From a pool of eight outstanding students, the school conferred the highest academic achievements to Harold S. Aranda, the class valedictorian, and Jonavelle Cuerdo, the salutatorian.
School principal Yvonne Reyes said the top students competed in academic competitions, engaged in school and community volunteer work, joined a club or organization, showed high academic standing and demonstrated excellent behavior on and off campus.
The selection process for the top two awards involved interviews with the principal and a screening by the selected panel.
For the Outstanding Mallard Award, five students underwent the same screening process.
Eleven-year-old Paula R. Castro was given the prestigious award for best representing the “mallard spirit” and embodying the essence of the school’s “megaskills.”
The mallard is the school’s mascot.
“I am so happy and proud,” Aranda said, adding that his elementary school days were enjoyable and very memorable.
The 12-year-old valedictorian and Commissioner’s Award recipient is the son of Merwina and Roland Aranda.
A consistent participant in the school’s Academic Challenge Bowl, Spelling Bee, Mathcounts and Geography Bee competitions, Harold S. Aranda, is also the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence as well as the A honor roll and perfect attendance awards.
“I’d like my fellow graduates to treat the next level of our education as a greater challenge that will help us to become better,” he said. “We’re just starting the long journey and it’s my hope that all of us will continue to seek learning and be the best that we can be for ourselves.”
This year’s principal’s awardee, Jonavelle Cuerdo, is the youngest daughter of Zeny and Marco Cuerdo.
She received five other special recognitions — A honor roll, Presidential Award for Excellence, the Mallard Award, Top 10, and perfect attendance.
“I thanked my parents and my teachers for believing and trusting in me,” she told Variety.
Like Aranda, Jonavelle Cuerdo will be a Hopwood Junior High School student when classes open this September.
The outstanding Mallard, Paula E. Castro, is the daughter of Cherrie and Lee Castro and the recipient of other special awards.
A consistent honor student, Castro is the school’s four-time champion of the Chamorro Academic Challenge Bowl. She will be junior high school student at Mount Carmel School.
The top 10 students were Aranda, Cuerdo, Castro, Regina Taitano, Rachelle Manlapaz, Paul Minor, Jasseline Seman, Kevin Jiro Matsuyama, Hannah L. Comora, Christine Tadeo and Mary Ann Waing.
Yesterday’s short ceremony on campus was followed by a field trip to the Pacific Islands Club.
In her message, school principal Yvonne Reyes said the shift from a traditional graduation — complete with pomp and circumstance — to a less formal but more developmentally appropriate promotion celebration has been years in the making.
“The school community has slowly embraced this philosophical change, understanding the importance of recognizing students for their accomplishments in such a way that befits where they are at in their educational journey,” she said. “Leaving primary school needs to be considered a proud step toward the next stage of learning, not a graduation from it. In other words, if we are truly invested in our [expected schoolwide learning results] and believe that we are training students to be lifelong learners, then our actions need to reflect that.”
Reyes at the same time expressed her appreciation to the parents, teachers and students that make GES “a dynamic and highly effective team.”
