Guam Adventist Academy is beaming. Three of our high school students took the top slots in the recent 2011 Law Day Islandwide Essay Competition.

Senior, Miguel Han, took first place; Junior, Crystal Larrew, took second; and Larrew’s classmate, Hannah Choi, came in third place.
The topic of this year’s Law Day Islandwide Essay Competition was “The Legacy of John Adams, From Boston to Guantanamo. Adams was not only a presi- dent of the United States, he also happened to be the first lawyer-president. Adams took on cases that no one else would, defending those who couldn’t defend themselves. Participants in this year’s competition were required to reflect on John Adams’s legacy and parallel it to our modern day system of laws and rights designed to help the accused.

According to a release from the Judiciary of Guam and the Guam Bar Association, sponsors of the event, “Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day underscores how law and the legal process have contributed to the freedoms that we share.” All essays were 1,000 words in length. The compe- tition was open to all 9th through 12th grade students attending schools on Guam.
Last year, GAA took two top slots; second and third place in the competition. Then 9th graders, Ro- setrina Elidok and Liana Quenga, were presented with prizes at the Supreme Court of Guam.

High school English teacher, Mrs. Joanne, Kim said she was very proud of the winners.

Two high school students were inducted into the Guam Adventist Academy Chapter of the National Honor Society this past Wednesday, May 11. Junior, Rachel Onjukka, and sophomore, Julie Lu, both received their stoles and pins, and sat beside the current NHS members in a very special ceremony held in the school’s upper room Eight Students Inducted into National Honor So- ciety and National Junior Honor Society. NHS Secretary Hannah Choi delivered a special testimony of her experience this past year as an NHS member. She shared that the pillars of NHS: character, service, leadership, and scholarship, were challenged, overcome, and reinforced with teamwork and God’s help as the group successfully planned and executed a series of major programs at the school. NHS undertook a school gift drive for the island’s poor, as well as carefully planned Career Week and Chamorro Week activities.

NHS President, Amber McKeever, led her society members in the candle lighting ceremony and then per- formed “Go Light Your World” as an encouragement to not only the newly inducted members, but also for the students watching the ceremony.

GAA also welcomed its first members of the Angels Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. Eighth graders, Justin Bates, Jana Fukuda, Joelle Kim and Brit- tany Perez; and seventh graders, Tammy Leon Guerrero and Hannah Robinson were also selected by the NHS Council.
Congratulations to all the new inductees! For those of you out there who are interested in being a
member, work hard and remember the four criteria.

By Rosetrina Elidok

After two weeks in the Philippines, five GAA students and two chaperones – Kasondra Reel, Julie Matz, Annie Bae, Trisha Erikmo- mal, Liana Quenga, Cara mays, and Monica Cardenas – returned to Guam full of new memories and experiences, some of which they’ll never forget. No, they didn’t go for a vacation they left on a mission trip to an International Children’s Care orphanage in Pampanga, Central Luzon called the Happy Valley Children’s Village.
There they met many orphans from different backgrounds, each with their own horrifying history and experiences. While there, the group conducted a three-day Vacation Bible School for the children entitled God’s Love, as well as a medical outreach throughout the orphanage and the Batiawan Mountain.

There are still tangible memo- ries from previous mission trips left on the orphanage’s property. The building that was built by the first group of missionary students from GAA two years ago still stands and is almost completed.There is also a tree on the property with a student’s name engraved on one of its branches – “Folling.”

The students may have left the children behind but they brought back with them their amazing stories of faith and perse- verance. Blanch, an eight-year-old girl, could be seen puttering around the gardens early in the morning tending to the flowers and smiling tranquilly. What you may not know about her is that she had raised her three younger siblings on her own for awhile.

There are many other children who were taken off the streets, from abusive homes, or even from government orphanages where they didn’t have houseparents.

There are many orphans who need sponsorship at the ICC Or- phanage in Pampanga. “ICC takes in children with good faith that they will be provided for,” said Cara Flores Mays, the chaperone as well as the director of the an- nual mission trips. In an effort to raise awareness and arouse the compassion of those more fotur- nate, a website, FreeChildMovement.Org, is avail- able for those who are interested in sponsoring a child. If you have further questions, contact Cara Flores Mays at 929-8400.

By Newsletter Staff

Way up in the hills of Pampanga, Central Luzon, there is an orphanage called the Happy Valley Children’s Village, a branch of the International Children’s Care in Australia. They house children from all backgrounds, whether they’ve been aban- doned or rescued from an abusive home.

Since the beginning of the year, volunteers for the third annual Philippine Mission Trip have been campaigning for funds to support this orphanage. They’ve held an array of fundraisers, such as a letter-writing campaign, a raffle sponsored by other businesses, and a benefit concert entitled Notes of Hope.

For some, this will be their first time head- ing out, and for others, who al- ready possess memories of the place, they’ll just be reawakening them and creating more. Liana Quenga, a partici- pant of last year’s trip, said, “When you go you don’t think you’ll change, but once you go, you come back a different person and it’s refreshing.”

By Ethan Hoffman

The middle school portion of GAA can debate! On April 12th, the 7th and 8th graders had their an- nual debate, with one grade challenging the other. Students put all of their hard work and their skills to the test as they challenged their designated opponents. Judge Larrazabal says “It was a very enthusiastic experience.”

“The students who participated in the debates did an excellent job. They were very professional,” said 7th grader Tammy Leon Guerrero, a partici- pant in the debate session. Debate topics ranged from the legal driving age, to the internet’s pros and cons.
A particularly heated debate between Jacelynn Remoket and Britanny Perez over the internet’s assets had students on the edge of their seats, awaiting the outcome. Remoket, seventh grade stated, “It was pretty nerve-wracking yet fun!”
“I had a great time debating about an interesting topic!” says 8th grader Derek Onjukka, who argued for the morally correct path to take regarding animal testing. “Even though the debates were difficult, I learned a lot. It benefitted me because I was better able to identify with real-world issues.”

By: Ethan Hoffman and the N ewsletter Staff

Who would have ever thought that Guam Adventist Academy students would one day feel like they were part of the Governor’s Cabinet? That was just the situation during Career Week, which was held from January 25 to 28. Governor Eddie B. Calvo walking through the doors of our Upper Room on Thursday, January 27th, was certainly one of the greatest high- lights of that memorable week.
Calvo was quite the gentleman. He walked in and graciously greeted all of the students. He then warmly encouraged them to ask him any question that came to mind. He looked fresh, happy, and excited to be at GAA.
One of the first issues discussed was the military build-up. Calvo spoke about how the decision to transfer troops and their families here will benefit the island’s economy, giving it the boost it has needed for quite awhile now. In addition, Calvo said that the fed- eral government is also investing in Guam’s roads to ac- commodate the influx of new residents, an investment that will surely ease our traffic woes.
The Governor was very upbeat when he spoke of Guam’s future. He said he was already working hard to ensure that the govern- ment ran efficiently, ultimately saving the taxpayers a lot of money. Students werevery interested in Governor Calvo’s family life. They wanted to know how he was able to fit his wife, Christine, and their children into his tight itinerary. Calvo was upfront. He told them that his official scheduler
was aware that Sundays were “family days” and that whenever his chil- dren, who are very active athletes on island, had special games, these events needed to be plugged into his schedule.
GAA students were in full dress uniform and very respectful toward Governor Calvo. He actually took note of the students’ attitudes and told them that he was glad he came by to speak to them.
Governor Calvo coming to Guam Adventist Academy really helped the students understand all of the responsibilities that come with being the Governor of Guam. The faculty, staff, and students look forward to his possible return next year.

by Rosetrina Elidok

This year’s International Food Fair was held on January 16th. It was a tremendous success for the students of Guam Adventist Academy who participated in the selling of delicious foods from many different places.
Some of the main attractions included the gigantic jumper and the slip and slide on the lawn between the gym and elementary
classrooms, the jail on the stairs, and the RC track in the gym. It was a hot day, and many were hydrated by the different
smoothies and drinks offered. All classes participated and this year’s
turnout was satisfactory and benefitted all classes. The booths included: Philippines (Kin-
dergarten), Japan (1st and 2nd grade), Greece (3rd and 4th grade), Outdoor Jumper + Slip N’ Slide and RC
track (5th and 6th grade), Hawaiian (7th grade), Indian (8th grade), Korean (9th grade), French and Jail (10th grade), Mexican and Woodworking (11th grade), Italian + Russian + Brazil and African (12th grade).

By: Newsletter Staff (Yona, Guam)

School Chaplain, Mr. Kibbee, is getting students geared up for this year’s Generation of Youth for Christ
Conference happening in Houston, Texas, in December. According to Mr. Kibbee, initially, students were looking at attending the Australia Youth for Christ conference, which several GAA kids partici- pated in last May. However, this year, AYC coordina- tors want it in June, which means the winter season Down Under, and unavailable GAA students. The new plan is to push for the GYC which draws several thousand Christian young people from all over the world who wish to learn more about God and strengthen their relationship with Him. Al- though there are regional GYC’s throughout the year, it is the main GYC that Mr. Kibbee is aiming for. It will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, from December 28 to January 1, 2011. The theme is Fill Me: Our Earnest Plea. Five GAA high school stu- dents attended the GYC in Baltimore, Maryland, last month.

By: Newsletter Staff

Student Association officers decided to go with a seasonal theme for this year’s SA banquet. “As a Christian school, we really do count
our blessings and appreciate that we can ‘experience’ winter indoors and balmy tropical weather just outside the doors of the Guam Hilton,” said Lawrence Kasperbauer, Student Association president. The social event happens this coming Sunday in the Guam Hilton Resort & Spa’s Micronesian Room from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Tickets have been on sale for a week and are going quickly. SA president Kasperbauer is excited about the banquet. “SA’s working hard to make this banquet the best it can be. We’re putting a lot of time into planning it and are sure everyone will have lots of fun. They’ll be able to see their friends from school and enjoy great food and entertainment. I’m encouraging everyone to buy their ticket,” he said. Tickets are going for $28 apiece and $35 at the door. Kasperbauer says students can purchase their tickets from any SA officer or class senator. He also reminds us that the banquet is for GAA students grades 6th and up. If you plan on bringing a friend, get your teacher’s approval first. Tickets are on sale until this Wednesday.

By Tommy Imazu

Experiments! Guam Adventist Academy had their annual Science Fair this past weekend. Students proudly displayed their work for the judges. Interesting experi- ments conducted included testing the effectiveness of the different acne medications, how scalar energy affects one’s balance and flexibility, creating fire tornados, and many other intriguing experiments.

Mrs. Larrew invited professionals and lay people with an interest in science to act as judges. Judges for the

upper school included Dr. Robert Wresch, Dr. Ken Lee, Dr. Julie Namm, Mr. Travis Martin, and Mr. Ben Stern. Judges for lower school were Miss Ivy Roa, Mr. Steven Kibbee, Mr. Thomas Leon Guerrero, and Mr. Paul Stanko.

Winners were announced on Tuesday morning March 1, 2011. The Onjukka brothers, Bryce and Derek, won third place for their experiment on electrolysis. Crys- tal Larrew grabbed second place with her experiment on sweetness. Hannah Choi and Julie Matz secured the top spot with their fascinating Hair Oil Vacuum experiment.

In the 5th and 6th grade division, Cody Crisostomo nabbed third place with his water floating on water project, while second place winner Jonathan Powers blew the judges away with his Blowing Up My Car experiment. First place winners were Sarah Bacon and JoAnn Fukuda with their work on hamster sense.

In the 3rd and 4th grade division, Ji Hye Choi tied with Celine Doronila for third place. Choi attempted to show how soft drinks affect teeth while Celine experi- mented with light and circuits. Nicole Powers placed sec- ond with her angled energy project and Wayne Yoon re- ceived first place with his experiment on water heater.

The Kindergarten class, in a group effort, also par- ticipated in the science fair collecting data on favorite va- cation spots. They surveyed guests and friends and dis- covered that the majority preferred the beach as the ideal spot to wind down and relax. Congratulations to all the students for a job well done!