Head Start confab ends with cultural show

By CASSIE DLG FEJERAN
Special to the Saipan Tribune

The 8th Annual Outer Pacific Head Start Conference celebrated its last night Thursday evening with a cultural presentation at the grounds of the Garapan Central Park.

Delegations, educators and Head Start directors were treated to a dinner by the Saipan Mayor’s Office, Senate President Joaquin G. Adriano and the Hotel Association of the NMI.

Keynote speaker Miguel McGary, who is an active parent advocate in Pohnpei, expressed confidence that the one week conference gave participants the opportunity to share and learn from each other to promote their roles and responsibilities as child advocates under the Head Start program.

“We should strive for excellence in our Pacific way to maintain and promote our pride and our values as Pacific people. Therefore we need to relieve ourselves of other cultures that are destructive to our home. If we don’t live as we are totally born to be then that means that we are like plastic flowers that look very attractive, beautiful and very tempting but have no life in them,” McGary added.

McGary quoted a remark that American Samoa director Milaneta Tinitali’s said during Tuesday’s conference at the Marianas High School. “She [Tinitali] mentions that Peca means a bird in Marshallese. She continued by saying that we should consider ourselves as birds that would not fly low but rather fly high with our expectations of excellence through commitment and collaboration in our own Pacific way,” said McGary.

CNMI Head Start program director Paz C. Younis also took the stage to say thanks for the participation of the teachers and parents in the conference. “We are not going to give up after over 35 years of experience in early childhood development. We are not going to let anybody take that away. We are committed and we are going to continue, that’s why we are organizing the Pacific Early Childhood Association. We are in the beginning of a new quest, a new challenge,” said Younis.

Head Start Policy Council chair Joanne C. Ogo also shared her experience with the diverse cultures involved in the conference. “It has been a successful and productive week. The sharing of culture and ideas has been a benefit to each one of us here today… Through the three days that I’ve been here I’ve learned a lot from the different cultures that you guys have out here. As partners, sisters, brothers we all are hungry for the knowledge that each and every one of us here is willing to give and share.”

Delegations from American Samoa, Republic of Belau, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Yap State, and the CNMI ended the celebration with different cultural presentations.

Gifts were also presented to the directors in the Pacific region and others affiliated with the Head Start Program. “We want to give a special token to those responsible for our stay here on Saipan,” said Joel Toribiong, congressman in Palau.

The dignitaries, educators, and parents from the outer Pacific region left Saipan early Friday morning. Before departure, they were toured around the island, visiting the many Head Start sites on Saipan.

Others present during the closing ceremonies were CNMI Family Partnership coordinator and chair Malua Peter and Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela, who gave the opening remarks.