TVET (Technical & Vocational Education and Training)

Our TVET Area Coordinator from Auckland NZ, Ameet Kumar, spent three days at Vaiola College and two days at Pesega College in Apia.  He came for various reasons including setting up Microsoft Office Systems (MOS) offline so that we are not dependent on the sketchy internet.  Also, he facilitated discussions with administration, TVET teachers and us missionaries around SQA (Samoa Qualifications Authority) alignment.  The goal is to implement classes meeting SQA standards by 2019 which will require a lot more planning and strategy for courses and scheduling.  Each of our schools will have a stand alone TVET Institute; thereby, certifying students with credentials enabling them to enter the workforce after high school or to continue pursuit of TVET higher education.  Such areas of expertise may include Carpentry, Tourism & Hospitality, Cookery, Automotive, and Welding.  Currently, Vaiola is not equipped for Automotive and Welding.  Ameet's help and inspiration was really appreciated.

Our group meeting with Ameet.

Vice Principal Tufuga who oversees TVET for the school.

Lafao, Head of TVET Department

Ameet Kumar, Area TVET Coordinator

Our ITEP classes this term are nearly to a close.  The new administrative class, Leadership and the School Principal, is underway.

Sometimes the Hospitality classes make and deliver food samples to us to critique.  This week we enjoyed fresh fruit parfaits.

Friday morning we judged the impromptu speeches of Level 3 (2^nd grade).  They were more challenged and part of it may have been the ability at that young age to think and speak their thoughts in English.  They gave it a good go.

Below is a video of all the students singing "I Am A Child of God", 

first in English and then in Samoan:

Once again Ron announced the winners.

Friday after early out, staff participated in “wellness” activities on the malae (grass court area).  As assigned teams, we started with a relay at stations around the campus.  After that, a couple of teams played  soccer while the other two teams played volleyball; then we switched.  Afterwards they served niu, oranges, apples, and sliced bread.  Fortunately we were not in direct sun; it had somewhat clouded over and we had a lot of fun together! (too busy playing to take pictures)

We showed Coco for movie night; the girls enjoyed the animation.  Since both of us were a bit under the weather we stayed close to home this weekend.  We ran into Sister Zhu at the store on Saturday.  She is the mission president's secretary and is of Chinese descent from New Zealand.  She has been amazing reaching out to the Chinese community with success in her active missionary labors. 

A couple of cloud pictures from this week:

Happy Birthday this past week to a daughter, a son, and two grandchildren!

Love to All!

Beach Walk, ITEP In-Service Training, Judging, etc

Being that Monday was the Mother's Day national holiday, we took opportunity to do a beach walk around a bay at Pua Pua. Low tide was at noon and we had access crossing lava rocks and walking the beach out to the breakers; all total we walked about a mile each way. We only ran into a few boys, a couple fishing with their bamboo rods and some others who were swimming with cousins. The beauty of nature never ceases to inspire awe.

The Bay

Ron in front of roots of a coconut tree exposed at low tide.

Shells from our beach walk.

Upon our return home, we invited the international dorm girls over to make and eat brownies. With the holiday it was dorm leave weekend so they were the only girls on campus. They love baking and it was fun to watch them taking pictures of each other baking in the kitchen.

Friday morning at faculty meeting we presented in-service training on SOLO Taxonomy. Deeper learning is a focus of emphasis from the Area office who guides and directs our service. May is Teacher Appreciation in the States so we opted to make caramel popcorn balls in appreciation of our staff and Ron incorporated popcorn balls into our presentation. We started with a matching game to introduce the topic and went from there.

Following faculty meeting we went to the “hall” (gym) for another speech judging event for Level 4 (3^rd grade). One young man, Tom, elicited a lot of laughs on his topic, My Teacher. For instance, amiable Tom said, “When my teacher says, 'Tom, don't touch other students, I quit'. When my teacher says, 'Tom, you need to sit down, I sit down'.” And on he went...his teacher is awesome--good thing, for Tom's sake.

Ron announcing the winners.

Winners: Tom is in the middle.

Karla, the Principal, & Sulu the Level 4 Teacher

Notice, it is Tom leading the music---

Saturday we kicked back. Ron took the grocery list to market and I ventured up the Vaiola steps. After my descent I joined a group of the dorm girls who were sitting out at the canteen. We had a wonderful time visiting and laughing. Most of the boys and dads were off campus for a ward father/son outing. In the afternoon one of the girls came borrowing Ron's basketball (it is bald by now). It wasn't long until the boys returned and soon the field and court was full of youth playing ball and Ron went down to join them. 

Looking down the steps from the top.

There was basketball on one end of the court; volleyball going on in the middle of the court;
and soccer being playing on the grass---all at the same time.


MORE BEAUTIFUL SAMOAN CLOUDS THIS WEEK:

BIRDS OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE YESTERDAY:

This poor little guy has a deformed leg and is basically one-legged.

BELOW IS A FUN AD THAT RUNS ON TV FOR A CELL PHONE PROVIDER, BLUESKY.

IT IS A PLAY ON THE SONG, "I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE, MAN"

SQA & Mother's Day

SQA stands for Samoa Qualifications Authority; it is the government entity that oversees the certification of courses and implements and monitors the national competencies or standards.  Vaiola has applied to meet SQA requirements so that students can earn Level II certificates under the umbrella of Vaiola TVET Institute, facilitating employment opportunities for students beyond high school.  Elder & Sister Little have devoted their time and talents to register Pesega College in Apia, and Vaiola College is piggy backing on their application.  This has been an extensive undertaking for them.  Classes include Carpentry, Horticulture, Cookery, and Tourism & Hospitality and hopefully Automotive will be added later.  Our teachers worked on templates for designing and setting up courses, tasks, assessments, and time lines for each course to be taught.  Our teachers are very capable planners and the presenters assisted and offered constructive instruction.  There is much work to be done before the Institute becomes a reality.

SQA Training:  (L to R)  Faamau, Tufuga, Lafao, Niupulusu, Purcell

Thursday morning we took time out of the training to judge impromptu speeches again at the Primary School.  This week was Level 5 (4^th grade).  A favorite speech was “My Pet” as a young girl talked about her pet piglet.  She had no problem expounding on her piglet.

Immediately  following training on Tu-W-Th we held ITEP classes.  Wednesday evening concluded our administrative course, “Theories of Organizational Leadership”.  Our class members each presented a 15-minute project on Leadership and they were great! Snacks and treats in abundance to celebrate.

Thursday evening was a Young Men's activity of “items” or entertainment.  Interspersed were group dances for everyone, of course.  Members pitched in 1-2 tala (dollars) when an entertainment number was especially liked (which was all of them).  The object was to fund-raise for their upcoming campout.   They love music and dancing, even from a toddler age.

This little girl has just recently started walking.

As you can tell, she feels the music!

                                    

   

Bishop Obley---common for adults to dance with little ones in their arms, & not even their own children!

Imagine our surprise when the youth asked us to dance!

This is a culture where everyone dances with everyone and just has a good time.

Friday morning was our 6:30 a.m. Faculty meeting---can you tell that that early time always deserves to be noted in my mind?  A devotional to mothers opened the meeting and following that the male teachers sang “Mother Dear” while passing out gifts to the female teachers.  Yes, the principal did do some educational training.  If that wasn't enough, at noon they surprised us and loaded us into a school bus to take a “global tour” on the two-mile Tapuelele loop which gave the men time to set up a special luncheon in the cafeteria.  The ladies were like giddy school girls.  Upon our return to campus, the men placed leis around our necks and ushered us into a decorated cafeteria room.  There was another devotional to mothers and then amazing entertainment as the men performed skits about the many roles of mother:  mother of children; angry mothers, etc.  We had lots of laughs.  The buffet luncheon offered a variety of foods and desserts.  Everyone felt appreciated and loved.

OK, so this was the warmup!

Our "Global Tour" Bus

Two Teachers & Secretary who are future mothers...no, the little one is not hers,

Role Play with Salanoa & Faamau

Mothers/Teachers of Vaiola Students---Love these ladies!

Primary School Mother's Day Program

Mother's Day is a three-day weekend in Samoa; Monday following is a national holiday to afford time for family get togethers.  The bustling stores on Saturday were evidence of the upcoming holiday.

No movie night because the Resource Room had a leak that flooded the entire floor.  

Two of the international girls gave me hand-made Mother's Day cards with special written expressions of love.  So sweet of them.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS...and future mothers!

Speech Judging

Among our activities this week, aside from our ITEP classes, we were invited to judge the Primary School Level Six (5th grade) impromptu speeches along with Principal Jeany Obley.  We used a rubric to judge introduction, topic, supporting details, clarity, voice, and conclusion.  They drew their topics which included such things as my parents, my hero, why I like to go to church, favorite sport,  my birthday, favorite food, my mom, etc.  Judges awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and two 5th place winners.  It was fun.  We will do this weekly all month for each grade level.  After the speech event, the Level Six students performed an "item", otherwise called an entertainment number. (see the video clip below)

The Level 6 teacher is in the background.  Leis are typical for special occasions.

Winners:  5th to 1st are left to right

Friday we had our 6:30 a.m. faculty meeting and Ron gave an impromptu preview for the in-service we present on May 18th (using SOLO Taxonomy, for you educators).  The Area directors are making it one of their objectives for encouraging deeper thinking.

Of course, Friday evening was movie night and we showed Wonder again, only to the dorm girls this time.  Saturday we enjoyed a quiet dinner at the Savaiian.

Yay, they white washed the "Vaiola" lettering on the hill this week.