TACLOBAN CITY- There is a classroom in one of the public elementary schools here in the city that is getting attention.
This is because the classroom of Eilyn Cinco,a Grade II teacher at the San Fernando Central School (SFCS), is adorned with things to include some instructional materials, with Hello kitty, one of the world’s most famous cartoon characters.
Cinco, 49, said that aside from being a fan of the Japanese-creation fictional character, her move to have her classroom adorned with Hello Kitty is for her students healed from their traumatic experience during the onslaught of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that hit the city in 2013.
“These decorations make them happy and somehow, a sort of therapeutic to them after the trauma that they have experienced due to Yolanda because of the lively colors,” the mother of two said.
Her 32 students, who are 7 and 8 years old, live along the San Fernando district, located along the shores, and among the city’s hard-hit areas due to Yolanda.
Cinco, whose been teaching for 30 years now, said that aside from spending her own money, the stuffs inside her classroom with the Hello Kitty character plastered on them, were bought by her through donations from her friends.
Inside her tiled-floor classroom, the Hello Kitty character could be seen at the water dispenser, throw pillows, instructional boards, fans, and even the calculator they uses.
The arm chairs are painted in lively colors, adding attraction to her classroom.
“Some say that I am gender-biased because Hello Kitty is only for girls. But my boy-students also appreciate Hello Kitty and they say, they love it,” she said.
She also said that the Hello Kitty decors inside their classroom does not compete the attention of her students.
Aiselle Fabella said that she is thankful to her teacher, for decorating their classroom with Hello Kitty.
“I am happy that we are surrounded with Hello Kitty stuffs. I am also a fan of Hello Kitty,” the seven-year old student, whose bag is also decorated with Hello Kitty, said.
School principal Felieta Waniwan said that she is really glad that Cinco made such an improvement of her classroom.
“Among teachers, classrooms serves as their second homes. They spent not only effort but money in improving their classrooms,” she said.
Waniwan said that a beautiful and colorful classroom add excitement among students to study more and attend their classes.
“They love to be inside a classroom that is colorful and lively,” she said.
The school principal said that she is encouraging her 58 other teachers to improve their classrooms.
The school has 60 classrooms with 1,333 enrolled students.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
