Golden is PREL CNMI Teacher of the Year

Andrew Golden, a science teacher at the Saipan Southern High School has been named Teacher of the Year for the Northern Mariana Islands by the Hawaii-based Pacific Resources for Education and Learning.

Golden, who has been teaching for five years and currently handles physics and chemistry classes in grades 10–12 at Saipan Southern, joins nine other Teacher of the Year honorees who will be recognized at the Pacific Educational Conference in American Samoa July 14–17, 2008.

Cohosted this year by the American Samoa Department of Education, American Samoa Community College, and Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, the PEC is one of the largest gatherings of educators in the Pacific region.

PEC will also be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and one of the highlights is the honoring of the Teachers of the Year.

The Teachers of the Year recognition program, sponsored by Pacific corporate partners Continental Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt International Publishers, and PREL, is a conference tradition that began in 1996.

This program provides an opportunity for outstanding teachers from American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, and Yap), Guam, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, and Palau to attend the three-day conference.

The TOYs are honored at a reception with their chief state school officers, traditional chiefs, government officials, and other dignitaries. They are introduced by their respective CSSO and receive gifts of educational materials.

The opening general session of the PEC is their moment, as the outstanding teachers are recognized by all conference attendees. At the PEC, the TOYs not only pursue their own professional development, but also share their successful teaching strategies with other conference attendees. In their workshops at the PEC, the TOYs share “what works” in their classrooms, from lesson plans to instructional strategies in the Teacher of the Year presentations.

Besides Golden, the other 2008 Teachers of the Year are:

− Ron Canos, Simon A. Sanchez High School, Guam. Canos has been a teacher for 10 years and currently teaches art in grades 9–12.

− Raisa Chiwi, Weno High School, Chuuk, the Federated States of Micronesia. Chiwi has been a teacher for three years and currently teaches English reading and English writing in grades 9, 10, and 12.

− Pelsihner Elias, Madolenihmw High School, Pohnpei, the Federated States of Micronesia. Elias has been a teacher for a year and currently teaches algebra I in grade 10.

− Patricia Fuiava, Manu‘a High School, American Samoa. Fuiava has been a teacher for 13 years and currently teaches English in grades 9–12.

− RosaLynne Florendo, Koror Elementary School, Republic of Palau. Florendo has been a teacher for nine years and currently teaches math, English, Palauan studies, social studies, science, and health in grades 3–5.

− Damian Jetnil, Assumption Elementary School, the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Jetnil has been a teacher for nine years and currently teaches all subjects in grades 1 and 4.

− Pascale Creek Pinner, Hilo Intermediate School, Hawaii. Pinner has been a teacher for 21 years and currently teaches earth & space science as well as gifted & talented science in grade 8.

− Dominic Tachielig, Ifalik Community School, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Tachielig has been a teacher for 18 years and currently teaches all subjects in grades 5–9.

− Annang Welly, Sansrik Elementary School, Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. Welly has been a teacher for eight years and currently teaches math and social studies in grades 7–9.

Along with the Pacific partners of the TOY program, the PEC attendees and their individual communities, PREL would like to congratulate these exemplary teachers and wish them continued great success in their work on behalf of Pacific children. [B][I](PREL)[/I][/B]