi Sia

Category C: 1st Place: Christopher T. Galleros Jr. 2nd Place: Alaiza Dolores 3rd Place: Ashley Tan Your Saint Looks Familiar: 1st Place: Geo Niño M. U 2nd Place: Rafael J. Jumalon 3rd Place: Hans Bentley R. Sio 4th Place: Caleb Hans M.Ong 5th Place: Mark Jovir S. Paler 6th Place: James Carlo Agbu 7th Place: Vincent Emmanuel T. Chee

Layout by Kenn Zyndryx Y. Subrado

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

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KHS AT 83: NURTURING ITS WAY THROUGH 2020

By Derek Lim

Kong Hua School’s fountrams was created to celebrate its foundation and intramurals ceremonies and for the students, it allows the students to grow holistically, practice camaraderie, and create stronger bonds with the people around them. Kong Hua School has been celebrating the fountrams since 2014; various events happen and countless memories are made, memories that will forever be cherished in our hearts. Kong Hua School turned 83 this year; sadly, due to what had happened, the coronavirus pandemic, we weren’t able to celebrate the fountrams in person. Charles Darwin once said “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change”, we have adapted to continue surviving even amidst this pandemic, and Kong Hua School is no different. Kong Hua School celebrated this year’s fountrams online! It may be unfortunate that we weren’t able to experience the booths and sports fest, but this year’s fountrams featured new online events that were unique and enjoyable as well! Someday we may look back to this year and remember the fun we had, even though we had to celebrate it differently. We always strive to look on the bright side of things, to look back on the past, and to look forward to better days. These are the major highlights of the 2020 Fountrams celebration.

KONGHUANIANS COSPLAYING FAVORITE CHARACTERS!

AS

By Callie Gabrielle T. Sabal

Dressing up as your favorite character is truly an exciting experience. The word cosplay is driven from the Japanese word, “Kosupure”, anglicized as cosplay, is a portmanteau of the English words, costume play. Last November 30, Kong Hua School had its first online cosplay contest, our students submitted edited photos and videos of themselves doing cosplay. The categories ranged from the Preschool department and to the Highschool department.

Our fellow Konghuanians used their resources to accurately cosplay as their chosen characters. The cosplayers were indeed astonishing, considering the fact the participants had limited resources. The participants’ submissions gained enormous amounts of likes, hundreds and thousands of likes from the audience. The effort of the partakers is truly commendable, and the cosplay contest was sure enough to make the participants enjoy it as much as the audience.

KONGHUANIANS REMAKE THEIR PARENTS’ PHOTOS!

By Alianor Lyzza D. Mautante

They say that children are the copy-paste versions of their parents, well Konghuanians indeed proved that! Last November 27, 2020, the photo submissions of participants

who joined the “Portrait Ko, Mukha Mo!” or the parent and child look-alike contest were posted on Kong Hua School’s official Facebook page. These participants’ entries gained a lot of attention, thousands of reactions even, from the audience. Spectators around Facebook left likes, hearts, reactions, comments, and shares to the students’ pictures, indeed hyped up with the adorable photos. We could not deny the resemblance of the old photos of their parents and their child’s remake. The great effort exerted by the students, as well as their parents, in this contest is indeed astounding!

KONGHUANIANS TIKTOK THEIR HEARTS OUT!

By Janae Faith Weehansuh

Tiktok is a fast-growing social media app that gained increasing popularity since the home quarantine period started. This app allows users to post videos of just about anything and the possibilities are endless! Just recently, the Student Coordinating Council (SCC) spearheaded the KHS Tiktok Challenge. This challenge had three categories: dancing, singing, and freetalk. Despite all the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Konghuanians were able to showcase their skills in dancing, singing, and speaking creatively by using technology.

KONGHUANIANS BRING ON THE CHEERS!

By Janae Faith Weehansuh

The celebration of Fountrams would be incomplete without the Annual High School Cheer Dance Competition.

Yes, only online classes were done this school year, but that did not hinder Konghuanians from showcasing their cheer dance prowess. Instead of gathering everyone physically for the event, the first-ever High School Online Cheer Up KHS! Competition was held. The competition was participated by the Junior and Senior High School students. The students were grouped according to their respective sections, and each group composed a chant in accordance with this year’s theme and the school’s Philosophy, Vision, Mission, and Goals. The participants put their moves together creatively by using multimedia technology.

TUGTUGAN NIGHT, MUSIC OF YESTERDAY

By Alianor Lyzza D. Mautante

The memorable and chill Facebook live streaming, “Tugtugan Night”, which was held on December 1, 2020, showcased various talented alumni and also faculty members of Kong Hua School. This “Tugtugan Night” gave way for the proud alumni of the school to show to the listeners their talent in singing and playing instruments.

These performances brought us back to yesterday’s music, just like the featured song, “Umagang Kay Ganda” originally

by Bamboo, was the first performance brought to us by a few Kong Hua School alumni. The performers were able to perform their music even at their homes. Listening to the “yesteryears’” music in the midst of this pandemic, refined millennial vibe, diverse band music, is definitely cloud nine for not just music lovers but to the listeners as well.

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KHS Campus Observer

LIST OF WINNERS:

Compiled by Misaki Nakamura

Cosplay: Category A

1st Place - Gabe Breneil D. Castillo (Russell of Up) 2nd Place - Kendall Frances Pancrudo (Belle) 3rd Place - Francis Nino Angelo Dael (Harry Potter) Category B 1st Place - Lerah H. Villegas (Wonder Woman) 2nd Place - Kylien Candrea S. Hatud (Jasmine) 3rd Place- Olivia T. Sabal (Hermione Granger) Category C 1st Place - Noelle L. Gan (Mulan) 2nd Place - Anton G. Parajen (Harry Potter) 3rd Place - Andrea Clarisse Parojinog (Jessie of Toy Story) Category D 1st Place - Dene Michelle Feniza (Esmeralda Poison Vine) 2nd Place - Kyriel Dennisa Garces (Merida) 3rd Place - Jeffrey Huang (Prince Adam of Beauty and the Beast)

Portrait Ko, Mukha Mo: A parent-child look-a-like contest:

Champion - Jude Mari Arubio of Grade 8 Fidelity B 1st place - Christopher T. Galleros Jr. of Grade 10 Knowledge B 2nd place - Ysa Cuachon of Grade 3 Kindness B 3rd place - Louie Sheng of Grade 10 Knowledge A 4th place - Justin Andre A. Simene of Grade 10 - Wisdom A

Tiktok Challenge Competition: Dance Category 1st place - Leandro Miguel Padla Grade 1 - Hope B 2nd place - Victoria Chloe Gamao Grade 8 - Truth A 3rd place - Amanda Bermudez Grade 9 - Prudence B - Aaron Cornelio of Grade 10 -Knowledge B - Sean Eduave of Grade 3 -Kindness B Sing Category 1st place - Mary Therese Hatayna Grade 10 Knowedge B 2nd place - Arabella Villaruel Grade 3 - Blended 3rd place - Athena Abao Grade 9 - Prudence A Free Talk Category 1st place - Clyde Kervinn J. Barillo Grade 9 - Fortitude A 2nd place - Dion Nicole Alexandra Maribao Grade 10 - Knowledge A 3rd place - Nicki Erl Minas Grade 10 - Knowledge B

Layout By Ma. Isabella Rubeanne G. Salas

Category A People’s Choice Award- Aliazhaina Nhur D.

Mautante

1st place - Aliazhaina Nhur D. Mautante 2nd place - Arabella Parcon Villaruel 3rd place - Pauleen Alyssa S. Uy Category B People’s Choice Award- Andrea Parojinog 1st place - Andrea Parojinog 2nd place - Mary Ivanna Shea Go 3rd place - Ron Yap Category C People’s Choice Award - Niña Mikaela E. Su arez 1st place - Niña Mikaela E. Suarez 2nd place - Leigh Dianne A. Bagares 3rd place - Geoff Andrei Cala

Frontliners’ Appreciation Week: Digital Art Poster Competition:

Cheer Up Chant Competition: Category A 1st place - Grade 9 - Prudence 2nd place - Grade 9 - Fortitude 3rd place - Grade 8 Fidelity Category B 1st place - Grade 10 Understanding 2nd place - Grade 11 Propriety 3rd place - Grade 12 Perseverance - Grade 12 Righteousness

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

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INNOVATION TOWARDS A NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION

By Rainess Katrina R. Alombro

L

ast December 18, 2020, Kong Hua

(Kong Hua School). Afterwards, the students

School celebrated Christmas before

and teachers logged in to their Wela accounts

officially starting its two-week long

and went straight to their respective virtual

Christmas break. Although some annual

classrooms to start their class Christmas party.

activities such as the exchanging of gifts,

Some classes prepared intermission numbers,

traditional party games, and Christmas feasts

presentations, and games that could be played

were postponed due to the pandemic, that

through the call.

didn’t stop the Konghuanians to celebrate the The event ended with a blast and it was

Layout By Rainess Katrina R. Alombro

season with glee and delight.

a very joyful and exciting experience as the First of all, the celebration started off with a Christmas mass which was virtually streamed

Konghuanians’ smiles could be seen at the other end of the screen.

through the school’s official Facebook Page

SHARE A GIFT, SHARE-A-JOY: CHRISTMAS 2020

By Breann Jean V. Sia

C

hristmas paves the way for giving,

Some of the teachers were assigned for

sharing and loving. In line with this,

attendance, some for temperature checking,

Kong Hua School had a Share-A-Joy

and some for bag distribution. There was also

program last December 19, 2020. With the

a talk given by Fr. Manny Regalado, LRMS prior

generosity that has been bestowed, the school

to the giving of the Noche Buena packs.

was able to raise a good sum of money for it. The teachers and staff of Kong Hua School

The event ended with happiness and

packed bags containing goods like rice,

smiles all throughout everyone’s faces. That’s

spaghetti, corned beef, and sausages that

the power of the gift of giving and sharing;

were distributed to 12 BEC cell groups. The

that’s the power of the Christmas season and

distribution of goods were divided into morning

spirit.

and afternoon sessions with assigned teachers.

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KHS Campus Observer

Layout By Ma. Isabella Rubeanne G. Salas

KONG HUA SCHOOL NTS E

EM V E I CH

A

Compiled by Callie Gabrielle T. Sabal and Alianor Lyzza D. Mauntante

YOUTH EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE AWARDEES: Grade 6 - Loyalty B: Selene Jia V. Uy Grade 7 - Humility A: Sam Jacob V. Uy Grade 9 - Justice B: Devon Ezekiel G. Aycardo Grade 9 - Fortitude A: Benn Jethro V. Sia Grade 11 - Benevolence A: Inigo Lorenzo L. Ku Grade 11 - Benevolence A: Breann Jean V. Sia Grade 12 - Perseverance A: Derek L. Limketkai

YOUTH CHINESE SPEECH CONTEST WINNERS: Grade School Category: 2nd Runner up: Grade 6- Loyalty A: Noelle Victoria L. Gan High School Category: 2nd Runner up: Grade 12- Perseverance B: Leela Lara S. Galvez

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

9

A JOURNEY WORTH REKINDLING Written By Maria Lina Zenaida L. Manlegro

F

or more than 83 years, Kong Hua School has molded thousands of individuals into agents of social transformation by instilling the core values of service, excellence, love, and faith. Over the years, the school has significantly improved as it continuously aims to offer quality education to the youth. Today, it features state-of-the-art facility upgrades and the latest technological advancements. The institution has undoubtedly come a long way from where it began eight decades ago. From there, let us take a trip down memory lane and see how Kong Hua School has transformed throughout the years.

1930s

STAR T

In the early 1930s, the first Chinese schools in Cagayan de Oro City were established.

The two schools were Chung Hua in Tiano Brothers Street and Hua Chao in Gomez Street.

1947

The school recommenced operation after the Second World War in Gomez Street since the old Chinese Club was destroyed. In 1947, the wooden building along Tiano Brothers street was completed where classes in the school year 1948-1949 were held. Still, English classes were not conducted by the school.

1937

In 1937, upon the advice of the Federation of Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Chung Hua and Hua Chao were merged and named Kong Hua Chinese School.

1950

In 1950, a permit to include an English elementary department was obtained by Kong Hua from the Bureau of Private Schools. Five years later, the school was given recognition for its full elementary course.

1973

Up to 1973, English High School graduates were required to stay for an additional two years to finish the senior years of the Chinese High School course.

With the nationalization of all Chinese schools per P.D. 167 in 1973, the school adopted the common teaching of only Chinese Language Arts in the Chinese Department.

In accordance with the same P.D. 176, the name of the school was permanently set to Kong Hua School.

1955

Kong Hua opened the high school department for both English and Chinese in 1955. With that, the school's name was changed into Kong Hua Chinese High School. Its high school department was fully recognized in 1960.

1977

At the end of the school year 1977-1978, the school's main concrete building was completed. It was occupied at the beginning of the next school year.

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KHS Campus Observer

2020

In the school year 2020-2021, Kong Hua School switched to online learning after a global epidemic has hit the country.

2017

On the 15th of December 2017, Kong Hua School was granted Level I Accredited Status.

2016

Conforming with the Republic Act 10533 of the Republic of the Philippines, Kong Hua School opened its Senior High School Department in the year 2016.

2015

In 2015, the construction of Kong Hua School’s state-of-the-art science centrum building began.

It was established in preparation for the K-12 senior high program. It is where the science, culinary arts, and iMac laboratories are situated.

2007

On the school's 70th founding anniversary, it has already established a modern preschool building, a huge gymnasium, a pastoral formation center at Taytay, El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, a state-of-the-art auditorium, two fully-furnished libraries, and a functional speech laboratory.

Under the priests’ administration, many advancements were made to further develop the children’s skills and talents. The school enhanced its laboratories and offered special classes on arts, dance, ballet, sports, and music.

2010

In 2010, Kong Hua School conducted a self-survey in hopes of acquiring accreditation from the Phillippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).

2009

In 2009, the Hijas de Jesus Sisters (F.I) bid their farewell to the school after 23 years of service.

The sisters were succeeded by the priests of Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society, who improved the school even more. They were Fr. Emmanuel S. Regalado, LRMS, the Director, and Fr. Peterson Tieng, LRMS, the head of the Center for Christian Formation, Chinese Department, and Finance Office.

1987

In 1987, upon the Board of Trustees' invitation, the five Hijas de Jesus Sisters (F.I) headed by Sr. Teresa Yuen, came to Kong Hua School as its new administrators.

Layout By Mary Kate “Chai” Saguin Source: Kong Hua School’s Student Handbook (Revised Edition)

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

11

Self-Care Tips

By the Editorial Board

Layout By Mary Kate “Chai” Saguin

When getting your tasks done pronto, don't be too harsh on yourself.

Always make sure to take care of your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Meditating once in a while could help you relax your body, mind, and soul. Furthermore, it could also help you reconnect with your inner self.

–Rainless You don’t always have to “do” something in order to be called “productive.” Rest! Take time off with your interests. It’s not always about work.

- Alilisa

School has been stressful lately especially that we have a lot of work to be done. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t focus anymore on our physical and mental health. Take a day off and pamper yourself! Do whatever you like while also making sure that your body gets the needed love and care.

- Penguin

- Lwina The further we go into our education, the more responsibilities we need to uphold. Regardless of this, make sure that your health will always be a priority. Stay hydrated, eat well and sleep soundly. Do the things you love when everything gets overwhelming. You’ll need a healthy body to experience the fruits of your accomplishments!

- Anonyy In times like this, we stray further away from what we love to do even if we're just in our homes.

We wake up just to get through the day and not wake up for ourselves.

Know that it's important to do things that complete you, the real you.

-Uno

Loads of tasks push you to spend all your time working. However, overworking leads to mental and physical stress. Don’t hesitate to close your eyes or do something that relaxes your mind. A good rest allows you to restore energy, improve focus, and increase efficiency.

Take period breaks while studying, when there's many projects and assignments to do, don’t cram yourself the day before the deadline, there's always time to breath and relax, you can always talk to your love ones for support and handle things in a healthy way, you can always do schedule breaks to replenish your energy.

-Yadnie

Procrastination = laziness?

Nope! Procrastination is the avoidance of negative emotion doing work. Instead of doing that task, you're more likely to do other things that doesn't make you feel like that. So do not condemn yourself for not doing it!

Establishing a "to do" list and self rewarding is a start.

At times, we may feel inclined to change ourselves to conform to society’s standards. But at the end of the day, the only person with you through the end is yourself. So be the most authentic and proud version of yourself because the only standard you need to conform to is your perspective of yourself.

-Rawr

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KHS Campus Observer

Breathe In, Breathe Out By: Rainess Katrina R. Alombro

Before you continue reading, take a few deep breaths first.

Inhale…

Exhale…

Inhale…

Exhale…

Okay. Are you good? Shall we continue?

Now, let me ask you, have you ever felt the sudden urge to accomplish something in this time of pandemic?

Ever felt the pressure from society to fulfil the old and newer standards it has set upon us?

Once in your life, have you ever become wary of people’s expectations of you?

Just like how this new normal turned everything upside down, so did society’s image, expectations, and standards as well. What’s even more concerning is that because of this sudden turn of events, one’s understanding of the world changed drastically.

But, it’s normal.

To experience that.

To feel that way.

And, it’s actually normal to have bad days, to feel tired, bummed out, uninspired, unmotivated, sad, anxious, useless, lazy, pressured, so on and so forth, the list goes on.

Layout by Niko Sam R. Go

“Take deep breaths” that's what they’d say when one is too flustered or having a hard time breathing. As absurd as it may sound, even as simple as getting lost and trapped in your thoughts could make you experience the overwhelming feeling of suffocating and gasping for air. *Just like how you ran out of breath reading the last sentence*. Even the immense feeling of constant pressure makes you feel that way as well. The constant eyes watching every move you make and waiting for every opportunity to drag you down. *Sighs* Oh, what a world we live in.

To not be perfect and flawless, making mistakes every other time, even not accomplishing big stuff for the time being.

It’s alright. It’s completely fine. It’s completely normal.

Waking up every other day, getting up for online class, and choosing not to give up is a big step on becoming a better version of yourself and reaching your goals. You’re doing good. Actually, you’re doing great.

Don’t be scared of taking baby steps and not going out for a leap. Small steps at a time still makes the job done. Also, don’t be afraid to take a rest, to be busy taking care of yourself, your body, health, mind, and spiritual well-being. YOU are your utmost priority and it takes a lot to acknowledge that with everything around us.

You are doing a great job. We’re proud of you for reaching this far. Congratulations.

Just always remember, when everything feels too overwhelming and too much for you, don’t forget to take a deep breath; breathe in, and breathe out.

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

13

Dear Sammy, How do you heal a broken hea rt? I mean like I'm already in the process of hea ling, but how will I know if it's already healed? Sometim es the pain from the past is haunting me. Also, I'm rat her happy naman na wala na yung toxic sa life ko, but the damage na ginawa nung past is… it's still there… yun lang hehe thank you :))

- •Com

Dear •Com,

pite your t you are happy now des Hi! It’s good to hear tha ing go of lett and rd wa for g at step in movin n “brokenness”; that is a gre or solutio on how there is no exact formula the pain. As far as I know, commitment to ever, what you need is a to mend a broken heart; how It might not be h. you've been going throug go forward despite what to be still with d nee you from hurting; but, rt hea r you p sto to ple sim to take care of to move on. Do not forget your choice and that is it. Make use of s even if you don’t feel like yourself and your studie and above all, ne ter individual for everyo your experiences to be a bet r family and you to t nec lf; study well, con will PASS. for yourself. Regain yourse PA t itSS. will tha l it e hfu iev fait bel be to God. Lastly, friends, and pray sincerely Sincerely, Sammy

Dear Sammy, How do I stop myself from al ways procrastinating?

- JustALarrie

Dear JustALarrie,

t you know and eady a good step tha alr is It e! rri axed La stA Hi, Ju e tend to be too rel e procrastinating. W ar us. u yo of t n tha ma hu ge led acknow ; which is very ow dertakings at times all un t no me ld so ou lay sh de we d an en to pause, and wh ow a kn ke st ma d mu ck on track an However, we us. We need to be ba py list cu to oc to try n t, tio es na gg procrasti s. If I may su nt to improve ourselve n see choice on how we wa it somewhere you ca pin d an ek we a for s itie each tiv in ac d ur en time you sp down all of yo and check how much it er ding ov en ok att Lo . e en tim oft it most g too much elf, are you spendin make d an e tim ur yo ert activity. Ask yours to div If it’s a yes, then try ty! unnecessary things? prioritizing your priori to ed itt mm co Be . ule ed sch ur yo of s change Sincerely, Sammy

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KHS Campus Observer

Dear Sammy, Thank you for do ing good things in Kong Hua Scho the good work ol... keep up ...you are doin g great in KH Anniversary...

S 83rd Year - KHS PAC Secr

etary

ary,

Dear KHS PAC Secret

d words and Thank you for the kin well appreciated.

u are

please know that yo

Sincerely, Sammy

Dear Sammy,

r almost 6 with my crush fo ds en fri on st be en I've be 0, I was planning ol year 2019-202 ar ho ye sc ol e th ho g sc rin e th Du years. e day before th r he r of fo e e us lov ca do it be confessing my had the chance to rson after the r ve ne I r, ve we ended. Ho her in pe ed to confess to n, she school year bega Covid. So, I decid w ne e th en wh t Bu didn't .

I , ds st en fir e quarantin school. At , for another guy at en to th t ng Bu lki . ta al d de g te bi star 't seem like a dn di out it ab ce ng sin lki it n't stop ta really mind months, she would I'll lose her forever. of le up co st pa the e now don't make a mov hen I am him. I feel like if I ything to me. W er ev is e sh r, he e to her in los s a es nn nf wa co I don't I don't wanna e. m es ld I et pl m t co way. Wha shou with her, she e it's not the right lik el fe I e us ca chat be do?

- Genshin

Dear Genshin

,

Thank yo question of yo u for sharing your experienc es with us. That urs is a battle of whether or confess your fe not you should elings to your be Genshin; have st friend. But, yo may I ask you, prepared for he u tried to check yourself if yo r possible resp u are already onse? More th need to be re ady with the an anyone, you outcome of yo are prepared ur decision. If enough, then you appreciate yo make a mov u fo e, also get confus r doing so. On the other ha she might ed and would nd, she might need to make with your conf or take actions ession. Howev er, if your frie than whateve ndship is strong r situation you er are in right no not get her YE w, then you m S, but you ca ight n never lose friend. Please he r also do not forget to know as your best remember to be a responsi your priority; bl e admire you m st ore. Don’t rush udent, and for sure she will every momen things, get it t with your be easy and enjo st friend. After y be best to en all, it will alway ter into a rela tionship when s are ready for we know that its responsibilit we ies.

Sincerely, Sammy

Dear Sammy, It has been a wild ride for me in m it'll continue to y years in KHS an be like that in m d y later years. I there anymore, may not be but the teaching s an live on! KHS, Ka d memories cont kayanin! inue to

- Niki

Dear Niki, appreciate know that you really Hi Niki! It’s good to but as an nt de stu a d you; not only as ian spirit an how KHS have hone hu ng Ko the read and shine Sp ll. we as al du ivi ou ind inside or tside the ever you are; be it wherever and when School is proud of member, Kong Hua KHS community. Re you!

Sincerely, Sammy

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

15

Motion: Should another round of lockdowns be implemented in the Philippines.

KLA

The Loc Contin

GOVERMENT 1ST: Reduce Infection Rate In an article posted by the World Health Organization in October of 2020, they quoted “We must do all we can to protect health workers, and the best way to do that is for all of us to take every precaution we can to reduce the risk of transmission, for ourselves and others. No one wants more so-called lockdowns. But if we want to avoid them, we all have to play our part.”. The government’s side believes that lockdown in the Philippines should be extended in order to reduce the likelihood of another round of infections. The cases in the Philippines have increased amidst the further relaxation of the lockdown that was previously implemented at the start of the pandemic.

2ND: Difficult Contact Tracing A lockdown will help the authorities and health workers by easing the difficulty in contact tracing since people would move less often; thus, they will interact with others less often as well. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that those people who have had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients should be evaluated and monitored. Unfortunately, testing and tracing capacity is limited. In order to ease the burden on logistics, preventing probable COVID-19 cases with the use of a lockdown would be the best course of action.

3RD: Vaccination Due to positive vaccine news, the probability of being able to perform herd immunity in the near future has increased. Herd immunity is defined by WHO as “a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached.” In the meantime, in order to maintain the levels of COVID negative residents, a lockdown would be the best option to reduce the transmission for now while the government waits for the vaccine to be released.

By Misaki Nakamura and Derek Limketkai Layout By Mary Kate “Chai” A. Saguin DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions of the writers/authors of “KLASH: The Lockdown Continues?” do not reflect the views and opinions of the school and the organization.

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KHS Campus Observer

ASH

ckdown nues?

Parameters

Lockdown refers to the action of shutting down non-essential business and to close the area from outsiders in order to reduce the likelihood of virus spread. The arguments are based on data collected from international and local sources.

The area of influence of the said lockdown are only those located in the Philippines.

OPPOSITION 1ST: Economy will struggle Another round of lockdowns will further increase the pressure on the Philippine economy.

According to ABS-CBN, the unemployment rate has risen to 45% since the start of the pandemic. Aside from the fact that governments worldwide are now burning more funds than they earn, people need their source of livelihood. Aside from that, Inquirer reported that the Philippines’ gross domestic product is expected to fall to its worst in at least 36 years because of COVID-19. The regional macroeconomic surveillance organization ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic and Research Office (AMRO) said it revised its GDP outlook for the Philippines to negative 7.6 percent in September from minus 6.6 percent last August which is a bigger decline than the 7-percent drop from 1984 during the Marcos dictatorship.

2ND: Enough is Enough The Philippines had been in lockdown since the start of the pandemic and quite frankly, they cannot be blamed for going out for leisure and entertainment. The people have had enough of the inconveniences brought onto them by the lockdown. We cannot expect everyone to overcome their basic human desires of freedom and obediently conform to rules that they have lost confidence in. The people need to be free, but only in moderation. If distancing and preventive measures are properly practiced, it would be more effective than simply locking down the area.

3RD: Another Ineffective Lockdown A lockdown was implemented at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce the spread of the virus. Months later, the virus is still rampant and cases rise daily; the lockdown can be said to be inefficient and increasing its duration will be counterproductive to the Philippines as a whole. The opposition side states that another round of lockdowns will do more harm than good.

Sources: •https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/contact-tracing •https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/herd-immunity-lockdowns-and-covid19 •https://business.inquirer.net/308050/ph-gdp-seen-shrinking-by-over-7-in-2020 •https://www.adb.org/news/philippine-economy-decline-further-2020-amid-covid19-recovery-2021

•https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/contact-tracing •https://business.inquirer.net/298602/ph-funds-for-covid-19-response-still-not-eno ugh-says-london-think-tank ing/contact-tracing-plan/contact-tracing.html#:~:text=Self%2Dquarantine%20of%20 close%20contacts,can%20take%20place%20at%20home.

•https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-ope ning-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---26-october-2020

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

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Quarantine

C

ROS

sw OR d s

Layout by Niko Sam R. Go

By Callie Sabal and Alianor Mautante

Across

Down

3. A mild to serve respiratory illness transmitted by tiny droplets produced from the human body.

1. An abnormal condition of the body.

2. Series of practices to maintain health.

8. A period or place of isolation

4. Favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of cirmustance; another term for ‘chance’.

5. Informal reference to the time spent with family, partners, or friends that could be identified as a special or productive time to the ones involved.

11. An act of worship to God, most especially in this current situation. To talk and connect with God, serves as our connection.

13. Maintaining distance from others.

14. A diesease that is spread world wide.

15. A needed cloth or necessity in this time of pandemic 16. An acrylic or PVC material that is used to cover or protect the whole face.

18. Used within medicine as an antiseptic, disinfectant, and antidote.

6. Correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement.

7. Restricted access to areas for security measures and/or requires people to stay where they are, most of the time due to high.

9. Type of learning during this pandemic where some students attend class in person, while others join the class virtually from their houses.

19. A substance or fluid designed to kill germs on the skin.

10. A period of time that you have nothing to do.

20. Large network of computer networks connecting worldwide.

12. The state of being isolated.

17. An optimistic state of mind; helps make a tough present situation bearable.

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KHS Campus Observer

Quarantine Reflections

I

Hope Amidst a Pandemic

By Ella Shaina Solima

n March 2020, the world completely changed because of the virus known as COVID-19. Since the previous months we have been wearing masks, staying in our houses, and have been practicing social distancing. It hasn’t been easy for everyone. I was Grade 4 at the time, and everything had been going fine until that afternoon, the school announced that classes would not be held the next day. At first, I was really happy because I did not need to wake up early. Then online school took place. The teachers posted tasks on our Facebook group, online school then ended in May. Eventually, our online school still resumed in August even though a lot of people talked about academic freeze. I was feeling excited because I could see my classmates again. During the vacation when online classes ended, I was not easily bored because I got to spend time with my family. We played board games, and we also played outside in our garden. We also walked our dogs regularly.

We spent the majority of the quarantine baking. We baked everything from breads to cakes and pastries. We even opened a home-based business which is going very strong. We also had movie nights often. It was through experiences and moments like these, as well as, through constant prayer that kept me hopeful that things would turn out okay, that we would stay safe, and that this pandemic would end. For me, quarantine was one of the toughest moments of my life. I couldn’t go anywhere. But then I learned that it wasn’t so bad. I got to spend time with my family and I also got to know them more. And despite all of the awful and discouraging headlines daily, in the future when I grow old, I will surely remember everything differently. I found hope amidst the pandemic by always remembering to stay positive in hope that God will soon put an end to all this and bring a smile back to our faces.

I

Realizations in this Pandemic

By Lorraine E. Co n this newlywed pandemic, I had seen and heard a lot of unhappy and devastating news, from COVID-19 cases growing into massive numbers, from innocent people dying because of a deadly disease, from millions of people losing their jobs because of this pandemic. We have realizations, refIections, and doubts. And in that realization, we learned to be thankful, thousands of frontliners sacrificed their lives and time, to care and save people who had been infected by the virus, they work countless hours to save lives, even though how they wish they could go and visit their families for a short time, they can’t. And in this realization, we realize to be thankful, we need to look back and see the sacrifices of our generous and hardworking frontliners, we need to shout “ThankYou,Heroes!”And when we realize this,we also think of something, we think of the word “Help”.

We help these frontliners by following COVID-19 protocols, you might be thinking it’s a small action and it won’t help, but there was a saying, “A small helpful action will change the whole world”.

And what I’m trying to tell and convince you is start helping, it may be small, but helping is a good choice to choose than doing nothing and ignoring all of the things that are happening. Amidst of this pandemic, we must try and help in our own small ways too. And we refIect that we’re not too grateful of what we have, we always think that we have less and we need something bigger, but then we refIect. Other people lost their jobs and sometimes goes home feeling hungry, while you never felt that; other people who are less fortunate that they have to live in the streets and the devastating part, is that there’s a virus and they have to worry about and they don’t even get a chance to sleep in a bed, while we have a comfy bed and a place we call home, with no worries. What we realize and refIect on this, is that we have to be grateful no matter what, things we think that are less are things other people think that are enough and wish they had that too, so we always have to be grateful and put ourselves on other people’s shoes. And remember it’s okay if you don’t have what other people have you just have to be grateful. And in these times, we have to be patient and understanding. We have to understand that sometimes our parents can’t give us other things, in this pandemic our loving parents work hard to earn money just to give us opportunities and better education. We sometimes envy things and want it right away but we can’t have everything so we have to be patient. Who knows, our parents might be suffering from financial issues and they’re trying to balance their savings.

We have to be patient and understanding, we have to understand that we can’t own everything in this world and we can only own a few things, and we need to be sensible in this world to at least help our parents through this newlywed pandemic, and to fight together to survive all this mess and to hope for a better life and to stop this pandemic. Hence, in these trying times we can survive if we grow into a helping manner together as one faithful community for all of the people in our country and for all the people of this earth.

We have to be strong and faithful for this pandemic to end and may we pray for all those who have been affected by the COVID-19 and to all front liners who work hard everyday to give people one more day to live.

We think, pray, and hope for the gleeful day to come.

Amidst these trying times, we must hope for the better.

Layout By Kenn Zyndryx Y. Subrado

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

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Quarantine Reflections My Reflection in this Time of Pandemic Reflection by Andrea Clarisse A. Parojinog

The year 2019 was a beautiful year but when the world entered 2020, it was like the world suddenly stopped.

COVID-19 Virus appeared out of nowhere. No one knew what was happening, no one knew what to do. We were forced to stay in our homes and to wear masks all for our safety. Deaths in other parts of the world continued to rise. This pandemic has led us to so many hardships that we might not be able to conquer or to face.

For students like me, we weren’t able to see our classmates or teachers. We all had our classes online. I miss my friends and classmates. I miss playing and talking to them. Before the pandemic, I got to hug them and feel closer to them. Now, we could only see them during our synchronous sessions.

I love going to malls and eating delicious food. I love to travel to new places every year. But everything stopped.

Many people think this is the worst year ever, but for me as an A.R.M.Y it was the best year ever. You call a person an A.R.M.Y., if he/she loves the K-pop boy band, BTS. It’s what they call their fandom. I had a lot of fun listening to their music and watching their performances.

This is how I have coped while the pandemic is going on.

A lot of people think this is the end of the world already.

As for me, I don’t think it is. It’s just like what the song BTS tells us that “Life Goes On”. The important thing now is that I am still alive, my parents and loved ones and everyone I care about like my classmates and teachers are in good health and that I am thankful for a lot of things I took for granted before this pandemic.

Reflection by Nathan Robben Sia Tan

COVID-19 is not what we expected to happen. This pandemic affected the world and the way we live. I feel lonely and isolated in this time because I can’t see my extended family, relatives, and friends. The COVID-19 pandemic made me feel scared of death and losing the people that I love. But I was able to learn important life lessons and realizations. I was also able to recognize the good things in life that I am truly grateful for. Through this pandemic, I was reminded about God and His great love for each and every one of us. I realized that He gives us enlightenment and strength to overcome this fear and uncertainty as long as we trust Him. Even though this pandemic can make us experience negative emotions, it teaches us to value and appreciate life more and simple things in it. I learned to pray to God and thank Him for all the blessings and for everything He has given us. We all have to adjust and adapt to this pandemic.

I have a great fear and confusion when COVID-19 break-out all over the world I have relatives who are in the medical field in America and London who are at high risk and the whole family are worried about them, and thanks to God, they are doing fine. I also fear for all of mankind especially those frontliners who risked their lives to keep us safe and help those people who are unfortunately, victims of this pandemic. We should thank the scientists for looking for the vaccine of COVID-19. Even though we are experiencing this pandemic, life goes on. Even if we lose our freedom to go out during this pandemic we should stay strong and HOPE, as the saying goes…“there’s a rainbow after every storm”. I believe that we can go through this nightmare and we’ll come out stronger and united as one nation. We can fight this together hand in hand.

My family and relatives are apart for a long time now and I miss them so much. This Christmas all I want and wish for is that the pandemic will end and life will soon be normalized. I salute the frontliners and the volunteers who are willing to help in order to conquer this pandemic. We are all in this together! We can make the world a better place! Yes, we can and we will.

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Layout by Niko Sam R. Go

I have learned how to do household chores like a little bit of cooking and fold clothes properly. I am trying to learn how to be independent and to rely on myself. My mom tells me this all the time. I have learned to have fun even if I cannot go out of the house. It’s just like what they say, “Life is short”. I have also learned to always think positively and to work hard for anything I want to achieve.

My New Normal life

KHS Campus Observer

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ilent Christmas, Holy Christmas

I

The gospel of St. Luke tells us about the unique birth of this baby Jesus. When the time came, his parents, Mary and Joseph, were helpless as they were looking for an inn. To no avail, they found none. Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. (2:7c) The long awaited Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was born not in a majestic palace but in a simple manger. The baby Jesus was greeted not with the smiles of the leaders and kings of this world but with the smiles of the shepherds who heard the news of great joy from

the angel. In other words, the birth of the child Jesus was filled with simplicity and profound joy for those people who were there. The child was born without extravagance, luxury and even superfluity. It was a humble and modest event. If that was the case, then what is the first Christmas telling us today?

First of all, the first Christmas challenges us to reevaluate and to reclaim the real meaning of Christmas. Christmas trees, Christmas parties, Christmas bonuses, candy canes, and silver lanes are not and cannot be the center of our celebration.

It is Jesus and it will be always the birth of this child.

Secondly, the first Christmas would like us to imitate the shepherds who hurried away to see the child Jesus. This season of Christmas is an opportunity for us to cherish the quiet moments, to stop and gaze at the baby in the manger. We were so exhausted with the hustle and bustle of our life; so, let us give ourselves the gift of silence to gaze at the face of God in the face of Jesus. Lastly, the first Christmas asks us to treasure and to ponder the mystery of Incarnation into our hearts. Just like Mary, she was exhausted with everything that happened. But at the end of the narrative of the birth of Jesus, Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart (2:19).

Layout By Rainess Katrina R. Alombro

t’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go. Take a look at the five and ten, it’s glistening once again, with candy canes and silver lanes that glow… Every time I hear this song, it always brings me back to some beautiful memories of the past Christmases I had where smiles were everywhere without face masks and face shields, where gifts and cards were being sent to every family around the world without any fear of contamination and where simple parties and family gatherings were allowed without any anxiety that lola or lolo might get infected by the deadly virus. The Christmas season is the most anticipated season all over the world. Not to mention, that here in our country, we always begin this season unofficially at the very start of September. Undeniably, we love to celebrate this season. We have a lot of exciting memories about it. But, we are still now in the middle of this pandemic. We cannot do the things that we used to do. But the question is, Tuloy na tuloy pa rin ba ang pasko? To answer this question, let us turn our gaze in the pages of the Sacred Scripture, in particular the very first Christmas in Bethlehem.

What did the first Christmas look like?

Reflection By Fr. Aidan V. Zaballero, LRMS

Tuloy pa rin ba ang Pasko? Certainly yes!

Remember, the first Christmas is best described with the lyrics of this famous Christmas song: ‘Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin Mother and Child, Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace’. Jesus is the reason for this season! Have a Silent and Holy Christmas to all! Amen.

Vol. 38 No. 1 August 2020 - December 2020

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CAMPUS OBSERVER’S

Layout By Ma. Isabella Rubeanne G. Salas

COMIKHS

Comic made by Pamela Aryadnie Sophia C. Abamonga Trixie V. Capundag Marc Farron T. Sia Tan