Dear ACE students,

To talk about joy, Christmas holiday is coming that we`ve been waiting for.

I asked several students recently what they`re looking forward to

having on Christmas day and most of them answered me ``Christmas cake``.

It sounds to me that cake is like a reward from all those hardship we had this year. Christmas customs in the Philippines are a mixture of western and native Filipino traditions.

Christianity became widely known in the Philippines in the 1500`s when missionaries from countries like Portugal and Spain traveled to the Philippines.

So people there have Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Christmas card and Christmas Carols from western countries.

The Noche Buena (Spanish, means Christmas eve) that is usually held on December 25 evening is a big, open house celebration with family, friends and neighbors dropping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Most households have several dishes laid out.

The home plays an important role in many countries’ New Year’s traditions,

which can involve everything from intense cleaning sessions to inviting special guests.

Kimura sensei and I will be celebrating the Christmas and New year`s day in the Philippines this year.

Filipino New year`s round is all the rage.

People eat round foods, carry coin in their pockets, and wear clothing with lots of polka dots. The round shape symbolizes luck and is believed to boost the finances for the next year.

I think that whatever customs and traditions we may have,

It`s all about the little things that make us have joy in our hearts.

It’s true, it is the little things that matter the most and leave the biggest impressions.

I remember my dad saying Do good things (even a little) wherever you are``.

Just the act of doing for others, no matter how small, will help cheer you up as well, no matter how big the challenges you’re facing.

We hope you will all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Lovely Ventanilla

Dear ACE Students,

We hope that you all had a joyful day in October. There have been lots of activities and learnings we had in the past months. We truly had a wonderful time spending the Halloween party which was held on October 25 and 26 at ACE. We deeply appreciated all the students who wore their prepared or handmade Halloween costumes. They were all fantastic costumes. Seeing the smile on each and every one playing the Halloween games and receiving the gifts made the party successful and fun. We look forward to the fun activities in the future.

I’ve been loving the weather here especially this time of the year. The fall season is one of my favorites. What about you? I`d love to hear your answers to our lessons. Please let us know your favorite season and why you love it. Feel free to express yourself and we are here to help you learn more English in the best way we can.

I`ve been searching on how we can best help students learn more about English with ease even you are at home. I found several websites that might help you with your listening and some vocabularies in different levels starting at level 1 to level 3. Please feel free to click the link below and enjoy learning.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/

Sincerely,

Lovely Ventanilla