ALL ABOUT

STUDENTS' different perspectives on christmas Short stories and fun activities Learn the value of generosity during this celebration

GROUP 4, 10-14 AUTHORS Tiangco, Dria (Leader)

Sandejas, Mischa Santos, Anela Sino-Cruz, Sam Soriano, Reuben Sy, Eloisa. Tolentino, Lorrein Trinidad, Gavin

Design by: Dria Tiangco

Table of contents contentS

OUR KIND NEIGHBOR By Tiangco

On December 1963, my father gathered my two younger sisters and me together and told us he couldn’t afford to give us any presents that year, not even our traditional treats of nuts, apples, oranges, tangerines, and chocolates. My mother had had a stroke the year before and was constantly going to the hospital, so there was no money for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we heard a knock on the door. Two ladies came in and gave us new coats, along with some holiday treats. Our neighbor across the street had told her church about our situation, and the people of the congregation wanted to help. I will never forget our kind neighbor.

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Connect

the dots By Tiangco

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REFLECTION By Tiangco

For some people, gift-giving is the peak of their Christmas. Many get to spend and prepare presents. They can also give monetary gifts to show how they care for their loved ones. They even expect gifts from Santa! Thus, they believe that this is only and truly the meaning of Christmas. Although, there is so much more to that. Christmas is the time when we get together with our family and loved ones so that we can celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God showed His love for all mankind when Christ was born to the world. Jesus gave us hope for a new beginning as He would be sacrificing Himself for our sins in His life later on. Therefore, as stated in John 3:16-17, the true meaning of Christmas is love. Knowing that Christmas is mainly focused on love and Jesus, we must also know what we can do to be just like Him. A great example is to always practice two essential parts of the Benedictine Hallmarks. First is Love of Christ and Neighbor. We can perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy as it is one way on how to help our neighbors. We should not only give to them, but also to Jesus. Just like what the three wise men or the Magi did on Christmas Day wherein they gave gold, frankincense, and myrrh, we can do our own part as Christians to offer ourselves to Him and strengthen our faith by remembering the everlasting salvation He brought to everyone. Second is Conversatio. We can start incorporating changes to our life for the better. To be shaped in God’s image and likeness, we can start with small steps by committing ourselves to a life of transformation. We can integrate the qualities Jesus had shown in His life such as being truthful, compassionate, empathetic, obedient to the Lord, and more. Overall, it is always best to remember that the spirit and meaning of Christmas is love, may it be for our family, neighbors, or God.

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My selfless boss By Santos

It’s been six months since I totaled my car. I’ve been in and out of the hospital a lot ever since with severe back pain. Although the pain has begun to subside, my recovery forced me to use all my sick time and vacation time for the year. But this morning my boss, who is usually ‘all business’ and pretty hard on everyone, called me into her office and told me she talked with HR and donated five days of her own unused vacation time to me so I would still get paid when I go out of town to visit my family for Christmas.

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REFLECTION By Santos

GenEROSITY BINGO

Genuine giving, real affection, and sincere uplifting are all acts of generosity. Reflecting and asking oneself why one gives and what one hopes to gain from giving are crucial questions to address when evaluating whether one practices generosity in daily life. That vital question can only be resolved by us. Since we are all connected, our abilities, relationships, and skills should not be kept to ourselves, but should instead be shared. In order to reveal the mysteries of this puzzle we call life, we must truly open our eyes, hearts, and minds.

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The shoemaker and the

helpful elves By Soriano

There was a shoemaker that was poor. The time was winter, near Christmas, a time where generosity is blooming. One evening he prepared leather on the table so that he could make the shoes in the morning. He then went to sleep and the next morning he woke up to find the leather missing, which had been replaced by shoes that were well made. He wanted to see who was making the shoes. So later that same night he put the leather on the table and hid in a place where he could see who was making the shoes. At midnight two little elves with no clothes in the middle of winter, walked in and started making the shoes. He was fascinated at how these little elves are making the best shoes he has ever seen. he came out of his hiding spot once they were done. Since it was winter, he wanted to make the elves clothes so that they wouldn’t be that cold. The next day he was off to work, making clothes and little shoes for the elves. Eventually later that night he set the clothes on the table, hid, and waited for the elves to come in. The elves came in expecting leather on the table for them to make shoes with, but they were surprised that there were just little clothes and shoes. They were confused at first, but then realized that this was a gift from the shoemaker thanking them for their hard work. They were happy and started dancing around. The shoemaker’s smile couldn’t fade away. He will never forget what they have done for him.

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REFLECTION By Soriano

Christmas is a time of love, giving and sharing. Having a generous personality will not only make your life better, but it will also help make other people’s lives better. Being a generous person is one of the best things you can be, even without thinking of getting anything in return. You always want to help people so that they can either achieve their dreams of making their lives much better than before. Being generous goes a long way in life, all the hard work you have done to help other will eventually pay off. You will be able to see the people you helped be happy or become better people. That is the gift of generosity, with people helping others without expecting anything in return, and doing it out of selflessness.

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Answer key : Christmas Tree Presents Elves Santa Ginger bread

WORD SCRAMBLE

Santa’s Christmas By Sandejas

It was a beautiful December day and Christmas was in the air, but up in Santa's lodge, all was quiet. The usual hustle and bustle of preparing Christmas presents had gone for Santa had fallen ill. Then Santa wondered sadly as he lay on his bed. Suddenly, he heard a noise from outside. He looked out of his window and saw his four reindeer standing patiently as usual. But they seemed quite out of breath. As Santa took a closer look, there were little children. One by one, they hopped out onto the snow and headed towards Santa. Soon came a knock on the door and in came a little girl. "I heard that you were sick Mr. Santa," she began. "So, I'm giving you my teddy bear to keep you company." "Thank you little Emma," said Santa as he knew every child by name. Then entered a young boy with a red package in his arms. "We knew that you were ill, Papa Santa," he said. "So my family knitted this quilt for you to keep you warm in the winter days." "What a wonderful thought Paul," beamed Santa. And on by one, the children came in through Santa's door, each with a special gift to wish Santa well. "Christmas delivered to my doorstep!" exclaimed Santa. "Come, let us all share these wonderful gifts." And he gathered the children around him. "Santa, which present did you like the most?" Emma asked. "My dear little ones, it is the love and kindness that each one of you has shown me today. That is the best present of all!" Santa said smiling. "This, my little ones is the true meaning of Christmas," Santa said. And with that, Santa gave each of the children a big, warm holiday hug.

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Reflection By Sandejas

Christmas is a time for giving without expecting anything in return. A genuine generosity with love and kindness that we share to one another will keep us all connected. It's true concept is to share and love unconditionally. Having a generous personality will have a positive impact not only with your family and friends, but even with other people around you. Generosity extends beyond monetary gifts, it includes small acts of kindness and compassion towards other people. We should keep in mind that being generous should not only be during the Christmas season. It must be applied in our daily lives.

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A Random act of kindness By Sy

"This morning in my checkout line at the grocery store where I work, a flustered elderly woman realized she was six dollars short on cash for her groceries, and she didn’t have any other form of payment with her. The three people in line immediately behind her each chipped in two dollars so she didn’t have to put anything back. Their spontaneous generosity made me smile."

Spot the 10 differenceS

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REFLECTION By Sy

Generosity is something that may appear anytime for anyone or can be done by anyone making their day. It is a simple blessing in disguise. Any kind of generosity may be done by one or multiple people in one go, this can be seen especially during Christmas where even the smallest thing you do for anyone can make a huge change for them and make their moments unforgettable. Seen in the story, their generosity to the old lady gave a smile to the narrator and an unforgettable memory and a gratefully feeling for the old lady. Generosity can go a long way and may influence for others to do it as well.

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The Postman Lifted

Us From Depression By Trinidad My parents, at the height of the Depression, were forced to go on home relief, which is known as welfare today. It was 1935, when I was 10 years old, and we lived on the first floor of a walk-up apartment on 43rd Street, in Brooklyn, New York. A few days before Christmas, I looked out a kitchen window to see my father sitting on the stoop, dejected and depressed, with tears in his eyes. The mailman was approaching our building and asked my father what was wrong. I heard my father say that he had used up his food vouchers and that the rent was past due. He had tried to work as a laborer through the Works Progress Administration, but he wasn’t a very strong man, and the work had been too hard for him. I was scared, having seen newspaper pictures of people being put out on the street with all their belongings. “Ike, how much do you need?” the mailman asked. My dad said he needed $33 for the rent, and without hesitation, the mailman took $50 from his wallet and handed it to my father. My dad said, “I don’t know when I’ll be able to pay you back.” The mailman put an arm around my father and said it would be okay if he paid him back or he didn’t pay him back. The mailman noticed me looking through the window and said, “Isaac, things will not be this way forever. If you or your son will remember this day, there will be times in the future when someone needs your help. Help them within your means and tell them what happened this day. This will be my payback. Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah.” As long as he lived, my father helped others when he could, and I’ve done my best to do my part in paying his generosity back.

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Help Santa find the right way to

the christmas gifts!

Reflection By Trinidad

Christmas is all about giving. True generosity in giving comes from the heart without. Expecting anything in return. It is not always about receiving but the act of giving. Not only during Christmas should we show gestures of giving to other people, but we should also do it all year round. We can do this by not only sharing stuff, but also spending time with other people.

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UNCONDITIONAL LOVE By Sino-Cruz TIMES HAVEN’T BEEN EASY LATELY, BUT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KIND. WE LIVE IN A LOWER-MIDDLE CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD. MY WIFE WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER LAST WEEK, SO MY 14-YEAR-OLD SON DECIDED THAT HE WANTED TO RAISE MONEY TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF HER MEDICAL EXPENSES. HIS IDEA WAS TO GO DOOR TO DOOR AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH HAIR CLIPPERS AND LET PEOPLE SHAVE APART OF HIS HEAD FOR A SMALL DONATION OF THEIR CHOOSING. HE ASKED ME WHETHER A $100 GOAL WOULD BE TOO MUCH. I TOLD HIM NOT TO GET HIS HOPES UP. HE CAME BACK HOME TEN MINUTES AGO WITH A BALD HEAD AND $1,225. THREE PEOPLE GAVE HIM $100 BILLS.”

Reflection By Sino-Cruz GENEROSITY IS THE QUALITY OF BEING KIND AND GENEROUS. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CORE VALUES THAT WE SHOULD PRACTICE UNTIL NOW IS GENEROSITY. I BELIEVE PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND AND GENEROUS WILL BE A BIG FACTOR TO STRENGTHEN UNITY AND TO PROMOTE EQUALITY IN THIS WORLD. GENEROSITY STRENGTHENS THE BOND BETWEEN PEOPLE. ALSO, GENEROSITY DEEPENS OUR RELATIONSIP WITH GOD IN WAYS THAT WE WILL UNDERSTAND HIS WAY OF LIFE. A WORLD UNIFIED AND EQUAL BECAUSE OF GENEROSITY IS A WORLD WHERE NEGATIVITY COULD NOT GROW AND FOSTER LASTLY, IT IS A WORLD SHELTERED BY GOOD SAMARITANS.

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Activity

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authorS'

contributions Leader: Tiangco, Dria Margarette S. Short story, activity, and reflection Designing of cover page Designing of short story, activity, and reflection Editing of Works Members: Sandejas, Mischa Angela Santos, Anela Kris G. Sino-Cruz, Sam C. Soriano, Reuben Virgil A. Sy, Eloisa Madelyne V. Tolentino, Lorrein Althea Trinidad, Gavin Hugo I. Short story, activity, and reflection Designing of short story, activity, and reflection

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References FREE Christmas Worksheets: Coloring Sheets, Word Search & More!! | Christmas worksheets, Christmas lesson, Holiday worksheets. (n.d.). Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/48343395991264153/sent/? invite_code=a707adc39f0849a786fb67cc81f0f253&sender=7592789558356 40417&sfo=1 Generosity Bingo. (n.d.). Bingo Baker. https://bingobaker.com/view/2652669 kidadl. (n.d.). Hard 3 Wise Men Dot To Dot Page. kidadl. https://kidadl.com/freedot-to-dotprintables/3-wise-men-hard Premium vector: Labyrinth help Santa Claus find the right way to christmas gifts logical quest for children. Freepik. (2022, July 25). Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/labyrinth-help-santaclaus-find-right-way-christmas-gifts-logical-quest-children_29814506.htm Specktor, B. & Deane S. (2022, November 16). 4 Heartwarming True Tales of Vintage Christmas Kindness. Reader’s Digest. https://www.rd.com/article/christmas kindness-stories/ Sharma, S. (2017, November 27). Santa’s Christmas. Bedtimeshortstories. https://www.bedtimeshortstories.com/santas-christmas/amp Storynory. (2019, July 15). The Elves and the Shoemaker. https://www.storynory.com/the-elves-and-the-shoemaker/ (2021, MAY 24). Marc and Angel Hack Life. HTTPS://WWW.MARCANDANGEL.COM/2021/05/24/12-STORIES-OFKINDNESS-AND-GENEROSITY-THAT-WILL-CHANGE-THE-WAY-YOUFreepik. (n.d.). HTTPS://WWW.FREEPIK.COM/PREMIUM-VECTOR/KIDSCHRISTMAS-GAME-FIND-TEN-DIFFERENCES-RIDDLE-WITH-SANTA-CLAUSELF-CHARACTERS-CHRISTMAS-TREE-LIVING-ROOM-GIFTS-CARTOONVECTOR-CHILDREN-PLAYING-ACTIVITY-WITH-IMAGE-DETAILS-SEARCHTASK_19800127.HTMLIVE/ https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/three-kings

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