| Annual School Camp “a Monumental Success” at PBA
Dear readers of the What's New,
With Hurricane Hone set to batter the Big Island and Tropical Storms Gilma and Hector threatening to follow, PBA’s best-laid plans for our annual school camp looked to be at risk. We alerted families we were carefully tracking the storms, called in favors with meteorologist friends, joked about praying to the Amida Buddha for special consideration, and waited during the August 24-25 weekend to see what would come. | | 
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Nearly every year since the founding of the school, Pacific Buddhist Academy has held an annual all-school camp. In the first years, we did ropes courses at Camp Mokulēʻia, in years following, at Camp Timberline, one year at Erdman, and a long run of years at the Mālaekahana State Recreation Area past Laie. The past few years our camp has been held on the property of the Koolauloa Foundation. Only the pandemic was able to interrupt the unbroken run of school camps at PBA.
| | Camp itself has evolved into an important leadership experience for the senior class. With the wise guidance and practiced hand of PBA Dean of Students Liane Viloria, seniors set community goals, determine a theme, and plan activities, menus, assignments, budgets, groupings, and they provision for the dietary, emotional, and safety needs for a school community relocating to the windward side of the island for three days and two nights, all with an eye toward cultivating, re-kindling, and making anew what we call “the PBA Sangha.”
| | “The straight academic stuff of the high school years can start to seem less compelling for seniors beginning to envision their next steps, so we ask our seniors to become even more present in the PBA community by tasking them with planning a camp experience to bring everyone closer together,” said Mrs. Viloria. “And year after year the senior class throws their collective strength to the challenge. I am very proud of the Class of 2025. Camp Olympics (this year’s theme) was a monumental success!” Over the years I’ve observed that not all students know how to handle themselves in the camp environment. We all come from the earth, but with our online lives and heavy screen immersion, many youngsters and adults have forgotten how to be outside. Honestly, it’s not just the screens to blame – I was a bookworm myself as a young person, and a poor Boy Scout. But I knew from camp last year that many PBA students are very comfortable in the outdoors. Numbering among the student body and faculty corps we have fishermen and surfers, hikers and ultramarathoners, gardeners and caretakers of the ‘āina. Because of this I | 
| felt it was important to ask the student body at the temple service the week preceding camp to be on the lookout for peers who seemed less comfortable in the outdoor environment, who looked uncertain pitching tents, or appeared, almost unbelievably, as if they didn’t know how to walk in a straight line on the uneven terrain of grass-covered earth. “Lend a hand,” I asked them, “if you see someone struggling, pitch in and offer help.”
“Malama the Sangha," junior student JP interjected in summary of my message.
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| I could not be more pleased than I am with what I experienced at this year’s camp. Time and again I witnessed students helping others. Mainly seniors – it was part of their role, after all – but not exclusively so. When I struggled pitching my tent at the start of camp, the two Mayas of the junior class appeared unannounced and offered to help me. When I struggled unspooling my tent on the last day before breakfast, senior Evan D. ambled by and helped me get the job done again.
Evan was a trooper at camp. He was everywhere – but his main role was to act as an activities leader. “It was actually hard using the megaphone to explain the activity rules,” he said. “I admire the teachers who have to do that sort of thing on a daily basis.”
There were many other camp highlights. Kena Heffernan, who had participated in something like 15 previous school camps, made a cameo on the first night of camp with 10 large Pizza Hut pizzas. I enjoyed the karaoke session rock band teacher Mr. Lui led during meal prep on the second night. Mr. Chavez’s advisory performed their rendition of “Footloose” at the bonfire during advisory performances later | that evening. I was woken at 2 a.m. by the chatter of most of the entire senior class, who had emerged from their tents to forge their bonds anew at the main tent in pride of leadership at the start of their senior experience. I was not about to send them back to sleep.
| | And we welcomed new students, new teachers, in the forge of shared experience. I have known educators who questioned taking time away from the classroom for an experience like a school camp. And I will acknowledge getting to it is an enormous investment of time, resources, and, my body tells me, energy. But the annual camp is an experience baked into PBA’s DNA. This year’s juniors watched, considered how they want to lead things next year, and occasionally attempted wresting the megaphone from this year’s senior leaders. They were told to wait their turn. | | Perhaps the most appropriate outcome of the camp experience was the fact that the Class of 2025 defeated all challengers in the tug of war event. Setting aside the fact that they outnumbered the faculty by a factor of three-to-one, they defeated us soundly.
And therefore all is well at PBA. Three cheers for the Class of 2025! In gratitude,
Warmly
Josh
Head of School | | Foodland - Give Aloha
PBA is excited to participate in Give Aloha, Foodland’s Annual Community Matching Gifts program! You can support by making a donation at any Foodland, Sack N Save, or Foodland Farms store during the month of September. 100% of your gift will go directly to our organization and Foodland will match a portion of your contribution. Here’s how to support PBA at checkout: - Enter your Maikaʻi phone number or present your Maikaʻi card.
- Tell the cashier: “I’d like to make a $________* donation to Pacific Buddhist Academy #78393!"
- Review your receipt to confirm the organization name and donation amount are correct.
*Customers may donate any dollar amount up to $249. | | Mr. Roman Chavez Joins PBA!
| | Pacific Buddhist Academy welcomed Mr. Roman Chavez as a new humanities teacher at the start of the 24-25 school year. With a Bachelor of Arts in classics from the University of California Santa Barbara, Mr. Chavez began the year teaching European History as a core class, and Fitness and Karma Chronicle as part of the electives program.
He was excited to join the school community. "I was really attracted to the culture of the small school and the low student-to-teacher ratio," he said. "I also liked the values that PBA put out with peace and the good | 
| | environment." Mr. Chavez is an ultramarathon runner, participating in many runs over 26 miles long. He is excited about participating with the school’s cross country team this year, becoming a co-coach along with Mr. Josh. "Mr. Chavez brings a wealth of training knowledge and personal | | 
| experience to the his role as a coach for PBAXC," said Mr. Josh. "Such a relief to have a coaching partner. We will have a fantastic season. Go Dragons!" Mr. Chavez brings a passion for education and fitness to PBA. His commitment to fostering a positive learning environment aligns perfectly with the school’s mission of peace and community engagement. We look forward to seeing his positive influence in the classroom and on the cross country trails as he continues to inspire students in both their academic and personal growth. | | OFFICE HOURS
7:30AM - 5:00PM
Teacher In-Service Day
September 13, 2024 - Office Hours - 9:00AM - 3:00PM | | |
