VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

JANUARY 2015

EMPOWERED! THE IMPORTANCE OF SDA EDUCATION EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, EAST CARIBBEAN CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH­DAY ADVENTISTS

President’s remarks

Leaders of Barbados SDA Academic Institutions

more real if paraphrased to read “If you think Christian education is expensive try a worldly one”. For Seventh­ day Adventists (SDA’s), Christian education is “the harmonious development of the physical, mental, and spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and… the world to come.” Pastor R. Danforth Francis President East Caribbean Conference of Seventh­day Adventists

Derek Bok, former Har­ vard president, once said “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” What a statement! It is even

We promote and demand excellence in the three R's and more. Christian education is not about Bible all day, but encourages contemplation of the future life. This value added is priceless, involving eternity. The SDA Church needs Christian education to survive. Without it we would not have pastors or workers trained in the philosophy and theology of Adventism. Can public or non­Adventist Christian education provide us with SDA workers? Impossible. In spite of its flaws, we can still thank God for our educational system which plays a piv­ otal role in harnessing the talents of our youth. Let us sup­ port our educational system.

Principal SDA Primary  Mrs. Angela Bushell­Skeete 

Education Director’s remarks Principal SDA Secondary 

Adventist education, consistent with its holistic parameters,

Dr. Cecil Cummins 

makes significant contributions to character development, preparation for spiritual service, and service to humanity. Academically, our students enrolled in our Seventh Day Ad­ ventist institutions, primary, secondary and tertiary, con­ tinue to excel. The Divine mandate to establish schools to restore God’s image in students is a challenge, considering the problems confronting students at primary, secondary and tertiary lev­ els. However, the stakeholders at our local Adventist schools are undaunted, and they continue to make indelible imprints on the lives of their students.

  Ms. Daphney Magloire Education Director East Caribbean Conference of Seventh­day Adventists

I am confident that God, who established the Adventist education system, will manifest His omnipotence in keeping the school family committed to excellence. The schools’ developmental plans embrace significant infrastructural development; creative innovations to improve the spiritual ethos at the schools; a stronger academic thrust; and the unconditional support of all stakeholders. I encourage parents, church members, Boards of Management, staff and students to strive for excellence, and to be more deliberate in the education process. Our schools need increased support, as they continue to fulfill their obligations. God has not given you a spirit of fear, so face the challenges courageously, knowing that God will provide the resources to take our schools higher. The future of Ad­ ventist education in Barbados is secure with Christ as our Guide.

Director USC B’dos Ps. George Greaves

Inside this issue: SDA Primary School

2 

B’dos Secondary School

2 

Alumni

3 

USC

3 

PACE

3 

EMPOWERED! Page 2

Bridgetown SDA Primary School The

Lord has been the people’s guide for the over 100 years of service of Bridgetown SDA Primary School. The school’s motto is “We strive for excellence”. It has been the foundation and facilitator for many who contribute to the development of this and other countries, and to the advancement of the Great Advent Movement. The school thrives on the performances of its stu­

dents in many areas, in­ cluding achieving excellent results in the BSSEE. Our 2014 examination results saw barely ten­year old Varni Hope scoring 98 per­ cent in Mathematics.

students with life skills. Our students also engage in activities such as leading out in special programs, enabling them to build leadership skills and public speaking competencies.

The school boasts an unpar­ alleled hundred­voice choir that has performed throughout Barbados, and also in St. Lucia. Our extra­ curricular activities include Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs, which help equip the

Like other schools, we pre­ pare students for academic excellence and the world of work, but more impor­ tantly, also for wider ser­ vice to God and man.

Barbados SDA Secondary School The Barbados Seventh­day

His message had such an impact that it was featured in the various local media.

Adventist Secondary School has been at the centre of SDA Education since 1953, offering her students a bal­ anced education that in­ spires, challenges and di­ rects their pursuit of knowl­ edge. Its strong spiritual aura has led several stu­ dents to Christ through baptism. Our Chapel, Week of Prayer sessions, and church visits foster strong Christian values and beliefs in our students, and not only instill a sense of responsibility for personal development and service to mankind, but also prepare them for eternal life. The school roll of 325 stu­ dents is guided by 24

From left to right The group Gifted Hands; Western view of the Sec­ ondary School; Some ‘students’ at 60th anniversary Back­to­School day.

teachers. We offer a total of 19 subjects at the CXC CSEC level, with an aver­ age pass rate of 70%. Bible is an integral part of our school's curriculum, and all students are given the op­ portunity to discover God’s will for their lives. On October 5, 2014, 13 year old Jeuel Franklyn (inset) mounted the pulpit of the Messiah House Wesleyan Holiness Church in St. John to address an audience including Gov­ ernment officials, educa­ tors, teachers and peers at the beginning of Education Month in Barbados. His message had such an im­ pact that it was featured in various local news media.

The school's 60th Anniver­ sary celebration featured a Back­to­School day where hundreds of former stu­ dents and teachers came back to school for the day. Many of the former students expressed their apprecia­ tion for the impact the school has made in their lives. A group of our students, Gifted Hands, entered NIFCA, and presented the unique ministry of hand mime using dark light. That ministry was so well re­ ceived that they were awarded a Silver Medal. Our Secondary School con­ tinues to offer quality SDA Christian Education to stu­ dents in Barbados.

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 Page 3

SDA Secondary School Alumni The

Alumni Association of the Barbados Seventh­day Adventist Secondary School is a very active body. All former students are alumni of the school and are eligi­ ble to belong to the Asso­ ciation which is operated under the guidelines of its Constitution. Its objectives are to assist the school to promote S.D.A. Christian Education; to render other types of needed assistance to the school; and to foster such fellowship among the

former students as would contribute to their contin­ ued mental, social and spiritual development. This school has played an im­ portant role in the lives of its students and has pre­ pared them to make a con­ tribution in every sphere of life. Alumni of this school have done well in various careers, not in Barbados only, but in other parts of the world. Alumni take part in spiritual and social activi­ ties; foster fundraising for

scholarships and school projects, and are now fo­ cusing on raising funds for the building of a new school hall. Tribute is paid to the President and Execu­ tive of the Association who work as a team with its alumni membership to ac­ complish its aims.

President Sec. Alumni  Mr. Anthony Nelson   

Executive committee  SDA Secondary School Alumni  

USC– University of Southern Caribbean University

of the Southern Caribbean – Barbados is a member of the distin­ guished family of campuses of the University of the Southern Caribbean in north Trinidad. We are part of the sisterhood of cam­ puses in Antigua, St. Lucia, Guyana, Tobago, and south Trinidad.

undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, both online and the tradi­ tional classroom taught by fully qualified and experi­ enced faculty. We create the spirit of entrepreneur­ ship and critical thinking in each student as we prepare them for the world of work and for successful careers.

We offer fully accredited

You can join our student

body if you have a mini­ mum of 5 CXC subjects at grade 3 and above. If you are a mature student you may be able to use your work experience and a minimum of 3 CXC passes to matriculate. Each mature learner is evaluated indi­ vidually and you may be required to do additional pre­requisites before full registration.

We offer fully accredited undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs

PACE – Parents Advocating Christian Education The acronym PACE means “Parents Advocating Christian Education”. PACE Association is a Seventh­day Adventist Christian­based organization, which seeks to provide a source of spiri­ tual, financial, and physical support to our member­ parents by contributing to the stability of our schools. The decision for parents to

send their children to a private school in a country with free education is a difficult one. Therefore when faced with challenges parents naturally turned to God in prayer. In response to this chal­ lenge, Maureen Adams started this organization to help with tuition in honor of God’s ideal plan.

PACE has conducted many activities such as bus rides and picnics, sponsor walks, concerts, car washes, sold food items at various con­ ference events, and our popular back­to­school event held every August. We are also involved in community projects and church visitation promoting SDA Christian education.

PACE member making a presenta­ tion to Caleb Hinkson and family 

EMPOWERED! THE IMPORTANCE OF SDA EDUCATION Barbados Seventh­day Adventist Secondary School Dalkeith Hill, St. Michael Tel: 427­7355 [email protected] Bridgetown Seventh­day Adventist Primary School Dalkeith Hill, St. Michael Tel: 436­6503 [email protected] Parents Advocating Christian Education (PACE) Colleen Clinton (president) Tel: 435­5503

University of the Southern Caribbean ­ Barbados #3 Alphonso House, Corner 1st & 2nd Ave­ nues, George Street, Belleville, St. Michael Tel: 622­1828 [email protected] [email protected] Barbados Secondary School Alumni Anthony Nelson (president) Tel: 230­7040 [email protected]

  Inspirational Quote  Higher than the highest human  thought can reach is God's ideal for  His children. Godliness –godlikeness – is the goal to be reached.   Before the student there is opened a  path of continual progress. He has an  object to achieve, a standard to at­ tain, that includes everything good,  and pure, and noble. He will advance  as fast and as far as possible in every  branch of true knowledge. 

Published by the Education Department of the East Caribbean Conference of Seventh­day Adventists Bryden’s Avenue, Brittons Hill, St. Michael, Barbados :: Tel: (246) 429­7234 Email: [email protected]