Camacho leads five outstanding employees of SVES

 San Vicente Elementary School conferred its prestigious Teacher of the Year award on Ma. Theresa M. Camacho, her first time to be given the award after eight years of teaching. Colleagues voted for the 48-year-old teacher to represent them in the overall search for CNMI Teacher of the Year for school year 2011-2012.

Camacho started in 2003 as a sixth grade teacher and she described her first two years as very tough and challenging. She is now a fourth grade teacher and handles 25 students every day. This year marks her eight years in service.

“It’s a great honor to be selected from a pool of 30-plus equally deserving teachers in San Vicente. I didn’t expect this recognition and I feel proud and happy because this shows that I am doing my job effectively for the students,” she told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

Although it was never her plan to become a teacher, Camacho believes that teaching is in her blood as she hails from a family of educators.

“This is a different job wherein you can be different every year. You can do whatever you feel is good for your class. You can change the strategies that you feel are not working and try new ones that may work. The beauty of teaching is you can always be creative and try something new. I am thankful that I made the right choice in my life,” she said.

Other awardees

Donald M. San Nicolas, San Vicente’s registrar and administrative assistant, was named the school’s Support Staff of the Year. Prior to joining San Vicente, he was with Saipan Southern High School for seven years where he was recognized as its Support Staff of the Year in 2004 and 2007. He joined San Vicente in 2009.

San Nicolas describes his 11 years of service with PSS as fulfilling and very rewarding. “This honor is unexpected and I will try my best to perform what is needed. I am honored and I thank them for the vote of confidence in me,” he said.

Hailed as Teacher Aide of the Year is Anita Perez, who has been with the school’s special education program since 2004. A first-time awardee, Perez acknowledged the trust of her peers and lauded their support and assistance.

Perez is currently taking online courses to further her education and become a regular teacher for children with special needs. Prior to joining San Vicente, Perez served special students at San Antonio Elementary School for one year. She also used to volunteer at Oleai Elementary School.

San Vicente bestowed its Librarian of the Year award on Richard Gramlich, who has been with the school for 18 years now. He started as a classroom teacher, a position he held for 11 years. In 2005, he became the school counselor. The Librarian of the Year award is his first recognition. Prior to joining PSS, Gramlich tutored children in hospitals back in Hawaii.

“About 25 years ago, I needed a job and I became a hospital tutor in Hawaii. I tutored kids who can’t go to school and were stuck in the hospital and juvenile detentions and I found that I was good at it. I like working with kids because it makes me feel young,” he said.

With today’s modern technology, it is Gramlich’s goal to help children enjoy reading the old fashioned way. He commended PSS for ensuring that all students have easy access to books in every school.

Gramlich assists an average of 170 students per day. Each month, he said, about 5,000 books are being borrowed in the school library. “Our library is very proud that our students read 45,000 books last year,” he added.

This year’s Maintenance of the Year award was conferred on Magnetti Isamu, a maintenance worker for more than three years now. San Vicente has been recognizing his outstanding performance for two years now, and he was selected for the same honor last year.

Happy and proud of the recognition, Isamu believes that his work is important because he ensures the safety and cleanliness of the school environment. Isamu said the friendship, bond, and collaboration he gains from students and staff are enough rewards to keep him going every day.

Principal Yvonne Pangelinan told Saipan Tribune that the progress of SVES and the actual behavior of students themselves is a reflection of the great teachers and staff they have.

“If you look at the success, you can see it in the kids, their scores, in the whole environment-it is because of them and everything they pour into the kids and their learning. I hope they will continue what they’re doing, not only putting the kids first but also find time for their own personal growth to achieve balance,” said the principal.

San Vicente is home to 589 students and 53 employees, including 32 classroom teachers.