Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School

Executive Summary

Gregorio T. Camacho (GTC) Elementary School is located in the northern rural village of San Roque on the northwest shore of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  Since the merging of Tanapag Elementary School and GTC Elementary in 2014, the student population has increased by over a hundred. GTC ended the school year 2021-2022 with 308 students.  Villages within the school zone include Capitol Hill (Northwest of Egigi Dr.), Sadog Tasi, As Mahetok, Tanapag, San Roque, Achugao, and As Matuis.  GTC serves many families from diverse ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses.  All students qualified for the free meal program under the Community Eligibility Provision.   

At Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School, we believe all students can learn, belong, and contribute.  Our mission is to provide an environment that supports all students' physical, emotional, social, and academic growth.  This environment allows all students to develop to their fullest potential and become contributing members of their families, community, and the world.  

The Title I Consolidated Grant, Local Operations Allocation, Wellness Allocation, and Parent Involvement funding afford opportunities for our school to purchase instructional materials and resources, as well as pay for training needed to support student learning. GTC’s main focus during School Year 2021-2022 was to implement evidence-based strategies and instructional support to help meet our school’s initiative of every student making progress in reading and math by increasing their Scaled Score to meet or surpass the grade-level benchmarks.

GTC’s School-wide Improvement Plan is aligned to the CNMI Public School System’s Strategic Priorities. The school concludes each school year with work sessions to collaborate and analyze student performance data, determining areas of improvement to be addressed for the following school year. Data dialogues are held at the beginning of each school year to analyze formative and summative assessment data. This collaborative effort helps determine actions to improve academic achievement as well as support for both students and teachers. GTC continues to strengthen efforts to integrate teacher and student-directed technology to help students develop 21st century skills. GTC also continues to implement the school-wide Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) program as a framework to strengthen the school’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.   A strengthened leadership team is in place to ensure the implementation and monitoring of the continuous improvement process.

  

Student Achievement Data School Year 2019-2020

The school uses a variety of assessment data to determine students’ academic performances.  The table below includes the results of the STAR Early Literacy, Reading, and Math from the third screening administered in March 2020.

 

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**Our kindergarten students do not take the STAR Math assessment. 

 

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SWP: Goals, Number of Objective Met/Number of Objectives

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School Budget (Local, Federal, Non-Appropriated Funds, Others)

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School Successes / Highlights for SY 2021-2022

AUGUST 2021

• Staff from the Office of Representative Joel Camacho assisted our school with the relocation of library books, equipment, and heavy furniture in preparation for the new school year.

• The school's crisis team participated in the PREPaRE Training for elementary schools 

• School and instructional staff participated in the district-wide Infinite Campus Training Overview.

• A 4th/5th-grade combo classroom was created to reduce student-teacher ratios in the fourth and fifth-grade sections.

• An additional fourth-grade teacher was hired to help reduce the student-teacher ratios in the fourth and fifth grades.  One of the previous fourth-grade teachers was assigned to the combo class.

• GTC launched the CCLHS Immersion Program with a kindergarten section taught by Instructor, Jennie Magofna.

• GTC welcomed first-year English Language Learner (ELL) Teacher, Henara Sasamoto.

• Full-day in-person classes began for SY 2021-2022.  This was the first time to hold full-day classes since the beginning of the pandemic.

• School library services resumed for grades K - 5th in the temporary library location.  Our school librarian aide, Lisascheeyong Iginoif, managed classroom push-ins and staggered schedules to accommodate students while following CDC safety guidelines.

• GTC Elementary School was a proud recipient and participant of the PSS/NMIFA Uniform Handoff / Interscholastic Soccer Kick-off Season held at the NMIFA Training Center in Koblerville.  GTC participated in the co-ed interscholastic league with coaches Tawny Barcinas and Jace Pineda.

• GTC was assigned a school nurse on half-day Mondays to assist as needed.

SEPTEMBER 2021

• GTC student leaders attended the Youth Advisory Panel Planning Session on September 7, 2021, at LaoLao Bay Resort.
• The PSS Mentoring Program was made available for our novice teachers.

• Five tutors under the High-Dosage Tutoring Program began services for GTC students struggling in the areas of reading and math.  

• GTC’s Early Warning System (EWS) team participated in the EWS Onboarding and Kick-off event facilitated by Ms. Annette Pladevega.

• GTC held its first hybrid PTA Meeting on September 15, 2021, since the start of the pandemic.  Parents had the choice to attend in person or virtually.

• GTC celebrated Cross-Country runners for making it to the qualifying event and Championships.  This was GTC’s first year to participate in the sport. 

• GTC Crisis Team members participated in the first series of GSEM Training facilitated by PSS.

OCTOBER 2021

• UV light devices were installed for all air-conditioning units on campus to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

• The CNMI Chapter of the American Red Cross conducted a Home Fire Safety and Disaster Preparedness Education virtual session with the school's fifth-grade classes.

• GTC held a virtual Student Council Election on October 8, 2021, for all third through fifth-grade classes.  Students voted for the Student Council officers through an electronic ballot.  

• GTC participated in National Unity Day on October 20, 2021, for Anti-Bullying Month.  All stakeholders were invited to wear orange to show their stance against bullying.

• GTC’s SY 20-21 Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Jennifer Villagomez, was honored as one of the Top 5 Finalists for the Overall 2022 CNMI State Teacher of the Year. 

• The school administration and GTC PTA officers attended the PSS Parent Summit held at Kensington Hotel on October 9, 2021.

• GTC’s second quarter Antigen Screening was held in the school cafeteria on October 26, 2021.

NOVEMBER 2021

• Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases within the community, GTC smoothly transitioned into remote learning utilizing the Blackboard Ultra platform. Students were provided with iPads and MiFi devices as needed to access their online classes.

• The school library upgraded its concourse system to Atriuum Book Systems.

• The school community participated in PSS’ Education Month Virtual Spirit Week held from November 15-19, 2021.

DECEMBER 2021

• GTC Elementary School partnered with CHCC as a COVID-19 vaccination site for students and staff on December 1, 2021.

JANUARY 2022

• GTC successfully resumed full-day in-person classes on January 3, 2022.

• K-5th grade instructional staff participated in the HMH Journeys training.

• K-5th grade instructional staff participated in the district-level Into Math Hour virtual support sessions coordinated by the Office of Curriculum and Instruction

• The Office of Curriculum and Instruction completed the ELA Instructional Review Process in select kindergarten through third-grade classrooms.

• GTC held a virtual Title I Orientation on January 26. 2022 for parents and guardians of students receiving Title I services.

FEBRUARY 2022

• GTC continued its partnership with BECQ-Division of Coastal Resources Management (DCRM) for Year 2 of the Watershed Warriors Program.  This year the program served three fourth-grade classes.

• The Saipan Seventh Day Adventist Dental Clinic conducted an outreach presentation for our fifth-grade students to promote dental hygiene.

• GTC participated in the PSS Interscholastic Volleyball coed league with coach Henara Sasamoto and community coach Christian Santos.

• Our school community celebrated National School Counseling Week and honored our school counselor, Hope Gomez.

• GTC celebrated and honored the school bus drivers during PSS’ Pupil Transportation Week

• The Joeten Kiyu Public Library BookMobile visits kicked off their first campus visit.

• GTC participated in Digital Learning Day on February 22, 2022, for students and staff to showcase innovative uses of technology in the learning environment.  GTC second-grader, Kaelynn Camacho, won the Digital Learning Day Competition for the K-2nd Early Elementary Level.  

• GTC Motheread/Fatherread began its first of eight virtual sessions on February 16, 2022

MARCH 2022

• The GTC school community held a Read Across America Spirit Week from February 28 - March 4, 2022.

• GTC’s CCLHS and Immersion instructors attended a weeklong CCLHS Professional Development with Dr. Clare Camacho from the University of Guam entitled Best Practices and Creating Chamorro/Carolinian Physical and Digital Resources.

• GTC’s school team completed the PSS-Mental Health Community Needs Assessment to identify the school’s areas of improvement.

• All second-grade classes participated in the Dental Sealant Program at CHCC

• GTC fourth-grade students participated in American Memorial Park’s Open Outdoor for Kids Program!

• GTC fourth and fifth-grade teachers provided after-school reading and math intervention support for identified students 

• GTC completed the administration of the WIDA Access Assessment for English Language Learners. 

APRIL 2022

• A GTC third-grade student placed first in the 3rd-5th Drawing Category in the University of Guam’s Chamorro Language Competition.

• The school celebrated Cultural Heritage Month with various activities in partnership with the CNMI’s Indigenous Affairs Office and local community members. 

• All 5th-grade classes participated in the 2022 BECQ Environmental Expo on April 20, 2022, at the NMI Museum of History & Culture.

• GTC staff attended the PSS COVID-19 Antigen Screening Training and were certified to conduct antigen screenings for students and staff on the school campus.

• The school administration and kindergarten team conducted a GTC-Head Start Parent Orientation during Tanapag Head Start’s CPIC Meeting on April 20, 2022.

• GTC coordinated a Round-up Visit with Head Start for their Tanapag Center students to experience a day in the life of a GTC kindergartener.  This event was part of the transition efforts coordinated by the CNMI Head Start Program.

MAY 2022

• The CCLHS Standards-based Online Assessment (SBA) was administered to all fourth-grade students.

• School and district leadership planned and conducted a district-wide Tsunami Drill that coincided on May 10, 2022, for three shoreline schools:  GTC Elementary, Francisco M. Sablan Middle School, and Hopwood Middle School.  The purpose of the drill was to evaluate and improve school emergency preparedness plans.

• Six GTC teachers completed and graduated from the PSS Ed Tech Cohort 10 program.

• After two years of holding drive-thru promotion ceremonies,  GTC held in-person ceremonies for the kindergarten and fifth-grade students on May 12 and May 13, 2022.  

• The school held a 5th Grade Wellness Retreat on May 18, 2022, at Kensington Hotel.  The retreat focused on social-emotional competencies and the transition into middle school