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The hiring of the new St. John's School Headmaster
last year was remarkably smooth and easy. Even Dr.
Jorge Nelson himself was heard to have been surprised.
But then again, the choice of Dr. Nelson was simply
logical. Where else, and especially on Guam, has anyone
had the opportunity of meeting a high profile Headmaster?
Dr. Nelson, at his presentation of vision and strategy,
dazzled everyone at SJS Community last year with the
use of electronic education.
Combined with his stage prowess and mastery of electronic
gadgets, he impressed members of the BOT, teachers,
parents and students. A brief sample of his operatic
voice was a marvel to everyone. After he impressed
everyone during his presentation, the interview —
everything else went easy.
Only someone as charismatic as Dr. Nelson, could get
away with what would otherwise be a questionable remark.
For example, asked what he enjoyed the most in his
career as an administrator, he quipped: "Firing
employees!" When laughter of disbelief ensued,
he clarified: "Yes, I fired 14 teachers."
It was a wit from the hip. Very clever move. If he
really meant what he said, the guy was radically honest
and there's been a longing to see one. If he were
joking, he was casually charming.
Another endearing selling point that the Headmaster
had during his presentation was his solemn plan to
spend the first year of his administration, doing
nothing but listening and grounding himself with the
school community and its vision. Changing anything
should be done on the third year. No sooner had the
energetic Headmaster set foot on island, he was on
the plane to sell the school in New York, Palau, Saipan
and China! His absence was accepted as necessary if
the new Headmaster were to pursue more dollars for
Scholarships and get the school on par with international
standards.
The Headmaster found a friend with the new Vicar of
St. John's Church and Chaplain of the School, Fr.
Rich Towers, who himself came from a reputed international
school in Subic, Philippines. Since the opening of
the academic year in August last year, the duo were
a familiar scene to behold at the parking lot, to
receive students and greet parents and teachers.
Even at the initial announcement via the SJS email
list about the "retirement of Dr. Dale and Mrs.
Kedel Jenkins, the Headmaster could not be faulted.
He must only be doing the dirty work of communicating
the BOT decision said some in the faculty. Full of
confidence he explained to worried teachers that he
himself will be their principal for the next 18 months!
"It is doable," he said, and cited his previous
experiences.
It took a cross section of St. John's community at
the most attended PTA meeting in a long time in a
hot library with its turned-off A/C, for three hours,
to question the ambitious master plan of Dr. Jorge
Nelson.
Would the BOT admit that they had been dazzled again?
We'll have to wait for their response.
Meanwhile, a significant portion of the school community
painfully endures dangling. One cannot imagine how
Dr. Dale and Mrs. Kedel Jenkins and their household
are living through this. |
