School Marks 40th Anniversary with Balloons

Over 400 red balloons containing testimonies of the students of LDS Church College were released today to mark the 40th anniversary of the school. Student body leaders had who organised this celebration had to sacrifice their breaks to fill all the balloons with helium gas while all students gave up their lunch time to release these balloons.

“This was a great initiative from the student body leaders who didn’t even realise the time it would take to fill up the balloons with gas. They sacrificed their breaks to do this. “, said Sereseini Qalovaki the Vice Principal of the School.

School Principal Salote Maiwiriwiri said that she was so happy to be part of the school as it celebrates this great milestone. “Our celebration marks the strong holistic education endeavours that each of us have contributed in the past 40 years from the humble beginnings of the Fiji Technical College to the current Fiji LDS Church College.”

The celebrations for this 40th birthday started with a special devotion on Sunday evening for all past and present scholars, parents, families, friends and leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A number of activities have been organised by the school and the alumni for this week including a fashion show on Tuesday, a family night on Wednesday, cultural activities on Thursday and a march on Friday. A special Picnic for LDS students and their families is scheduled for Saturday to conclude the weeklong celebration.

Fiji LDS Church College marks 40th year

The students of Latter Day Saints College with the balloons
before realeasing it during the 40th anniversary celebration
at school yesterday.Picture: RAMA

A ONE-WEEK celebration has begun for the 40th anniversary since the establishment of the Fiji Latter- day St Church College.

Yesterday students of the college released 400 red balloons at their school grounds in Tamavua, signifying 40 years of its existence.

College principal Salote Maiwiriwiri said it used to be known as the Latter-day St Technical College.

"Initially it was set up for technical vocational courses and in the early 1990s the desire for education began to change, in which we started to provide more academic classes," Sister Maiwiriwiri said.

"The school is fully funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (LDS), therefore enrolment is for LDS students. But the whole approach to education that we are celebrating is the holistic development of the child having being successful spiritually, academically, physically, socially, emotionally and with a new addition of financial support with regards to our education," she said.

Special Devotion Kick Starts 40th Anniversary Celebrations

Celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the LDS Church College began with a special devotion held at the school gymnasium yesterday that was attended by many current and former students, teachers and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Talica Malani ,a former Principal of the School from 2000 – 2006 shared in her reflections that the school provided an uplifting and well-resourced learning environment for the students along with wholesome development opportunities and a great disciplinary process. The first Head Boy of the school Peter Hussein said that the school had humble beginnings and that history of the College began with the decision to open a Primary school at the LDS Chapel in Devouex Road in 1970. From there students then moved to their Primary School in Samabula. His class was the first lot to go to the LDS Technical College

The LDS Church College was dedicated on 11 July 1976 by the Commissioner of Church Education, Elder Jeffrey R Holland in a special ceremony that was held at the school and attended by the then Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Mr Filipe Bole. 

In a special dedicatory payer of the school Elder Holland asked for blessings the students who study at the school. “Bless them that they will be diligent, that they will work hard, that they will progress and not hide their talents but find and serve and perpetuate them in eternal glory and splendour for thy great glory is intelligence. We bless them to be honest, not only honest in their examinations and in their hearts so they may take rightful positions in the community, to bring peace and prosperity to the nation, honesty and integrity will yet be looked into in government and educational and cultural circles in this island.”

Over 700 people attended this devotion.  

LDS donates $10,000 worth of furniture to Penang Sangam Primary School

This story was adapted from a Fiji Village article posted on Sunday, 3rd of July, 2016.
www.fijivillage.com

The Latter Day Saints Church Charity has donated $10,000 worth of furniture to the Penang Sangam Primary School.

School head teacher, Rajesh Kumar says they are fortunate to be assisted as their school suffered almost 95 percent damage during Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Kumar said the donation will definitely make an impact on the education of the children.

Brother Frank Stanford of the LDS Church Charity said he was pleased to assist the school as he was duty bound to reach out to the needy.

Stanford said this was a small token to boost the educational welfare of the children of Penang Sangam Primary school.

Assistant Minister for Health, Veena Bhatnagar thanked the LDS Church Charity and Brother Frank Stanford who was instrumental in securing the donation from New Zealand. 

Bhatnagar said they need such good Samaritans to care for the needy and the disadvantaged. 

The donation included 280 desks, 30 swivel chairs, three smart boards and two tables.