October 3 – Principal Search Update
On October 2, 2018, the Portland Adventist Academy board unanimously voted to name Mechelle Peinado interim principal for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year. The search for a permanent principal will resume in January. All questions can be directed to the Oregon Conference Office of Education at 503.850.3500. PAA thanks you for your sustaining prayers and encouragement as we embrace this year’s guiding theme ‘Stronger Together’ from 1st Thessalonians 5:11. ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you have been doing.’
September 26 – Principal Search Update
During the past few weeks, the Oregon Conference Education Department and the PAA board have reviewed two quality candidates for the position of interim principal. We currently await a final decision.We are grateful for the continued prayers and support during this stage of the search process. We know God is preparing the heart and mind of someone special for such a time as this. We look forward to that future.Until then, we praise God for our blessings! The school year has had a fantastic start with 185 students attending Bible Camp, a safe and impacting Junior Challenge and Senior Retreat, along with an energized student body being led by Christ-centered and character-driven teachers and staff. God has blessed!
September 7 – Principal Search Update
The school board will be meeting this week to review the resumes of two quality candidates for the interim principal position. We pray that this is the part of the story where God provides PAA with a capable leader for the school year, and maybe beyond.Meanwhile, the energy on campus is high and students are excited to get back into their routines with homework, sports, and friends. Teachers are teaching, students are learning, and Jesus is being lifted up in chapels, classrooms, and class retreats.
August 23 – Principal Search Update
Yesterday, Associate Superintendent Dan Nicola met with PAA’s teachers and staff to dialogue with them about the principal position. The staff was able to ask questions and express what was on their minds, and several remarked afterward that time was useful and well-spent. Then, last evening Mr. Nicola met with the PAA school board to discuss the various avenues open for finding a school principal. Mr. Nicola was able to share with the board some of the observations that came out of the earlier staff meeting and, after much prayer and discussion, it was decided that the best course of action would be to seek an interim principal with the requisite qualifications to lead PAA for the current school year. This will allow the board and conference to approach the search for a permanent principal in a thoughtful, measured, and prayerful manner.The board expressed its confidence in the teachers and staff as a group of highly capable professionals able to continue providing the highest quality spiritual environment and learning opportunities for our students, and asks for your continued prayers in the coming days as we pursue an interim principal to join the team.
August 16 – Oregon Conference Update on Principal Search From Dan Nicola, Associate Superintendent of Education:
Last week all SDA teachers and administrators from across North America as well as conference, union, and NAD personnel converged on Chicago for the NAD Teachers Convention, which takes place only once every six years. This provided our conference office education team with a good opportunity to network with other educators and gather information regarding what direction it might be prudent to go with our principal search. The school board will be meeting next week to discuss the options available going forward.
August 3 – Portland Adventist Academy thanks Jason Bibb for his leadership: HERE
August 1 – Oregon Conference States Plans for Search From Dan Nicola, Associate Superintendent of Education:
We have all recently been surprised by the news that our principal, Jason Bibb, has accepted God’s call to serve the medical work in Loma Linda, California, and are saddened by the news that our beloved friend/colleague/leader will be moving away. Jason and I have spent much time on the phone in the past couple of days, and always our conversations have ended with the notion that “God’s got this!” While we surely are experiencing feelings of uncertainty, when we fully put our trust in the Father we can say with all confidence that He’s bigger than any challenge we could ever imagine. He’s the Savior of the universe, so certainly He has a plan for PAA!The Office of Education team has already begun working on developing a list of candidates, and we will be making the appropriate contacts right away. We appreciate any suggestions you may have, and will run them through the vetting process with any other candidates that fulfill our requirements.While there are only a few weeks before the beginning of school, I don’t believe that we should short-change the process, which is outlined below:
Pray Without Ceasing
Needs Assessment
Candidate Search
Office of Education Screening
Review resumes
Conduct initial screening interview
Check references
Candidate Site Visits
Campus Interviews
Pastors
Students
Staff
School Board
School Board Recommendation to K-12 Board of Education
Plan for Transition and Welcome of New Principal
Plan for Long-term Success of Principal
Recognize God’s LeadingWe wish Jason the best and send our prayers with him and his family as they make this move. And we trust in God as we embark on our search process, knowing that He will guide every step of the way.
July 31 – Jason Bibb Announces Resignation
Dear PAA family,Four years ago God led me to PAA, and these have been the four best professional years of my life. PAA has an amazing atmosphere led by students and staff who love Jesus with all of their hearts, who care deeply about others, and who put that caring into meaningful action on a daily basis. PAA has held a special place in my heart since my years here as a student. God is leading here and I know He will continue blessing into the future!I am writing this letter to let you know that my family and I are heading on a new journey–on a path that I was not seeking out but that I believe God is laying out for us. We will be relocating in September to Loma Linda, California, where I have accepted a position affiliated with the medical center. This was not an easy decision and we are continually praying that God be the leader in our family’s decisions.I’m so thankful that we have a God who knows everything and cares for his Creation in ways we can’t even imagine. I know God already has His plan for the next principal of PAA, and I will do all I can to assist in the transition process.PAA has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I will treasure the kindness and support I have experienced here, both as a student and a staff member. Each one of you has touched me personally in one way or another during my time at PAA, and I will carry that with me wherever God takes me. PAA is such a welcoming place, and that comes through clearly from staff, families, students, and our churches. My family and I will miss PAA deeply. I am convinced that, as amazing as the school is, it’s only because God is at work here.God bless, Jason Bibb
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