New Director's Message: Farewell
It has been an honor to serve as the Director of DoDDS-Pacific and DDESS-Guam for these many years, and it is with mixed feelings that I leave the Pacific Area to begin my work in Europe later this summer.

When I first came to the Pacific in August 1996, I was excited about the opportunity and very pleased by the quality of education.  Facilities were good, well maintained, and conducive to learning.  Everywhere I went, educators were doing a fabulous job; students were well behaved, industrious, and interested in learning; and community commanders and parents were very supportive of our efforts.  While it was good then, in my experience it has only gotten better.  With 46 schools, about 23,500 students, and some 2,900 employees, the Pacific Area is a great place to live and work...(go to article)

Director's Message: Teacher Appreciation Week
DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam proudly joins the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and school districts all over the country in recognizing our teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week - May 3-9.   

Each of us can remember a favorite teacher who had a significant impact on our lives.  That person may have sparked a passion for writing, reading, science, or mathematics or may have taken the time to listen when no one else would.  Often it was a teacher who influenced our own life in a meaningful way and that is the reason we became educators.  Recently, I remembered what my parents explained to me as a child growing up in New England about education.  They said that education represents one of the few gifts in life that no one can ever take away.  You have given that gift... (go to article)