Kāneʻohe Elementary Principal's Message

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: ʻOLUʻOLU

Redup. of ʻolu; pleasant, nice, amiable, satisfied, contented, happy, affable, agreeable, congenial, cordial, gracious; please. (Pukui-Elbert)

Good natured; not easily provoked; good humored as applied to a nature of ease and cheerfulness. (Parker)

What does it mean to be gracious and yet not easily provoked?

On any given day, across the world, there’s a conflict in the classroom or on the playground. Someone is not sharing, playing too rough, or being disrespectful. Most kids naturally get angry, but some channel that anger into violence. Others swallow it and silently endure. Neither action results in a positive outcome. Violence can escalate and lead to real physical harm. Silently enduring this type of treatment over time fosters resentment and can lead to psychological harm. So if neither reaction is good, what else could be done – especially if you faced even greater provocation?

Instead of playground disputes, imagine enduring disrespect and harassment of a far greater magnitude. Imagine you were banned from privileges others enjoyed such as swimming in a public pool, drinking from a water fountain, eating in restaurants, and voting for candidates that promised to fight for your freedom. Imagine you and your loved ones were enslaved, forced to work without compensation or any hope of living your own lives. Imagine being jailed and beaten for speaking out, your property burned and lives threatened. Imagine suffering this just because of the color of your skin. How might you react?

Thankfully history provides many examples of individuals who, with resiliency, remained gracious and not easily provoked – and in doing so, prevailed. They practiced ʻoluʻolu. They stood up for themselves, called out unacceptable behaviors, enlisted the help of others, practiced non-violent protest, used their intellect instead of their fists and did not back down.

Thurgood Marshall strongly exemplifies this quality. Growing up in highly segregated Baltimore during the early 1900s, Marshall experienced racial discrimination first hand. Initially he was denied acceptance to the University of Maryland Law School because he was black. Later, after earning a law degree from Howard University, he successfully sued the University of Maryland for discrimination. As a NAACP staff lawyer, Marshall triumphed in 29 out of 32 cases he made before the U.S. Supreme Court, calling out racism and helping to address the inequalities faced by blacks and other minorities. Still, as accomplished as he was, Marshall was not immune from racist attacks. Once in Columbia, Tennessee, Marshall was nearly lynched for successfully defending African-American men accused of rioting and attempted murder But Marshall did not back down. Eight years after that incident, Marshall victoriously fought for the desegregation of schools in Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court. Eventually he became the first black justice on the US Supreme Court where he continued to champion equal justice for all. He used his intellect and words instead of resorting to violence. He stood strong, remained gracious, and did not back down – a true example of ʻoluʻolu.

To be ʻoluʻolu,

Adopt a person mission guided by your values.
Use a kind, calm, strong and steady voice.
Call out the behavior and not the person
Be supportive even when correcting or disagreeing

5 PURSUITS of ʻOLUʻOLU:

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: We March by Shane W Evans and read by Marley Dias. Then with you child, answer the following:

IDENTITY: Describe a time when you and/or your family took action. What are the issues you take action on?

SKILLS: What are the different definitions for the word “March”? Which definition applies to what the characters are doing in this book?

INTELLECT: On August 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Many recognize Martin Luther King Jr. as one the leaders of the march. Yet, Bayard Rustin was the main organizer of the march. Research Bayard Rustin and his contributions to civil rights.

CRITICALITY: Answer the question posed at the end of the video, “why do you think people march or protest?”

JOY: Your challenge for this week is to take action and stand up for a cause.

HOʻOMAIKAʻI

Congratulations to our Kāneʻohe Elementary students who performed in CPAC’s Bugsy Malone last week. They did an awesome job entertaining our community and making us proud: Ariana Tanouye, Grezyn Nagao, Makalehua Pelletier, Mia Stringfeld, and Sophia Reimers

MAHALO NUI LOA

Mahalo to our STEM Resource Teacher, Karen Kimura for organizing last week’s Engineering Field Day. Karen worked with the Chamber of Commerce and the engineering sector partners which included several engineering firms and the Army Corp of Engineers. Students excitedly participated in engineering challenges that tapped their critical thinking and expanded their knowledge of what an engineer does. It was a fun day filled with learning

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mon, Feb 27, 2023	KES Ohana Mtg – 6 PM
Wed, Mar 1, 2023	Initial deadline to submit Kindergarten GEs
Fri, Mar 10, 2023	Color Run! Please help us raise funds to improve our cafeteria
Fri, Mar 10, 2023	School Quality Survey deadline to submit