December 13, 2023
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool fosters “Love, Gratitude, and Unity”
By Marella Saldonido
In its second successful year, Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines ended another year with much to be grateful for. A Thanksgiving Program with the theme of “Love, Gratitude, and Unity” was held on December 9 at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The guests were welcomed with colorful and festive “Paskong Pinoy”-themed decorations handcrafted by the preschool teachers and teacher aides themselves. Aside from bringing more life to the setting, the decorations were also created to promote environmental sustainability, as each piece, from the banderitas (pennants) to the kubo (hut) on stage, was made entirely from recyclable materials.
Before the celebration and the much-awaited performances from the nursery and pre-kindergarten students began, the guests were asked to answer the question, “What are you grateful for?”
“The number one thing I’m grateful for is my family,” says Jessica Cheng, whose daughter Sofie just recently joined the preschool’s nursery class. She also expressed her sincere gratitude towards Sofie’s teachers, as she noticed positive changes in her daughter, even after only a few months of attending the preschool.
The celebration then kicked off with fun performances of the preschoolers singing and dancing to Christmas songs and Tzu Chi songs that delivered a message of hope as they “Light a Candle for Peace.” The joyous event continued with a role-playing and sign language performance about sharing love and blessings through coin bank donations, which the students also participated in later on.
“We’re happy to be helping out even with a small amount because every cent counts,” says Jessica.
The collected donations as well as the profit made from the preschool’s recent holiday bake sale will be used to support the foundation’s programs, which extend the love shared by the preschool students to Tzu Chi scholars and beneficiaries.
Seeing the children’s small acts of kindness truly touches the hearts of their families, teachers, and teacher aides who guide them through their developmental years. “I’m grateful to our students because, even if it’s hard to be a preschool teacher, seeing them grow and seeing their progress really helps us push through in teaching and imparting values to them,” says nursery teacher Mary Ann Rodriguez.
Teacher aide Ma. Teresa Miña also cannot help but feel proud of the preschoolers’ growth. “We teach them to be independent, and we can see that in simple tasks like putting their bags in the cabinets, they no longer rely so much on us teacher aides,” she says.
“I hope we can have more students and higher grade levels in the future so that we can watch and guide the children as they grow,” adds Ma. Teresa, who wishes to spend more years with the students whom she has grown fond of.
Another highlight of the event was the awarding of winners for the Great Love Parol-Making Contest with the theme, “Turning ordinary items into sparkly extraordinary decors.”
From upcycling the decorations for the program, the preschool continues its efforts to promote resourcefulness and creativity among the students and their families by challenging them to create parols (lanterns) using recyclable materials.
The Thanksgiving Program serves as a reminder that it’s never too early to teach children to fill their hearts with love, express gratitude for all their blessings, and live in unity with other people to create harmonious connections.
By embracing these three values, we can celebrate this season of giving in true holiday spirit.
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines holds a Thanksgiving Program on December 9 at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool students’ families share what they are grateful for.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool students’ families share what they are grateful for.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool students’ families share what they are grateful for.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The celebration begins with the nursery class’ performance of “Jingle Bell Rock.”【Photo by Jenielyn Sy Lao】
The celebration begins with the nursery class’ performance of “Jingle Bell Rock.”【Photo by Jenielyn Sy Lao】
Pre-kindergarten students send a message of hope with a performance of “Light a Candle for Peace.”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Pre-kindergarten students send a message of hope with a performance of “Light a Candle for Peace.”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Nursery and pre-kindergarten students join forces in a role-playing and sign language performance on coin bank donations. 【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Nursery and pre-kindergarten students join forces in a role-playing and sign language performance on coin bank donations. 【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The students’ families proudly watch their lively performances.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Jessica Cheng (fourth from left, seated) and family enjoys Sofie’s performances.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool launches “Great Love Parol-Making Contest: Turning ordinary items into sparkly extraordinary decors.”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Great Love Parol-Making Contest “Little Mr. Facebook Crowd Darling” award winner.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Great Love Parol-Making Contest “Little Ms. Facebook Crowd Darling” award winner.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Great Love Parol-Making Contest “Little Mr. Rising Vlogger” award winner.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Great Love Parol-Making Contest “Little Ms. Innovator” award winner.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Sofie’s grandparents (first and second from left) share how they helped her make a parol out of her favorite old pajamas, which she did not want to let go of.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
“A big improvement I saw in Sofie is that she has become more active, and she’s very happy. We’re also very happy here in Tzu Chi because the facilities are great and the teachers are amazing,” shares parent Jessica Cheng.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Great Love Parol-Making Contest “King of Upcycled Brilliance” award winner.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Jun Dy (second from left) shares how he and his son Noah made their parol entirely out of recyclable materials. The father and son used empty soda bottles, a tape core, and old Christmas ornaments to create their upcycled parol.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
“The kubo is made from the old paper bags and all of the decorations we have in the auditorium today are really made with love and recyclable materials,” says nursery teacher Mary Ann Rodriguez.【Photo by Jenielyn Sy Lao】
The preschool students share love and blessings for Tzu Chi’s beneficiaries through coin bank donations.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool students share love and blessings for Tzu Chi’s beneficiaries through coin bank donations.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool students share love and blessings for Tzu Chi’s beneficiaries through coin bank donations.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool students share love and blessings for Tzu Chi’s beneficiaries through coin bank donations.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
The preschool students share love and blessings for Tzu Chi’s beneficiaries through coin bank donations.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
“We always want them to feel loved and also to show love to other people, especially their families. We want them to always be thankful for what they have and be content with what they have. And we want them to have peaceful connections with other people,” says nursery teacher Mary Ann Rodriguez (right, foreground).【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
“One of Master Cheng Yen and Tzu Chi’s missions is the mission of education and it starts here in the Great Love Preschool,” says teacher aide Ma. Teresa Miña (center).【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
“I’m very happy to see these kids grow up in an environment full of love. That’s a very good decision on the parents’ part for deciding for them to study in Tzu Chi,” says Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines teachers and teacher aides express their utmost gratitude to the students and their families, and Tzu Chi volunteers for their continuous support and involvement in the preschool. 【Photo by Jenielyn Sy Lao】
Students join Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines staff for a group photo.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Students and their families join Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines staff and volunteers for a group photo.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】