August 2009 Voice of the Strongman

1st Grade Uses The Equiptment From Last Year's Fundraiser

The first grade is enjoying the benefits from last year’s fundraiser. With the money raised they were able to get magnetic white boards and projectors with cameras. The magnetic white board makes it easier for the teacher to display teaching manipulatives on the board, instead of having to juggle the pieces in her hands. The document camera can take a picture of the student’s worktext and display it on the whiteboard. The teacher can then fill in the answers with the students for all to see. Students can also come to the board and fill in answers without the teacher having to write out all the problems by hand. The projector can also be hooked up to display the screen on the computer. This is a great asset for visual learners, especially at this young age. These are a few ways that your fundraising efforts have directly impacted the students in the classroom.

2nd Place In The World

The Hanalani Botball team finished 1st in the seeding, 5th in the double elimination, and 2nd overall at this year’s international Botball competition.  You could say, Hanalani’s Botball Team is the 2nd best in the world.  Hanalani’s team also won the Judges’ Choice Award for Best Overall Engineering.

Athletics Debuts New Bowling Team This Year

After the increasing success of Hanalani’s Upper School Girls Bowling Team, a student initiative has formed Hanalani Royal Athletics newest team, Upper School Boys Bowling.  Thus far, the team tryouts have gathered more participants than originally anticipated.  Coach Bobbi Yoshimoto, a PBA Teaching Professional, who currently coaches the girls bowling team will also be managing the boys.  Of the 8 boys who have already tried out, Coach Yoshimoto has not yet made the pick for who will be on the team.

So how does team bowling work?  For each match, a team may enter 5 bowlers to compete.  The team’s score will be calculated based on the top 4 bowlers.  It is permissible to substitute a player mid-game.  Teams gain season points by scoring the highest (counted as a victory or defeat).
Bowling on a team, as opposed to bowling individually, allows students the opportunity to be a part of something larger than themselves; it allows them the chance to develop leadership and teamwork abilities; and it challenges them to exceed their own skill and improve for the good of all on the team.

Both bowling teams will be practicing at Wheeler Bowling Alley as the season begins Monday, August 31.  If you’d be interested in attending a game and cheering on our Royal bowlers, all regular season matches will be held at Ft. Shafter Bowling Lanes starting at 3:45 PM.  Please see the Athletic Department web page for specific dates.

Early Childhood

As you entered the school campus, you noticed the “Welcome back to school” signs.  Your brain brings back your childhood memories of the excitement of unpacking new school supplies, the nervousness of meeting a new teacher and making new friends, and the fresh smell of brand new books.  Then you realized you are a parent of a preschooler dropping off your child at school for the first time.  Your stomach is knotted up with mixed emotions as your child takes the first step into a whole new world.  It is not so much “back to school” for the K3 students, but more of a “welcome to school.”  The first few days are charged with emotions of separation and the anticipation of hearing all about their experiences in school.  The first few weeks are filled with learning new routines.  These skills will help the students move through the rest of the year successfully.  But beyond the practical housekeeping stuff, the students are excited to discover a classroom full of engaging activities.  

The typical early childhood classroom at Hanalani is always buzzing with activities.  Picture a child’s eyes wide with surprise as he discovers colored tubes of liquid that change colors when he shakes them to mix two colors together to make a new color.  Then, there are several children letting their imagination roam as they build a train track that ran across the floor, under tables, and into several learning centers.  In the cozy library center, two little girls discovering a new friendship giggled while sharing a book and role playing with puppets.   The students express a sense of wonderment when they learn about how God created everything, and that God knows and loves them each individually.  They laugh at the silliness of PMooney, the puppet we use for our language curriculum as he gets them to introduce themselves using complete sentences.  It brings a smile to the teacher’s face to see the joy twinkling in their eyes as they are rubbing cold, gooey, paint all over their hands to make handprints.  The list of educational and fun filled activities goes on and on with many more to come throughout the school year.

The difficult separation and crying will eventually stop for those of you that are struggling with it, just ask the veteran parents.  Your child is taking that first step to becoming an independent individual discovering new knowledge each day.  The student’s natural curiosity with the guidance from the teacher will lead them to develop a love for learning.  With the collaborative partnership between you and your child’s teacher, your child is on the way to building a wonderful, memorable year and setting the foundation of becoming a self-directed life-long learner.  We are honored to be a part of your child’s first year in school.  Welcome aboard as we look forward to a grand adventure with many more tales to tell, shared laughter, and never to be forgotten, tender moments.

Elearning At Hanalani

eLearning?  We have it!  Hanalani Schools is pleased to offer Upper School students online classes.  Honors English was first offered this past summer and Honors British Literature  is making its debut this fall.  In addition, the technology electives have increased to pre-sent Computer Applications, Videography, and Media Creation to your young people. 

Another exciting change is the increased usage of the library as it houses your elementary students’ computer classes.  The library has also recently received a SmartBoard that will enhance the classroom experience.  In order to accommodate these new changes, the school is grateful for the Weinberg Computer Lab, the Atrium laptop cart, and the Samuel Castle Library laptop carts, all obtained through fundraising, donations, and grants. These resources are available for your children’s classes.

Enrollment Up, Fear Down And Opportunities Abound

Your loyalty and support to Hanalani Schools has definitely paid off.  The Admissions Office would like to take this opportunity to thank our Hanalani Ohana, for spreading the word about what a great program we have here.  Please read on to hear the exciting ways in which the Lord has blessed us despite the struggling economy in both the islands and the Mainland.
Who would have thought we would have record enrollment numbers for the 2009-2010 academic year?  With numbers decreasing to 700 students by the end of the 2009 school year, a four-year low, we have recovered, adding students to all divisions allowing us to begin the year with a high of 782.

The increase in students prompted the Elementary school to add a 3rd class for grades 4-6, giving the Elementary division 299 students. The Upper School also increased from 289 in 2009 to 330 this semester.  The incoming freshman class has 66 attending, making it the largest ninth grade ever for Hanalani.  Early Childhood was not to be left out; their numbers went up from 132 this past school year to 153 for the 2009-2010 school year.

In tandem with the increase in enrollment is a 44.31% increase in the school’s tuition assistance program (TAP). The program enabled 76 of your children to attend Hanalani Schools this year, up 20 from last year’s assistance of 56.

Your efforts to spread the word raised the number of “recorded” referrals from 24 for the 2008-2009 school year to 58 for our current school year.  For those of you who are not aware, for every child you refer who enrolls in Hanalani Schools and completes the school year, you will receive a $ 600 tuition credit.  Some of our families will receive a whopping $ 1,800 dollars tuition credit!  

So what do all these numbers add up to for our Hanalani Ohana?  Benefits!  In the Academic realm we have been able to hire more faculty which keeps the class size smaller so your child will receive more individual attention.  This allows for more course offerings as well; we now offer a psychology and Digital Story Telling elective.  We’ve expanded our Fine Arts Department, making more individual instruction in strings, voice and piano available to your children, and the development of an Orchestra and Hand bell choir is in the works.  For our Athletic and Academic teams, as well as our Drama program, we now have a larger pool of students to draw from which increases the competition level, and for Athletics we can provide a few more sports to the school team list, increasing exposure in the league.  More students also means more spectators at our Athletic and Fine Arts events.

You have all been an integral part of the success of Hanalani Schools, and we are grateful for your continued support.  Without the combined efforts of our families, faculty and staff we would not be able to offer your children the great education they are receiving today.
Mahalo and keep up the good work.

From The Head Of School

Aloha Friends and Community,
What an exciting start to the new school year.  Opening day is always an adrenaline rush for students and teachers alike.  We are happy to see the students back on campus and look forward to another great year. 

It always amazes me, and I am sure you from the home front, how much the boys and girls grow over the summer months . . . and they bring that energy to school.  Needless to say, there is rarely a dull moment on campus; and that is just the way it ought to be.  If you are feeling a bit blah, all you need to do is park and watch the students.  We are excited for the boys and girls and all the growing and development opportunities before them this year.  It is pretty humbling to realize how brainy the students are now days.  Our challenge is to be our best so that they can be their best.
We are especially looking forward to interacting with God’s presence on campus as He teaches our hearts to love Him and to love our neighbors.  With that focus in mind, I try to remind our faculty regularly to remember that the boys and girls are not the only students in the classroom.  We are as well.   

Thank you, parents, for allowing us to be a part of your family.  Forming a partnership is essential to a successful year.  We are constantly reminded that there are areas of growth, and we appreciate your words of care and concern so that we can be the best possible for the students.  Thank you in advance for your support and time.  Let us know how we can help.  Together, we will put our hearts and minds to focus on helping our children challenge themselves. 
 

Hanalani Us Bible Department Leads In Mission

The Upper School Bible Department willingly takes the lead in fulfilling the Mission of Hanalani Schools.  This mission statement is paramount in every class from the Seventh grade Life of Christ class to the Junior and Senior Practical Christianity class.  Our Bible curriculum is tailored to each grade level.

7th Life of Christ  -  This 7th grade class is designed to bring our students face to face with our Lord and Savior and His earthly ministry.

8th New Testament Survey  -  The 8th graders take a look at the people, places, and themes of the New Testament Scriptures.

9th Old Testament Survey – 9th graders enjoy a survey of the books of the law, historical, poetical, and prophetical books of the Old Testament.  A special emphasis is placed on “The Plan,” God’s sovereign working in history culminating in the birth of Jesus Christ.

10th Grade Theology -  This class for Hanalani’s Sophomores plunges into the major Biblical doctrines of the Christian faith including Theology proper, Bibliology, Pneumatology, Christology, Soteriology, and Eschatology just to name a few. (I bet you didn’t know the sophomores were so smart).

11th Grade Ethics -  The Juniors spend time in understanding how the Bible relates to every day decisions.  This class points the students to moral principles in Scripture that help us live with a distinctively Christian Worldview.

12th Grade Practical Christianity – What does the Senior do with all the Biblical knowledge he or she has acquired in all his or her years here at Hanalani? This new course  is designed to take all that knowledge and make it practical.  The three main areas of study are: What is the Christian’s relationship to God?  What is God’s relationship to the Christian?  And finally, What is the Christian’s relationship to the world?
 

Help Raise Support For New Parent/Development Center

Our 2009 Fall Fundraiser kicked off on August 20th, and will continue through September 21st.  Our goal this year is to raise $90,000 in profit to purchase a new portable that will house a larger Campus Store, a parent volunteer area, and a Development Office.  The new portable will replace the existing one and will also have an improved outdoor patio area where students and parents can eat breakfast, lunch, or just hang out.   If each student raises $105 in profit, together we can make our goal.  Fundraising is essential to continually improve our school for our children.  Thank you. in advance for being committed to reach our goal.  Help Raise Su

Upper School Students Turn Into Ash

This year, Hanalani Schools is introducing its new student-composed governing body—the Associated Students of Hanalani (ASH).

The ASH is composed not only of class officers but also of any Hanalani student interested in participating in leadership. The only requirement is the desire to participate. A student may choose to commit to the program for an entire school year or for one specific school event.

The ASH is made up of an Executive Council—elected class officers—and several committees. Committees consist of both elected and non-elected members and address issues such as student budgets, campus programs, communications, and community service.

Students receive guidance from an advisory board including Mr. Winston Sakurai, Upper School Principal, and other Upper School teachers. Students in the ASH are empowered to decide, plan, and execute activities for the Upper School. The new format places an increased emphasis on student involvement in school events.

In Mark 10:44, Christ defined a leader as the “servant of all”. This concept of “servant-leadership” is the goal of the ASH. Students learn servant-leadership through programs such as the Upper School Leadership class and periodic one-day leadership conferences. These programs emphasize not only leadership theory, but also practical knowledge that can be applied to real life situations.
ASH members will organize traditional school programs such as the Spring Banquet, and pioneer programs like the new Homecoming Banquet, Pep Rallies, and morning broadcasts. These programs, Mr. Sakurai says, give young leaders the chance to “serve the student body.”

The heart of the ASH is reflected in I Timothy 4:12—“Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” The theme behind the ASH is that it is never too early to be a leader.