February 10, 2020
GDOE SURVEY AIMS TO IMPROVE WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
The Guam Department of Education (GDOE) is committed to improving the user experience and accessibility of information for all stakeholders. As part of this commitment, GDOE is in the process of creating a new website with improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities. The new website may be found online here: http://guam.cyberschool.com/.
GDOE is seeking feedback from students, parents, guardians, and staff on the accessibility of the new GDOE website, as well as feedback on ways the accessibility of the new website might be improved.
GDOE stakeholders are invited to participate in the GDOE Website Accessibility Survey over the next few weeks. The online survey is available here: https://forms.gle/
The deadline to complete the survey is Monday, March 2, 2020, at 5 p.m.
“We are working to tackle this important initiative with the support of the Office of Civil Rights and our consultants, and we want to solicit as much input as possible, especially from our stakeholders who are able to identify areas of improvement and provide feedback that will help to ensure we meet their needs,” GDOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez said.
The new GDOE website is under construction and is expected to launch later this year.
February 7, 2020
GDOE ISA PARTNERS WITH GNOC TO OFFER BASEBALL CERTIFICATION COURSE
The Guam Department of Education (GDOE) Interscholastic Sports Association (ISA), in partnership with the Guam National Olympic Committee (GNOC), has announced a free Baseball Level 1 Certification Course for coaches.
After a successful showing at the recent Athlete Awareness Program, which was hosted by GDOE ISA and GNOC in January, public school coaches and athletes expressed interest in additional professional development learning opportunities. The Baseball Level 1 course is the second professional development opportunity being hosted for coaches and athletes this year.
GNOC Secretary-General and Guam Major League, Inc. (GML) President Robert Steffy organized the course, which will be facilitated by GML certified coaches. The course will be held at the GNOC 3rd floor conference room from February 10-12, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This opportunity is being provided at no cost to participants.
“We are excited that the GNOC is moving quickly on their promise to support the ISA programs and to help develop our coaches and athletes,” GDOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez said.
GDOE has also decided to extend the invitation to participate in this event to private non-public schools, should extra slots be available. Invitations were sent earlier this week. “We wanted to ensure that these courses are provided to our ISA members and to as many interested coaches as possible,” Fernandez said.
For more information on ISA third quarter sports for GDOE high schools, please contact Acting Sports Program Coordinator Al Garrido at the Division of Curriculum and Instruction via email at algarrido@gdoe.net or at 300-1377.
February 6, 2020
ESTELA L. CALATA NAMED 2020 GUAM SCHOOL COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR BY GUAM ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Estela Calata, a GDOE school counselor at Wettengel Elementary School has been named the 2020 Guam School Counselor of the Year.
Calata holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from Ateneo De Zamboanga University. She entered into a Master of Arts program in Counseling Psychology at Ateneo de Manila University and eventually earned a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from the University of Guam in 2003. She has been a school counselor at Wettengel Elementary School (WES) since 2002. Before coming to WES, Calata worked at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam as a theology teacher and school counselor from 1997-2002. She was also a Jesuit Volunteer Campus Ministry formator at Centro Escolar University and Philippine Normal University from 1986-1990 and served as a teacher, formator, trainer, program officer, and counselor at Ateneo De Manila University’s Center for Family Ministries and Jesuit Volunteers Office from 1992-1997. Overall, Calata has had a total of 34 years of experience working in the private and public school system.
The School Counselor of the Year award honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for students and addressing their academic and social/emotional development and college and career readiness needs. Calata, through her professional pursuits and volunteer work, has shown that she is invested in promoting student success and achievement as well as furthering the advancement of the school counseling profession on Guam. Not only has she developed and implemented a comprehensive school counseling program at WES for the past 17 years, she has also been a strong advocate for the implementation and adoption of the ASCA model in the GDOE school system.
Calata was also instrumental in the establishment of the Guam Association of School Counselors (GASC), where she served as one of its founding members. Since GASC’s existence, she has been actively engaged in the organization, serving as Secretary from 2004-2014 and President from 2015 to present. Under her leadership, GASC became the 52nd Division Chapter of the American School Counselors’ Association and the 1st U.S. territory to be granted ASCA affiliate status.
When asked what gives her purpose and provides her with a source of inspiration, Calata replies with "Ad Majorem, Dei Gloriam" or generosity in the service of others. She truly lives by example, as even in her spare time she teaches CCD or catechism classes for pre-confirmation students at the Blessed Diego San Vitores Parish in Tumon. She is married to Vicente Winston Calata and resides in the village of Tamuning, Guam. As one who believes in the value of self-care, she is an avid reader of inspirational books about mindfulness, meditation, and alternative healing therapies.
Calata was selected by panel of four judges who represented the private and public sectors of our community. Their selection was based on Calata’s ability to make lasting change within the profession through leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. She will be honored and formally recognized at an awards dinner to be held at the Westin Resort Guam on February 8, 2020. As the state representative, Calata will be recommended to take part in the 2021 ASCA School Counselor of the Year awards process.
About the Guam Association of School Counselors
The Guam Association of School Counselors (GASC) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) professional organization based in Guam. GASC’s mission is to represent and support the work of school counselors by promoting professionalism and ethical practices. The organization is committed to advancing the professional development of school counseling professionals by sponsoring worthwhile projects that increase counselors’ effectiveness in addressing students’ academic, social/emotional, and college and career readiness needs. Through comprehensive and data-driven programs, counselors can positively impact the development of students and see them transition to gainful employment and become contributing and productive members of our community.
GASC was founded in 2004 and is the 52nd Division Chapter of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). As an affiliate of ASCA, GASC is able to access an even greater pool of resources and supports for local counselors, as ASCA’s network expands to 50 states and territory associations and boasts a membership of more than 36,000 school counseling professionals. For additional information on the American School Counselor Association, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.
February 6, 2020
TEACHERS LEARN ABOUT DEEP SEA EXPLORATION
The Guam Department of Education (GDOE) in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) will host a teacher training titled, “Exploring the Deep Sea,” on Friday, February 7th and Saturday, February 8th.
The training for middle and high school level educators will focus on addressing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through activities focused on ocean exploration, underwater mapping, ocean health, and remotely operated vehicles. The workshop activities were designed by the NOAA OER.
The NOAA OER offers full-day educator professional development workshops across the country and in U.S. territories. Supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, these workshops promote NOAA OER exploration science, website resources, and education materials. These workshops also encourage educators to use these resources to incorporate more ocean science education in their classrooms.
The workshop facilitators will include education experts Mark Heckman from the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology and Mary Roney from the Waikiki Aquarium.
“The Western Pacific has the most incredible ocean resources in the world,” said Heckman. “There is only one Marianas Trench on earth and there are miles and miles of uncharted ocean canyons, mountains, and bizarre and incredible deep sea animals in the Western Pacific just waiting to be discovered. It is so important that our island states and nations take the lead in the coming years in ocean research and exploration. We expect island students to be the next generation of ocean researchers, stewards and problem solvers,” he added.
Registration is free, and participating teachers may earn up to one graduate credit. The training will be held at the UnderWater World and the University of Guam on Friday, February 7 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, February 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, contact Eloise Sanchez at the GDOE Division of Curriculum and Instruction at 300-1388 or at esanchez@gdoe.net.
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February 5, 2020
CONNECTED EDUCATOR KUMUNIDAT 2020: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
The Guam Department of Education (GDOE) Project Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT), in cooperation with the University of Guam Professional and International Programs (PIP) and teachers and administrators, is hosting the Connected Educator Kumunidat 2020 conference both this week and next week.
Throughout the conference, facilitator Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach will engage and motivate teachers and administrators to learn about integrating technology tools in the classroom. Nussbaum-Beach has worked with the GDOE for several years, collaborating with EETT to advance the goal of preparing students for college and career pathways. This year’s conference focuses on professional learning for teachers, updating the GDOE’s EdTech standards, and providing hands-on exposure and exploration of technology use in the classroom.
As part of these efforts, EETT launched a 7 webinar series with Nussbaum-Beach and her company Powerful Learning Practices (PLP) last month dedicated to the implementation of GDOE EdTech standards. Representatives from each school have been participating in teams virtually and will have the opportunity to join a face-to-face experience next week.
GDOE has also created an online professional learning space and community platform which will provide resources for teachers and administrators. The virtual platform will be available via the web 24/7. Information contained on the virtual platform will support teams as they explore, learn and implement these standards.
“We hope the experience will create a collective understanding of what the newly refreshed GDOE standards mean, look like in practice, and ways to co-create activities for teachers to use in their classrooms and learning spaces,” Project Lead for EETT Neil Rochelle said.
“This workshop and the work our administrators and teachers have done with Sheryl is really helping us to move our system in the right direction. As we have learned and continue to learn, technology is more than just the use of the latest equipment or devices. It affords us as educators and our students many more ways to engage with each other, the world, and the vast amount of information available to us,” GDOE Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Improvement Joe Sanchez said.
The Connected Educator Kumunidat 2020 conference began at the Fiesta Resort Guam in Tumon on February 4, and will continue through Wednesday, February 12, 2020 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For more information, please contact EETT Project Lead Neil Rochelle at narochelle@gdoe.net.
This EdTech standards implementation activity is an EETT Title V-B funded activity administered by the GDOE Federal Programs Division and funded by the U.S. Department of Education Consolidated Grant to the Outlying Areas.
February 4, 2020
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR PILOT PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
The Guam Department of Education will begin accepting applications for the pilot prekindergarten program for School Year (SY) 2020-2021. The pilot prekindergarten program is available in each of the four regions at the following four school sites:
|
No. |
District |
School |
Administrator |
Phone Number |
|
1 |
Lagu |
Finegayan Elementary School |
Marites Garcia |
632-9364 |
|
2 |
Kattan |
J.Q. San Miquel Elementary School |
Elizabeth Hanzsek |
477-9368 |
|
3 |
Luchan |
Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School |
Renielle Ranan |
646-8058 |
|
4 |
Haya |
Marcial Sablan Elementary School |
Geraldine Pablo |
565-2238 |
Beginning February 12, 2020, families from the above school districts may submit applications to each respective school for the volunteer prekindergarten program. Applications will be available at each school site. Children must be 4 years of age by July 31, 2020 to participate in the program during SY 2020-2021. Proof of residency in the participating school’s district must be submitted with the application.
The application process will close on April 24, 2020. Due to limited space in each classroom, a lottery will be held to determine a child’s participation if the number of applicants exceeds the number of available slots. Lottery logistics will be provided by the participating schools.
For more information, please contact the participating schools at the numbers above.
January 29, 2020
MONDAY IS A MAKE-UP DAY FOR TWO GDOE SCHOOLS
The Guam Department of Education (GDOE) would like to remind stakeholders that two GDOE schools will have classes on Monday, February 3, 2020, including Agueda Johnston Middle School and Ordot Chalan Pago Elementary School. Regular busing will be provided to accommodate the make-up day schedule.
All remaining GDOE schools will not have classes on Monday due to regularly scheduled professional development training for teachers.
For more information, please contact your child’s school directly.
January 30, 2020
ESKUELAN PUENGI BEGINS IN FEBRUARY
The Guam Department of Education will be holding Eskuelan Puengi (Night School) for high school students beginning next month. Eskuelan Puengi is designed as a course by conference credit recovery program for students in grades 9 through 12 who lack 0.5 or more credits. The program helps motivated students earn credits in order to remain on track for graduation.
Eskuelan Puengi Session A will take place from February 4 to 21, 2020, while Session B will take place from March 3 to 20, 2020. Interested students should contact their respective school counselors for more information on the registration process and the courses being offered.
Eskuelan Puengi high school sites include the following six schools:
- George Washington High School
- John F. Kennedy High School
- Okkodo High School
- Simon Sanchez High School
- Southern High School
- Tiyan High School
For additional information about the Eskuelan Puengi program, interested students may also contact Felix Chaco at 300-1361 or fachaco@gdoe.net.
This activity is administered by the Guam Department of Education Federal Programs Division and funded by the U.S. Department of Education Consolidated Grant to the Outlying Areas.
January 30, 2020
GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION (GATE) PRE-KINDERGARTEN PRE-SCREENING APPLICATIONS
The Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Project will begin accepting pre-screening applications for GATE pre-kindergarten next week. Children who are four years of age by July 31, 2020 are eligible for pre-screening.
Families interested in the GATE pre-kindergarten program may pick up pre-screening applications from the GATE office beginning February 3, 2020. The GATE office is located in room 313 at the Guam Department of Education headquarters located at 501 Mariner Avenue, Barrigada, Guam. Interested families may also download the application at www.sites.google.com/gdoe.
To complete testing, children must first be able to separate from parents. Children will then undergo a visual-motor integration test, vocabulary test, and a visual-closure test. Children must achieve a score of at least 130 on any one of these tests or a total of 350 in order to qualify for the program.
GATE pre-kindergarten is designed for gifted four-year-old children, and provides a balance between acceleration and enrichment activities that meet students’ physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs. The well-rounded program aims to provide a background of experiences that will help students become eager and effective learners.
The GATE pre-kindergarten program is currently offered through nine programs at seven school sites including Machananao Elementary School, Astumbo Elementary School, M.U. Lujan Elementary School, Carbullido Elementary School, Harry S. Truman Elementary School, and two programs each at Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School and Captain H.B. Price Elementary School.
For more information, call the GATE office at 300-3687/1247. The GATE Project is administered by the Guam Department of Education Federal Programs Division & funded by the U.S. Department of Education Consolidated Grant to the Outlying Areas.
