Linden Hislop, principal of Greater New York Conference’s Brooklyn school, was driven by a great desire to offer his students the best and nothing less. While others saw possible storage space, he saw a space for students to engage and challenge their learning ability with cutting-edge technology. What was once a forgotten, shabby room with crumbling walls, deteriorating floors, and exposed insulation is now a newly renovated Media and Technology Center. The space now boasts print media, an interactive smart board, computers, a whiteboard, multiple iPads, a television, and much more.
The school recently dedicated the Media and Technology Center with a grand celebration to witness this giant leap into the future. Among those present at the dedication were Greater New York Conference representatives Henry Beras, president; Ysaias Javier, treasurer; Lloyd Scharffenberg, corporation secretary; and Marlene Romeo, superintendent of schools; Brooklyn school representatives Principal Hislop, Sonia Barret, Brooklyn school vice principal; and Locksley Dice, school board chairman. Other attendees included Eddly Benoit, Brooklyn church pastor, teachers, students, New York Police Department members, Parent Teacher Association members, and the school board.
As they walked the school halls together, a contagious feeling of pride and purpose was in the atmosphere. Eighth-grader Kenson Fenolon is the class vice president, a member of the National Junior Honor Society, and a proud member of the principal’s list at the time of the dedication. He felt that the newly renovated space was “a first step into a new era.”
The room, at best, should have been a storage room or an office space, but the leadership of the school saw something else—something greater. In response to the inquiry about why the school should create such a space. “The demographic of the church has changed,” explains Hislop. “We now have a church that is filled with professionals who expect more for their children and are not afraid to pursue what they perceive to be the best. Gone are the days when many members supported our school system simply because it was an Adventist school.” He added, “Public schools have stepped up their game, charter schools are pushing the educational envelope, so why are we standing still, or appearing to stand still? We excel at church planting and property acquisition, but where does our education system fit into this? Our children are a heritage and deserve the best.”
Romeo sees the newly renovated space as “an excellent opportunity to expand the boundaries of Christ-centered education, challenge the creative potential of each student, and put on display the great possibilities of Adventist education.” Seventh-grader Haniah Hensford has been a proud Brooklyn student since pre-K and had the opportunity to appreciate this milestone. A member of the National Junior Honor Society, honor roll student, and the Student Council president, Hensford saw the renovation as “a big change” for her school and one ‘that would expand the learning opportunities and welcome many more students to her school.
Principal Hislop further envisions a more excellent technology-invested program specially geared toward robotics, where “students are skilled in programming,” can “use their programming proficiencies to advance the scope of knowledge and learning,” and are “able to compete in the work environment at the highest level.”
The Brooklyn school is an institution in pursuit of true education, which, according to Ellen White, “means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. . . . It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to [human beings]. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers”—Education, p. 13.
It is a pursuit that has caught the attention of many and has engendered support, both locally and internationally. In his remarks at the dedication, Henry Beras, Greater New York Conference president, shared his affirmation for the school administration and staff and assured them and the students of the conference’s continued support.
As the Brooklyn school steps into this new era, it is fair to say that they are confidently blazing a new trail of success and opportunities.
