In addition to academic performance, the recipient of the highest honor must have a good character and should be very active in school or community activities.
For school year 2008-2009, 27 of the 126 students sought the award but only seven advanced to the interview stage.
During the promotion ceremony on Friday at the Saipan World Resort, Jessie Mae Ayuyu Seman was named this year’s recipient of the Commissioner’s Award.
Seman, 12, is the Student Council president and an active member of the National Junior Honor Society and the Girl Scouts.
She also received the Presidential Excellence Award, the Perfect Attendance Award, and one of the five Mallard awards.
The Mallard is the school’s mascot.
Seman’s friend, Zachery Yamagishi, received the second highest honor — the Principal’s Award.
Yamagishi also got the excellence and achievement awards and was among the top 10 students.
The other top students were Mariana Fan, Malaina Kileleman, Shandel Cayabyab, Carmelito Gutierrez, Noel Jimenez, Prince Peter, Leeza Mae Grace Dowez, Madoka Takagi and Don Taisacan.
Don Sulat was the recipient of the overall Mallard Award. He emerged top on the list of five nominees that included Jacqueline Lepauch, Madoka Takagi, Gregzon Fontanilla and Seman.
Seman and Yamagishi are consistent honor students, raised by single-moms who grew up together and are very close friends.
Angelina Ayuyu, Seman’s mother, told Variety that her daughter had been very active in school activities.
Yamagishi’s mother, Lynn B. Duenas, said she expected her son to get one of the highest awards because he’s a hard-working student.
The two children will be students at Hopwood Junior High School in the next school year.
In her message, school principal Yvonne R. Pangelinan encouraged students to always face challenges and never stop improving their talents and skills while also performing community service.
“Never stop reading! It…can improve your academic performance…. Reading is truly power. It is the power of the mind to fathom the countless possibilities all around you, a healthy escape from ordinary days, and a practical way to open your eyes to different frames of thought, different lives and bigger worlds,” she said.
Pangelinan urged parents to “spend time talking about your children’s next school year and listen to their questions, fears and excitement with open ears and take time to notice the great things about your kids — you have a whole summer to get to know one another again.”
She added, “Make one incredible memory with your kids this summer. Incredible also doesn’t have to cost much or be out of your reach. Incredible memories can be made with the simplest gestures like letting your kids choose how to spend an entire Saturday afternoon and being a kid with them again. They grow so fast, you blink and they get just a little bit older.”
After Friday’s ceremony, the students headed to the hotel’s water park to celebrate their promotion.
Last Thursday, GES conducted its promotional ceremonies for its kindergarten students and treated them to a field trip around the Garapan school zone.
“The intent of the learning field trip was to orient students with the [Public School System’s] bus rules. As first grade students next year, they may choose to ride the school bus and need to know all of the safety rules. They also drew maps to their houses and were able to locate their particular bus stop. The children were very excited to ride the big yellow bus for the very first time,” Pangelinan said.
The students were also treated to a barbeque at Micro Beach.
The kindergarteners who received the Mallard Award were Kyle Jastillana, Maya Shimizu, Stephenny Pangelinan and Dillan Joaquin Cruz.
