Amanda Angel, a graduate of NMC, began registration week by advising students at the School of Education offices in Building T. Starting Tuesday, she will be teaching a number of courses, such as Introduction to Computers for Teachers, Multicultural Foundations, and several other courses focused on practicing teaching methods.
Angel graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from NMC in 2006 and has been a 5th grade teacher at William S. Reyes Elementary School since then. She then received her master’s in International Teaching from Framingham State College in 2008. While still a student at NMC, Angel was actively involved in tutoring fellow students in math and English.
“I am honored to have been selected for this position,” said Angel, who maintains a serious commitment to ensuring the progress and success of her students. “I look forward to working closely with my colleagues and my students to develop as fruitful a semester as possible.”
While a teacher in the Public School System, Angel attended many professional development workshops geared towards effective classroom management. Some of the topics covered included ESL teaching strategies, behavior modification and planning, diverse classroom management strategies, and curriculum mapping.
“We are pleased to welcome Amanda to the NMC family,” said NMC interim President Lorraine Cabrera. “We are also excited to have a graduate return and share her expertise with current students.”
The School of Education offers a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. The college is moving forward with a proposal to also offer a program in early childhood and special education. These proposals will need to be approved by the accrediting commissions.
Registration for the Spring 2010 semester is still ongoing. For more information, visit www.nmcnet.edu.
Three more NMC graduates pass NCLEX on first try
(NMC) — Three recent graduates of Northern Marianas College recently took and passed the extremely challenging National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
Genevieve Bahatan, Ji Sook (Julia) Kim, and Emily Young, all of whom graduated from NMC in May 2009, took the exam last December and passed on their first attempt. They are currently three of eight recent NMC nursing graduates who passed the NCLEX test on their first attempt.
“On behalf of the entire nursing department, I congratulate these students for passing the exam on their first try,” said acting nursing department chair and instructor, Pasquana Calvo.
The NCLEX tests an individual’s nursing knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry level. The exam is used by nursing boards in all 50 United States and its territories to award nurse licenses. Licensed nurses may have their credentials endorsed by a state or territory’s board upon meeting that board’s requirements without having to retake the exam.
“Their accomplishment of such a feat is a testament to their determination to succeed in the medical field,” Calvo said.
As students the three graduates were active members in the college’s Nursing Club and donated much of their time and effort into promoting and assisting in the club’s many Community Health Awareness events. After graduation, they jumped straight into studying and reviewing for the NCLEX.
Community invited to attend agriculture workshop
(NMC) — Northern Marianas College will be hosting a free four-day workshop to showcase the various sustainable agriculture projects open to farmers in the western Pacific region. The workshop will also feature agricultural and aquacultural presentations and demonstrations from experts at NMC, the College of Micronesia, the University of Guam, and the University of Hawaii.
The workshop, which will be held at the Saipan World Resort on Jan. 26-29, 2010, is funded by the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, a program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture aimed at supporting farm and ranch systems that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities. It is also open to the public.
Topics to be discussed at the workshop include herbal preparations, livestock feed grants, local feed formulation, pest control, genetic upgrading, artificial insemination, and farmer and rancher grants from Western SARE. Former CNMI recipients of grants will also be sharing their experiences with the funds and services provided by Western SARE.
“We have been conducting many mini-workshops at the College in preparation for the upcoming session,” said NMC’s animal scientist Dr. Allan Sabaldica. “I look forward to meeting with fellow agricultural experts from around the region and sharing our expertise with the local farming and ranching community.”
Some highlights of the workshop involve field trips to the NMC aquaculture facility at its As Terlaje campus, a cattle ranch, and a local swine farm. At the NMC facility, participants will be treated to the many methods and equipments used by college staff. Participants will also engage in artificial insemination demonstrations at the cattle and swine farms.
“I would like to encourage the CNMI farming and ranching community to avail of this free workshop,” said NMC interim President Lorraine Cabrera. “Professionals from all over the western Pacific region will be on-site to help individuals prepare for and acquire necessary grants to jumpstart any agricultural business ventures.”
Due to limited seating, individuals interested in attending the workshop must register by Jan. 21 with Selina Mesa at 234-5498 ext. 1708.
College program review activities now tracked electronically
(NMC) – To further strengthen its commitment to program review and assessment, Northern Marianas College has acquired TracDat, a software that will help the institution track program review and assessment activities electronically.
Designed by Nuventive out of Pennsylvania, TRACDAT, is widely used throughout the nation by educational institutions.
Prior to the purchase of TRACDAT, NMC staff and faculty had to manually transmit and develop program review reports for the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, a division under the college that handles and controls data for the Planning Program Review and Outcomes Assessment Committee.
Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero, director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and chair of PROAC, noted, “It was very tedious and time consuming having to administratively control and organize the reports. TRACDAT will not only improve efficiency and use less paper, but it will also improve the accuracy and precision of reports used for the college’s assessment activities.”
After the final implementation of TracDat, Deleon Guerrero expects the software to help manage institutional assessment processes, including the assessment of student learning outcomes, by providing a structured framework for continuous quality improvement at the college.
A Web-based application, its templates assure uniform reporting that simplifies collection, review, management, and use of data.
TracDat includes programmed reports that enable users to track and review problems and solutions, relate goals and objectives to the institutional mission, and review courses by objectives and assorted data summaries.
In addition, it helps track quarterly updates from NMC’s operational plan or annual implementation plan and relates them to NMC’s key performance indicators and other benchmarks.
“Our use of Nuventive’s TRACDAT is just one of the many important investments we have made and will continue to make in order to continually improve the quality of the College’s programs,” said NMC interim President Lorraine Cabrera.
MLK Day Schedule of Events
THE African-American Cultural Preservation Committee’s 4th Annual MLK Day Commemoration Program begins at 1 p.m., Monday, Jan. 18, at American Memorial Park’s Visitor Center Theater.
The program theme for this year is “Where Do We Go From Here,” taken from Dr. King’s 1967 speech of the same title.
“We remain optimistic that the community will take this opportunity and invitation to join and participate in this year’s program-activities including the forum on cultural and domestic violence and the students (K-12) CNMI-wide MLK poster contest and the keynote program and make MLK Day ‘A Day On, Not A Day Off,’ ” said Joe Hill, head of the committee.
“It is fitting to reflect on and be mindful that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood for and symbolizes nonviolence, peace and justice for all regardless of social, economic, religious or national origin or status. The tenets and principles of nonviolence must begin and be practiced starting in the home,” Hill said.
A forum will also be held, at the same venue, starting at 2 p.m. on cultural diversity, domestic violence and equality of women.
Judge Kenneth L. Govendo will be the guest speaker, while the keynote address will be delivered by Professor Felix Asade.
NMC registration extended to Jan. 19
(NMC) — Northern Marianas College, in its efforts to accommodate students who still have not registered for the Spring 2010 semester, has extended registration to Tuesday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Registration on this date will be limited to students who have an English and math placement level. Admission applications for those who have already taken both placement tests will also be accepted on this date.
In addition, regular registration will continue through Friday, Jan. 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 16, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
For more information, call 234-5498 extension 1524, e-mail [email protected], or log on to www.nmcnet.edu.
Marianas March Against Cancer team captains to meet on Jan. 20
(MMAC) — The first team captains meeting for Marianas March Against Cancer 2010 has been set for Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 5:30pm in the Hyatt’s Chamolinian Room.
Last year, 13 teams worked hard to raise money for cancer awareness, education and patient support for the Commonwealth Cancer Association.
This year, teams will unite once again as we journey as one community to help bring hope to our family and friends currently battling cancer.
Teams can consist of families, friends, non-profit or for profit organizations, schools, etc.
If you are interested or know of someone who may be interested in fielding a team, contact Reina Camacho at 285-7677 or e-mail [email protected].
Red flag at 14 Saipan sites
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality says water samples collected from Tanapag Meeting Hall, Central Repair Shop, DPW Channel Bridge, Smiling Cove Marina, American Memorial Park, Micro Beach, Dai-Ichi Drainage, Hafa-Adai Hotel, Hafa-Adai Drainage, Garapan Fishing Dock, Garapan Beach, Garapan Beach Drainage, Chalan Piao Beach and Hopwood School Beach contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria that exceeded the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
DEQ has given these locations a red flag and advises the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
Puengin Inetnon today
PUENGIN Inetnon will be held today in the Kagman Community Center’s parking lot. Puengin Inetnon is Kagman’s Friday Night Market that takes place every government payday, from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
This week’s market features Sugar Shack, Lynns Barbeque, Fong’s Bakery, Champs Shave Ice, U2 Collections and the Library Bookmobile.
Puengin Inetnon is a family-oriented event. Alcohol will be prohibited from the event. Call 256-7678 for applications.
Kagman flea market
KAGMAN’S flea market will be held on Saturday, Jan. 16, in the Kagman Community Center’s parking lot.
You may only sell your used items. Tents will be provided. Interested sellers can call 256-7678 for more information.
Humanitarian activities
(Empty Vessel Ministry Foundation) — In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Empty Vessel, a non-profit organization is focusing on humanitarian activities on Saipan will be holding a presentation that will showcase the organization’s accomplishments and future growth through empowering women and supporting children on Saipan, the Philippines and Kenya, Africa.
The Empty Vessel women’s group Saipan chapter is partnering with African American Cultural Committee of Saipan in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 18, Monday.
Empty Vessel is seeking to collect canned foods and non-perishable food on that day to help those in need in the community.
For more information, you may contact Ann Brazel at 483-0198, Rose Smith at 483-0162 or Wayne Pangelinan at 483-5587.
The Empty Vessel office is located in Chalan Kanoa, at the Shakir Building across from the entrance to Chalan Kanoa Beach Club.
