Congratulations to members Richard Velasco and Leonora Balajadia for winning the 2016 Teacher of the Year Award! Richard Velasco is a math teacher at F.B. Leon Guerrero middle school for the past 8 ½ years. Velasco serves as the Math Department chairperson, PBIS School Level Facilitator, Curriculum Leadership Team faculty, an accreditation Focus Group leader and Bible Club advisor. Velasco was also recognized as an honoree for Who’s Who in the Government of Guam Under 40 and a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching State finalist for the U.S. Territories.
Leonora Balajadia is an English/language Arts teacher at Okkodo high school since 2010. Balajadia is actively involved in her school’s Accreditation and Professional Development committees, an advisor for the Okkodo Student Body Association and the Okkodo Korean Fever Club. Balajadia also represented the Guam Chapter of the International Reading Association at the 59th Language Arts Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Graziella Griffin, also a GFT member and a teacher at George Washington high school, was one of the Teacher of the Year nominees. GFT members have won Teacher of the Year in the past years as well. Mary Ann Angeles of Southern high school won in 2014, Melanie Blas of Simon Sanchez won in 2015 and Roberta Abaday won in 1998. Job well done to our members!