Niyanina Reyes Ross, Roque Pulido and Rebecca Flores are WSR’s teacher, teacher aide and support staff of the year, according to school principal Lynnette Villagomez.
Ross, a fourth grade teacher, began her career teaching at Tinian Elementary where she taught for seven years before joining the “Home of the Kingfisher.”
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with a teacher whose sense of balance and courteous efforts have been untiring,” Villagomez said. “Her determination and patient manner has greatly aided her students especially in their most trying days.”
Ross, Villagomez added, “is well aware of the needs of the school community and continues to seek ways to improve his ability to help them. Her professionalism goes beyond what is expected and is therefore a rare quality. She is an asset to the CNMI public schools…and continues to serve without hesitation while available as support staff to the rest of the teaching community.”
Ross is instrumental to the success of the school’s Mathcourt activities serving as among its coordinators, Villagomez said.
The school’s teacher aide of the year, Roque Pulido, serves students with special needs.
He has been with WSR for four years now and also assists children who are at-risk.
“He is no stranger to the Home of the Kingfisher,” Villagomez said. “He applied as a teacher aide in 2004 when he graduated from high school. Because of his love for the students, he immediately started college and pursue a degree in elementary education.”
Villagomez said she was impressed with the dedication and commitment exemplified by Pulido who also completed certifications while pursuing his college education.
In his spare time, the teacher aide voluntarily teaches at-risk students to play the ukulele.
“When it comes to working with students, there is no question in his mind whether education is the right career for him…. WSR is very fortunate to have him working with us and for our students,” Villagomez said.
WSR’s support staff of the year, Rebecca Flores, has been with the school for 18 years now.
She has a bachelor of science in business economics and started her career with the school as a classroom teacher.
After teaching for 11 years, Flores said she realized that her true calling was to become a counselor — giving the extra help to students, specifically those who are at-risk.
She pursued and completed a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Guam.
“An effective leader, she has become a mentor for other counselors and new teachers,” Villagomez said. “To help the school reach its goal of improving parent involvement, she accepted the extra responsibility of teaching parents and former students who need to complete their high school requirements.”
According to the school principal, the three WSR nominees for this year’s CNMI education awards are among the team players of the Public School System.
