Council lauds TES employees of the year

The 8th Saipan and Northern Mariana Islands Municipal Council has adopted a series of resolutions congratulating 2004 Tanapag Elementary School Employee of the Year awardees Lavena C. Babauta, Florenzo Q. Babauta, and Juan L. Somol.

Lavena Babauta was selected as the 2004 TES Teacher of the Year and the 2004 Overall Teacher of the Year. She is a 1st Grade classroom teacher and has been with PSS for the past 16 years.

Florenzo Babauta captured the 2004 TES Teacher Aide of the Year. He has been with PSS for the past 10 years and is a fully certified Chamorro bilingual teacher for grades 4 to 6. He has taught physical education for a total of six years, both at Tanapag and San Vicente elementary schools.

Somol is the 2004 Tanapag Elementary School Support Staff of the Year. He works in the maintenance department of the school and has been with TES for the past 16 years.

The outstanding employees were reviewed and selected by three separate panels of judges. In the 2004 Teachers of the Year award, the panel of judges were former Board of Education member Esther Fleming; Grace Christian Academy principal Faith Dela Rosa; McDonald’s president/owner Joe Ayuyu; Northern Marianas College, Rota program coordinator Maria H. Aguon.

In the 2004 Teacher Aide of the Year award, the panel of judges were Pacific Islands Club sales and marketing director Kanae Quinn; Northern Marianas College director of education Geri Willis; and Saipan Community School principal Arden Smith.

In the 2004 Support Staff of the Year, the panel of judges were CNMI Museum of History and Culture executive director Maggie Sablan; Calvary Christian Academy principal Scott Norman; and Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. center coordinator/program specialist Jean Olopai.

“The members of the municipal council and the people of the CNMI are extremely proud of the[se three’s] outstanding performances,” part of the resolution reads.

The Board of Education, under the leadership of chair Roman C. Benavente; the Public School System, under the leadership of Commissioner Rita H. Inos, and the 2004 Education Day Planning Committee, under the leadership of chair Alfred B. Ada, also congratulates all three TES employees for a job well done.

The resolutions were certified by chair Gregorio V. Deleon Guerrero and vice chair David A. Indalecio and attested by secretary Antonia M. Tudela.