Monthly Archives: December 2023

HAʻAHAʻA, LISTENING AND LEARNING

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ow, lowly, minimum, humble, degraded, meek, unpretentious, modest, unassuming, unobtrusive; lowness, humility.

Pukui, Mary Kawena, Hawaiian dictionary

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: HAʻAHAʻA

It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes, as an educator, the hardest thing to do is listen and learn. I am often in teaching mode, with lessons and stories at the ready. Confused about something? Got a question or a problem to solve? I am here to help. However, not every question can or should be immediately responded to with an answer and nor should a solution be doled out for every problem.

For example, when a student is referred to the office for doing harm to a classmate, in the past I would’ve made assumptions about what happened and how to treat the situation. Often, I’d project my own childhood experiences onto this student. I’d assume they’d acted thoughtlessly and a punitive consequence would serve as a lasting deterrent. However, I was not someone who was frequently referred to office and I possessed enough self-control that I could keep myself from acting out thoughtlessly…at least in school. I remained focused throughout the school day and rarely disrupted class. I responded well to reward systems, collecting bookmarks and stickers for sitting still, answering questions and memorizing facts. In the past 11 years, my assumptions worked for a few kids. One or two referrals to the office was all it took. For many other kids, suspensions, detentions, and lectures barely seemed to sink in. 

It took some time and training before it sunk in: that every kid is different and none are the same as me. Some kids come to school not knowing where they’ll be sleeping that evening. Others are estranged from their parents and have little contact with them. Still others have anxieties lingering from the pandemic that launch them into a constant fight or flight mentality. These student do not respond as I would to any of the punishments I might issue. In fact, for some, being suspended may reward their behavior because it temporarily removes them from whatever is stressing them out in school. 

I learned that if I truly want to teach students how to be successful and thrive in the world long-term, then I need to take a different approach and that approach starts with listening to them. I first need to be haʻahaʻa, empty myself of any preconceptions and judgements. This allows me to authentically be there for the student and listen to what they are struggling with that prompted the harmful behavior. Once I understand, only then can I design lessons tailored to the situation and help the student learn how to avoid the behavior in the future as well as make things right in the present. 

Starting with listening that’s filled with empathy, does not mean students have no consequences. Instead, empathy allows for designing consequences that are long lasting. These consequences help the students realize how they are causing harm to themselves and others. They are meant to make restitution so that all who have been harmed feel restored. And they teach students strategies to mitigate harming others in the future. Depending on the situation, it may require the student receive counseling and for us to work with the families on a continuous basis. Often, this requires long term work with the student to break bad habits and successfully employ new skills.

Similar to teaching reading or math, some students require different instructional approaches and strategies to address unique challenges. And like teaching those subjects, we reach greater, lasting success when we first listen to the student with haʻahaʻa and then ascertain which approach and strategy to use.

5 PURSUITS of LŌKAHI

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: The Legend of the Beaver’s Tail written by Stephanie Shaw and illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. Then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: This book is based on sacred stories passed down by the Ojibwe people in Canada meant to teach the values of their culture. Talk with your kupuna about stories that your ancestors passed down to share the values of your culture.
  • SKILLS: The author uses the word “legend” in the title of this book. What genre of literature would legend fall into? BONUS: Hear more traditional telling of the story by Anishinaabemowin educator Barbara Nolan in Ojibway, with English subtitles
  • INTELLECT: Research beavers and how they contribute to a balanced ecosystem.
  • CRITICALITY: Some humans consider beavers a nuisance when their property is affected by flooding or gnawing of trees. Given the beaver’s positive contributions to the environment, how might humans live in harmony with beavers?
  • JOY: Build a beaver dam.

HOʻOMAIKAʻI ʻANA

Please join us in congratulating Lauren Collier, one of our special education teachers, and  Melissa Lee, our preschool teacher, who both achieved National Board Certification. To attain this, Ms. Collier and Ms. Lee underwent a rigorous process of examining their teaching acumen that typically involves over a hundred hours of work beyond the school day. This is a prestigious distinction of which only 6% of teachers in Hawaiʻi hold, including those that teach in private schools. 

MOKULELE REMINDERS

For those that drop-off and pick-up students on Mokulele, please remember to show aloha to our neighbors. Please do not park in the middle of the road as this creates a major safety hazard for both children entering/exiting your car as well as those traveling on Mokulele. Further, the roads across and mauka of our school are privately owned by the residents of Parkway. They asked me to relay this plea not to park, stop or use their roads as turn-arounds.  Please show aloha and mahalo for your kokua.

CONTINUED PRACTICES:

NOʻAHUNA OF ALOHA

See Uncle Pono Shim explain the Noʻahuna, the esoteric meaning, of Aloha as taught to him by Aunty Pilahi, the Keeper of Secrets.

WEAR PINK FOR MAUI WEDNESDAYS

Join us in letting “that light, that divine inspiration that Aunty Pilahi Paki says is given to you at your very beginning, come through and let your ALOHA join with the ALOHA of the collective to bring about healing.” 

DAILY VIRTUAL PIKO

At the Daily Piko, we share thoughts on the Aloha value for the week which helps us become centered and ready to learn. We begin at 8 AM everyday except Wednesdays.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mon, Dec 18, 2023, 5 PMSchool Community Council Meeting
Join by Zoom
Wed, Dec 20, 2023Winter Classroom Paina
end school at 2:05 PM (switch with 12/21)
Thur, Dec 21, 20238:30 – 9:15 AM Winter Songfest 1st Show (for those with an eldest student is in grades K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd)

9:30 – 10:15 am Winter Songfest 2nd show: (for those with an eldest student is in grades 4th, 5th, and 6th)

end school at 1:15 PM (switch with 12/20)
End of Quarter 2
Dec 22, 2023 – Jan 5, 2024Winter Break Intersession – no school
Mon, Jan 8, 2024Waiver Day #3 – No Students

ʻOLUʻOLU AND ALOHA MAI, ALOHA AKU

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

Parker, A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language, 1865

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: ʻOLUʻOLU

Think of time when a loved one shared great news with you about a long, hard earned accomplishment: perhaps a child earned their college degree or maybe someone got a promotion at work. Maybe someone finally was diagnosed cancer free. That warmth and joy you felt – where did that come from? Was it created in your heart? Or did your loved one somehow, in the sharing, pass it along interwoven within their words?

I first heard Dr. Manulani Meyer speak at a H-PEP seminar on wellness where she served as the keynote. A student of Aunty Pilahi Paki, Dr. Meyer spoke about aloha mai, aloha aku or how when aloha is given, aloha is simultaneously received. It’s as if aloha is a brilliant spark that is created through our loving, compassionate exchanges. In other words, aloha is something we create together through our interactions – with our loved ones, our co-workers, even strangers we just meet. It’s created through our interactions with the ʻāina, the wai, the air, the plants, and the animals – especially when we fulfill our duty to care for this place.

Given the effort and strife required to truly care for a place or another person, it would be a mistake to think of aloha as purely gentle or passive. Earning a college degree takes discipline and sacrifice. Getting promoted at work takes teamwork, dedication, and courage. Becoming cancer-free takes devotion, resilience and endurance. Yet these are all acts of aloha.

As an educator, I feel the aloha created when students show leadership on campus and guide others in making good choices. I feel the aloha created when students gain confidence when finally mastering a skill they initially struggled with. I feel the aloha created students start rethinking their harmful words and actions and instead do service for others. To get students there, it takes ʻoluʻolu, a balance of empathy and discipline. It takes consistent, intentional modeling and teaching from our staff and myself. 

It’s a fact that there will always be students who struggle learning something. It’s a fact that there will always be students who do or say harmful things. It’s a fact that there will always be a learning need that necessitates fulfillment. Fulfilling these needs is the purpose of a school. This is our kuleana. We teach, we model, we care and with ʻoluʻolu we create aloha.

5 PURSUITS of LŌKAHI

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: ABDUL’S STORY read by it’s author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Tiffany Rose. Then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: In the book, Abdul has a talent for telling stories about the people and places around him. Talk with you kupuna and share your favorite stories about the people and places around you.
  • SKILLS: The author states, ”Erasers are a big problem for Abdul.” Using evidence from the text, why are erasers, which can be very helpful, a big problem for Abdul?
  • INTELLECT: Research where erasers come from and how they are produced.
  • CRITICALITY: Like Abdul, there are people that are sometimes dismissed or looked down upon because they seem not able to do certain things. However, Mr. Muhammad, the writer from the story, sees the genius within Abdul and helps him bring it out. Name the genius you see in others, especially those you might have previously dismissed.
  • JOY: Create a drawing and story of yourself as a superhero. Include the people in your family and/or neighborhoods in your story.

CONTINUED PRACTICES:

NOʻAHUNA OF ALOHA

See Uncle Pono Shim explain the Noʻahuna, the esoteric meaning, of Aloha as taught to him by Aunty Pilahi, the Keeper of Secrets.

WEAR PINK FOR MAUI WEDNESDAYS

Join us in letting “that light, that divine inspiration that Aunty Pilahi Paki says is given to you at your very beginning, come through and let your ALOHA join with the ALOHA of the collective to bring about healing.” 

DAILY VIRTUAL PIKO

At the Daily Piko, we share thoughts on the Aloha value for the week which helps us become centered and ready to learn. We begin at 8 AM everyday except Wednesdays.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wed, Dec 13, 2023, 4:30 PMWellness Committee Meeting 
Join by Zoom
Mon, Dec 18, 2023, 5 PMSchool Community Council Meeting
Join by Zoom
Wed, Dec 20, 2023Winter Classroom Paina
end school at 2:05 PM (switch with 12/21)
Thur, Dec 21, 2023Winter Songfest
end school at 1:15 PM (switch with 12/20)
End of Quarter 2
Dec 22, 2023 – Jan 5, 2024Winter Break Intersession – no school
Mon, Jan 8, 2024Waiver Day #3 – No Students

LŌKAHI AND THE DEEPER MEANING OF EA

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Unity, agreement, accord, unison, harmony; agreed, in unity

Pukui, Mary Kawena, Hawaiian dictionary: Hawaiian-English, English-Hawaiian

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: LŌKAHI

Recently, I had the chance to talk story with Uncle Earl Kawaʻa, a cultural specialist with Kamehameha Schools. We attended a conference on Kukulu Kumuhana, a framework for well-being grounded in Hawaiian values. Although we sat in different parts of the room, I overheard Uncle Earl mentioning something about the concept of Ea which the framework defines as self-determination and agency. As I was in a different breakout, I could not hear what he shared however knowing Uncle Earl I guessed he was telling moʻolelo about Ea.

Later at lunch, I approached Uncle Earl as he dug into a bowl of chicken luau. Always generous with his knowledge, Uncle Earl explained that he advised his group to get to know the deeper meaning of the Kukulu Kumuhana concepts. He cautioned the literal meaning would suffice for basic actions, however the deeper meanings influence behaviors and attitudes. He used Ea as an example. Uncle Earl asked, “Where have you most prominently heard ʻEaʻ used?”

“The state motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono”

“Right, and where did that saying come from”

Sadly, I had forgotten that part of Hawaiian history and struggled to recall who authored the phrase. Without missing a beat, Uncle Earl went into teaching mode and said, “It came from the failed attempt by the British to take over the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. When the captain who held the country captive was forced to retreat, King Kamehameha III proclaimed, ʻUa mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka ponoʻ But who was he saying that to?”

Before I could even utter, “who?” Uncle Earl said, “Everyone. Not just the Hawaiians. He meant it for all people.” Then referencing a talk Aunty Puanani Burgess gave earlier in the day, “Pono does not just mean righteousness. The deeper meaning is about being in harmony.” 

I understood. King Kamehameha III was speaking to all of us – all who share in the riches of this ʻāina. He proclaimed that Ea is not just about life but our responsibility to stand up for what’s right and serve this ʻāina. And pono is not just about righteousness, but our LŌKAHI, the common responsibility we share.

5 PURSUITS of LŌKAHI

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: Remember written and read by US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo; illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade. Then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: In the poem, the author says, “Remember the sky that you were born under,
  • know each of the star’s stories.” Talk to your kupuna about the moʻolelo of the moon, the sun, and  constellations that were important to your ancestors.
  • SKILLS: Using evidence from the text, how might this poem be about Lōkahi?
  • INTELLECT: The author, Joy Harjo was the first U.S. Poet Laureate of Native American ancestry. Research what is a U.S. Poet Laureate and why this is such a great honor.
  • CRITICALITY: In the poem, the author says, “Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.” How might we “talk” to plants, trees, and animal life? What might they be saying?
  • JOY: Sit and talk story with your kupuna. Spend time remembering things important to your family and ways that your connect.

A copy of the poem Remember  by Joy Harjo can be found here.

WAS THAT A WHALE UNDER OUR TENT?

Last week, our first graders were treated to a fantastic opportunity to walk through a life-sized humpback whale and learn all about its anatomy. Our first grade teachers arranged for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to have their scientists teach hands-on marine science lessons and provide our students a memorable and enriching learning experience.

A PARADE OF GOOD CHEER

If you sat along Kamehameha Highway on Saturday morning, you might have seen our very own Kāneʻohe Alala and Pū kani (the students who lead our piko every morning) reciting an ʻoli about Koʻolaupoko. You might have also seen our student council passing out goodies to the kids lined up along the road. And finally you might have seen members of our Lokahi dance program led by Ms. Nyonda. Mahalo nui loa to our VP Kalei Tim-Sing and Academic Coach Cherisse Yamada for organizing our entry into the Kāneʻohe Christmas Parade and for all of our students, staff and parent volunteers that joined us.

CONTINUED PRACTICES:

NOʻAHUNA OF ALOHA

See Uncle Pono Shim explain the Noʻahuna, the esoteric meaning, of Aloha as taught to him by Aunty Pilahi, the Keeper of Secrets.

WEAR PINK FOR MAUI WEDNESDAYS

Join us in letting “that light, that divine inspiration that Aunty Pilahi Paki says is given to you at your very beginning, come through and let your ALOHA join with the ALOHA of the collective to bring about healing.” 

DAILY VIRTUAL PIKO

At the Daily Piko, we share thoughts on the Aloha value for the week which helps us become centered and ready to learn. We begin at 8 AM everyday except Wednesdays.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Fri, Dec 8, 2023, 6 – 7 PMʻOhana Winter Activity – Holiday Crafts Make-n-Take
Sign-up by Wed. Dec 6
Wed, Dec 13, 2023, 4:30 PMWellness Committee Meeting 
Join by Zoom
Wed, Dec 20, 2023Winter Classroom Paina
end school at 2:05 PM (switch with 12/21)
Thur, Dec 21, 2023Winter Songfest
end school at 1:15 PM (switch with 12/20)
End of Quarter 2
Dec 22, 2023 – Jan 5, 2024Winter Break Intersession – no school
Wed, Dec 27, 2023, 5 PMSchool Community Council Meeting
Join by Zoom
Mon, Jan 8, 2024Waiver Day #3 – No Students