Sinapalo, Oleai top Chamorro Academic Challenge Bowl

Sinapalo and Oleai elementary schools ruled the 2009 Chamorro/Carolinian Academic Challenge Bowl Competition last Saturday after bagging the most number of gold medals during the five-hour event at the Chacha Oceanview Junior High School.

A total of 120 students from 15 primary and middle public schools took part in the competition, which is in is eighth year. It was formed according to the Public School System’s benchmarks and standards.

Rota’s Sinapalo Elementary School entered five students, who all competed in Chamorro competitions. In the end, four of them emerged champions in their grade level.

The team also bagged a bronze medal after its first grade participant took third place in the Chamorro category.

The Rota students who emerged champions in the competition included Annie Mae Mendiola, Noah Quitugua, Keilani Barcinas, Blessy-lou Manglona, and Asianna Manglona.

Teacher-coach Jesse San Nicolas said it took the students a month to prepare for the competition. He said the consistent use of the local languages helped team members in the competition.

San Nicolas also commended the school’s acting principal, Vanessa Hocog, and teacher Denang Mesgnon, students, and parents for their support and assistance to the students.

Sinapalo first joined the Saipan competition in 2007 and has brought home a number of major awards through the years.

The school delegates were also successful in the Guam Chamorro Competition held last month, where they went home with four gold medals.

According to Patricia Kapileo, PSS program coordinator, all 20 questions covering the Chamorro/Carolinian Language Heritage Studies and subjects in all content areas were given in the vernacular—the first time they did so in the competition’s eight-year history.

In previous years, queries about math, science, and history were read in English.

The academic challenge bowl covered the Carolinian Language competition and the Tun Juan A. Sanchez Memorial competition, which was formerly the Chamorro Language category.

Both competitions were held simultaneously in the school’s cafeteria and library.

Named overall school champion in Carolinian competition was the team of Oleai Elementary School, which bagged gold medal awards, a silver, and a bronze.

In the middle school division, Chacha Oceanview Junior High and Hopwood Junior High were named recipients of the gold awards for Chamorro and Carolinian categories, while Rota Junior High received the second best team award for the middle school division.