NEW YEAR, NEW ME! In every ending, there is always a new beginning. The year 2012 ends and a new year, 2013 starts. New Year, new life… I usually hear these words whenever New Year comes. So, I need to have a new life because it’s New Year, right? This 2013, I will try my best to change everything I need to change with myself. I have to eradicate those bad vibes and replace it with new ones. This past year, I admit that I was so negative; meaning, I didn’t look at the positive side of everything. I did not have confidence in myself. This year, I will become a positive thinker because I believe that ‘man often becomes what he believes himself to be. So, if I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end up by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity even if I may not have it at the beginning. “Fear is the greatest barrier to success.” I also admit that I became weak these past years. So now, I will become stronger to face all my fears. If I let my fears dominate me, then nothing will happen. So now, I will have the guts to surpass all the obstacles that come along my way to success. I will become more careful with the words I utter because a careless word may kindle a strife. I will extend my patience in doing my school works. I will accept defeats. These defeats are just stepping stones on the way to success. So, if I fail now, I will strive harder so that I will succeed tomorrow. Let go of the past, focus at present to have a brighter future. If I can accomplish all the things that I have mentioned above I am sure that I will already become a better person---a new person this year and the years to come.

GIVE LOVE ON CHRISTMAS DAY “Whenever I see boys and girls selling lanterns on the streets, I remember the child on the manger as He sleeps. Whenever there are people giving gifts exchanging cards, I believe that Christmas is truly in our hearts,” a very captivating lyrics of one Christmas Song. Everytime I hear this song, I can’t explain the feelings I have deep inside my heart. It seems that my heart is full of joy because the first thing that strikes my mind is that Christmas is fast approaching. Yes! It’s true Christmas!—the day when our savior Jesus Christ was born. If we are already in the “BER months” we can already feel the cold breeze of the wind coming from the Northeastern part. Hanging Amihan is one of the signs of Christmas Season. “CHRISTMAS has various meanings for everyone. For us, Christians, it is the feast that commemorates the birthday of Jesus Christ, our savior. It is a time of giving and sharing as what the previous song manifest. It is a moment for families to have time for each member. If you will ask the meaning of Christmas to a little child, he would probably say that it is a time for Santa Claus to distribute gifts. If you will ask the meaning of Christmas to teenagers, they would probably answer that it is a time for outing, hanging out with peers. If you will ask a mother the meaning of Christmas she will probably answer that it is a time to spend her family. If you will ask the meaning of Christmas to a vendor, he will probably say that it is a time for selling products for Noche Buena. See, there are different interpretations of Christmas but the bottom line is CHRISTMAS is all about LOVE---for family, for peers and for everyone.

BE FAIR!!! God has given us equal rights and equal chances. Each one of us must be treated fairly. We are very lucky because we are now enjoying the privilege of having equal rights and equal chances as others have. If we are to trace back history, our ancestors suffered from , many kinds of discrimination. We are all aware that before, males are more superior than females. Strictly speaking, males at early times have more privileges than boys. They were the only one who can attain education level where in fact that should not be the case because girls have also the right to attend to school. In political aspect, girls before are not allowed to join politics for they believe that girls are only for household chores. Nowadays, boys and girls are already being treated fairly in all aspects. Girls can now attend to college and get a course they want. In fact the number of females who are becoming professionals is gradually increasing. It only manifests that girls are not left behind when it comes to profession. They can even qualify as candidates for presidency. Actually, there were already two girls who became president of the Philippine Republic. They are former president Corazon Aquino and former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and because of this, it has been proven that whatever boys can do, girls also can. “Gender Awareness” to be exact. So, we need to be fair. How nice it would be if only there is no more discrimination. This world will probably be a better place to live if everyone in here will be given “equal rights and equal chances.”

SAVE MOTHER EARTH!!!

The issue of climate climate change has become a global concern. In the 20th century, temperatures have gone up by about 70 degrees Celsius. God has provided us a very stunning and dazzling beauty of nature for us to take care of it. We can not hide the fact that our environment has already been degraded and we are the ones who are being badly affected by this. It's sad to say that we are the main reason why these natural phenomena like the El Niño and La Niña and other natural calamities that we are suffering now occur. If our illegal activities continue to emit large quantities of greenhouse gas, further changes in the global climate will occur. Glacier melting and arctic warming would raise he sea level and affect biodiversity in the planet. Are we not alarmed by what is happening to our surroundings? Are we not aware that what we do to Mother Nature would eventually thrown back to us? If we, humans continue to destroy God's creation, I am pretty sure that time will come that planet Earth would no longer exist because our illegal activities widely contribute to the gradual destruction of the ozone layer. The next generation would no longer have something to witnessed. As a citizen, we should stop whatever bad tings we do and give our best in taking care of Mother Earth. We must help our government in implementing the programs which help in the preservation of what we presently have. Let us do our part and help the DENR in their program Philippine Strategy on Climate Change Adaptation (PSCCA) and the "Adaptation to Climate Change and Conservation of Biodiversity in the Philippines (ACCCBio).

DON’T TRUST ANYBODY! Thank You Lord! Second Grading is about to end again. It was really a very challenging period. I have gained more experiences and I have learned a lot of lessons from those experiences of mine. “Don’t trust anybody,” whatever happens, I will always put this in my mind. It seems that all the people around me are pulling me down but even though I know they are like that, I am still trying my best to pretend that everything is just okay even if that’s not really what I feel. I noticed that some of my classmates are just using me or they just know me when they want a thing from me. At least for now, I know where I belong. I will not trust them anymore the way I trusted them before. I have already learned from my mistakes. If my classmates cannot accept me, why should I insist myself with them? It’s just okay, in fact I am so lucky because I have my family who loves me and accepts me for who I am and for what I am. I am so tired of pretending that I am happy of what they are doing. As long as I know that I am treading the right path, I will fight for my right. I will not tolerate their bad attitudes anymore because they are already abusing. Moving on, I will make use of what I have learned and I will apply it to my daily life in order to improve what I have started.

UPHOLDING ENGLISH PROFICIENCY FOR COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCY English has become the language of Commerce , government and private offices and practically all disciplines in school. With the endless innovations and scientific discoveries, one has to be proficient in the language such that he can cope with pace of rapid changes, digital technology among others. Being fluent in English makes us become globally competitive in the labor market which everybody knows has already been saturated with technological intricacies and complexities. Every month of October, our school participates in the celebration for the National English Olympics Month. Our school launches the SPEAK Campaign. This helps us to become more proficient in English. The theme for this year’s celebration is “UPHOLDING ENGLISH PROFICIENCY FOR COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCY”. In connection to this, the English Club conducts different activities like essay writing, slogan-making, smart talk, spelling bee and others using the English language. This enhance our skills on the language. This is also one way of showing what we know about this. English proficiency is very important. Let us practice speaking in English because this is the language being used in almost all parts of the world. In order for us to understand each other, we must practice speaking in English. SPEAK ENGLISH NOW!

CONSERVING ENERGY, RESULTS IN ECOOMIC SUFFICIENCY

SCIENTRICITY: Energizing Science Clubbers for Sustainable Energy, this is the theme of this year’s Science Month Celebration. The theme is very timely because nowadays, our country is suffering from power shortage due to several reasons. As a concern citizen, we must seek for solutions in order for us to solve power shortage. Our government has been implementing projects regarding this case but it seems that it’s still not enough. Sometime, I wonder how come that we are still suffering from power supply despite the many projects being implemented. Who should we blame about this crisis? Oftentimes, we waste energy. Even if we do not really need it that much, we still insist to use it just because we want to. Let’s take into consideration the electric consumption in our own houses. We cannot hide the fact that waste of energy usually starts in our houses. During daytime, we are used to switch o the lights even if we do not really need it. Instead of wasting energy, why should we not conserve it as a way of helping our economy? Each one of us has a responsibility which we must fulfil. Let us work hand in hand in order for us to have sufficient spply of energy. Energy sustains life so we must conserve energy!