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Best Buddies Education Special Needs

Three things I love about One World School

We all know that kids with disabilities will struggle with many things in their lives. (#TheStruggleisReal)  As Gelli’s momma, I have chosen One World School as my parenting partner to ensure that the struggles Gelli will face in her educational career can be addressed in the most positive and constructive way possible.  

It’s like how I explained awhile back in one of my other posts. I wrote about Gelli and her occupational therapist, Teacher Raina.  What many people don’t realize is that Gelli had to go through hours of therapy, just to sit on her own. Gelli had to work on the muscles she needed to strengthen her core, enabling her to maintain her balance to sit unassisted. 

I want to make this same analogy for how much work goes into Gelli’s education. There is so much more that goes on behind the scenes for a child with exceptional needs when she goes to school and ultimately, because I know I chose the right school, I’m seeing Gelli thrive.

Early in the school year, Teacher Sarah and I were coordinating to set our Parent Teacher Conference. I am so grateful that we had our annual PTC to mark the beginning of the school year. This meeting set the stage for nurturing Gelli’s potential and facilitating her growth.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

First Day of Second Grade had this girl excited. So many hopes for this new school year. I wonder if this will be the year she dabbles in sports and I finally have a kid who likes soccer? A momma can dream you know…. • • • • #firstdayofschool #gellibean #oneworldschoolph #latepost #inclusiveeducation #inclusion #manila #philippines #fun #school #theluckyfew #lifewithds #downsyndromerocks

A post shared by Michelle Aventajado (@mommanmanila) on Aug 14, 2019 at 3:33pm PDT

NO SUCH THING AS FIRST DAY JITTERS

The first day of school always holds so much hope and wonder for me and my kiddos.

Admittedly, it’s also that time of year when I get excited for more time for myself. I make plans to sit with my laptop and carve out time for writing. I say to myself that maybe this will be the year that I can start writing my memoir of Gelli’s birth and the gifts that her birth and my faith in God, has given me along the way.

I look forward to brunches with other momma friends, and lunch dates with Nino.  But, while I enjoy daydreaming about all this extra (wishful) time for myself, I equally enjoy packing their lunches, helping them pick out their backpacks, and seeing them off to their esteemed edifices of education that are not only helping me shape their character, but preparing them for their next stage of life. 

Waiting…There is a saying about the days being long and the years being short…

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

The schools Nino and I have chosen for our children are our partners in child rearing. We chose schools that are aligned with how we parent, with our beliefs, and our core values. Sometimes, the village we depend on can be are our friends, sometimes they are the therapists of our children, sometimes the parental partners that we lean on most, are the extended family we live with, or the sisters who help pick up the slack when Nino and I can’t be there.

But we know that our children’s TEACHERS are most definitely our partners and part of our village in child rearing, because they spend 8 hours a day with our children during the school year!

I am confident that Teacher Sarah cares and looks after my daughter during the time they are together.

TOO MUCH INFORMATION

A friend once asked me, “Aren’t you afraid that you put too much information out there about Gelli and her siblings? Like that she goes to One World School?” 

Guys. This is a really valid point. And as someone who shares so much of her (censored) life on social media and here through my website, you know we have to take precautions whenever we share something.

As the kids get older I consider what they are comfortable with me sharing. Nino has expressed his concern with this fact as well. Please know that I only share what I think is helpful for other parents like me. 

BUT HERE’S THE THING: when Gelli was born, I felt lost and alone. I didn’t know where to begin in raising her and I had this preconceived notion that somehow, because she had an extra chromosome, I would parent her in an entirely different way, than my three kids who came before her. Some of this is true, because my big kids didn’t need as many teachers or therapists on their teams to see them reach their potential, but ultimately, in our family, Gelli is not so special. She has the same expectations of helping set the table, cleaning up her messes, and speaking with respect to elders. 

So, PLEASE KNOW that I put this information out there for others…in the hopes that it will be helpful one day for even at least one parent who is handed the diagnosis of Trisomy Twenty-One. That one parent who does not know what to do, and is staying up till the wee hours of the night scouring the internet for the first few months for answers, relevance, hints, or inspiration.

RESPONSIBILITY EDUCATES – Wendell Phillips

So, if I believe that sharing how we raise Gelli is helpful, I can share in a responsible way that mitigates her vulnerability. God gave Gelli to me because He knew I would be the mom she needed me to be. And the type of mom that I KNOW I need to be for her, is not only to help her reach her potential by choosing the right school, but also because I will share THAT school with others, (and how wonderful it is) for other parents to learn about as well.

THREE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT ONE WORLD SCHOOL

There are many things that I love about this school and how the headmaster, Ericson has built a nurturing environment for students of all ages and abilities. I will limit this post to only three, but surely I will write again for you to understand the many facets of inclusive education with Ericson and his team of parenting partners.

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES 

During our #TeamGellibean meeting, Nino and I were able to meet with:

  • her two second grade teachers
  • her occupational therapist
  • her Linda Mood reading specialist
  • the team leader for elementary teachers
  • her social skills therapist
  • the head master of the school

#TeamGellibean expands…how blessed are we?

Let me clarify. This is the BEGINNING of the school year conference. This is the time when we set our goals for Gelli, and set our plans into action. It’s where we coordinate with the whole team to recognize Gelli’s strengths and use them to propel her into a successful year at second grade.

It’s where we acknowledge Gelli’s areas of weakness and we understand where we need to pay extra attention to assist her in small ways. It’s where we all come together for Gelli, and we draw on our own areas of expertise to help Gelli SHINE.  

How many schools in Manila, do you know hold a conference within the first month of the school year?

EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION

There are so many ways we can communicate with our children’s teachers. In an age where there are Viber and What’s App groups for every reason, I have learned to turn some of my notifications off on my phone because sometimes, it’s just too distracting. Of course, the best way to communicate with each of my children’s teachers is directly, either through email or text messaging rather than group conversations with other parents involved.

I just love that Teacher Sarah has asked her grade 2 parents to download this app. It’s brilliant!

Admittedly, I know that my big kids don’t need me to pay so much attention to what they are doing in school (save for making sure to pay tuition) because two of them are already in college. Conversely, Gelli has performances, birthday parties for classmates, reinforcement exercises, and therapies to coordinate. 

As parents, we can use this app to peak into their classroom lives. Teachers snap photos and videos of different lessons and can share with the whole class, or just specific parents instead.

Gelli’s teacher uses this application to give parents a window into her typical day at One World School. Sometimes, she posts individual photos of the students and only gives access to that student’s parents.

Sometimes, it’s a group photo where all the parents can see, like, and even comment on the photo.

I can’t tell you how much it makes my day to see this kid smile with pride for her success. And to have a teacher who knows that I would appreciate this little tidbit, is even better.

I don’t know if you cringe as much as I do whenever another Viber group is started and you are included, but having this app to communicate with Gelli’s co-teachers makes everything so much easier on me. I can keep my viber notifications on silent and check only when I feel the need to, so I don’t get overwhelmed.

The app even has a feature when you can message the teacher directly. Best part of all of it? This app is free. YES. FREE.

OWS makes things EASIER for me…

So here is where One World School is kinda like a one stop shop for me.

Even her social skills class can be scheduled after school on days when Gelli doesn’t have any other activities.

In streamlining all of her therapies and coordinating with the classroom teachers, and even the headmaster of the school, I know that we are all on the same page for her care and her growth.

When I meet another advocate who does what he does simply for the kids, it fills my heart with gratitude…especially when I can see just how fond Gelli is of Mr. Perez.

One World even has a developmental pediatrician that they work with regularly for their students. The ates and the kuyas care for the students in a way that is nurturing and genuine. Everyone knows Gelli’s name.

Also, when I drop Gelli off at school, I know that she is safe. I know that the teacher will call me if there is someone NEW trying to pick up Gelli from school. I know that everyone is paying really close attention to my little girl and that they want her to do just as well, as I do.

So, I’m at ease. Gelli is safe. And we are on the road to a successful school year with my little one ready to rock out second grade. 

Knowing this girl had a full day at school, and that she comes home safe every day makes a world of difference in the level of worry that I have when she leaves the house…

What are some things you love about the schools that you guys send your kiddos to? What are some of the things you look for? 

ONE WORLD SCHOOL PHILIPPINES
444 A Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue
Barangay Guadalupe Viejo,
Makati City Philippines 1211
http://www.oneworldschool.edu.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/oneworldschool/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/

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Comments

  1. Love Compoc says

    September 23, 2019 at 12:27 am

    so happy to know she’s happy with your chosen school. Appreciate you po for sharing some infos to us readers esp those things that we don’t know or fakolio with 💓

    • michelle says

      September 26, 2019 at 8:11 am

      Thanks Love. Always hoping that what I share is helpful for someone.

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This is our first church. The most important small This is our first church. The most important small group. In this group, we model the behavior that we want to see. We are mindful to show our best selves to our children. That does not mean that we are the best parents, nor perfect people. It just means that even when we aren’t at our best, we can work through the hurt and explain and process with our kids. Talking along the way, saying sorry when we are wrong, and taking the time to encourage our kids to be humble in all we do. It’s not easy. It’s a work in progress, but these guys are a great team to be learning side by side with. 
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Today continues our True Love series of learning, but if I was to share some really important lessons in the past few weeks, it would be The Love Series for relationships, and the MOTIVATE series in parenting. Blessed Sunday IG Peeps!
Four. • • • I don’t know if I could love Four. 
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I don’t know if I could love them more. 
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While Nino and and I were watching them, we also saw an older family. A Lolo and a Lola with their three sons and their wives and children. It was endearing to see how they were all having a good time and Lolo was so hands on. I pray that we have that too. It was such a joy to watch my kids play together and then side by side, remember when they were smaller and then imagine what it would be like when they have families of their own. 
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#family #four #fourkids #family #familyfirst #teamgellibean #love #thankyouLord #myheart #heart #love #beach #teamgellibean #GodsGreatGoodness
Mornings like this. Got a little writing done. Had Mornings like this. Got a little writing done. Had coffee and said a little prayer of gratitude. Somehow the salt water always makes me feel better. How about you? What’s your favorite place to recharge and enjoy #GodsGreatGoodness?
****LONG POST**** For each child I birthed, I grew ****LONG POST****
For each child I birthed, I grew. Motherhood continuously pushed me beyond my understanding of love. I figured out what real fear was, with each problem or worry for a child that would eventually leave my arms and I would not be able to protect from the woes and worries of this world. @gelliaventajado ‘s birth turned everything upside down and showed us how things changed if we started to zoom out and look at the big picture. 
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Because of Gelli’s extra chromosome, I stepped outside my comfort zone. I realized how little I knew. I saw the not so pretty jagged parts of myself that I didn’t even know existed. I saw how much I could give of myself, and I was amazed at both the kindness and the cruelty of our flawed human condition. I connected with other mothers in different parts of the world, while understanding that at any given moment, so many of us share the same trials and triumphs as the thread of exceptionality stretched beyond what we thought we could be...
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But with stretching & growth comes the parts of ourselves where the honesty of those difficult moments calls for a coming together. Because coming together makes us stronger and provides comfort in the idea that sharing the raw real extremely vulnerable  moments of motherhood somehow builds our resilience and STRENGTH. Because mommas are in fact, #StrongerTogether. 
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Privileged to be part of this group of mommas who will have some real conversations in April with  @justwhenyouthinkshesdown and @sineadquinnofficial for the #StrongerTogetherEvent. This digital gathering will bring women from all of the world to a safe space where we can share stories, and learn from one another, while interacting with participants, speakers, and panel discussions in a community that is inclusive.
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Click the link in my profile to learn more and be sure to use my code, MISH when you register to get a $5 discount! Tara na!
Practice run for S’mores Dip for this weekend’ Practice run for S’mores Dip for this weekend’s #BBPSaturdaySeries of Learning. Each week, @bestbuddies_ph mounts a virtual activity. Sometimes, the events are sponsored and we get to send out kits for the Buddies and their families. Sometimes, we ask our Buddies to prepare materials at home and we have a volunteer teach something new or fun. Big thanks to @gavinosph bake shop for always helping us put together the most fun and exciting kits that involve sweets for our friends!!! Do you guys wanna learn how to make s’mores dip too? Follow @bestbuddies_ph to see how to register for this weekend’s Saturday activity, or like the #BestBuddiesPhilippines Facebook page for more information on how to further inclusion through friendship.
At Ninang’s place for a quick visit to say hello At Ninang’s place for a quick visit to say hello and give hugs and kisses...and the lighting was just so...
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National Down Syndrome Consciousness Month has come to a close and March has already begun. March is #BestBuddiesMonth, and this means we will busier than ever with virtual events on mental health, awareness for #WDSD2021, socials so our buddies don’t feel isolated, and educational awareness seminars for parents who are gearing up for another summer in quarantine. The first three months of the year are always a whirlwind for advocacy for our family. I really love planning and mounting these different events and collaborating with other orgs for the benefit of this little.
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My gosh. She will be 10 soon. And that was the quickest 10 years that went by. Still in awe of this girl’s spunk, her wit, beauty, and intuitive pulse on what’s going on in our family.  Thank You Lord for sending her to us. And Thank You Lord for sending us all the people who we have connected with because of our love for her. 
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#sofast #fathertime #ThankYouLord #March #Gellibean #upsyndrome #theluckyfew #aintnothingdownaboutit #love #thankyou #gratitude #sweet #advocatelikeamother #inclusion #inclusionrevolution #bestbuddies #bestbuddiesph #downsyndromelove #latepost
When I was a young mom, I had all these lofty idea When I was a young mom, I had all these lofty ideas about what kinda mom I would be. And I thought I had it all under control. Then I had a son who I would furiously look for when he was quiet, and another son who was accident prone. And I realized I was outnumbered. And then Gelli joined our family and made us a team. Through all the mishaps and dirty naps, with the help of friends, family and the Grace of God, I’m still standing! Thank you @janicecvillanueva for asking me to guest on your #youthemompodcast for the first myth busting episode!!! Mothers!!! Click the link in my profile to listen to our quick (it felt quick 🤔) chat about motherhood, marriage and of course kids of all abilities. We will smash stereotypes, dispel those myths, and do nothing else but #keepitreal!
Heart shaped cookies for dessert. Sunday dinner lo Heart shaped cookies for dessert. Sunday dinner love. ❤️🍓
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Visited @theblocbyjuniesierraandco on Thursday an Visited @theblocbyjuniesierraandco on Thursday  and experienced @argilaamazoniaphilippines for the first time. You guys know I’m so super low maintenance with my hair care that I really need it to be wash and go. Top three things I loved about my experience were: 
💙 I felt safe in the salon with excellent protocols.
💙 The products were all so delicious. The scents and steps were like a cross between candy and fruit, and were very relaxing.
💙 Because the ingredients are all natural, I learned that #ArgilaAmazoniaPH is safe to use while pregnant and breastfeeding!
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#salon #bgc #thebloc #hair #beautifulhair #rebonding #allnatural #healthyhair
Sunset. Today was a productive day. Thank You Lord Sunset. Today was a productive day. Thank You Lord. 🙌🏻
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