Guam CEDDERS Newsletter November 30, 2007 Inside this issue: Page Pacific Project Grant 1 Pacific CIMAP Grant 2 CIMAP con’tDC CIMAP Meeting 3 PAC6 TA Visits 4 Menhalom Moves ForwardGuam EHDI 5 Mtg SpeakerParent Validation Group PAC6 TA Photo SOC Receives Local Funding 6 OSEP Meeting Transit Coordination Plan 7 Project Tinituhon Update 8 “Power of Play” Conference 9 Fo'na Praxis PrepAdvisory Council Input Project Håtsa Updates 10 Guam ELGs 11 Child Find Ad SW Class Accessibility Survey Calendar of Events 12 New Staff Page 1: Guam CEDDERS Receives Funding for Pacific Project Guam CEDDERS received a $3.3M grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the full implementation of high quality alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities in six Pacific Basin entities. The 3-year grant, entitled the PACIFIC Project, includes Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The PACIFIC Project, which stands for Pacific Assessment Consortium Implementing Fully Innovative Change, continues the regional commitment of the Pacific Assessment Consortium (PAC6) established in 2005 to address both the common and unique needs of each entity in implementing an inclusive assessment system. The PACIFIC Project’s overall outcome is to improve local capacity to report and analyze participation and performance data of students with significant cognitive disabilities on alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards to inform critical changes in assessment, curriculum, and instruction. “This project brings us to the full implementation phase for alternate assessments throughout the Pacific,” said Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Guam CEDDERS Director. “CEDDERS will facilitate the project by ensuring that each entity meets established goals. We will also facilitate the development of local capacity in each of the islands by networking with national organizations and experts to develop assessment programs that meet the needs of each community.” The PACIFIC Project builds upon the local, regional, and national partnerships between Guam CEDDERS, the University of Guam, the National Center on Educational Outcomes, the Western Regional Resource Center, and University of Kentucky’s Inclusive Large Scale Standards and Assessment Project and National Alternate Assessment Center. For more information on the PACIFIC Project, contact Dr. Heidi San Nicolas at 671-735-2481. Page 2: Pacific CIMAP: Making Materials Available in Accessible Formats Guam CEDDERS received a $1.4M grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address the common and unique needs of Pacific jurisdictions in implementing a system that meets the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) and the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center (NIMAC) requirements. The grant, entitled Pacific Consortium for Instructional Materials Accessibility Project (Pacific CIMAP), an 18-month project which started on October 1, enhances each entity’s system for providing timely educational materials in appropriate accessible formats for students with disabilities. Pacific CIMAP provides technical support to the Pacific Basin entities of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. “Improving the transfer of these educational materials into accessible formats supports the unique needs of students with disabilities in each of the six entities,” said Guam CEDDERS Director Dr. Heidi San Nicolas. “These educational materials will facilitate the learning process and allow students with disabilities to better grasp concepts presented in the classroom.” CIMAP started its first activity with a series of Preliminary Technical Assistance and Needs Assessment visits to CNMI, Guam, Pohnpei, Chuuk, and American Samoa in October and November. The Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, Yap, and Kosrae will complete their assessments in December and January. Information is being gathered to identify the “common and unique needs” of each entity in their efforts to provide accessible materials to children with special needs. More specifically, these visits assesses their technical assistance needs for implementing a system that meets NIMAS and NIMAC requirements. Mike Terlaje, Project Coordinator and AT Specialist, June DeLeon, Project Director, Joseph Mendiola, Data Coordinator, and Mary Kidd, Training Associate, make up the assessment teams which are compiling information gathered during the on-site visits. Following compilation of assessment data, this information along with the work of Marcy Santos J.D., on copyright laws and procurement regulations, and Connie Guerrero, Project Training Associate for Services and Policies, will be part of the Pacific CIMAP Regional Leadership Meeting scheduled for the week of February 18, 2008 in Guam. Joining this session will be Donna McNear, Vision Impairment Consultant, Jim Fruchterman from Bookshare.org, and Mike Sharpe, Project CIMAP evaluator. The next training on Guam is scheduled for July 2008 and will last for three weeks. All nine islands will be represented during these regional events which will cover policies, procedures, and use of equipment and software for creating accessible formats for children with vision impairments, blindness, and other print disabilities. Photo with caption: Caroline MaGee (second from left), WRRC and PACIFIC Project Partner, and Guam CEDDERS staffers, (L-R) Joseph Mendiola, Data Coordinator, Mike Terlaje, Assistive Technology Specialist, & June Quitugua, Training Associate, were in American Samoa in November to provide technical assistance for the PAC6 Implementation and CIMAP Projects. On November 30, Midkieff Elementary School staff (L-R) Brian Thompson, Resource Specialist; Eseta Fuimaono, Teacher for the Visually Impaired; & Kamo P. Koloi, Teacher for the Visually Impaired provided CIMAP staff information on American Samoa’s available equipment to convert text into accessible formats for students who are blind. Page 3: Photo with caption: Project CIMAP (Consortium for Instructional Materials Accessibility Project) staff conducted the initial meetings on November 7-8 with consortium members in the CNMI to obtain information on the current status of policies and procedures with regards to making materials accessible and program infrastructure. (L-R) Jackie Quitugua, CNMI Public School System Associate Commissioner for Curriculum & Instruction; Suzanne Lizama, CNMI PSS Acting Special Education Coordinator; Mike Terlaje, Project CIMAP Coordinator; & Joseph Mendiola, Project CIMAP Data Coordinator. D.C. Meeting Held With CIMAP Collaborators and Federal Officials On November 14, Guam CEDDERS Director Dr. Heidi San Nicolas and Associate Director June DeLeon met with OSEP Project Officer Glinda Hill, Research to Practice (RTP) Director Dr. Lou Danielson, RTP Associate Division Director Larry Wexler, and CIMAP subcontractors Dr. Jim Fruchterman and Dr. Lisa Friendly, from Bookshare.org and Donna McNear, vision consultant, to discuss the CIMAP plan and budget and to explore possibilities to maximize project resources. Dr. Joy Zabala, Project Manager for the Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Consortium, comprised of 15 states with similar project objectives as CIMAP, joined the discussion on collaborative efforts among funded projects. (L-R) Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Dr. Joy Zabala, Glinda Hill, Dr. Jim Fruchterman, Donna McNear, Larry Wexler, June De Leon, Dr. Lou Danielson, & Dr. Lisa Friendly. Page 4: PAC6 Visits Support Application for Knowledge & Skills Guam CEDDERS and WRRC staff hit the road again beginning September 26th to provide technical assistance and training to the Pacific Assessment Consortium (PAC6), with the CNMI as the first stop. June Quitugua, Guam CEDDERS, and Nancy Knutson, WRRC, spent 2 days in Saipan working with Laura Brown, Special Education Compliance Monitor, Suzanne Lizama, Acting Special Education Coordinator, and the CNMI Leadership Assessment Team to continue work on the Pacific Basin Self-Assessment for the CNMI. The duo also provided technical assistance to develop their Alternate Achievement Standards (AAS). The Leadership Team, along with Guam CEDDERS and WRRC, met with Commissioner David Borja to provide him with an update of the PAC6 project and a status report of the CNMI’s progress towards the project’s goals and objectives. In October, Ms. Quitugua was joined by WRRC’s Caroline MaGee to conduct the next three site visits to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Palau. During these visits, each jurisdiction was tasked to complete their Alternate Assessment Workbook and Accommodations Workbook before finalizing their Pacific Basin Self-Assessment to obtain consensus and endorsement of the draft plan from each jurisdiction’s Director or Secretary of Education. The three jurisdictions were also provided technical assistance in developing or revising their accommodations guidelines, using the Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities (2005) developed by the Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards Assessing Special Education Students. At the end of each visit, the RMI, the FSM, and Palau completed the revised accommodations guidelines, which include procedures for determining participation in their statewide assessments and alternate assessments. American Samoa was the last stop by Ms. Quitugua and Ms. MaGee, who provided technical assistance which focused on the completion of their Pacific Basin Self-Assessment. The American Samoa Leadership Assessment Team has continued to hit the road running upon returning home from the Assessment Institutes, completing training on the 4-Step Process, developing their accommodations policies, and continuing work on development of content standard extensions. Also, as a part of the PAC6 Project, each jurisdiction was given a portable printer, scanner, multimedia projector, laptop computer, and software, to ensure training continues after the on-site TA visits. Photo with caption: FSM participants (L-R) Jonathan Mathau (Yap), Marita Anefal (Yap), Dasiana Atty (Chuuk), June Quitugua, Guam CEDDERS, &Elizabeth Ribilyan (Yap) are all smiles after finalizing the FSM’s Alternate Assessment and Accommodations Workbooks. Caroline MaGee, WRRC, (standing, at right) and participants from the RMI Special Education Program take an outdoor break after a long day of focusing on RMI’s Alternate Assessment and Accommodations Workbooks. Page 5: Photo with caption: Project Menhalom Moves Forward The Guam Public School System is moving forward with the implementation of Project Menhalom, (Wisdom), a character education program funded by a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Guam CEDDERS assisted in the development of the grant application and is involved in providing technical assistance and training to the project. Seven School Level Facilitators (SLFs) were recently hired by the Guam Public School System to facilitate the implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in Guam’s middle schools. To prepare them for their new roles, the SLFs participated in a five-day training on November 28-December 4. Next steps include an awareness campaign and implementation of activities is tentatively scheduled for January 2008. Shown in the photo at left are the personnel who will spearhead Project Menhalom activities. (Seated, L-R) GPSS SLFs Jolene Quintanilla, Bobbie Babauta, Vivian Leon Guerrero, & Sahlee Felisan. (Standing, L-R) Celine Carbullido, Guam CEDDERS program evaluator for the project, Rosemarie Camacho, Guam CEDDERS Training Associate, is providing technical assistance, SLF Vanessa Peredo, Terry Benavente, GPSS project coordinator, and SLFs Michelle Perez, Carmen Garrido, & Grace Palmares. Guam EHDI Parent Group Hears From Guest Presenter The November meeting of the Guam Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (Guam EHDI) Parent-To-Parent Support Group had Ricky Mesngon as their guest presenter. Mr. Mesngon, deaf since birth, is a math teacher at George Washington High School. Having earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, he is currently pursuing his doctoral degree. Mr. Mesngon is shown here conducting a class at George Washington High School. Parent Group Helps Validate Survey Results The Guam Part B Parent Focus Group met on November 29 to review the results of the Part B Parent Survey that was disseminated in September. Final results of the survey will be forwarded to the Guam Public School System, Division of Special Education in December. (Standing, L-R) Evelyn Claros & Mary Jean Yanger. (Sitting, L-R) Lou Bascon, John Uruo, & Rowena Torres. Not shown: Elisabeth Cruz. PAC6 TA Visit to Chuuk Provides Training for Ed Personnel Over 30 participants attended training for the Leadership Assessment Team as part of the Fall 2007 PAC6 technical assistance visits to Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Teachers, administrators, curriculum and assessment specialists completed work on the FSM Self-Assessment and Draft Accommodations Policies. Training on the 4-Step Process was also conducted for teachers. Page 6: Family Advocacy Creates Results: $750,000 in New Funding for Guam’s System of Care Thanks to the hard work and testimonies of families and other advocates for children’s mental health, $750,000 in new funding for I Famagu'on-ta, Guam’s System of Care, was included in Public Law 29-19, Guam’s 2008 budget law. This is a significant step forward for children’s mental health on Guam and moves the System of Care one step closer to being sustained after federal funding ends in September 2008. In lobbying for this appropriation, families took the lead by educating members of the 29th Guam Legislature about the importance of funding and sustaining Guam’s System of Care. During a series of roundtable discussions, families shared information about the System of Care approach to the provision of services, as well as their personal stories. Families also met with individual senators, conducted a letter writing campaign, co-presented evaluation data with Guam CEDDERS’ Child Mental Health Initiative Evaluation Project staff at a meeting of the Legislative Committee on Health and Homeland Security, and provided testimony during the budget hearings. Through these efforts, Guam’s Senators learned more about the needs of children with serious mental health needs, the challenges families face, and how Guam’s System of Care has helped children and families experience positive outcomes in their lives. Photo with caption: Guam’s System of Care Comprehensive Training Plan (above) is available for dissemination. For a copy, please call Bonnie Brandt, lead evaluator, at 735-2397 or email your request to bbrandt@ite.net OSEP Meets with Pacific Jurisdiction at WRRC Regional Meeting Ruth Ryder, Director of the Monitoring and Improvement Planning Division, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education. provided input and recommendations to the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Island entities during the WRRC Part B General Supervision Meeting held on September 17-19 in San Francisco, California. (Standing, L-R) Arthur Albert, FSM SpEd Executive Director; Steve Spencer, WRRC Consultant; Nerissa Bretania-Shafer, Guam SpEd Acting Associate Superintendent; Leilani Martea, American Samoa Monitor; Nora Sawyer, GPSS Federal Program Monitor; Iris Leota, American Samoa SpEd; Suzanne Lizama, CNMI Acting SpEd Coordinator; Laura Brown, CNMI SpEd Compliance Monitor; Paul Ban, Hawaii SpEd Director; Elaine Eclavea, Guam CEDDERS Initiative Area Coordinator; Rudy Lokeijak, RMI SpEd Director; Sharon Tellai, Palau Acting SpEd Coordinator; Miles Kawatashi, Consultant; June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director. (Seated, L-R) Caroline Moore, WRRC Director; Jane Nell Luster, National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring (NCSEAM) Data Director; Ruth Ryder, OSEP Monitoring Division Director; Richard Steffan, OSEP Monitoring Division State Contact; Debra Jennings, OSEP Monitoring Division State Contact. Page 7: GATE Conclude with Public Input to Transit Coordination Plan The public voiced their final input on the 2007 Guam Action Plan for the Coordination of Human Services Transportation on November 16, the last of three public opportunities for input and comment. The plan, a product of the United We Ride State Planning Grant, was facilitated and developed by Guam CEDDERS personnel, Ginger Porter and Lydia Cooper. As a preface to prioritizing action areas, a community assessment of available transportation services and an inventory of accessible vehicles were conducted. Seventy-two partners were interviewed to capture information regarding organizational missions, transportation needs, and transportation services, all of which are reported in Appendix B of the Plan. Additionally, thirty-five respondents reported a total of 646 vehicles used to provide transportation services, of which 121 were identified as being accessible. Accessible vehicle inventories between Guam government and non-government entities are nearly equal, with two thirds (2/3) of the government inventory located at the Division of Special Education and the remaining third at the Division of Senior Citizens. The needs assessment consisted of the proceedings of the 2002 Island Summit on Disabilities; the Community Survey desired working group goals; and the State and Community Self Assessment of the Framework for Action tool taken by the Mobility Coordinating Consortium, a consortium of partners participating in the initial community survey. The Mobility Coordinating Consortium established three priorities for the direction of action and improvement strategies (see yellow text box below). Within these areas are plans to establish a leadership coalition to embrace the common vision of “creating an integrated transportation service network that is customer focused,” and to coordinate inter-agency information on constituent needs, services, opportunities, and planning. Educational activities are planned for the Leadership Coalition, as well as riders. Another key leadership outcome is the move towards coordinating services between Public Transportation Services and the Senior Citizens Transportation Services. Policies, procedures, training, coordinated procurement, and centralized dispatch are strategies for beginning to “Move People Efficiently”. A broad structure of activities, including website development, convenient ticket distribution, obtaining customer feedback, marketing, signage, accessibility surveys, information dissemination, new services, travel training, new vehicles, and movement towards meeting 90% of the paratransit demand are intended to “Put Customers First.” It’s a big plate of outcomes and activities for one year, but the variety of doable activities generated by community partners aims to please the broad range of transit customers. With the stamp of approval by the Transportation Commission and ideas already in action, the Plan for the Coordination of Human Services Transportation serves to guide the Governor and island leaders toward positive practices for improved island transportation services. Page 8: Project Tinituhon Initiates First Year Auction September 2007 marked the start of the implementation of Project Tinituhon, Guam’s Early Childhood Comprehensive System, a Guam Department of Public Health & Social Services Maternal Child Health grant in partnership with Guam CEDDERS. The overall planning committee of Project Tinituhon, the Strategic Management Team (SMT), along with the four work groups, established the Vision and Mission which guided the development of the Strategic Action Plan – Guam’s three year implementation plan for services and supports for children birth to five and their families. The guiding principles for Project Tinituhon are highly valued tenets of behavior, attitude and action that emerge from and drive the culture, work and decisions made through Project Tinituhon. They are grounded in the idea that ALL young children deserve equal opportunity and access to health care and high quality early care and educational programs through a comprehensive system of services and support that believes: relationships, quality, and resources matter! Five major goals were developed for the Implementation plan along with strategies, objectives, and activities to move Guam towards those goals. Several meetings have taken place with the work groups to discuss the activities and to ensure necessary collaboration between key child serving agencies occurs, moving Guam towards more coordinated and integrated services and supports for children birth to five and their families. Quarter 1 activities included consensus on quality child and family outcomes, review of data collection methods, public awareness survey, completion of Project Tinituhon brochures and posters, review of various service directories, and meeting with the Governor’s Special Assistant (member of the SMT) to begin moving towards system sustainability. The work groups are also preparing for Quarter 2 activities, which include training for health care professionals in developmental screening tools, training for early childhood education providers, development of a comprehensive service directory, and the development of a public awareness campaign – all in support of children birth to five and their families. The active participation of the Governor’s Office, representatives of Public Health and Social Services, Guam Head Start, Preschool Special Education, Guam Early Intervention and private child care providers continues to strengthen the collaboration required for Project Tinituhon to reach its goals in support of its vision and mission. For the child serving organizations and agencies on Guam, these goals supply the focus and clarity required with which to move our island community in the direction we need to go. Photo with caption: A poster with recommendations for parents to follow to facilitate the growth and development of their young children was disseminated to service providers in November. Page 9: Parents Learn Value of Play Parents and their children played it up at “The Power of Play,” the 2007 Annual Interactive Parent Conference held on September 22 at Tamuning Elementary School. Taking advantage of introduced strategies for stimulating the overall development of their young child, using appropriate play strategies, and reinforcing the importance of interaction between parent and child, parents literally jumped in with both hands and feet with developmental activities, which included home-made toys, music, storybook making, gross motor development, various art and craft activities, and making healthy snacks. The four hours of collaborative activity attended by 75 parents and their children, ages birth to five, was planned and conducted by various public and private partners, including: Guam CEDDERS, Guam Community College, Guam Public School System – Division of Special Education Preschool and Early Intervention Programs, and the Model Child Care Centers. As parents wrapped up their experiences, 68 of them participated in an interview which evaluated the conference. Approximately 99% of the parents noted that they would attend the conference if it were offered again and would recommend the conference to other parents. With the ‘highly satisfied’ rating by 84% of the participants, it appears that parents found true value in The Power of Play. Photo with caption: Parent’s engage in hands on activities with their children during the “Power of Play” Conference held in September at Tamuning Elementary School. Fo’na Students Prepare for Praxis and Comps Visiting Howard University professor Dr. Kay Payne, CCC-SLP, conducted a Praxis preparation course on November 26-30 for students participating in Project Fo'na, Guam CEDDERS' graduate program in speech and language pathology in partnership with San Jose State University. The course preparation was also intended to help the students prepare for their comprehensive examinations that they took on December 1. They are scheduled to sit for the Praxis exam in January. (Seated, L-R) Janice Sablan, Rosario Hocog, Stephanie Bamba, Dr. Payne, Erica Santos, Nicole Duenas, Rowena Dimla, Henoleen Camacho. (Standing L-R) Daniel Domaol, Amalia Badua, Melanie Arciaga, Francis Glenn Lujan, Robin Malicsi, Merleen Daniel, Richard Tomada, Joyselene Daniel, & Leean Bull. Advisory Council Spearheads Development of New Core Goals/Objectives Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council members, consumers, and staff are shown above discussing various concerns and issues during the September Council meeting. The Council and Initiative Area Subcommittees met numerous times during the past six months to provide input and develop draft goals and objectives for the new Guam CEDDERS Core Grant application due to the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Administration on Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in mid-January, 2008. The new grant will guide Guam CEDDERS activities during the period from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2013. Page 10: Project Hatsa Updates Photo with caption: Teacher Earns NBPTS Certification Roberta Abaday, a high school English teacher with over 20 years experience, was recently awarded national certification by the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS). The first Guam teacher who has earned this prestigious honor now joins the more than 55,000 teachers who have achieved this distinction. Ms. Abaday, who was the Guam Teacher of the Year in 1998, began her process in the Spring of 2006, starting with the videotaping of actual teaching and submittal of examples of student work. She compiled a portfolio of accomplishments outside the classroom, with the final step involving sitting for a written examination to demonstrate content knowledge. Project Håtsa is currently providing support to two other GPSS teachers, Aileen Ortega Canos from F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School and Liz Hamilton from George Washington High School, who are in the process of completing their applications for this highly regarded certification. Available Report Available to Public The Project Håtsa Annual Report was made available to the public on November 26. The 10-page report summarized the accomplishments of the project during its second year. The cover story highlighted the status of the Mini-Grant Program which provides funding support to schools that apply to access classroom technology and teacher professional development. The report was disseminated via the Pacific Daily News, Guam's leading daily newspaper which has a circulation of 25,000. New Teacher Center Conducts Mentor Academy 3 Guam Public School administrators and mentors attended the “Mentor Academy 3” Workshop on October 23-25, conducted by consultants Rosemary Garcia and Geri Ares from the New Teacher Center based at the University of California at Santa Cruz. “Analyzing Student Work to Guide Instruction” was the focus of this workshop with particular emphasis placed on differentiating instruction and working with families. Participants included (above photo, L-R) Ana Camacho-Anderson, Tiffany Fernandez, Rosemary Garcia, consultant, Emily Meno, Begoña Flores, Nancy Leon Guerrero, Benit Camacho Dungca, Connie Guerrero, Linda Sablan, Dawn Blas, Geri Ares, consultant, and Joseph Fernandez. (Back row, L-R): Mary Taitano, Judy Taitano, Lourdes Benavente, Kirk Drygas, Aline Yamashita, Rose Rios, Lourdes San Nicolas, Evangeline San Nicolas, Marie Barretto, & Debra Santos. Page 11: Guam Early Guidelines Birth-36 months Now Available The Guam Early Learning Guidelines For Young Children Birth To 36 Months was recently published and is now available for parents, caregivers, and other interested individuals. A collaborative project supported by the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services Bureau of Social Services Administration, Dvision of Public Welfare, Child Care Development Fund Program, the Early Childhood Care & Education Committee, and Guam CEDDERS, these Guidelines complement the Guam Early Learning Guidelines for Young Children Ages Three To Five which was published in 2005. Due to the high interest of the community, a second printing of the first GELGs was completed in mid-November and is also available for dissemination. To request a copy, please call or email Mary Kidd at 735-2517 or mkidd@ite.net. Social Work Class Conducts Accessibility Survey Terrie Fejarang’s Social Work class on “Working with Individuals with Disabilities” completed accessibility surveys on the Guam Public Transportation System’s bus stops as part of a planning document for public transit. The class was also treated to presentations from two consumers who shared their personal experiences as individuals with disabilities. (Seated above L-R) Lisa Ogo, Shirley Lee, Evelyn Duenas, & Leslie Estrella; (Back row, L-R) Elizabeth Zabala, Catherine Techaira, Claudine Tenorio, Sirena Manibusan, Katrina Taijeron, Dante Delos Santos, & Ginger Porter. Child Find Ad Ready for Airing In collaboration with the Guam Public School System (GPSS) Division of Special Education, Guam CEDDERS recently completed the production of a 30-second TV ad publicizing Child Find Services. Above is a snapshot from the ad showing (left) Evelyn Claros, a parent of a child receiving Special Education services and Guam CEDDERS’ Advisory Council Chairperson, and Shawnette Celes, GPSS Special Education Family Services Program Coordinator. In addition to having a version in English, the ad is also available in Chamorro, Tagalog, and Chuukese, with open captioning for each language. Office of Academic & Student Affairs University of Guam, UOG Station Mangilao, Guam 96923 Phone: (671) 735-2480/1 Fax: (671) 734-5709 TTY: (671) 734-6531 Email: heidisan@uog9.uog.edu I Tellai is a quarterly publication of Guam CEDDERS. Director: Heidi San Nicolas, Ph.D. Editors: Terrie Fejarang, June De Leon, & Ginger Porter Layout & Design: Margaret Johnson This issue of I Tellai was made possible by contributions from the following Guam CEDDERS staff members: Bonnie Brandt, Liz Borja, Carmelita Ogo Connelley, June De Leon, Elaine Eclavea, Terrie Fejarang, Mary Kidd, Ginger Porter, June Quitugua, & Mike Terlaje. Alternative formats (e.g. Braille, large print, or audio tapes) of I Tellai will be made available upon request. Please contact Margaret Johnson at (671) 735-2477 (v), (671) 735-6531 (TTY), or (671) 734-5709 (fax) for more information. Page 12: Calendar of Upcoming Events December * Dec 1-Comprehensive Exam for Fo’na Students * Dec 3-Model Child Care Center Directors Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment Training, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * Dec 7-13-Project CIMAP Majuro & Kosrae Site Visits * Dec 10-11-FSM National TA Visit, Chuuk State * Dec 17-18-CNMI TA Visit * * Jan 5-Model Child Care Center Training, 8:30-2:30, CSS Conference Room, Barrigada Hts. * Jan 5-Family Child Care Training Session 1, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * Jan 7-11-GSEG PAC6 Regional Institute, Palau * Jan 9-12-Project CIMAP Palau Site Visit * Jan 12-Praxis Exam for Project Fo’na Students * Jan 12-Family Child Care Training Session 1, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * Jan 14-16-Project CIMAP Yap Site Visit * Jan 15-Guam EHDI Advisory Meeting, 11-1, Venue TBA * Jan 14-18-Håtsa Mentor Academy IV, Venue TBA * Jan 19-Model Child Care Center Training, 8:30-2:30, CSS Conference Room, Barrigada Hts. * Jan 26-Family Child Care Training Session 2, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * * Feb 2-Model Child Care Center Training, 8:30-2:30, CSS Conference Room, Barrigada Hts. * Feb 2– Family Child Care Training Session 2, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * Feb 14-Guam CEDDERS’ 15th Anniversary * Feb 16-Model Child Care Center Training, 8:30-2:30, CSS Conference Room, Barrigada Hts. * Feb 16-Family Child Care Training Session 3, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * Feb 18-22-Pacific CIMAP Regional Leadership Meeting, Guam * Feb 23-Family Child Care Training Session 3, 8-5, GSAT Training Center Mar 1-Family Child Care Training Session 4, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * Mar 7-Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council Meeting, 3:30, GSAT Training Center * Mar 7-8-GSAT Annual Conference & Tri-Agency Fair (Tentative Date) * Mar 8-Family Child Care Training Session 4, 8-5, GSAT Training Center * Mar 15-Model Child Care Center Training, 8:30-2:30, CSS Conference Room, Barrigada Hts. * Mar 29-Model Child Care Center Training, 8:30-2:30, CSS Conference Room, Barrigada Hts. Guam CEDDERS Welcomes New Staff Celine Carbullido, M.A., Program Evaluator, and Rosemarie Camacho, M.A., Training Associate, joined Guam CEDDERS in October. (L-R) Candice Perry, Travis Brown, and Gabrielle Angoco, recently became part of the Guam CEDDERS family as support staff, with Ms. Perry assuming a full-time clerk position and Mr. Brown and Ms. Angoco serving as part-time Office Assistants.