It’s been one long, unending learning experience so far for the 10 delegates of 1st Cagayan de
Oro-Norfolk Adult Exchange Program as they picked up ideas from their counterparts from their
sister city of Norfolk, Virginia.
The CDO Delegation with the Norfolk Public Schools Board.
“We learn a lot of new things every day we can bring home and adapt for the improvement of
our schools,” said Ma. Dulce T. Potenciano, executive director of the Cagayan de Oro Local
School Board. “I hope we have also given our counterparts in Norfolk some food for thought
about how we do things back home that might also prove useful for them.”
Scheduled for May 14-28, the two week-long program aims to create and sustain a relationship
between the City of Norfolk, Virginia and its sister city Cagayan de Oro to develop mutually
beneficial opportunities and programs including the arts, education and commerce.
The initial program is focusing on adult cultural and education exchanges and promote Sister
Cities international to other Filipino cities to encourage inter-province participation.
The CDO Delegation receives a warm Southern Welcome from host families and their spouses headed by Cheryl Penat McGarrigle.
The Cagayan de Oro Sister City Committee of the Norfolk Sister City Association (NSCA)
headed by Chair Cheryl Penat McGarrigle organized the Adult Exchange Program in
coordination with NSCA Executive Director Jennifer Priest and the Cagayan de Oro delegation
headed by Eileen E. San Juan, local economic investment promotion officer.
To officially kick off the program on May 16, the delegation met with the Norfolk Public
Schools (NPS) Board headed by Melinda J. Boone, Ed. D., superintendent of schools.
The group was briefed at the board’s administration office at 800 E. City Hall Avenue by Dr.
Kipp Rogers, chief academic officer, together with a panel of school officials including Dr. Dr.
Michael Cataldo, executive director for curriculum and instruction; Dr Sharon Byrdsong, chief of
staff; Dr. Michael Thorton, chief operations officer and Ms. Karen Tanner, acting senior director
of communications and public relations.
A quick look at the NPS bus fleet.
Later, they group had a discussion on K-12 Literacy and Numeracy with Gwen Collins, Sr.
English coordinator and Bart Irwin, Sr. Math Coordinator.
In the afternoon of the same day, the delegates toured the NPS Child Nutrition Services
warehouse which provides lunch for underprivileged children in Norfolk’s public schools and the
NPS Department of Transportation which is charged with transporting public school students to
and from schools through its fleet of school buses.
Touring the Child Nutrition Services Warehouse with Operations Manager Lisa Winters
Lisa Winter, operations manager, NPS Child Nutrition Services warehouse and Raymond
Whitehead, Jr., department supervisor, toured the group around the facility which ensures that
the underprivileged students have a nutritious and tasty lunch every school day.
A closer look of the salad which are served by the center to school children daily every school day.
Robert P. Clinebell, director of the NPS Dept. of Transportation at 5555 Raby Road said the
department’s 238 bus drivers ensure that some 12,250 students have a ride to and from school to
their respective homes daily. Each of the buses travel an average of 12,112 miles each school
year.
NPS Dept. of Transportation Director Robert P. Clinebell briefs the visitors on how 238 bus drivers ensure that some 12,2250 students get to school and return home safely every school day.
The NSCA aims to foster international understanding, friendship, and cooperation by promoting
people-to- people exchanges and continuing relationships between Norfolk, Virginia and its
international cities.
Cagayan de Oro became the seventh sister city of in June 18, 2008 when then Mayor
Constantino J. Jaraula officially signed the sister city agreement with Nofolk City Mayor Paul
Fraim at the General Douglas MacArthur Square.
The visitors join the NPS Board in a thumbs up.
Norfolk’s other sister cities include Kitakyushu, Japan; Wilhelmshaven, Germany; Norfolk
County, England; Toulon, France; Kaliningrad, Russia; Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Kochi,
India and Tema, Ghana.
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