School principal Jonas Barcinas said they are “on time” with their accreditation preparations.
“I have confidence in my staff and we’re currently ninety percent complete with our report,” he added.
On Nov. 22, HJHS was visited by Dr. Marline George, the WASC associate executive director, who is based in northern California.
Barcinas said he was impressed when George flipped through their report and immediately pinpointed missing elements.
“We are currently working on the missing elements that Ms. George pointed out to us and we are very grateful that she came to see us on a more personal level,” Barcinas said.
According to the principal, “I have the whole school involved in the accreditation process. The teachers, the students, the staff are all involved because we are a team and this is a team effort.”
He said in most schools, the principals and administrative staff typically prepare the accreditation report among themselves.
But Barcinas said he believes that every teacher, staff member and student must familiarize themselves on the curriculum as well as the basic elements of the report.
“Accreditation is not just about the principal, or the administrative staff, or the teachers alone. This whole process is about the school and everyone in it as a whole. That is why I believe that we all must work as one to make this school a better place. We are looking forward to the visit from WASC,” said Barcinas.
The WASC team is expected to visit Hopwood in Marc.
WASC is one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States.
The western region covers institutions in California and Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, the Northern Marianas, the Pacific Basin, and East Asia, and areas of the Pacific and East Asia where American/international schools or colleges may apply to WASC for its services.
