Auburn Adventist Academy students, faculty and parents, along with Washington Conference pastors and leaders, met in Auburn, Wash., for a vision and mission day in mid-October.
"Vision propels us and pushes us to keep working," says Samir Berbawy, AAA principal. "It is the basis for our mission. We want our students to own and understand the school's vision and mission."
Praying for God's guidance, 17 breakout groups discussed a vision for the school. Each group started with about 10 minutes of prayer before dialoguing for 45 minutes about potential vision statements.
"I enjoyed watching the interaction of pastors, students and teachers and the sharing of ideas," says John Spano, history teacher and Associated Student Body lead sponsor. "There was good dialogue."
The student body voted for student leaders to narrow 20 suggestions to three options before an all-school vote. The school's vision, as voted by students, is "United in passion for Christ."
"I liked the meeting where we were evaluating the vision options," says Kelsey Gratias, a senior from Auburn, Wash., who is a student leader. "We had a common goal and we worked together well."
Students are still considering four mission statement options. For the latest AAA news, go to www.facebook.com/auburnacademy.
Auburn Adventist Academy's Dower Chapel is standing-room only with students, faculty, parents, pastors and conference leaders as Samir Berbawy, AAA principal, leads out in a Vision and Mission Day. (Heidi Martella)
John Spano, AAA history teacher and Associated Student Body lead sponsor, listens to ideas for the academy's vision statement during a small-group brainstorming session. (Heidi Martella)
Hannah Roberts, a sophomore student from Auburn, Wash., expresses how everything the school does is an example of "a passion for Christ," during a small-group discussion. (Heidi Martella)
The student body votes for student leaders to evaluate the lengthy list of proposed vision statements and come back with three options. (Heidi Martella)
The student body votes for student leaders to evaluate the lengthy list of proposed vision statements and come back with three options. (Heidi Martella)
