Monthly Archives: September 2025

HAʻAHAʻA AND THE SILVER LININGS OF FAILURE

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Haʻahaʻa translated as humility and expressed with a feeling of modesty, asks us to empty ourselves of judgment for others. Ha’aha’a means to be open to learning, growing and receiving new information. Rooted in willingness to accept new things, haʻahaʻa helps us to remember that we can grow and so can others around us.

Haʻahaʻan – Humility according to Aloha at Home

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: HAʻAHAʻA

“Do you want me to help you or would you rather learn the hard way?” Her thinly veiled criticism sharply pierced through my ears and joined the dozen of needles of doubt pincushioning my heart in my first weeks as a new vice-principal. I left behind 16 years of accomplished teaching, earning National Board Certification and winning state Teacher of the Year to become an administrator. Despite the pedagogical knowledge and experience I wielded, I couldn’t help but feel like a newbie. Everything was novel, uncomfortable and I was making mistakes left and right. Compounding my stress was the feeling that every decision I made was high stakes, impacting not just the learning but the health and safety of children. So when Nora, our Cafeteria Manager, asked me if I wanted help or to learn the hard way, I froze.

On one hand, I really wanted to try my plan for dismissing students from lunch. I had worked on it for several days, utilizing my background as a Civil Engineer, counting steps from the table to the garbage cans, taping the ground to show the traffic patterns. Nora and her crew must’ve scratching their heads and snickering at me as I drafted my plan. She had been in her position since I was high school sophomore. She saw administrators come and go, implement their sand castle like plans, gone with tides leaving no mark that they’ve been there. Compared to her many years of experience, I had to admit I knew very little and did not really know what an elementary lunch was like.

I decided to set aside my ego and ask Nora for her feedback. She decimated my plan, pointing out where students holding plates of waste would collide, where delays would occur and students would get into mischief as they waited. I felt entirely humiliated but I tried to smile through it. After all, Nora’s intent was not to hurt my feelings. She only wanted a safe and efficiently run cafeteria and I was a novice to her domain.

Thirteen years later, I am still thankful for the lessons Nora taught me. She was a stern, no-nonsense teacher filled with a treasure trove of knowledge for those willing to receive her help. Failing in front of her, I learned how an well functioning cafeteria is run. But even more, I learned how to trust and value members of your staff. As an administrator, I cannot personally run every aspect of operating a school. I depend on the ʻike of our team who possess specialized expertise I lack. This, how to be a supportive, trusting and receptive principal is the true silver linings of that initial failure.

5 PURSUITS of HAʻAHAʻA:

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: In the story, Horace struggled and remained determined to relearn how to paint. Ask your kūpuna to share with you a time they struggled to learn something, the failures they experienced and how they eventually overcame their challenges.
  • SKILLS: Consider the factors that led to Horace Pippin’s recognition in the art world. Which do you think were most crucial?
  • INTELLECT: Read more about other African American artists and their contributions to the United States art culture.
  • CRITICALITY: Thinking of the most famous works of art, there are few artists of color or representations of people of color. Why might this be a problem? What messages and perspectives might we miss as a result?
  • JOY: Horace based his art on his observations of life and the world around him. Over the course of this week, keep a sketch book and draw or paint the scenes you observe. How can you use these observations to tell a story?

FUN FAIR MAHALO

Once again, this year’s Fun Fair was an amazing, fun-filled event filled with delicious food, awesome craft booths, and wonderful games including the addition of a highly popular dunking booth (Mahalo to all the staff who volunteered to be “dunked” including Mrs. Kresge, Mr. Shane, Mr. O, and Harrington Sensei. A big shout out goes to Mr. Henry and Mr. Kennedy for being “dunked” but also troubleshooting the dunking mechanism and being there almost the entire time.) We sincerely appreciate all those who volunteered, including parents, family members, alumni, staff – especially those who worked multiple shifts, students, the Castle High Schoolers, and many members of the community. A huge mahalo goes out to all of those who made donations to our silent auction and other services to make the Fun Fair all the more exciting.

We are especially grateful for Fun Fair Chair and KES Ohana President Joni Kamiya and her fabulous, hardworking committee:

  • Silent Auction: Daralyn Bugarin and Fern Wai
  • Vendors: Meghan Tabadero and Lauren Danner
  • Bounce House: Kelli Acopan
  • Prizes and Scrips: Holly Kaneshiro
  • Games: Justin Akagi and Lisa Kitagawa
  • Swap Meet: Caro Higa
  • Drinks: Shawna Kobayashi
  • Student Volunteers: Michelle Bogus
  • Country Market: Alysa Costa, Kiana Kapapa, and Faye Tiburcio 
  • Accounting: Robert Lum
  • Program: Jennifer Kwok
  • Graphics: Ryan Yamamoto

They and their teams of volunteers dedicated hours in the weeks leading up to the event and took off of work to set-up, run booths, and clean-up several hours after the fair closed.

Regardless of your role in making our Fun Fair a success, please know that we truly appreciate all that you were able to give and most importantly, your dedication to our keiki.

SILVER LININGS DAY 2025

On Friday, October 3, we celebrate Silver Linings Day. Similar to the International Day for Failure, Silver Linings Day highlights the silver linings that can be found in the clouds of failure. After all, failure and making mistakes are a critical part of learning. Without failure, we would be reading by candle light since it took Thomas Edison 1,000 unsuccessful iterations before inventing the light bulb. Imagine if he had given up after his first attempt. Think about Michael Jordan, one of basketball’s greatest players. He famously stated, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” 

With efforts such as Silver Linings Day, we model that it’s ok to make mistakes especially when we are able to learn from them. We want all of our students to adopt a Growth Mindset and believe that intelligence, skills, capability, talent can be improved over time. These qualities are not fixed or something you’re born with. Students with a growth mindset keep going even when work is hard. They persist and relish learning from their errors.

As with every year since its inception, I will be releasing a video highlighting the process of learning a skill on Silver Linings Day. A link will be sent out that morning so that we may all celebrate mistakes together. 

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 KĀNEʻOHE SHIRT WEDNESDAYS

Help us build unity and show our lōkahi by wearing a shirt that celebrates Kāneʻohe on Wednesdays. Wear any previous Fun Run or grade level shirt.

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 when we meet in-person. If you would like to share your reflections on the week’s Aloha value, please contact me.

If you’d like to celebrate the accomplishments of our students outside of the school day. Please use this link to share a brief shout-out for your child that we can share at piko.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Oct 3Silver Linings Day
Oct 6 – 10Fall Break
Oct 17ʻOhana Eureka Math Night
Oct 20Waiver Day#2 – no students
Oct 24KES Ohana Pumpkin Craft NightSign-up to volunteer here.
Oct 27 – Nov 7ʻOhana-Teacher Conferences

ʻOLUʻOLU OF NATURE

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Parental Resilience is grown, in some respects, through the kindness of others. When a parent or caregiver is encouraged and appreciated for what they are doing, as opposed to judged or criticized for what they are not doing, their self-worth inevitably grows. When a parent experiences kindness from others, they are more likely to be kind to themselves in moments of stress. In essence, this is the core of Parental Resilience. This kindness is generational as well, and will likely lead to higher resilience in their keiki.

The Protective Factors most aligned with ‘Olu’olu according to Aloha at Home

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: ʻOLUʻOLU

Last November, I traveled through the New England countryside on a short roadtrip to Portland with my daughter Zoe. Most trees we passed were bare, but periodically, we were treated to lustrous autumnal colors carpeting the country side. So breathtaking, I could only imagine what it looked like several weeks earlier when the entire ride would have been painted like a gentle, flickering fire.

Back home, there’s a tree fronting my neighbor’s house that confusingly changes color each fall. I think it’s an Indian Almond, an introduced species also known as the False Kamani. During the cooler months of winter, when the Camellias come into bloom, I used to think that I could experience the fall foliage by squinting at my neighbor’s tree.

I recently learned that the process trees experience during the fall is called apoptosis and is a survival technique. According to an article by The Conversation, “Despite leaving an obvious leafless and seemingly lifeless structure, it is only by shedding its leaves that the tree can survive the windy and sun-deprived winter, when sudden gusts could blow down a tree laden with a large surface area of leaves.”

Similarly, our bodies survive by striking a balance between creating new cells and casting off dying ones. For example, as shared in this article by LiveScience, when we learn something novel, our brain becomes awash with a flood of new neurons. Then our brain systematically kills off those new cells as it determines which ones it truly needs.

As we consider how this relates to responding with Aloha, take a situation where we must speak to someone about a disagreement. Initially, our brain may explode with hypothetical reactions. Impulses are there first, but often these originate in our own ego and lack empathy. This is where anger and defensiveness emerges. But, as we listen with haʻahaʻa and set aside our judgements, we eliminate those reactions that are unkind and counterproductive. Our naʻau centers on those responses that are both akahai and true to one’s beliefs…responses that preserves the connections you share. And like the deciduous trees of autumn, our relationships survive and are able to blossom again. 

5 PURSUITS of ʻOLUʻOLU:

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: One written and illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi. Then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: With your makua or kupuna, talk about how it feels to be left out. What did you do?
  • SKILLS: Describe the different characters in this story. Compare their personalities and feelings. Explain how their actions impacted Blue.
  • INTELLECT: The characters in this story are primary and secondary colors. Research what are primary and secondary colors and how they are different.
  • CRITICALITY: What does it mean “to count” – to feel like you have value? 
  • JOY: Watch this version which is read by the author and performed on stage.

OUR KEIKI NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THE KES FUN FAIR HAPPEN

To ensure our KES Fun Fair is a huge success and we are able to sustain it in the years to come, please volunteer. We are still need volunteers to help with setting up, parking,  games, country market, keiki swap meet, opala patrol, prize booth, bounce house, and clean up crew. Mahalo to the 48 individuals who have already signed up. We are still in need of 140 volunteers to make sure Fun Fair happens. Please click here to help.

15 QUESTIONS TO REPLACE ʻHOW WAS SCHOOL TODAY?ʻ

Are your tired of hearing one word responses from your child when you ask them “How was school today?” Edutopia suggests these 15 open-ended questions that can start conversations and lead to more meaningful connections.

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 KĀNEʻOHE SHIRT WEDNESDAYS

Help us build unity and show our lōkahi by wearing a shirt that celebrates Kāneʻohe on Wednesdays. Wear any previous Fun Run or grade level shirt.

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 when we meet in-person. If you would like to share your reflections on the week’s Aloha value, please contact me.

If you’d like to celebrate the accomplishments of our students outside of the school day. Please use this link to share a brief shout-out for your child that we can share at piko.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept 24School ends at 2:05 PM (switch with Fun Fair) 4:30 – 5:30 PM KES SCC Mtg @Zoom
Sept 26School ends at 1:15 PM 1:30 – 6 PM Fun Fair
Oct 3Silver Linings Day
Oct 6 – 10Fall Break
Oct 17ʻOhana Eureka Math Night
Oct 20Waiver Day#2 – no students

LŌKAHI = DIVERSITY IN HARMONY

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Unity [Lōkahi] is diversity in harmony 

Reverend Abraham Akaka as paraphrased by Daniel Kaniela Akaka Jr.

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: LŌKAHI

When my daughter and I embarked on a cross-country roadtrip, loved ones expressed measured excitement for our journey. Few of those around us had ever driven coast to coast, so many expressed fears about the potential hazards that lay before us. When I was a senior in high school, I got into a fender bender after falling asleep at the wheel. Despite having occurred nearly 40 years ago when I needed much more sleep as a hormonal teenager, that memory was recalled multiple times in the month prior to my trip. Honestly, it got into my head since the longest drive I’ve done prior was a little over 3 hours, so I stocked up on Yerba Mate, popcorn, and trail mix to ward off any drowsiness I might feel.

Other fears centerer around our country’s current political divisiveness and violence towards minorities featured in the media.  My daughter’s mother fed us media posts about attacks on Asians like the man and his 4 year old granddaughter who were killed in a Target parking lot in Austin, Texas. Despite it looking like a tragic robbery homicide  that was not racially motivated, my ex used it as cautionary tale of Asian Hate. In truth, social media and the news are rife with examples of hateful, violent acts towards others that are undisputedly motivated by the differences we hold – political, racial, religious, ethnic, sexual orientation, etc.. Political figures add fuel to fire by blusteringly demonizing the other side.

Yet, as we drove across the country, through some of the most beautiful, verdant rolling hills, and long stretches of high planes deserts with oases of green alfalfa, we were consistently treated with hospitality and friendliness. From the grizzled, gentleman with a limp who seemed to intuit that I needed to use the restroom and allowed me to go first at a rest stop in Iowa to the cheerful, waitress at the Epic Egg in Cheyenne who patiently answered my questions and allowed me to switch back and forth between my coffee orders, we encountered an America far different than what is portrayed on our phones. It’s very likely our views, which are informed by where we come from and who we give our attention to, are probably very different. Yet, in our day-to-day interactions as we share the road and the places to fulfill our needs, there is Lōkahi.

5 PURSUITS of LŌKAHI:

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World written and illustrated by Matt Lamothe. Then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: Thinking about the seven kids, who is the most similar to you? What do they have in common with you? How are they different? 
  • SKILLS: In many of the kids’ statements, the author uses commas. What is a comma and how do you use it?
  • INTELLECT: Use a map, globe, or an atlas to find the countries represented by each of the seven children (Japan, Iran, Russia, Peru, Uganda, Italy and India).
  • CRITICALITY: Getting to know someone, seeing what we have in common and celebrating our differences, we can create lōkahi and reduce hate in the world. With the help of a kupuna or makua, get an international pen-pal. Here is a good article at kidworldcitizen.org about how best to go about getting a pen-pal in a safe way.
  • JOY: Like the seven kids, complete the following sentence stems either by writing or drawing:
    • This is me
    • This is where I live
    • This is what I wear
    • This is what I eat for breakfast/
    • lunch/dinner
    • This is how I learn
    • This is how I play
    • This is what I do to help

THE BENEFITS OF FREE PLAY

When my daughter played club soccer as a middle schooler, she sustained a leg injury that necessitated her seeing a sports physical therapist. As I waited for her, I struck up a conversation with one of the doctors. He lamented how many younger kids he was seeing with injuries that would have lasting affects into their adulthood. The reason, he asserted was their focus on just one sport. Gone are the days where kids play multiple sports, playing one for just a season before going on to the next. Today, parents push their kids to specialize with the hopes of earning a scholarship one day. Further, they forbid their kids to engage in unsupervised free play, which has risks but also has many benefits. As reported in an article in the Atlantic, “Children who move have healthier bones, muscles, and joints, and lower their future risk of obesity and chronic disease. Research has found that active kids develop superior cognitive skills, get better grades, and are more likely to stay on task than kids who are less active. In a systematic review of studies, researchers found that active children are more likely to report feelings of well-being. And a study published in The Lancet that examined the prevalence of adolescent depression among English youth suggested that increased sedentary behavior in adolescence could affect a person’s mental health into adulthood.”

NAESP BEYOND THE BELL: BUILDING HEALTHY HABITS

School is a place for learning, but it’s also where children build friendships, share laughs, and create memories that last. When a child has to stay home due to illness, they might experience “SOMO” (Sick of Missing Out) on those special moments. Families and caregivers can take these steps to keep their child illness-free and in class for every important day. Access the resource here.

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 KĀNEʻOHE SHIRT WEDNESDAYS

Help us build unity and show our lōkahi by wearing a shirt that celebrates Kāneʻohe on Wednesdays. Wear any previous Fun Run or grade level shirt.

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 when we meet in-person. If you would like to share your reflections on the week’s Aloha value, please contact me.

If you’d like to celebrate the accomplishments of our students outside of the school day. Please use this link to share a brief shout-out for your child that we can share at piko.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept 175:30 – 7 PM KES Ohana Mtg @Zoom
Sept 19Waiver Day – no students
Sept 24School ends at 2:05 PM (switch with Fun Fair)
4:30 – 5:30 PM KES SCC Mtg @Zoom
Sept 26School ends at 1:15 PM Fun Fair
Oct 3Silver Linings Day
Oct 6 – 10Fall Break

AKAHAI AND SHARING TIME

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Aka, with, care, and hai, to speak. To be tender of heart; meek (Andrews)

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: AKAHAI

The speedometer registers a little over 80 miles per hour, the speed limit for this stretch of Highway 80. It’s minutes before 8 PM and the sinking sun seems to carve a divot into the horizon, filling the space with a pool of molten light. Just ahead, the ghostly silhouette of a solitary dear glides across a bridge. As awe struck as we were with this magical scene, we have no time to pull over and soak it in. We still have four and half hours of driving ahead of us and didn’t want to arrive in Cheyenne any later than half past midnight. 

It’s three days later. I stretch out on a lounge chair on the deck of my cousin’s house overlooking the Santa Cruz mountains. Crickets chirp composing a forest symphony. I stare at mahina, her figure nearly full…as is my heart with gratitude.

My daughter is at the home of another cousin. She is all moved in finally after 58 hours of driving from Boston to Mountain View, California. We left last week Sunday, arrived last evening, and unpacked her things this morning. Aside from the amazing sights and feeling of accomplishment, the truly best part of the trip was undoubtedly the conversations we shared, the nostalgic songs we sang, and the tiny discoveries we made about each other.

I am now sitting at the gate B12 at the SFO

Feeling a bit melancholy

Repeating the goodbye we shared

Every time she moved 

To experience a new city

A new phase of life

But this moment feels different

Our trip was a gift

In helping her

She gave me something

Something that’s ever more rare

As she gets older

More independent

She helped me

Feel valued

Feel of use

Feel loved

5 PURSUITS of AKAHAI:

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch this: A Beach Day with Pa written by Senator Akaka’s grandson, David Mattson and his wife Elizabeth Mattson; illustrated by Brady Evans. Then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: What is something that you like to do at the beach with your ʻohana?
  • SKILLS: Watch the video again, but this time turn the sound softer and read along with the narrator.
  • INTELLECT: A single cigarette butt will contaminate 8 liters of water after just one hour of soaking in the waves. Research the impact plastic bags and other pieces of litter have on the environment.
  • CRITICALITY: In the story Pa and the kids showed akahai by picking up the opala left by others. Other than the marine life, who benefits from this act of aloha?
  • JOY: Think about how you can do an act of aloha that benefits others at your next fun outing with your ʻohana. Share this idea with your ʻohana and commit to doing it.

ALOHA AKAKA WEEK CHALLENGE

This week, on my what would’ve been his 100th birthday, we honor Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka, the first U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry. Senator Akaka was justifiably known as the Aloha Ambassador, consistently demonstrating akahai to everyone he met and connected with him. In this spirit, please join us in the Aloha Akaka Week Challenge by following the Senator’s examples on each day of the week:

MONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAY
Plant and care for a plant – bonus if it provides fruits or vegetables to eat. (Senator committed much of his hana to preserving the environment)Talk to someone you don’t know well and find something you share in common (Senator excelled in bringing people together and finding the Lokahi)Share with your teacher something you are thankful they taught you. (Senator consistently showed genuine appreciation for people)Learn a science fact and teach it to someone else – like did you know that bananas are berries and strawberries aren’t? (Senator, a former teacher, loved learning about science)Read a book to someone younger than you or to a peer (Senator strongly advocated for improving literacy of young people)

SHOUT-OUTS at PIKO

Did your kid’s team win a baseball championship? Did they finally master playing a song on the ukulele they’ve been practicing for months? Did they do an incredible act of aloha for one of their kupuna? Starting this week, we would like to include shout-outs at our daily piko to celebrate the accomplishments of our students outside of the school day. Please use this link to share a brief shout-out for your child that we can share at piko.

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 KĀNEʻOHE SHIRT WEDNESDAYS

Help us build unity and show our lōkahi by wearing a shirt that celebrates Kāneʻohe on Wednesdays. Wear any previous Fun Run or grade level shirt.

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 when we meet in-person. If you would like to share your reflections on the week’s Aloha value, please contact me.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept 8 -12Aloha Akaka Week
Sept 19Waiver Day – no students
Sept 24School ends at 2:05 PM (switch with Fun Fair)
Sept 26School ends at 1:15 PM Fun Fair
Oct 3Silver Linings Day
Oct 6 – 10Fall Break

AHONUI OF COOKING

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Ahonui: ”Waiting for the moment” this is a time of what many refer to as mindful. To wait for the moment is to first notice that we have the awareness to recognize and control our responses. We can sift through moments to begin recognizing the timing of response or “waiting for the moment”.

Pilahi Paki as shared by Pono Shim

ALOHA FOCUS FOR THE WEEK: AHONUI

When Uncle Pono Shim taught others about the true meaning of Aloha, he always began with Ahonui. Uncle Pono believed learning to be observant for the right time to act was key to learning and practicing Aloha. More than its literal meaning or patience, Aunty Pilahi and Uncle Pono said Ahonui means “waiting for the moment.” In other words, it calls on us to be watchful and intuitive as there is no set amount of time to wait.

Ever tried eating kaki age tempura? It’s a delicious mixture of pieces of shrimp and shredded carrots, green beans, and onions, deep fried in a light, whisky batter. My mother’s batter recipe is kept ice cold and contains a bit of Coleman’s mustard. Because of its addictiveness, it’s reserved for special occasions and my mother will makes dozen just to ensure everyone in my extended family can get their fill. My mother learned her recipe from my grandmother who in turn learned it from her mother in Japan. As such, there’s a written recipe and one that is based on feel and observation. Accepting the kuleana to keep and pass on the recipe, I’ve spent hours with my mom learning how to use my senses to adapt the recipe to the stove, water, and other ingredients available at the time.

Key to this process is know when to drop a dollop of the tempura mixture into the hot oil and how to adjust the settings to keep it from getting too cold or too hot during the cooking process. My mother and her ancestors never used a thermometer. Instead they went with what they see, smell and feel. One of the signals that the temperature is right is watching the bubbles form and rise off of the tip of your wooden cooking chopsticks. Another is the rate at which a droplet of batter cooks and rises to the surface of the oil. If cooking is an act of love, then all of these observations and adjustments to the recipe are examples of Ahonui.

Whether is baking flaky, crusty bread or barbecuing caramelized ribs that fall off the bone, written recipes will only take you so far. Watching, listening, smelling, feeling, and tasting are all needed to bring out the peak flavor from any dish. It’s the difference between a good recipe and one, like that scene in Ratatouille, that is burned into your memory. 

5 PURSUITS of AHONUI:

Inspired by Gholdy Muhammad

Please watch What Do You Do with a Chance by Kobi Yamada and then with you child, answer the following:

  • IDENTITY: Have you ever felt like you missed a chance? What happened and how did it make you feel?
  • SKILLS: How does the book’s illustrator use drawings to figuratively represent chances?
  • INTELLECT: How can you prepare yourself to take a chance?
  • CRITICALITY: What chances occur everyday to show aloha and help others feel respected and valued?
  • JOY: Take a chance on something you’ve been afraid to try. It doesn’t have to be huge. Start small and describe how it makes you feel.

SHOUT-OUTS AT PIKO

Did your kid’s team win a baseball championship? Did they finally master playing a song on the ukulele they’ve been practicing for months? Did they do an incredible act of aloha for one of their kupuna? Starting this week, we would like to include shout-outs at our daily piko to celebrate the accomplishments of our students outside of the school day. Please use this link to share a brief shout-out for your child that we can share at piko.

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 KĀNEʻOHE SHIRT WEDNESDAYS

Help us build unity and show our lōkahi by wearing a shirt that celebrates Kāneʻohe on Wednesdays. Wear any previous Fun Run or grade level shirt.

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 when we meet in-person. If you would like to share your reflections on the week’s Aloha value, please contact me.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept 8 -12Aloha Akaka Week
Sept 19Waiver Day – no students
Sept 24School ends at 2:05 PM (switch with Fun Fair)
Sept 26School ends at 1:15 PM Fun Fair
Oct 3Silver Linings Day
Oct 6 – 10Fall Break