Washington D.C. Visit/Snapshots

While in Washington D.C. for the OSEP IDEA Leadership Conference, we were able to network with other ICC state chairs, parents, service providers, and more. It was held July 29 to August 1, and its theme was Leading Together to Achieve Success from Cradle to Career.  I was able to increase my schema, including the following: awareness of support for better outcomes for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families; enhancement of leadership roles by being able to hear from experts in the field and to learn about evidence-based practices that will support participants' ability to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. I also had the opportunity to participate in the White House and Capitol tours. This included paying a courtesy visit to Guam Congresswoman Bordallo. This provided additional insight on D.C. legislation that impact OSEP/ICC and other funding, laws, closing the gap, etc. that impact our children with special needs, service providers, their families, and more. Thankfully, my nephew, Manny Naputi, was able to drop me off at the White House. Enjoy the following snapshots taken during my D.C. trip!

OSEP Conference: Representatives from Guam attended the 2012 OSEP IDEA Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference provided participants with additional knowledge of special education priorities and initiatives within the U.S. Department of Education and efforts to align requirements, foster achievement, and increase collaboration among States, constituencies, and agencies.

Pictured L-R:  Charles Kniseley; OSEP TA; Yolanda Gabriel: Assistant Superintendent, Special Education; Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, Vice-Chair. Guam Interagency Coordinating Council; Patricia Mantanona, GEIS Program Coordinator; June Quitugua, Guam CEDDERS; Laura Taisipic, Special Education SPC, SpEd Parent Services Coordinator; June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS; Evelyn Claros, GAPSD representative; Catherine Tydingco, SpEd,SPC, GEIS/PreSch Programs Coordinator; Terese Crisostomo, SpEd, Special Projects Coordinator; and Jonas Dorego, DOE SpEd Compliance Officer.

Visit with Guam's Congresswoman.  Pictured L-R:  Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo and
Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera.

My nephew Manny Naputi took the time to drop me off at the White House.

The above are a couple of pictures of me in front of the White House.

Guam Delegation Attends OSEP Conference in Washington, D.C.

OSEP Conference: Representatives from Guam attended the 2012 OSEP IDEA Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference provided participants with additional knowledge of special education priorities and initiatives within the U.S. Department of Education and efforts to align requirements, foster achievement, and increase collaboration among States, constituencies, and agencies.

Pictured L-R: Charles Kniseley; OSEP TA; Yolanda Gabriel: Assistant Superintendent, Special Education; Matilda Naputi Rivera, Vice-Chair. Guam Interagency Coordinating Council; Patricia Mantanona, GEIS Program Coordinator; June Quitugua, Guam CEDDERS; Laura Taisipic, Special Education SPC, SpEd Parent Services Coordinator; June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS; Evelyn Claros, GAPSD representative; Catherine Tydingco, SpEd,SPC, GEIS/PreSch Programs Coordinator; Terese Crisostomo, SpEd, Special Projects Coordinator; and Jonas Dorego, DOE SpEd Compliance Officer.

PIBBA Gathering

Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association (PIBBA) members gathered together for a banana split treat upon the arrival of Senator Shelten G. Neth, PIBBA Immediate Past President, at the Haagen Dazs parlor at the Fiesta Resort in Tumon, Guam.

ED481G ESL Service Learning Presentation

Presentation: UOG students enrolled in the ED481G Second Language Teaching Methodology course completed the semester on May 10, 2012 with a presentation of their ESL Service Learning and Final Reflection. The course focuses on the large and growing field of second language pedagogy, theoretical bases, research, and practical application within the second language classroom. Pictured L-R: Mark Pacheco; Lorna Gonzalez; Matilda Naputi Rivera, instructor; MarieJoy Guiking; Hannah Galura; Donna Ada; Bennett Lizama; and Jackie Guzman.

ED642 LiveText and Final Literature Project Presentation

Presentation: Master of Education students enrolled in the ED642 Seminar in Literature for Children and Young Adults course completed the semester on May 5, 2012 with a presentation of their online LiveText Portfolio and Final Literature Project. The course focuses on reading and critically evaluating a wide range of books for pre-schoolers to young adults, considering such issues as developmental needs, linguistic complexity, genre, aesthetics, interest and cultural diversity. Pictured L-R: Jose Cruz; Matilda Naputi Rivera, instructor; and Geraldine Sablan.

ED662 Presentation

Presentation: Master of Education students enrolled in the ED662 Second Language Testing and Evaluation course completed the semester on May 11, 2012 with a presentation of their Literature Review and Final Reflection at the University of Guam’s SBPA 261. The course examines all techniques of teaching a second language united and related to their effectiveness according to parameters derived from language acquisition theory and statistical quantification. Pictured L-R: Daniele Gualtieri; Valene Salas; Marvin Linder; Matilda Naputi Rivera, instructor; Lucille Linder; and Heidi Thedwall.

San Diego 2012 Liberation Queen – Julia Naputi Rivera

San Diego Liberation Queen: Julia Naputi Rivera was crowned the Sons and Daughters of Guam Club (SDGC) San Diego 2012 Liberation Queen on July 7, 2012. She is the daughter of Fausto and Matilda Naputi Rivera of Yona, granddaughter of Joaquin and Julia Naputi of Merizo, and Fausto Sr. and Juanita Rivera (both deceased) of Tamuning. She is also the great granddaughter of Matilde Castro Santos of National City, California and Francisco Santos of San Diego, and Juan Acfalle Naputi and Maria Nangauta Naputi (both deceased) of Merizo. Pictured L-R: Julia Santos Naputi, grandmother; Julia Naputi Rivera, SDGC 2012 Liberation Queen; and Joaquin Nangauta Naputi, grandfather.

EN100 Presentation

Presentation: Undergraduate students enrolled in the EN100 Fundamentals of College English course completed the semester on July 27, 2012 with a presentation of their creative writing projects. The course is an integrated reading and writing course that prepares students for further English courses and further study at the University. Pictured L-R front row sitting: Rosa Salas Palomo, co-instructor; and Matilda Naputi Rivera, co-instructor. Back row L-R: Jeff Oderiong, Maria Duenas, Leilani Pangilinan, Jose Castro, Francais Mendiola, Jacqueline Cosby, and Edward Nonaka.

Family Literacy Celebration

Family Literacy Celebration: The University of Guam School of Education's Literacy Center held a Family Literacy Celebration for its students enrolled from Fall 2011 to Spring 2012. The celebration highlighted the improvement in reading levels and the ED643/644: Literacy Instructional Lab tutoring for both semesters. Pictured L-R: Lorna Gonzalez, TESOL graduate candidate; Matilda Naputi Rivera, instructor; Katrina Macasaquit; Christina Macasaquit; Axl bono Macasaquit; Brett Macasaquit, student; Geneveve Cruz; and Jose Cruz, tutor.

Newly-Elected PIBBA Officers

Congratulations newly-elected PIBBA International Officers! Front row L-R: Dr. Jose Q. Cruz, Historian; Rosa Salas Palomo, Treasurer; and Shelten G. Neth, Immediate Past President. Back row L-R: Illuminanda "Lumi" Bermudes, Secretary; Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, Webmaster; and Masa-Aki Emesiochl, President-Elect. Not pictured is Peter Onedera, PIBBA International President.

FESTPAC Snapshots, Honiara, Solomon Islands

The FESTPAC held July 1-14, 2012 in Honiara, Solomon Islands was a success!  Enjoy the following snapshots taken during this memorable event.  To view the entire album of photos, visit https://plus.google.com/photos/101365546034865539689/albums/5766627943961257377?authkey=CNHKw8Xfn6OBKw

BIBA GUAM! BIBA UOG! THANK YOU TO THE UOG LIBERATION DAY FLOAT COMMITTEE FOR THEIR HARD WORK!

A BIG thank you goes out to the UOG Liberation Day Float Committee for their hard work and creativity. There were several key symbols on the University of Guam’s float which represent the institution’s interpretation of this year’s parade theme. The theme was “Imagine Guam: 68 Years of Progress Through Peace.”   The first element was our representation of peace. The white dove with an olive branch is the recognized symbol for peace. To showcase our pride in Guam, we have instead used our former territorial bird - the Tottot, the Marianas Rose Crown Fruit Dove, with a lemai leaf. Peace in our community and our world allows the University to create an educational environment where students can reach their potential towards becoming contributing members of our society.   Our graduates made up the second symbol and are collectively represented by the people you see on the float. Their iconic attire characterizes many of the different careers that the University’s programs prepare our graduates to serve in.  For the last 60 years, UOG has developed a workforce with skills and knowledge to ensure that our alumni can educate, heal, and protect the people of our island.   The third symbol was the University’s Big G logo which emphasized progress and evolution. The logo was developed for our 60th anniversary as a step towards collegiate branding that was unique to our region. The big G letter logo is in the form of a stylized traditional fishhook which represents many things such as bounty, sustenance, art, culture, and education in the way we pass on traditions. The spirited Triton, the University’s mascot for many decades continues to take a place on the float with the Big G. BIBA GUAM! BIBA UOG! SI YU'OS MA'ASE'!

Strengthening Families Cafe Training

The Strengthening Families Cafe, which focused on essential protective factors, was successfully coordinated by Kathy Goetz Wolf and Coach Daria on July 17 & 18, 2012 at the Guam Marriott Resort and Spa.  The cafe training empowered the parents, service providers, and agencies that attended the training.  Enjoy the following snapshots taken during the event!

Cafe Participants

Kathy Goetz Wolf introduces the cafe concept.

Coach Daria explains the importance of the cafe.

Sample of the liberation cafe theme.

Thank You for an Unforgettable Founder's Day Gala!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR FIRST-EVER FOUNDERS DAY GALA!

As a result of the support we received from our sponsors and guests, we raised close to $60,000! Thank you!!! All funds raised from this effort will support the construction of the facilities in our 21^st Century Campus Physical Master Plan.

 

For more pictures from this special event, please visit the link below. Keep checking it for updates – to date, we have only posted a fraction of the pictures available.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uogalumnipics/

Congratulations 2012 SDGC San Diego Liberation Queen, Julia Naputi Rivera!

Congratulations to Julia Naputi Rivera for being crowned this year's Sons and Daughters of Guam Club, Inc. of San Diego Liberation Queen!  Biba Guahan!  Biba Familia!

Pictured above is Julia Naputi Rivera with her family from Guam and San Diego.

31st Annual International PIBBA Conference Snapshots

Pohnpei cultural presentation during the PIBBA Conference

PIBBA morning gathering prior to the Keynote speech

L-R: Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, Elcid Joseph, Rickson Higgins, and Dr. Jose Q. Cruz.

L-R: Dr. Jose Q. Cruz, Zander Refilong, Senator Shelten G. Neth, and Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera.

PIBBA participants gear up for the conference

Dr. David Hough, PIBBA Keynote Speaker

PIBBA participants gather together after the evening keynote speech by Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera.

Congratulations newly-elected PIBBA International Officers! Front row L-R: Dr. Jose Q. Cruz, Historian; Rosa Salas Palomo, Treasurer; and Shelten G. Neth, Immediate Past President. Back row L-R: Illuminanda "Lumi" Bermudes, Secretary; Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, Webmaster; and Masa-Aki Emesiochl, President-Elect.  Not pictured is Peter Onedera, PIBBA International President. 

Rosario family gathering with Dr. Rivera, Clara Rosario, and Dr. Greg Tainatongo.

Pohnpei passes the key to Guam for PIBBA's next Conference in 2013. L-R: Dr. Jose Q. Cruz and Joseph Villazon, Director of Pohnpei Department of Education.