At Marianas High School on Tuesday, Interim Commissioner of Education Donna M. Flores, Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna, and Board of Education Member Andrew L. Orsini led other public education officials and stakeholders in honoring three outstanding public school professionals, all from MHS: Dr. Roque Castro Indalecio, the State Teacher of the Year; Natalie Hill Beyer, the State Librarian of the Year, and Michelle Taisacan, Distinguished Online Educator awardee.
AN educator at Marianas High School, Dr. Roque Castro Indalecio, on Tuesday was named 2024-2025 Public School System State Teacher of the Year, and will represent the CNMI in the prestigious National Teacher of the Year competition next year in the nation’s capital.
Natalie Hill Beyer, also of MHS, was named the 2024-2025 PSS State Librarian of the Year. This is the third time that Beyer won the state-level award. She also won the award in 2019 and 2018.
Michele Taisacan, also of MHS, is this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Online Educator Award.
The announcement of the major PSS awards was one of the many highlights of Tuesday’s celebration marking the 35th anniversary of PSS’ establishment.
Interim Commissioner Donna M. Flores and Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna, along with Board of Education members, led the Education Day celebration on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
All 20 public elementary, middle, and high schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota held their respective Education Day celebrations on Tuesday.
Flores and Magofna also attended the Tinian and Rota public schools’ celebration.
In 1988, PSS became an autonomous agency governed by an elected BOE by virtue of Public Law 6-10, which was enacted to conform to Constitutional Amendment No. 38 as ratified by CNMI voters.
Student winners
Also on Tuesday, the winners of the student competitions on theme and logo design were announced on Rota by Flores, Magofna, Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior-Senior High School Principal Annette Calvo and BOE Vice Chairperson Herman T. Atalig.
The winning theme, “Education Ignites the Flame to Success,” was submitted by Eclair M. Ladao, a 12th grader at RHI while the logo design winner was Mazed Mizan, an 11th grader at RHI.
On Saipan, PSS presented an award to Koli Tydingco, an 8th grader of Dandan Middle School, for winning the annual Education Day essay writing contest.
From Rota, Flores and Magofna flew to Tinian to join Tinian Elementary School Principal Lou Connie Manglona and Tinian Middle School-Tinian High School Principal Liz Perzinski in celebrating Education Day with their staff and personnel.
A successful competition
Flores at the same time commended CNMI PSS Teacher of the Year Coordinator Frankie Camacho for putting together a successful Teacher of the Year competition.
There were four other finalists for the award: Francis Mendiola of Koblerville Elementary School, Maria Pobeda of Sinapalo Elementary School, Maria Victoria Nishida of Hopwood Middle School, and Sonya-Jane Olopai of Da’ok Academy.
Indalecio, the 2024-2025 winner, is an educator “who imparts his expertise across all high school grade levels, specializing in the subjects of chemistry and environmental science.”
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Northern Marianas College and a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University. He earned his Doctorate in Education in Educational Technology from Walden University.
Appreciation
PSS Teacher of the Year Coordinator Frankie Camacho, for his part, expressed his appreciation to the members of this year’s panel of judges: Jesse Tudela, Board of Regents, Northern Marianas College; Mildred Sablan-Camacho, administrator, CNMI Scholarship; Beth Nunez, principal, Grace Christian Academy; Vivian Sablan, administrator, Division of Youth Services; and Monique Sablan, board member, CNMI Scholarship.
