The Bouquet

Aw...what sweet dates we all had! Each of our them made sure we each had a memorable experience. Now you're probably guessing what kind of lovey-dovey surprises we had. Well, we will share with you how  overwhelmed we were with the big surprise each of our dates had for us! As in most dates, each of us got a unique and interesting bouquet. But what made it even more interesting is that the kind of flora we received  depended on some special reason each of our dates had. Here's what we have to say:

Starting off with Caitlin - She happily shared to us that she was given a Ginko biloba. What's this, you ask? Well, according to Caitlin, her date gladly explained a thing or two about it. He said that Ginko biloba was the ONLY species belonging to Ginkophyta. Also, in this division, plants are used as medicinal herbs to cure many kinds of sicknesses. It is known to be a plant that gives a person good memory. Caitlin mentioned that her date gave this to her so she will not forget him. He added that Gingophyta plants have fan-shaped leaves. “I picked this particularly so I may be able to fan and refresh you with the cool air,” he stated. Aww...how romantic!

Next is Marielle. She told each of us that she got a fern as a gift from her date. She also explained that this plant comes from division Pteridophyta. Her date told her many interesting facts on this. These plants do not have seeds nor flowers and they are also vascular plants. This means they have a xylem and phloem which transports the nutrients to the parts of the plant. These may also be used in fuel which is needed to make things work and going. Marielle explained that her date gave her a fern because to him ferns are special...and so is Marielle to him!

James had a different but interesting story since, for a change, this was coming from a point of view of a boy. He told us that his date gave him a part of a pine tree. At first, James wondered why she picked a pine tree, but as their date went on, he was able to understand why. His date said that the gift belonged to the division Coniferophyta. Plants here are woody and cone-bearing. They are also gymnosperms. He recalled that his date picked this particular plant because it was tough, strong and could survive through many stressful environments-- just like James!

Toni, on the other hand, shared that she got a lily as a gift! Her date explained that this precious plant belonged to the Monocotyledones (having only one embryonic leaf). These plants have different kinds, shapes and colors of flowers which blossom at their own time. Toni excitedly told us that her date picked a lily because it was grown for their attractive flowers, which reminded him of her. She mentioned that her face grew red the time he said that. 

Coincidentally, Gabbie also received Monocotyledon from her date! In addition to what Toni's date said, Monocots (for short), as Mr Flat Top explained, play very important biological, ecological and economical roles. And he gave Gabbie a pink orchid, specifically, the Waling-waling. Her date explained that he picked this because it was the 'Queen of Philippines Orchid', and to him, she was 'queenly' in her simplicity.

Moving on to the Crush Experience Output...

Fortunately, we all found it easier to prepare everything in this Crush Experience Output. One simple reason:  we already had loads of experience and feedback from our previous C.E.O. - so we knew how to better prepare for this one. We learned our lessons from previous mistakes and made sure we did not repeat them. We searched for how we could improve and excel. 

More specifically, in Caitlin's case, she found the making both CEOs easier because she did not have to work with anyone else. She shared that she works better, and is able to accomplish more when she is alone for the simple reason that she did not have to deal with different opinions and finding common schedules for the team to meet. In short, she had full control. Although being alone is not all smiles, says Caitlin. When you are not in a group...who will check your work? Caitlin shared that there might be a higher chance of getting mistakes when no one is there to evaluate, comment and check your work.

For the rest of the SDJS's, they had other love-bugs to share the work with and depend on to get the work done faster. That made it easy and...more fun for them. They all agreed that when in group, you do not have to carry the burden of doing all the work yourself. You may ask your other group mates to help and support you. So, not only is the work done faster, the tasks are also shared. Of course there are down sides, too. When a group mate is busy with something else, that love-bug may not be as cooperative. If the group is not careful, misunderstandings can also affect the work or presentation of the activity.

Whether alone or with others in the group, we each encountered unique challenges. Us three girls- Gabbie, Caitlin and Toni faced the same problem...the file we sent to the Love Guru could not be read in his computer. But instead of panicking, we instantly searched for the right solution and prayed that the problem may be fixed. And true enough, we all found our own solutions. James had a different kind of problem. It was more about how to work better as a group. They had misunderstandings along the way. But, thankfully, they were able to straighten things out immediately so it would not affect the quality of their project.

Through the road of planning the project, preparing a good presentation and presenting in front of the class, we picked up many lessons and values that really helped us...and perhaps help others too. People- whether a student or a grown working adults- should learn to cooperate and work with others with different personalities. We learned the important lesson of 'Give-and-Take'. That it is not all about doing a perfect project but giving everyone the chance to contribute and be listened to. Time management is also an important factor in preparing a good presentation. We should learn how to deal with different kinds of unexpected situations given a limited amount of time. And no matter what project or activity, we should learn to have fun in what we are doing, to reach higher, and most importantly, to respect each one as an individual in order to progress and become a better person. 

Special Credits: Gabbie and Toni would like to thank Alex for helping them with the Monocot report. James would like to extend his gratitude to Adi for the support in making the Coniferophyta report. Marielle appreciates the help given by Anabel for the Pteridophyta report.

We would also like to credit the sources of our pictures:
http://www.brayersfarm.com/ginkgo-biloba-in-herbal-uses.html
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Fern-Frond-of-Ponga-Tree-Fern-New-Zealand-Posters_i2506140_.htm
http://www.music05.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stargazer_Lily.jpg
http://hubpages.com/hub/Davao-City-One-of-Worlds-Largest-and-Philippines-most-Progressive-Cities

http://www.happysteps.net/2011/01/26/romantic-vacation-ideas-on-valentine%E2%80%99s-day/

A Date With Animalia

All hyped up, excited, and ready to go, all in the group are on to the first part of each of our dates!

Similar to how it feels when one finds out who his/her date is going to be is how we felt when the assignment was revealed to us. We were each introduced to our date - animals. So, of course, excitedly, as one would be to find out more information about the 'date', we began to find out more about the assigned animal. What did he look like (structure), what did she like to eat (nutrition), and much more!. we each wrote down the most interesting facts and questions about the date and cooked up a quiz of good quality date journals or hand-outs for each of our fellow Almaciga love bugs. Afterward, we had to share our secrets in front of 18 trusted school friends.  


WHAT A NOVEL WAY TO BE EXPOSED TO THESE DIVERSE FORMS OF LIFE! Challenging as any date may seem, we still strove hard and gave our 100% not only for the first good impression (high grades) but to inspire and make our friends learn new, deep and interesting things about our animal dates.

Now on to each of our experiences. 


Toni's Date: Archean (the Atenean). Don't know what it is? Most of us did not know as well...until Toni shared about it to us with her heart's desire. We learned various of things like they are single-celled organisms divided into four phyla. Did you know that Archeans may be the only organisms that can live in extreme places! 


Caitlin's Date: The Sponge. Could he be related to Spongebob Squarepants? Caitlin quickly clarified as she reported that sponges help maintain the cleanliness of the sea and oceans. Wow now that's a clean date. 


Gabbie's Date: Mr Flat Top or Platyhelminthes. She talked about flat worms with the whole class. The class now knows that not all flat worms are parasitic and harmful. Now we don't have to treat Mr Flat Top with disgust, but maybe start admiring him because he helps the environment. 


Marielle's Date: Fishy-Wishy. The highlight of her presentation was that there are 3 groups of fish. It was a long one but packed with interesting things. Now we can tell that her date lasted REALLY long. Lastly, 


James Date: A Crawler or those round wormies. He shared his gathered information about the round worms with the class. We learned that these are always needed in the environment...and even in your garden!

All of us “Super Duper Junior Scientists” had a similar way of preparing for our dates a.k.a projects. First, we dug up facts about the date and researched on each of our topics. We then looked for detailed information about our assigned organisms to the best we could (including checking google and youtube on secret info). As soon as we each had enough information, we started making a Diary or a handout. All of us tried to summarize what was in the handout and publish it into a best seller DVD. After, we started choosing a few topics to make into a love match quiz. Lastly, after we finished all requirements we needed to do for each of our reports, we all did some re-touches to look our best before sending our photos, diaries, and DVDs to the Love Guru!

Since some of our dates did not have as much available info, some of us had problems which sometimes tormented the mind. For the most of the group, fortunately they did not encounter any problem or difficulty preparing. Maybe you are wondering why? Well, it's simple. They got a head start and prepared the CEO (Crush Experience Output), so naturally, they finished early without those pesky stomach butterflies. As for Gabbie, she faced a couple of hiccups. And she knew she needed solutions...fast. One problem she dealt with was the re-formatting her file, which she eventually fixed.

Along the way, and kidding aside now, the SDJS's learned lessons and values that would definitely help each of them face the more serious problems and challenges in life. Being organized is one very important factor to accomplish projects, homeworks, and many more requirements of school. But this will not only help in situations of school, but also, even more importantly, in our daily lives. When we are organized, we do not easily panic in the face of problems, instead, we are ready and calm so we are able to analyze the problem and think of the best solutions. Another lesson we learned was not to forget important matters. Each should carefully think if anything is missing in any situation. For students of all ages, or even working adults, “cramming” is something that should always be avoided. Cramming will lead a person to rush and submit a project of bad quality- both in appearance and content. 

This CEO is not plainly about making a report, sharing it to the class, and getting a grade. It is a memorable and fun learning experience where the researcher gets the opportunity to discover the many wonders and inner secrets of God's creation.

Stay tuned for more scoops on our dates!

We are the ''Super Duper Junior Scientists"

A date is an event that most anyone looks forward to. Excitement and anticipation are two strong emotions that fill one's consciousness when preparing for a date. And we only say 'yes' to the invitation if we assess it to be special. We only accept if we are convinced of the outcome - one that will be fun and memorable.


Hello readers! We are a young and inquisitive group of scientists- the 'Super Duper Junior Scientists'. We are composed of 5 6th-grade TLTers. Get to know each one of us by reading some fascinating facts about ourselves :)


Toni, referred to as "Toni-baloni", is the girl who can dance to any beat. She enjoys listening to music and grooving to every beat. Not only can she dance, swing, and strut, she also is an expressive actress. She most capable of bringing any character to life. She calls herself very talkative- in class or with her closest friends. Nevertheless, she is unquestionably one talented 12-year old. 


James, a mirthful lad, is the only boy in the group. He can fill every minute of his day with playing basketball, like other boys. James is also fond of pop/contemporary music. He loves target shooting and wishes to be in the PMA. When it comes to food, he loves anything his mom cooks--except for some veggies. And did you know, James has a very strong sense of smell and taste. No wonder he loves to eat!


Gabbie, or the "SupercalifragilisticexpialiGabbie", enjoys and loves books, discovery, and studying. She considers each project from school, no matter how challenging, as a brand new adventure. Gabbie is also a violinist who continues to practice whenever she can. She, one day, dreams of performing with the Philharmonic. Not many know but, she loves, as in looooves, to eat. For now, she wishes to be a successful doctor who wants to help heal and save as many lives as she possibly can.  


Caitlin, ''the talented Cait'', also enjoys playing instruments. She does not play only one but several instruments such as the violin, flute, guitar and much more. Caitlin also has a gift in drawing and sketching. If you would bump into her, she would probably be reading a book or drawing a wonderful et to know more of masterpiece. 


Marielle, a.k.a "silent marielle", is a very quiet gal. Although this may be, she loves having loads of fun with her closest friends. Marielle also enjoys spending most of her free time in the computer surfing the net. Like most girls out there, she loves to listen to music, especially by her favorite artist... Taylor Swift! A few may know, but Marielle also likes to sing whenever she can. This timid but outgoing lass may be quiet in class, but she can definitely be a good friend and companion.


Going back to dating, now that you know a little more about us, we will now begin to let you in on each of our stories as we each went on exciting dates with......... Mother Nature!