When You Join The Catholic Filipino Academy,
You Receive 16 Wonderful Blessings You Can’t Get Anywhere Else
By Rita Yokingco, Mayette Salvedia, and Lizette Paman- CFA Co-Founders, and Tina Galvez
We totally agree with Bo Sanchez: You don’t have to do it alone.
Hi everyone! Together with Bo, we’re Co-Founders of CFA.
Even before CFA began, we — Rita, Mayette and Tina — have been working with Bo in various capacities for a combined number of 37 years! That’s how long we’ve supported — and put up — with his wild dreams! Lizette on the other hand is a new (and fantastic) addition to Bo’s team.
Why did Bo choose us as his CFA Co-Founders?
Our Little Stories In A Few Lines
I, Tina, homeschooled my son for 6 years. He’s now studying at the Ateneo. I’m now the Directress of CFA and it’s been great helping other parents homeschool their own children.
I, Rita, homeschooled my three kids for 9 years. And I can tell you from the heart, it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience. My eldest daughter is now in college and is serving the Youth Group of our Catholic Community. She’s growing up to be a very beautiful young lady. (I’m biased.)
I, Mayette, have been homeschooling my eldest son for 3 years. I also taught in three private schools until I resigned in 2006 to focus on CFA. Yes, my sons are all tall, dark, and handsome like their father. (Rita and I are mothers. What do you expect?)
Bo asked us to share with you how we in CFA can help you homeschool your kids. So here are the 16 wonderful ways we can help you become the best homeschool parent for your child. Hang on tight — this list of blessings is overwhelming!
1. You Get To Start Homeschooling Your Child Right Away
If you expect us to give you a three-month training program on homeschooling, you’ll be disappointed.
Why? Because we live by our core learning philosophy: The best way to learn is to actually do it! So we won’t give you a three-month training program. We’ll give you a three-hour Quick Start Training Program (QS)—and then be available to you for questions as you learn the ropes while doing it.
At CFA, we’ve nicknamed our three-hour Quick Start Training Program (QS) the “Reprogramming” Program. “Reprogramming” because there are a lot of things you need to unlearn about…uh, learning!
There are two ways to get the Quick Start Training Program (QS). The first way is to visit our office and speak to one of our Parent Coaches. Together, we can select the Training Materials, Lesson Plans, and Textbooks you need. (Warning: We can only take a limited number of students because we have a limited number of Parent Coaches. Please call us as soon as you can.)
For those who live in the provinces or in other countries, you can use the second way: You can enrol your child by phone or fax, and we’ll e-mail or mail you the Quick Start Training Program (QS). We’ll then guide you by phone or e-mail as you answer the questions in the Program. Once you complete the forms and payments (either through credit card or through bank deposits), we’ll ship your Training Materials, Lesson Plans, and Textbooks to you, so you can start Homeschooling right away.
2. You Identify The Learning Style Of Your Child — So Your Child Will Learn Easily & Quickly
We will give you a series of questions that will help you discover the learning style of your child.
3. You Discover Your Child’s Passions — So You Can Use Them To Make Your Child’s Learning Fast, Fun, And Low-Stress!
We’ll encourage you to identify your child’s passions. That way, you reduce your stress and your child’s stress — because you no longer have to push, scold, pressure your child to do school work!
4 .You Identify The Reading Type of Your Child —So Your Child Will Develop A Love For Reading
There are four “Reading Types”, and we’ll assist you in identifying the reading preferences of your child. This will enormously help you find books that will increase a love for reading — which is one of the most important foundations to his intellectual growth.
5. You Choose The Building Blocks Of Your Homeschool, Listing Activities For (1) Study, (2) Work, And (3) Service. Your Child’s Education Will Be Balanced, Effective, And Exciting!
For a long time, education meant reading textbooks and answering workbooks. We believe that should only be 20% of real education! According to the Moore Foundation, education means three things: (1) Study, (2) Work, and (3) Service. In (1) Study, we’ll help you choose “Real” Books (Non-Textbooks) and “Living” Books (People) for your child. In (2) Work, you’ll also list down your child’s household chores and possible small businesses. (Or if they could work with friends who own small businesses.) Finally, for (3) Service, you’ll list possible service opportunities — volunteering for the poor and broken of society regularly. Now that’s real education.
6. You Get Our Unique CFA Standard Lesson Plans (SLP)— As Your Daily Guide In Homeschooling Your Child
You won’t find this anywhere! Because our Parent Coaches created our unique CFA Standard Lesson Plans or SLP.It’s Catholic and based on Filipino textbooks.It is called Scheduled Lessons, and it’s pretty detailed: It contains a schedule for the entire year — and will tell you what subject you’ll take up, what book you’ll read, what activity you’ll do everyday.
7. You Get Optional CFA CLUBS For Your Child — To Give Your Child Weekly Fun Times Of Learning With Others
For those who live in Metro Manila and surrounding suburbs, we’ll provide what we call “Clubs” for your children. Most of them are “Indoor Clubs,” a few of them are “Outdoor Clubs”.
Indoor Clubs can mean an Arts Class, Guitar Lessons, or a Business Workshop (where kids actually sell something). We’ll also have a Drama Workshop and Production Play — where your kids can be part of a Musicale! Other Indoor Clubs will be offered as the months go by.
Outdoor Clubs can mean actual farming and fishing, kite-making and kite-flying, etc.
Note: All Clubs are optional. But you need to reserve early for each Club. (Note: Fees apply per Club.)
8.Your Child Gets A Catholic Education & The Sacraments
We want to strengthen the Catholic faith of your child. Aside from using Catholic Textbooks for your child’s Christian Living, CFA shall organize The Sacraments of First Confession and First Holy Communion at the appropriate ages. We also give an annual Recollection to you and your children in a Camp setting. (See next item.) Believe us, this is a far cry from the traditional (and sometimes boring) Recollections and Retreats you’ve had as kids!
9.You Get To Join The CFA Parent-Kids Camp
Each year, we take the parents and kids camping. This is one of the most awaited activities of the year, so don’t ever miss this! This is where we inspire everyone to grow closer to God and to one another. We do this through fun and creative games, activities, talks, and prayers.
10. You Get The Best Local Textbooks — And Save Money!
We’ll recommend to you local textbooks because they’ll strengthen the Filipino culture and identity of our children. And obviously, because they’re inexpensive. (We want you to save money.) But we can also recommend a few foreign textbooks if you can afford these extras — especially Catholic Homeschool textbooks.
11. You Get Guidance as you need it through your Parent Coach
Homeschooling can be tough.
In fact, you’ll be asking yourself (many times during each day!) whether you’ve made the right decision — or made the most tragic mistake of your life. Especially when you’re lost and don't know what to do. And especially when concerned relatives gang up on you and tell you that you’ve gone insane pulling out your child from school!
We’ll be here to support you during these times. You may reach your parent coach or any parent in your support group.
12. You Get Encouraged By CFA Support Groups
We’ll also be organizing support groups for homeschool parents that meet on a quarterly basis. Again, this is all optional, but sharing ideas with other homeschool parents will be beneficial to you.
13.You Get Taught By The Monthly CFA Newsletter
You’ll also receive our CFA Newsletter for FREE —which will be chockfull of useful teaching, encouragement, inspirational stories, and helpful tips on homeschooling your child.
14.You Get Trained Through Our Parenting Enrichment Seminars
We offer a series of in-house Seminars given by Top-Notch Experts on Parenting, and other topics on Family Life.
Sample Topics: How To Increase Your Child’s EQ (Emotional Quotient); How To Discipline Your Children With Gentleness And Love; How To Raise Teens In Our World; and many, many more! (These are all FREE for parents of CFA enrolees. Families not enrolled in CFA shall pay fees.)
15. You Get DepEd Accreditation For Your Child
If you choose Track #1:
First, your child will receive an official CFA School ID. (We’ve found this to be very important to a Homeschool child — to have a sense of “identity” and “home”. And to complete this picture, we’ve also made stickers, T-shirts, and other paraphernalia with the CFA logo available at the CFA Store.)
Second, your child gets a Report Card through our mother school, Barcelona Academy — and a Diploma upon graduation. As long as you submit the required marks (We’ll explain this at the Quick Start Training Program or QS), you’ll receive a Barcelona Academy/CFA Report Card for your child at the end of each school year. This shall be your official Transcript of Records should you decide to let your child go back to a regular school.
If you choose Track #2:
If you wish to get an accreditation from the Department of Education for the school year (we highly recommend this), let your child take a validation exam at the end of the school year at the Department of Education in Pasig City. We shall also give you resources to help your child prepare for this validation exam.
16.You Choose Special Awards To Give To Your Child Each Year — On Stage!
On our Moving Up and Graduation Day every March or April, all our students will march up the stage. And you will award the CFA Gold Medals on your children for specific honors that you will choose. Was your child especially industrious? Or helpful? Or was he great in Science? Math? English? You choose the awards your child deserves — and give them these awards in front of all his Classmates and Clubmates in CFA during our Moving Up Day.
To summarize, here are the 16 Blessings of being part of CFA…
- You Get The Quick Start Training Program (QS)
- You Identify Your Child’s Learning Style
- You Define Your Child’s Passions
- You Discover Your Child’s Reading Type
- You Choose The “Building Blocks”
- You Use The CFA Standard Lesson Plans (SLP)
- You Get The Best Local Textbooks
- You Get Guidance from a Parent Coach
- You Get The CFA Support Groups
- You get CFA Newsletter Each Month
- Your child gets to join Catholic Activities & receive The Sacraments
- You get to join our CFA Parent-Kids Camp
- You get to join Parenting Enrichment Seminars
- Your child gets to join CFA Clubs
- Your child gets School ID, Report Card, and Diploma
- Your child gets Special Awards on “Moving Up” Day
Dear friends, don’t delay giving the best education to your child.
God bless you,
Tina Galvez
CFA Directress
Rita Yokingco
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