Graduation at Vaiola

                                        Vaiola College Prize Giving


The 2012 school year at Vaiola College ended with a
week of celebrating. The first activity they call Prize Giving. We wrapped over 300 packages to award the students and all the teachers had Pula Tasis made out of the same material. Whenever a student's name was called the mother or auntie or grandparent would come up and give them a candy lei. The student's were awarded top students in all the subjects, GPA etc.

 The interesting thing about this tradition is that a few parents take on the role of a clown and in between some of the awards, they play music and dance.
 The teacher's warned Elder Budgett that they would probably pick on him to come and and dance and that it would be an insult not to accept. Right off they chose him and the students really got a kick out of his dancing. We wondered why as soon as they came up to dance the male teachers snuck out the door.

This is Ray. He is Sister Obley's son.(She is on the
left and the schools Assistant Principal) He grew up in Vaiola and he was salutorian. This is what he looked like on Prize Day. The students love to sing and always put such emphasis on the words and rhythm. It is fun to watch them perform. Ray was really honored  and humble as he was awarded so many prizes.

                                                      Graduation

Graduation was on Thursday of that same week. The students decorated the hall and treated us like honored guests with leis that they made. The guest speaker was the Ambassador to Samoa for the United States. He did a good job and the students sang some wonderful songs. We are really proud of the students and their accomplishments.

Ray at Graduation. He lives right behind us and we have gotten close to him and his family.

This is a picture right after graduation of us with Elder and Sister Osborne. They
are Vocational Missionaries and leave the end of December for Fiji. they spend 5 months on each
Island working to improve the Vocational, Technical Education in the South Pacific. 

                                       Elementary Prize Giving

 Elementary Prize Giving was also that week. I (Sister Budgett) was asked to present to the parents the new Take Home Reading Program for 2013 that
I helped them initiate. The other pictures are when they asked me to help present awards to the little ones. The parents would give their own child a lei and then give the presenter one. It was very rewarding to honor the students. 

If your computer will work,enjoy the attached video. Elder Budgett dancing is really funny. All the staff and students really had fun teasing him. He said that when he agreed to go on a mission to Samoa he had no idea what he was getting into.