PSS presents online teacher and counselor of the year awards

Rose Salas, center, is awarded the prestigious Online Counselor of the Year Award during a surprise visit by Dr. Bobby Cruz, director of Instructional Technology at the Public School System, center right, Lorraine Catienza, program manager, center left, and Dr. Yvonne Pangelinan, associate PSS commissioner, far right.
(MARC VENUS)

Karen Echon Camacho of Saipan Southern High School was recognized as the Public School System’s Online Teacher of the Year, while Rose Salas of Marianas High School got the Online Counselor of the Year Award in recognitions bestowed by the PSS Instructional Technology & Distance Education Program last Friday.

The online program team of PSS gave Camacho a surprise visit to give her the award just as she was about to begin her first period class at SSHS last Friday.

.“I am honored…[and] most thankful for being given the opportunity to work with some of the best educators on island…and I’ve learned a lot through the years of teaching online and will continue to become a better online teacher,” Camacho said.

Similarly, Salas was about to help a student with counseling services when the PSS team surprised her with the award. She gave thanks for the award and to the Distance Education program.

“The program has grown a lot over the past several years and I’m happy I was able to contribute to its success,” she said.

Program director Dr. Bobby Cruz said that it is always a difficult process to select one outstanding teacher and one exceptional counselor when there is a team of educational professionals who are all worthy to receive the honor.

He said Camacho is “beyond deserving” of the honor as she has shown exceptional teaching quality to support her online students as well as outstanding leadership in supporting her colleagues, while Salas, as the program’s first-ever online counselor, provides a wealth of inventions and support to not only students in her charge but to online teachers as well.

Dr. Yvonne Pangelinan, PSS associate commissioner of Student & Support Services, said that Camacho is an “amazing educator” on the ground and online as she is dedicated to helping her students learn and deserves the recognition; while Salas “has really set a high standard” for making connections with students that increase the likelihood that they will succeed, and that she is an asset to PSS and the student online portal.

“We are blessed by both these professionals serving our children,” Pangelinan said.

According to Distance Education manager Lorraine Catienza, Camacho has served as a member of the online teaching team since the program’s creation, serving eight years teaching mathematics, while Salas is one of the longest serving online counselors to date.

Karen Camacho, center, receives the Online Teacher of the Year Award from Dr. Bobby Cruz, director of Instructional Technology at the Public School System, center right, Lorraine Catienza, program manager, center left, and Dr. Yvonne Pangelinan, associate PSS commissioner, center left. (MARC VENUS)