Elder Clark G. Gilbert, General Authority Seventy, and Commissioner of the Church Educational System for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently addressed the annual 2024 School Principals’ Conference held in Apia, Samoa.
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Elder Clark G. Gilbert, General Authority Seventy, and Commissioner of the Church Educational System for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks at the 2024 Principals' Conference in Apia, Samoa.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.He encouraged the Church School educators to innovate in the Lord’s way and to become “Schools in Zion, of one heart, and of one mind.”
Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, General Authority Seventy and a member of Pacific Area Presidency, emphasized how all programs need to work together, specifically homes, church and communities. He encouraged all to remember the Area focus on Jesus Christ, “that we minister one by one, gather individuals and families to the temple and to the ordinances of the sacrament". He also emphasized the importance of receiving the saving and essential ordinances.
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Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, General Authority Seventy and member of the Pacific Area Presidency at the 2024 Principals' Conference in Apia, Samoa.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Along with Elder Gilbert, he reminded educators of the power of Zion and being one.
Church School principals were introduced to a Church Educational System that encompasses learning for everyone. Chad Webb, the Administrator of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, taught about how school leaders are ministers and administrators. They should strive to develop the qualities of high deference and high initiative.
John Wilson, the Division Director of Education Support for Seminaries and Institutes, introduced the concept of creating a School in Zion through the collaborative efforts of those involved in education throughout the Church.
He presented a pyramid called “The School in Zion” that represented how each organization could work together for the benefit of the children, youth, and young adults of the Church. Representatives from each program spoke about how their organization could contribute to the School in Zion.
Kelley MacKay-Shane, the manager of Succeed in School, shared how Succeed in School is now functioning in the Pacific, Africa West, Africa Central, North America Southwest, Mexico, and Caribbean Areas to tutor children and youth in basic and intermediate academic skills to assist them to be successful in their local schools and to prepare them for further education.
Jonathan Warwick, Director of Church Schools, focused on the impact of many researched strategies and the positive impact they can have on learning. He reminded everyone that as they teach, they need to receive more light from the Lord, and it will continue to grow and make a difference in the lives of their students.
He quoted Doctrine & Covenants 50:25: That which is of God is light and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light, and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
Other school administrators reviewed how to make sure each child’s academic needs were being met through various connected programs. They discussed programs such as: Response to Intervention, Professional Learning Communities, English Connect, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and BYU-Hawaii.
Pesega College and Middle School hosted a buffet and Island entertainment from the students.
