CCD articles – Santuario de San Antonio Parish

CCD (Continuing Catholic Development), the Catechism Ministry of the Parish of Santuario de San Antonio, resumed classes for its 2014 -2015 school year last Wednesday, August 27. To set the pace and to help them prepare for and meet the challenges ahead, the CCD teachers held their annual workshop last Saturday, August 23.

As one of the most successful teachers’ workshops yet in terms of participation and attendance, this year’s Workshop was opened by Father Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM, Parish Priest and CCD’s Spiritual Advisor. In his Invocation, Father Reu prayed for blessings on the service of teaching; and he reminded the volunteer teachers and committee members “that their work is part of Jesus’ mission.”

For the fifth consecutive year, the Workshop Facilitator was Mrs. Rita Atienza, Faculty Member of the Loyola Schools’ Education Department, Ateneo de Manila University. Mrs. Atienza was assisted by Mrs. Elizabeth Virata and Ms. Yolanda Lomotan, of the CCD Curriculum Committee.

Mrs. Virata noted that “we have several new members to our ministry, which is an encouraging indication that our CCD Ministry is strong.” And because of the new teachers and new members on the committee, it was decided that the 2014 Workshop be a refresher on “Understanding by Design” and on “Instructional Strategies”. She added that those who had attended previous UbD workshops, “will attest to how much ‘Understanding by Design’ practically overturned our approach to teaching and how the 2010 Workshop honed our skills and strategies in teaching.”

The CCD Faculty Section has been very privileged and fortunate in the teachings and instructions given by Mrs. Atienza at their annual workshops, on “Understanding by Design” –
2010: How do I design effective lesson plans? (Understanding by Design – UbD)
2011: How do I meet the needs of my students? (Differentiated Instruction)
2012: What are our non-negotiables when we teach? (Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum)
2013: Are my students learning? (Assessment)

The 2014 Workshop, on Refresher and Reviews of the subjects of the last four workshops, had sessions on effective lesson planning, differentiated instruction, a guaranteed and viable curriculum and on students’ assessment. It focused on teaching primarily to make a MEANINGFUL UNDERSTANDING and a significant TRANSFER of knowledge to students. The afternoon session included the screening of a video on how to compile a proper lesson plan and how to execute the plan. Another session stressed the importance of ensuring that one’s students are THINKERS, and how not to rob them of the challenge and the struggle to think for themselves. And in this, the students will need TIME to absorb, to analyze and to think so that they can make meaning of the questions asked and answer in their own way.

After an open discussion and an exchange of ideas and suggestions, and after a round of applause for Mrs Atienza, the Workshop closed at 4.00pm, with the teachers leaving happy in the certain knowledge that they had spent a meaningful and an enjoyable day together; and armed with teaching plans for the spiritual and religious formation of the students who will be in their care for the next twelve months.

Putting into practice what they learn in the classroom about their faith, and specifically the Commandment of love, CCD’s (Continuing Catholic Development) Level 7 students (Confirmation Level), celebrated the holy season of Advent and brought forward the joyous season of Christmas, to children at the convent of the Daughters of Charity Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul at Parañaque City.

On Saturday morning, 7 December: students, teachers, committee and helpers, departed by bus from the Parish for Paranaque – loaded with food, drinks, presents, good cheer and a strong sense to share with those children who were the beneficiaries of the first CCD Outreach program for this school year. Funds to pay for these goodies and to make the Outreach a distinct possibility, was raised from CCD’s own annual Light A Parol fund-raising project.

CCD’s contact with the children and the Daughters of Charity Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, was through BINHI, an English Literacy Foundation, which begin in 2008 by a group of women bonded by a common vision to help improve the future of Filipino children in the marginalized areas, through education.

The CCD students were tasked with giving and grading Mid-Test to their young hosts, girls and boys aged 3 and 4 years old – to determine whether the child can already recognize upper and lower case letters. The overall results would also indicate whether the child is ready for enrolment in the elementary schools. The report back from BINHI was that 71% of the total number of children passed the test; 7% would have to re-do the test.

The whole exercise and the project itself was one of caring patience, kindness and consideration to the younger children some of whom quickly formed a bond with their guests from CCD. “Love your neighbour as yourself” as clearly and widely in evidence that day and as told to a teacher by a student: “today, we are the Good amaritan”. Clearly those from CCD were indeed putting their Faith in Action.

After an enjoyable interval of singing and dancing, eating and resting, we bade goodbye to the children, their parents, their teachers and the nuns who care for them, and made the bus ride back to Santuario de San Antonio Parish, mentally and spiritually refreshed and happy, that we had just spent a very worthwhile morning with some very deserving people – in an Outreach of caring and sharing.

To know more about Santuario de San Antonio Parish CCD Program>>>>>