“I
am pleased to share with you my appointment of Dr. Dale Jenkins,
in whom I have complete confidence, as Assistant Headmaster.
'Dr. J' has served St. John’s School ably and well for
over twenty years as teacher, coach, business manager, and Head
of the Upper School. In each role he has served with distinction.”
— former SJS Headmaster Ned Sherrill (source:SJS
Knight Life)
(Comments referring
to Dale and Mel running the school while SJS went headmaster-less
after Ned left.)
“Dr. Jenkins and Mrs. Santos worked diligently and expertly
to maintain the hiring and planning for the new school year
…”
(Comments made after Super Typhoon
...)
“Dr.
Jenkins managed well the growth of the residential program and
oversaw the remodeling of cottages for 10 students from Palau
and faculty members... They (Jenkins and Santos) are the glue
that holds our community together.”
— former SJS Headmistress Jane Harter (source:SJS Knight
Life)
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"Eat
Crow."
Interestingly,
SJS's own history of
published words come back to haunt
the current Headmaster and BOT.
(posted
1/27/04)
Researched and written by Dr. Thomas Shieh.
Let us read and recall what previous Headmasters, Headmistress,
the School’s Mission/Philosophy and current BOT
President have to say to our St. John’s Community...
From Headmaster Sherrill: “We
value the dignity and worth of every human being.”
Commentary: Does the current leadership
share the same value? The dignity and worth of every human
being? I suppose the current leadership at St. John’s
needs to look at the statement addressed to our school
by former headmaster Ned Sherrill.
From Headmaster Sherrill: “Good
schools exist and continue to hold their place in the
world because good people care to affirm and maintain
the standards of excellence and positive conduct citizenship
a free world requires. If you care about positive human
conduct in the world, you care about good education.”
Commentary: Now, does the current leadership
care about positive human conduct in the world? I wonder?
From Headmaster Sherrill: “I wonder
how many of you will know details of the prior generations
service to St. John’s School save for the fact that
our school exists and offers one of the finest education
programs available anywhere, certainly on Guam.”
Commentary: Dr. Jenkins' 26 years of
service to St. John’s School has been ignored by
our current leaders. The finest education programs, as
Mr. Sherrill states, was developed under Dr. Jenkins leadership.
Why would we want to suddenly erase his from our community?
I wonder what hidden agenda's are behind such a decision
...
From Headmaster Sherrill: “I am
pleased to share with you my appointment of Dr. Dale Jenkins,
in whom I have complete confidence, as Assistant Headmaster.
“Dr. J” has served St. John’s School
ably and well for over twenty years as teacher, coach,
business manager, and Head of the Upper School. In each
role he has served with distinction.”
Commentary: How can the leaders of the
current Headmaster and BOT treat a man such as Dr. Jenkins
after so many years of service, with such public disrespect,
especially when such confidence and praise of his dedication
to our school were openly recognized by the previous headmaster?
From Headmaster Sherrill: “We are
servants of your child’s educational interests and
in partnership with you in this regard. We care deeply
that the effort we give appropriately matches, or even
exceeds, the expectations you have concerning education.”
Commentary: Are we to believe that the
current leadership at St. John's School are the servants
to our child’s educational interests and in partnership
with us? Obviously, the Class of 2004 spoke to deaf ears.
From Headmaster Sherrill: “We value
intellectual inquiry and critical thought. We want your
children to know their worth as individuals and as members
of a democratic society…And we will do all of this
with you.”
Commentary: With Dr.
Lom (BOT member) tearing down signs and come teachers
telliing student's they have no place being at the most
recent PTA meeting to discuss Dr. Jenkins' retirement,
proves that there are no value of intellectual inquiry
and critical thought. There is no respect for their worth
as individuals.
From Headmaster Sherrill: “We honor
free, critical and open inquiry within an academic tradition
that respects and builds our democracy through the development
of the educated mind and helpful soul. Good and lasting
citizenry demands this and we will not shirk our responsibility
in this regard for these are the things of lasting value
to us all.”
Commentary: How did the current leadership
honor free, critical and open inquiry? Students are told
to “Shut up”, “Suck it up! That’s
Life!” If that truly is life, then the school has
not upheld their responsibility of building good citizenry.
From Headmaster Sherrill: “You
have our guarantee that this is the attitude we carry
and by which this school will walk into the new day and
seize the opportunities that come with it. I urge those
of you who share this perspective to renew your commitments
to St. John’s School and to stand by it in the future.”
Commentary: What guarantees does the
current St. John’s have for us? I have not heard
any yet…oh, wait, perhaps the guarantee that your
child’s and your voices don’t matter? The
previous Headmaster asked us to renew our commitment and
stand by it. Many of us did….and look what’s
happened!
In
the St. John’s Student Handbook states the mission
or philosophy of the school: “Each student
is respected as an individual and the school endeavors
to promote Christian values, social responsibility, self-awareness,
and quality education.”
Commentary: Student respected? Christian
values? Social-awareness? What???
From
Tim, current President of the BOT: “We
are off to a year of building community,
trust, and communication. Always mindful of our mission
and pride in our St. John’s students and faculty.”
Commentary: Building community? Building
trust? Building communication? Pride in our students and
faculty? Think and revisit what you have stated to us…
From
Headmistress Jane Harter: “Dr. Jenkins
and Mrs. Santos worked diligently and expertly to maintain
the hiring and planning for the new school year.”
Commentary: She said Dr. J worked diligently…and
further noted…
From Headmistress Jane Harter: (After
Super Typhoon) “Dr. Jenkins managed well the growth
of the residential program and oversaw the remodeling
of cottages for 10 students from Palau and faculty members.
….They (Dale and Mel) are the glue that holds our
community together.” The GLUE that holds our community
together.
Commentary: Now what or who is holding
our community together? Where is the BOND? Again,
26 years of service — gone!
From Headmistress Jane Harter: “We
encourage students to be creative, initiate new ideas,
and lead.”
Commentary: How can the students be creative,
have new ideas and lead, when their ideas, creativity
are torn down by the current leadership at St. John’s?
Perhaps the leadership discourages creativity and student
ideas? How can students lead, when a “few”
teachers discourages them to voice their opinions, to
suggest to them to “be quiet?”
From Headmistress Jane Harter:“We
endeavor to listen to student opinions and ideas about
how we can improve the quality of student life.”
Commentary: Does St. John’s School
endeavor to listen to student opinions? Do they, the leadership
truly care about their ideas?
From Headmistress Jane Harter: “We
offer a strong moral foundation of daily living.”
Commentary: This statement from Headmistress
Jane Harter says it all. Does St. John’s School
offer a strong moral foundation of daily living? Ask what
happened to Dr. Jenkins, and the way the leadership treated
him after 26 years of dedicated service. Ask how were
the Class of 2004 treated? Ask how many parents are being
treated? Ask how the Alumni are being treated? The answer
should be obvious!
Let us remember the stated
philosophy at St. John’s School and respect
all of our opinions ...
“…Promote the ideals of authentic character
and responsibility, and seeks the full and proper self-expression
of mind tempered by the honored discipline of sound intellectual
application.”
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