88 students complete Chamorro & Carolinian Immersion Program at Kagman Elementary School on Saipan

88 students at Kagman Elementary School on Saipan completed the Chamorro and Carolinian Immersion program. 

Students from kindergarten up to third grade take Chamorro and Carolinian classes entirely in the native languages while also learning cultural traditions and practices. In a graduation ceremony on campus last Thursday, the students came together to put on a cultural showcase of what they learned for their parents and family.

“It is not the school where we do this work. We need all of you every day,” Principal Dr. Ignacia Demapan said. “Give them help…this is how we keep our [culture] alive.” 

Demapan shared that 12 kindergarten students studied Carolinian, 14 kindergarten students studied Chamorro, 15 first graders studied Chamorro, 16 first graders studied Carolinian, 15 second graders studied Chamorro, and 16 third graders studied Chamorro.

Carolinian Immersion teacher Lynn Saimon told KUAM, “The Immersion Program stimulates our young children's brain by learning more than one language.” She added, “Thanks to our Immersion Program, our native culture and traditions are passed down through oral history so it ensures its longevity.”

Saimon said,” The Immersion Program protects our island's native language in the school system. It enhances our student's knowledge about our culture and the people of the land. The Immersion Program is an awesome program that teaches our kids our native language and culture throughout the whole day of instruction.”

Chamorro Immersion teacher Lee Pangelinan shares that sentiment. She said the program is crucial to students’ learning. “Our culture, our language defines who we are as taotao Marianas.  Learning our language is a great factor in students’ achievement level,” she added. “In addition, our Chamorro or Carolinian Language goes beyond the classroom.  It allows our students to build a strong bond with their grandparents by communicating in our native language.”