Visit to Tiarama Schools

About three months ago Georges Deligny the new principal of College Adventist Tiarama asked Owen Ellis, Director of Education for the NZPUC to define what an Adventist school is. Of course the same question also interested Camelia Flohr, principal of the Tiarama Primary School. How would you fare with this question? In response Owen and I decided that we would spend a scheduled professional development week with the teachers of both schools exploring what an Adventist school is. At the teachers’ suggestion we met after school for two afternoon sessions, a Friday night and a Sabbath morning, almost nine hours in all. The photos show two students who welcomed us the first morning, and the teacher group who participated. In the group photo Camelia is standing next to Owen and Georges is standing behind Owen and me. There are approximately 180 students in the primary school, and about 150 in the secondary.

Having first considered the purpose of an Adventist school, the teachers then spent a good while discussing how Adventist their school was and rating it on six measures. After that they took us on a tour of each school to show us how Adventist their school looked. They also discussed how the Adventist character of their school was shown in daily school life and school values. Following that we looked at the Adventist worldview and the influence of the teacher’s attitude to life and power of example.

On these visits I try to practice my French. Mavina Haumani the recently retired education director and translator for the week encouraged me by saying that I was improving noticeably, but tactfully added that there was still a long road for me to travel. As you might expect, the teachers provided beautiful food and fine Sabbath singing and special music, all wrapped in the best of Tahitian hospitality. I am sure you all feel for Owen and I toughing it out in Tahiti last week. Someone has to do it!

Barry Hill
Director of Adventist Education SPD
News about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific.