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Manulele Tausala Elementary School principal named Principal of the Year

Manulele Tausala Elementary School principal, Martha Sagapolutele (third from right) with her award Certificate, after being named the “Principal of the Year” - school year 2017-2018.
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — This photo provided by the local Department of Education (ASDOE) shows, Manulele Tausala Elementary School principal, Martha Sagapolutele (third from right) with her award Certificate, after being named the “Principal of the Year” - school year 2017-2018. She was presented the award by Education Department director Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga (second from right) during a brief ceremony last Friday at the ASDOE main office in Utulei.

Also in the photo (in no specific order, and who attended the ceremony) are ASDOE’s Assistant Director of Elementary, Program Director of Elementary, Vice Principal Manulele, Secretary Manulele and Principal of Ofu/Olosega Elementary School.

Matagi-Tofiga explained that it was last year that ASDOE started the “Principal of the Year Award” in which the Elementary and Secondary Divisions evaluate the Principals and make their recommendation — and this year, Sagapolutele received the award.

“The Department of Education seeks to recognize those principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment,” Matagi-Tofiga said last Friday after the award ceremony.

According to the Education director, school principals face many challenges, as a former public high school principal herself, she knows all to well how to help students be more successful, how to manage students, teachers and parents expectations.

“A principal’s work is endless, and they are worthy of honor for the work they do,” Matagi-Tofiga pointed out.

She explained that the ASDOE Project, Keeping Exemplary Educators Enriched Program (or KEEEP), funded under the Consolidated Grant provides school leaders with management and instructional leadership skills. At the beginning of the school year workshops were provided for school leaders in using data for teaching and learning, using data for school improvement, developing and implementing action research to promote school improvement.

Matagi-Tofiga congratulated Sagapolutele - who then emotionally thanked her staff, management team, students and parents for their support, and dedicated her award to Manulele Tausala Elementary School, according to information from ASDOE last Friday.