Hi families of Kanoelani,

This is Principal Kunihisa with updates about our reopening. First of all, rest assured that we have been working very hard to ensure a smooth and safe reopening of school for your children. Thank you for your continued patience and willingness to practice UPS - Unity, Patience, and Serenity as a community and we plan carefully.

The first day of school for all students, except Kindergarten, will be on August 5th, Wednesday. We have a Waiver Day on August 4th so the student start date is on Wednesday. For the first 9 days of school, we will have half days of school ending at 11:30 AM. 

Our school will be on a Hybrid schedule. This means all students in Grades K-2 will come to school daily. In addition, any special education and English Language Learners in grades Grade K-6 will also come daily. Grades 3-6 will be on a rotational schedule. 

I wanted to inform you that we will be mailing out our school calendar and school supply list by next Friday, July 10th. This information will also be posted on our website and social media. Included in this mailing and posting will be the rotational schedule for upper grades.

Our top priority is keeping everyone on campus safe.  We will be expecting students to come to school with their own face coverings, to practice social distancing, and healthy hygiene. Please continue to practice these at home and in the community. COVID will always be around so our goal is to minimize the risk for everyone. 

Finally, please mark your calendars for a virtual Open House to hear about our daily practices and learn how we will reopen safely. There will be a link to our virtual open house on July 23 at 10 am and repeated at 6 pm.  

Any new or incoming Kindergarten parents we will also be hosting a Welcome to Kanoelani meeting August 3 virtual meeting at 10 am and 6 pm.  

These virtual meetings repeat so you only need to attend one session. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Good afternoon Kanoelani Ohana!

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 28, we will be having a Rainbows Drive-Bye. This will be a very special chance for your child to say “Goodbye” to our school and see some familiar faces. Please stay in your car at all times and drive by slowly and carefully. Grades Preschool-2 will be from 9:00 - 10:00 am and Grade 3-6 will be from 10:00 - 11:00 am.

6th graders! This is your final goodbye, please follow your teachers’ instructions and be ready with your name and teachers’ name on your dashboard when you drive in. Look for your surprise by our marquee tomorrow when you arrive. If you want to come back and take a picture by the sign please do so anytime next week from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Be sure if you do stop by, you practice social distancing.

School supply pick up and drop off will be held from June 1 - 5.  f your child’s last name is:

A-D =  Monday, June 1

E-K = Tuesday, June 2

L-P = Wednesday, June 3

Q-Z = Thursday, June 4. 

Make-ups = Friday, June 5 

Please note the times each day are from 8:00 - 10:00 am and 2:00 - 4:00 pm to accommodate our families.   

Finally report cards will be mailed out sometime next week so please expect them in your mailbox along with a copy of our final Chronicle. Know that as information comes out I will be contacting you over the summer with updates about our reopening for next year. Practice Unity, Patience, and Serenity as we head into a “new normal” for school and for life. Enjoy our summer break! 

Good Evening Kanoelani Families.  We have two important announcements for you.

 First of all, I want to personally thank you for being so patient with the major shift in schooling during this time. I will be honest, its been a steep learning curve for all of us and we really appreciate your partnership. As the school year ends, we would like to provide an opportunity for drop off and pick up of all school supplies. During the week of June 1- 5 we will have a systemic process that will be efficient and safe. Times will be designated according to the student's last name to support parents of multiple children. Please look for a letter home describing details regarding the week of June 1-5. On our website click on “School Pick Up Procedures” to obtain the schedule.  

In addition, we’ll be having a Rainbows Drive-By to close the school year. This will be a very special chance for your child to say “Goodbye” to our school and get closure by seeing some familiar faces.  Also in the mail going home you should find the flyer about the Rainbows Drive-By. On our website, you can click  “Rainbows Drive By” to obtain that schedule. 

This message will be posted on our website so if you missed anything you can use it for reference. Have a great ending of the school year. Until we meet again practice Unity, Patience, and Serenity. 

Aloha!

Aloha Kanoelani Ohana - this is Principal Kunihisa with a new update regarding enrichment learning opportunities for the week of March 30 - April 3.  

As stated in Superintendent Kishimoto’s March 24 letter to parents/guardians, “school facilities will be closed to students until at least April 30 and traditional in-school instruction is on hold until schools reopen.”  Students are expected to remain home through April 30. 

Kanoelani Elementary will provide continued student enrichment opportunities during this time.  Parents can access pdf copies of student work activities on our school website: kanoelani.org and can download and print.  Please note - these will not be graded and students will not be turning in any activities. Also - the state expectation is to have this ready by next week but because we have such an incredible team, they have it ready for you to see today.

For those of you who do not have internet access and would like a hard copy instead, pick up will be available from 10-12 on Monday, March 30 in the school parking lot.  There is a video of how we will be distributing activities on our website. If you are not able to view it, just show up between 10-12 next Monday.

We will be updating our website regularly so feel free to check back for the latest information as teachers continue to plan and update.  Please be patient with your child’s teacher and give them grace as they are planning and configuring learning with limited training in online learning. They are doing their very best. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us and we hope to work through this together.  On behalf of Kanoelani Elementary, please remember our UPS mantra- Unity, Patience, and Serenity. 

Finally, WE > ME!

Happy Spring Break Kanoelani Families!!!

 

I truly believe a break will be good for us all. With the Coronavirus impact, there is a lot of uneasiness and uncertainty in the air. I can't believe the depth of the reaction that is happening across our state and nation. During these times, it is absolutely imperative to remain calm as a community and continue to simply practice good hygiene. Recently, we reviewed with our entire school community how to wash hands properly and shared tips and tricks to staying healthy.

 

Despite the virus, we are moving forward with an optimistic attitude of what's to come. Our recent grand opening of the Lokahi Lounge was a huge success, with so many potential possibilities for our school. Not only did all of the financial contributors attend, but Spectrum came to donate a ton of computers and tablets for our students! Great things continue to happen for our kids.

 

Speaking of great things, I thoroughly enjoyed our Concert Glee singing their hearts out at the annual Pearl City Complex Music Festival last month and had a blast watching our soccer team play against Aliiolani Elementary School. I can't wait to watch the second match in May against their soccer team. Also, this week we will be participating in the annual Math Olympiad led by fifth and sixth-grade teachers as well as Pearl City High School aspiring educators. 

 

Finally, we are excitedly anticipating the upcoming Kanoelani's Got Talent that will showcase the incredible talent of our students! The winners will be able to enter Brown Bags to Stardom and since Bruno Mars came from Hawaii, why can't one of our students be the next Bruno? With our collective efforts and the WE is greater than ME mentality I know we can cultivate our next generation to lead us to greatness.

 

Thanks for being an example for your child and remaining calm and optimistic with us over the break and into the fourth quarter!

 

Happy New Year! It's been just about a month since we've returned from Winter Break and there's so much to share already! First of all, our entire school (including all of our students) are about to release a #schoolchallenge online. Stay tuned for this truly EPIC video. If you aren't following us already - be sure to see our Twitter and Instagram accounts and follow us today!

 

Although 2020 just began, we are actively planning for the next school year and we want to hear your voice! As we gear up for the next school year we want to share some highlights:

1) YOU CAN EARN A BOOK FAIR BUCK to be used at our book fair by filling out our survey: Click HERE

2) We are requesting an extra Waiver Day for SY 2020-2021 to cover Youth First Aide Mental Health training on August 4- so if it is approved, we will start school with students one day later than the DOE calendar shows.

 

On another note, right before the break, we applied for three innovation grants and we were awarded not one, not two, but ALL THREE! Which means over $25,000 going directly to your child's education. The areas we will be working on improving are coding/drama, news on the move, and academies. Congratulations to our team of teachers- Mrs. Mata, Ms. Apao, and Mr. Ogawa who worked hard to secure this additional funding.

 

NEW, NEW, NEW!!!!

Speaking of awesome stuff- YOU CAN WATCH US LIVE every Monday morning. Our Kanoelani Rainbow News can be found online on our website or by clicking HERE to the weekly links. Find out what clubs are doing, what sports are starting and to hear the latest news. We even feature students of the week and classrooms in action.

 

Finally, as we reflect on some tragedies that have come our way recently, we are reminded of the true importance and value of Choose Love and its concepts. Take time daily to stop and fill someone's bucket sincerely and forgive someone that's been on your mind today. You never know what tomorrow brings- good or bad- so make each day count!

Happy Holidays!!!

 

I wanted to open with a recent tweet I made regarding Courage, one of our themes in our Choose Love movement. 

 

Did you know? The root of the word courage is cor- (like CORE beliefs) - the Latin word for heart. In on e of its earliest forms, the word courage meant "to speak one's mind by telling one's heart. How much moral courage do you have? The easiest thing to do is follow the crowd." 

 

As we head into the holiday season and into the New Year, this is a time for reflection and goal setting. We reflect daily on how effectively we are serving this community and your child. Besides equipping every child with academic knowledge and skills, we are truly committed to building character, perseverance and grit. Part of our job collectively is to allow children to fail, allow children to struggle and allow children to make their own decisions and face natural consequences. At school, we are in essence "substitute parents," or "in loco parentis." 

 

A few tips to remember as we raise these kids together and we have some time to reflect and set goals at school and at home:

1. 7 to 1 rule. For every negative comment (especially during a conflict with your child or anyone else for that matter), there MUST be 7 positives. This works like magic in the classrooms and honestly in homes as well! What is your ration? (Compassion in Action)

2. Kids NEED clear and consistent boundaries. As much as we want to love kids and give them what they want to ensure they are happy, a big part of providing structure is very clear expectations and consistent, respectful consequences. Are you setting clear boundaries? (Courage)

3. Strongest muscle in your body? Everyone has the most powerful weapon that an destroy a child- a tongue. Words cut deeply and can last a lifetime. Word are either bucket fillers or dippers. What is your percentage?

 

Choose Love is truly impacting not only our school but our Waipio community and its because of OUR effort. WE > ME - thank you for a being a part of our commitment! Enjoy your break and continue to bucket fill others in your thoughts, actions, and words.

 

P.S.- If you're not already following us- keep up with the exciting things going on at school on Instagram and on Twitter!

 

Instagram: kanoelanielementaryschool

Twitter: @staciekunihisa

If you didn't have a chance to swing by and visit the launch of the "Stuck on Aloha" book release late October let me paint a picture for you. Imagine incredible community leaders Like Senator Breene Harimoto, who is battling cancer and Boy Scouts Troop 75, who teach how to deal with adversities, sitting alongside our three students proudly signing books. The community came out in droves to show their love and support for the book contributors under a giant white canopy with leis, balloons, and incredible entertainment! It was a sight to see.

 

Sebastian, Jaycee, and Owen courageously shared their own story of perseverance and grit in this book and I couldn't be prouder. They shed light on the incredible work of everyone in our school and our Choose Love program so please be proud of your child and our entire staff. The book will hit Amazon soon and represents our efforts.

 

The ability to hit failures and setbacks and truly bounce back is a skill that we must continue to cultivate. At our school we try to strike a "balance" between academic knowledge and critical thinking/problem-solving skills with "soft skills" -how we treat each other, handle stress and tolerate differences. In short, we value both the IQ of your child as much as the EQ. (Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Quotient)

 

In addition to this "balance," we are working hard to continue to increase student voice and choice. Around the corner is our first round of "Pre-Academies." Aligned to Pearl City High School's Academy structure we are offering classes like Sewing, Coding, and Basic Foreign Languages. Partners such as Island Tumblers Gymnastics and UH West Oahu will be coming in to teach classes to increase relevancy and engagement.

 

I want to thank our families for coming out to support our annual Craft Fair- this was our most successful one yet! Kudos to our teachers and staff who volunteered their time to make this day possible. Thank you also for all who attended our Pumpkin Carving night and had a chance to show your carving skills! 

 

Special thanks to our business partner American Savings Bank for choosing us to be apart of their Kids Curling Clinic (see November Chronicle for details). Our business partnerships are an integral part of the education of the whole child, and we are grateful for their help.

 

Finally, a huge congratulations to the Pearl City Complex and our very own Mr. Ogawa for being three of the four winners of the PAEMST award!

 

 

As we come to the close of the first quarter, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the entire community working to raise our children of Waipio. We hosted a Business Breakfast to make community connections earlier this month and had over 60 businesses represented. Many of them will be partnering with us to offer authentic academies and real-world project-based learning experiences. We cannot do this job of raising the community alone and I can't wait to see what these relationships bring.

 

On another note, I want to pause a bit and share my own thoughts about the upcoming trip I will be taking to Washington DC over the Fall Break. As principal representing the State of Hawaii, I am beyond humbled and blessed to go as a team leader of Kanoelani. We are a special place with warm hearts and bucket filling attitudes. One of our new parents recently shared he knows that we work things out through words and connections instead of fists and anger. Even as adults and even in your homes we MUST CHOOSE LOVE and have courageous conversations filled with grace and compassion. We MUST strive high to set lofty goals and hold each other accountable and we MUST simply care more and be more.

 

I am excited to greet all 49 other principals and receive a Golden Bell that perpetually represents ALL of our hard work. This trip is for every teacher that stays far beyond a workday, every custodian that goes that extra mile to keep our campus safe and clean and every staff member who chooses to wake up each day and handle so many emotions, challenges, and situations on a daily basis that inevitably happens with 800 kids daily.

 

On your end, I ask that you take some time to look into the Choose Love program home component and make just one change before the holiday season that will positively impact your home. These small ripples will add to our momentum and shift the dynamics of Hawaii one day at a time. I want to end by proudly sharing that we are taking a team of teachers and students to present at the upcoming Schools of the Future Conference and showcase our efforts to merge project-based learning with Compassion in Action. PBL + SEL = WHOLE CHILD! Enjoy your Fall Break!

Welcome back to school! I'm wondering if you heard about the exciting celebration we had at our Welcome Back assembly, complete with some staff members dancing, not me of course!!! If they have I was dancing, don't believe them! Seriously though, it was such an amazing time celebrating the return to Kanoelani in such a fun way. Some of our special guests including Miss Asia 2019, Camille Yano, who is also a proud Kanoelani alumni; the recently crowned Miss Aloha 2020, Tiffany Ducaycay; and Junior Miss Hawaii Cosmos 2019, Alexis Bugarin. What a treat it was to hear some words of wisdom from a graduate of Kanoelani sharing her ideas around our word of the year... Commitment!

 

We are ramping up to provide another year full of bucket filling and choosing love. To that end, we selected a movie that emulates our deep commitment, Toy Story 4. As demonstrated by Woody, we are in this journey together and promise to always practice courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion in action.

 

At the end of August, we will begin a new system across campus called W.I.N., "What I Need." We will focus on giving students more voice and choice in their learning as well as provide extra time for revisiting concepts that need attention. Services school wide will be deliberately planned so that each child can work on what they need.

 

Finally, just as a heads up, we have many community and business partners knocking at our door to help us out! Early September, we will be hosting a Community Connections breakfast and so far we have close to 50 people planning to attend. Stay tuned to hear more about how our local businesses and community organizations will be supporting your child's journey.

This school year has been absolutely "incredible!" Everyone can feel proud of the multitude of accomplishments we have achieved. To cap it all off, our Spring Showcase- "A Time for Music" was unbelievable. When I look at my own children, my desire is to raise well-rounded, well-balanced problem solvers who have heart and passion. The same goes for our Kanoelani students. We collectively believe in developing the whole child and the amount of time and energy that went into this event demonstrates that commitment. Test scores are important but not as valuable as character, heart, and drive!

 

As we close the year, I want to thank four people who will be leaving our family at the end of the year. Fond farewells go out to:

 

 

Mrs. Andrade has been a tremendous asset to our Kindergarten team for many years and has been an anchor to the grade level. This year she served as the Grade Level Chairperson and helped lead the team of teachers committed to our youngest students. Mrs. Hayashi has been at Kanoelani for the past three years. She taught music for all grade levels, was the performing arts director, and coordinated all performances both in and out of school. Mrs. Sumile has been at our school for the past five years and is ready to move to a new path in her life. Mrs. Gatdula, an eight-year classroom cleaner has decided to retire and continue business with sewing and alternations. We truly wish all of them luck in the next chapter of their lives.

 

Finally, I want to remind everyone that although school will soon be out of session, my hope is that our efforts to Choose Love and Bucket Fill continue during the break. Take some time to rest and relax but always remember to find ways to show Courage, Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Compassion in Action. I always have to take brave breaths to keep a smile on my face and my blood pressure down. Please do the same and thanks for your endless support for Kanoelani and your child!

 

What a whirlwind it has been these past few months! Thanks to everyone for truly nurturing such an incredibly stimulating school! As I stop and take a moment to survey the landscape of our school, I see students stepping out of their comfort zone to innovate and create, I see teachers and staff pushing personal limits and inventing new opportunities for kids and I see heart and passion everywhere! Even with just a month of school left we are starting a new Upstanders Club to continue to combat bullying and a brand new Rainbows Recyclers Club that stemmed from students wanting to make a difference. Next year every classroom will have colored bins to sort out recyclables!!!

 

Here are a few celebrations I'd like to highlight:

 

Testing season is in full swing and it is time to apply all of the learning throughout the year. Please help your children in Grades 3-6 prepare for the SmarBalanced Assessment and ensure they get a good night's sleep and a satisfying breakfast. I have so much confidence that we will meet our own school goals and once again exceed state expectations in all tested content areas!!!

 

Finally, I just want to say a heartfelt mahalo to every single staff member, student, and parent who took time to congratulate me for the Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award. I was beyond surprised and did NOT expect to win. It takes a lot to truly surprise me and boy was I surprised. The award is a symbol of WE>ME!!! I just want to convey clearly that this is THE BEST STAFF in the state of Hawaii and I would venture to say in the United States!!! Thanks for your support, families, because we are truly lucky to have each other!