Pacific News
The 9th Festival of Pacific Arts took place in Palau this past July. The
festival, held once every 4 years, drew participants from 27 Pacific countries
and territories and attendees from around the world. The festival celebrates
traditional and contemporary arts of all kinds, from tattooing to theatre.
The next Pacific Arts Festival will be held in 2008 in American Samoa.
More information about the Palau festival is available at www.festival-pacific-arts.org.
On April 9, Typhoon Sudal hit Yap with winds of 125 mph and devastating
flooding. Because the storm coincided with the high tide, much of Yap’s
capital and commercial center of Colonia was under water at the height
of the storm surge. Though there were no casualties, 80% - 90% of the
island’s structures were destroyed or severely damaged. Betel nut,
taro, and other crops on the island were also devastated.
Yap’s schools suffered extensive
damage from the storm as well. The remainder of the 2003-2004 school year
was cancelled, and nearly all of the island’s schools will open
late for the 2004-2005 school year.
The Ministry of Education has adopted the Cluster-PTA school improvement
model. The model brings parents, teachers, and community stakeholders
from each school together in three clusters that are organized by grade
level and focused on national benchmarks and assessments. The model, which
was originally conceptualized and developed in Majuro and Ebeye schools
by the RMI Parental Information and Resource Center at PREL, will now
be adopted nationwide.
Antonio V. Deleon Guerrero was named president of Northern Marianas College
on July 29. He had been acting president since Kenneth Wright’s
resignation in February.
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