Community Immersion A student's journal reflection on her community immersion experience in the barangay community of Tupol Oeste: SYNOPSIS We came to Tupol Oeste equipped with knowledge about Community Immersion, with all our survival kit, happily welcomed by our host families and the barangay officials. The place and the people were not very strange to us because we did a community survey before our community stay. Nonetheless we were all excited of our forthcoming experiences as we lived together in the barangay. As we shook hands with our host family we feel they were saying, "Welcome to our Barangay." We came to breathe, eat, work and learn with 106 households and a population or 580 barangay people, 279 of who are males and 301 females. In the primary school we worked with two teachers and eighty school children. We spent with fulfillment the five short days we stayed in the community. Julian B. Pueyo Primary School also served as a local point in our Community Immersion. For us, it was an extension venue of our preparation as future teachers. There, we have observed how teachers handled multi-grade classes. We also witnessed the realities among school children. Someday, we might find ourselves teaching in a school similar to this. Our community covers the rugged terrains of hills and plains. On hillsides, bamboos around while on the plain sides, various agricultural products. Deep wells are alternate source of water. Since, there is no irrigation all agricultural plants depend in rainwater. In front of schoolyard, running water slowly washes the soil. We were wondering if the pupils learned lesson from what they see. And so, we planted new seedlings along the eroded area for soil protection. We included in our activity campaign for taking care of the teeth, demonstrated the correct ways of cleaning the teeth, too. In the end, they received giveaways of toothbrushes and toothpastes. It was Christmas time anyway. Many parents and children were excited to see the sky from a telescope but that night the stars nor the moon did not appear. It was drizzle night; we were little bit frustrated because we prepare so much for the activity of simply sowing a film of astronomy. At the end of the day, after dinner we all gathered together to do our group discussion and reflection. We also planned for the next day's activities. It was wonderful to think deeply what we can learned from the community and what we can also share to them. The community work closely to us, they were always there whenever we need them. Our culminating activity: The municipal mayor came to acknowledge our activity with the community people. The barangay folks prepared a Christmas party. They prepared foods for us while we prepared the programs and games. All the residence came hundreds of them from old to the young. We had several games and everybody enjoyed. The teachers were there too. Our host families shared their thoughts and so did the barangay officials. When we leaved the barangay we all have teary eyed. We don't want to leave the place because people there become part of our lives as we prepare ourselves to become teacher. As we spent days in the Community Immersion as part of our teacher preparation, we felt secure in the company of our classmates, our teachers, the mayor, vice mayor and all the people in the community. We came to realize that indeed the community is a very rich source of learning in Elementary Science Education. Students created stories using words from the local dialect learned during their community immersion. "A TALE OF TWO SISTERS" Monica, together with her sister Santa, was ordered by their father, Molong to "bunyag" the plants. And so, they went to the "bubon" to "sag-ob" water, they will be using "timba" in getting water from the "bubon." While on their way going to the "bubon" they have passed by a "turban" where water "ilig" in a "tarog." So, they have decided to "sag-a" first the water from the pond, where the water from the "tarog" "ilig," before they will fill their containers. On their way home, they saw a group of men who are doing "dugos" from the "paho" tree. Monica told Santa to ask some "paho" from the owner, but the owner gave them the "kuribod" mangoes that was damage by the "turak." Monica and Santa were very happy on their way home. When they reached home, their father, Molong requested them to go to the "taramnan" to deliever "kan-on" for their mother who is watching the people who "garab" the "paray." One of the farmers got his finger wounded by the "garab." My mother ordered Santa to gather all the "dagami" and "tutod" it in order to "tu-ob" the mango tree so that it will bear flower that later it will develop into fruits. Monica got her foot stocked in the "bangag" and her foot got "pilas" on it, then she run into the "bangi" and get malungay to cure it. Santa is afraid to have her "ngipon" pulled by the dentist, even though it has a "gu-ab" and it gets "ngutngot" everytime she eats something. Their grandmother is fond of drinking "tuba," but sometimes if she can't consumed it, she stocked it in the bottle and later it will develop into "langgaw." Also their father, Molong, loves to drink "lambanog" as a formed of his social gathering. Santa and Monica, together with their playmates gathered in the "sapa" to take a bath.