Glazer-Church, Fitial, Valenzuela are tops at DES

Elizabeth Glazer-Church, a third grade teacher at the Dandan Elementary School, is this year’s Teacher of the Year nominee.

Church has been with the Public School System since 1997 after arriving from Washington State. A graduate with a BA degree from Central Washington University in 1996, she was inspired by a Saipan recruiter to teach here on Saipan. She started her career at Tanapag Elementary School in 1997 and Kagman Elementary School in 1999 before joining the “Mighty Totto Team” in 2000.

Her love for teaching and helping each and every children who walks into her classroom every school year speaks of her commitment, dedication, passion, love, and care for the learning of each child. She first taught 5th grade for three years. Since then, she started teaching third grade.

Church is well liked by her students, staff and parents. She has the attitude of a peacebuilder and has been actively involved with the many school activities such as the Young Author’s Fair, Science Fair, Christmas program, Cultural Day Festival, Project Familia, PREL-REL Project Focus on Reading, curriculum mapping, Reading Renaissance, ELL, Accelerated Math, Ethics Codes, Direct Instruction, Accreditation as a FOCUS Chair, PTA secretary, Master Teacher for students from the University of Guam and the Northern Marianas College for six years, DES Assessment Leadership Team, just to name a few. She has continued to expand her horizon by attending various statewide PDs and school live in-service trainings to upgrade her teaching practices. With the demand by the BOE and NCLB, she recognizes the implementation of the Four Strategic Priorities as a guide to nurture every child in her class as well as our mission, vision, and ESLRS.

Church is young, smart, dynamic, highly motivated, and full of energy each day that she begins her daily class routine. She sets high standards in all aspects to helping each child achieve their goal to become competent, literate, fluent and proficient in all subject areas, specifically achieving high standards at SBA, SAT 10, RFA/RDA, and BRI assessments.

Church possesses a love for reading. She is known at school for her soft voice, which captures each child’s attention to listen and enjoy the love of reading in the classroom. Her current and former students continue that legacy of enjoying reading that she has built in every child that enters her class.

Great classroom management impacts positive student learning. Everyday her students look forward to coming to her class wanting to learn. Her performance records speak only of a high degree of professionalism. She was selected as Dandan Elementary School Teacher of the Year because of her huge contribution to the school, students, teachers, staff, parents, administration, and the community at large. Church is role model to many. She believes in improving herself by attending statewide professional development, school in-service training, and surfing the Internet for more teaching strategies and other resources that she may need to help equip her so she is able to deliver effective and efficient instruction. Her eagerness and willing to learn is very evident, that is why she is the best candidate for DES this school year.

DJ Fitial, Special Education teacher assistant at Dandan Elementary School, was unanimously nominated by his colleagues at DES as this year’s Teacher Aide of the Year.

Fitial joined the Home of the Tottots since 2003. It’s is because of his active involvement in the school’s leadership, events, activities, and his excellent work attitude, professionalism, and going beyond the call of duty that makes him the best candidate this year. The Home of the Tottots is proud of Fitial because he has contributed to the many successes of our school, most especially in sports and the children in the SPED Program. PSS and the children benefit from his excellent work attitude and love for helping others. He is a treasure, a good leader and a great staff that we would not want to give away.

Fitial’s involvement is many. He has helped our Tottot team in soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, and track and field win many championship games. Our trophy case in the cafeteria will attest to his excellent coaching ability.

Aside from coaching the students every after school, he also puts time to help cover classes when teachers are absent, run the Fitness Day every Friday, help with the DES STUCO organization, accreditation process, Culture Day, Book Fair, Easter event, Christmas event, STUCO dances, Science Fair, PTA meetings, and PTA fundraising event.

He enjoys learning and updating himself with the new trends in education by attending all the PSS-wide PDs, Sped PDs, and school level in-service training. For the most part, Fitial is assigned to work with a special child on a daily basis. The child has a severe physical disability but Fitial is able to remain positive and patient with the child and, despite the difficult task he is faced with, he continues to be of service and help to other students. This clearly speaks of his dedication to his job and his special students.

Fitial has also chaired several school functions and others fundraising activities. He is an asset to the school, an individual who never complains but focuses on making sure that the job is done. He is a doer. He is well liked and respected by his student, all DES students and the entire teaching staff and parents of DES.

If you want an effective and efficient school operation, Abel Valenzuela is the man for the job. Again, Valenzuela is this year’s Support Staff of the Year because of his job performance throughout the school year. He is always there when the staff needs his help.

The staff nominated Valenzuela again because of many good factors. He is very committed and dedicated to his job. He is the first person to school and the last to leave. He keeps and maintains our campus and restrooms, ensures that all lightings, facilities, air-conditioning, and water in the classrooms are up and running. He attends every PTA, staff, accreditation, leadership team meeting and other various school events and functions. He attends the statewide PDs and in-service training to help him upgrade his learning in every aspect.

Valenzuela has many great qualities, hence the staff unanimously voted for him. He doesn’t complain even if he is tasked to do several jobs. He maintains his work ethics and gets the job done. He makes certain that he will complete the task in a timely manner.

He also recognizes the PSS Four Strategic Priorities: High Student Performance, Safe and Orderly Schools, Smooth School Operation, and Quality Teachers, Staff and Administration. In order to carry out the above priorities effectively and efficiently, one has to make sacrifices not for what it is worth but for what needs to be done. He even sacrifices his valuable time after work and during weekends to help with several of our functions and activities. He is a very dedicated person who spends his valuable time away from his family or home obligations to make sure that the school is ready for operation the next day.

We truly believe that he deserves this year’s overall Support Staff of the Year award because of his outstanding hard work and dedication to the school and the system, years of work experience, and excellent work performance and relationship with others despite the painful austerity measures he had to go through for months. Despite that, he was still able to perform to high standards. Valenzuela is the perfect candidate for this award. His commitment to the system, faculty, administration, students, parents, and the community speaks of his commitment, dedication, devotion and love for his job and the children under our care. [B][I](DES)[/I][/B]