The Hawaii State Department of Education announced Friday the DOE's 2012 "Employee of the Year" and "Team of the Year" at its Incentive & Service Awards Program held at the Hawaii State Capitol Auditorium.

The Incentive and Service Awards program recognizes DOE employees who have made special and continued contributions to improve the quality and effectiveness of Hawaii's public school system.

The 2012 program celebrated employees in four categories:  Sustained Superior Performance Award (5 recipients); the DOE Employee of the Year (selected from among the 5 awardees); Team Excellence Award of Merit (8 team recipients); and the DOE Team of the Year (selected from among the 8 team awardees).

Delcinda Saito was awarded the 2012 DOE Employee of the Year.  Saito is a Central District Office Teacher and has been a state employee for 19 years.

She has established a Peer Tutor program for special needs students to work with other students on physical education, and coordinated events such as the Great Aloha Kids Run, and the Sony Open Jr. Challenge.

Saito assists teachers with accommodations in regular or Adapted Physical Education programs for students with special needs.  In addition, her after-work hours are joyfully spent crafting and customizing equipment for special needs students.

As co-chair of the North Central Community Children’s Council, Delcinda facilitates monthly meetings that serve as a forum for parents and service providers to address system concerns and overcome educational barriers.

Her formula for addressing concerns is to listen, engage, encourage, and energize.

The Hawaii State Department of Education's Employee of the Year Award is the highest honor bestowed on a DOE employee.  It recognizes superb performance and achievement over a sustained period.  The DOE Employee of the Year will serve as the DOE's nominee for the Governor's Award for Distinguished State Service, or the State's Employee of the Year Award.

The DOE Team of the Year was awarded to the Mililani Ike Cafeteria Team at Mililani Ike Elementary School.