Back-to-school prep in full force this weekend

by Krystal Paco

Guam - More than 30,000 public school students are preparing for the first day of school, which starts this week. KUAM News takes a look at just how the community is preparing our youth to begin work in the classroom.

It's a conservative approach in back to school readiness for Rodrick Camacho and his wife Tricia. The couple has 17 children with one on the way, and this school year six of their kids are getting ready to hit the books. Rodrick said, "We are excited! Summertime was really beautiful, we went on a vacation and me and my wife went on a vacation our selves but its always a joy when we have our kids around. It's a struggle."

But the struggle comes with ease for this large family. Camacho says the key to gearing up for the classroom is to wait for a complete school supply list from the teachers. "Thank God for education to keep these guys busy," he added.

But 10-year-old De'andre Perez has a different approach to getting ready for school, saying, "We are going look for a backpack and more composition notebooks." The Upi Elementary School 5th grader says he is ready to learn.

One local business, Royal Bics in Tamuning, is also eager this time of year as 50 percent of his business is selling school uniforms. Bic Sobti is the owner and has been in the uniform business on Guam for nearly the last three decades. "This year I am glad the public and private schools open on a different time and so the rush is actually good," he said.

As the community prepares their students, the Department of Education is also ready to start teaching. For weeks staff and volunteers have been cleaning up the schools, and superintendent Jon Fernandez says he's ready to greet the students as he makes his rounds on Monday, noting, "There are a lot of things we have to do to get ready for the first day of school and we are tackling those issues each one by one."

DOE schools are scheduled to begin bright and early Monday, August 20.