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Education

Celebrating 35 Years of Hawaiian Language Education

Thursday, April 17th, 2025

Celebrating 35 Years of Hawaiian Language Education

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

On April 5, Kualapu’u School’s Hawaiian language immersion students took center stage, honoring the efforts of those who had come before. This year’s annual Hana Keaka Hawaiian theater performance had a special significance, as it celebrated 35 years of Hawaiian language education on Molokai.

“This year we honor our treasured voices, our manaleo, Native Hawaiian speakers of Molokai who were the guiding forces behind the founding of both the Punana Leo Hawaiian language preschool in 1991 and subsequently our Kula Kaiapuni o Kualapuʻu and ʻO Hina i ka Malama, elementary and secondary Hawaiian languages schools on island,” explained Ka’ala Fay Camara, current vice principal at Kualapu’u School and next year’s principal.…

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MHS Robotics Wins Global Award

Thursday, April 10th, 2025

MHS Robotics Wins Global Award

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

In March, Molokai High School (MHS)’s storied robotics program received international recognition, winning the Vex Robotics Marketing Challenge. The global award qualified the MHS team for the world robotics championships in Dallas, Texas this May.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” said longtime MHS robotics coach Edwin Mendija. Of the seven robotics teams from Hawaii competing in this year’s championship, two will be from Molokai.

For the award, the robotics team submitted a video detailing their identity and mission as MHS farmers. One of the key details in the MHS submission was their focus on community service and their quintessential Molokai identity.…

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Camara Named New Kualapu’u School Principal

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Camara Named New Kualapu’u School Principal

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

For the first time in 28 years, Kualapu’u School will have a new principal. Ka’ala Fay Camara will take the helm on July 1, as longtime principal Lydia Trinidad will be retiring at the end of this school year.

“I am grateful to the Board Principal Search Committee for their hard work, time and perseverance to select Ka’ala as the next principal of Kualapuʻu Public Charter School,” said Hoʻokakoʻo Board Chair Jon Ching. Ho’okako’o is the governing board for several Hawaiian-focused charter schools including Kualapu’u School.

As a pre-kindergarten through sixth grade school, Kualapu’u School serves approximately 310 Molokai students of whom 90 percent are Native Hawaiian.…

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Molokai Chargers

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Molokai Chargers

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

“The waves could be better, but we’re going to go out there and have fun,” explained Molokai 16-year-old, Kai Padilla-Silva. In his first ever surfing contest, Padilla-Silva was preparing to compete in both bodyboarding and shortboard surfing.

On Saturday, March 15, a community wide surf contest was hosted on Molokai for the first time since 2019. Organized by Molokai Keiki O Ke Kai and the Hawaii Surfing Association, the event offered bodyboarding and surfing categories for a variety of age groups.

“It’s a fun thing for us kids to do because we don’t have a lot to do,” Padilla-Silva explained.…

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‘Aha Opio O Molokai Showcases Student Creativity

Thursday, March 13th, 2025

‘Aha Opio O Molokai Showcases Student Creativity

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

In its ninth iteration, the ‘Aha ‘Opio O Molokai offered plenty of opportunities to demonstrate the creativity of Molokai students and their connection to cultural history. Held annually, this year’s showcase was held at Kilohana School on Saturday Feb. 22.

Student work lined the rooms of Kilohana School, with projects ranging from the ahapua’a system to water conservation and more.

“It turned out to be a really, really nice day,” explained Molokai High School librarian Diane Mokuau, a member of the leadership cadre for the showcase. “It’s an opportunity to see what our students can produce.”…

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Culinary Club Discontinued

Thursday, March 13th, 2025

Culinary Club Discontinued

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

Following three years of cook offs, kitchen skills, restaurant visits and community galas, Molokai High School’s (MHS) popular Culinary Club will no longer be in operation at the high school starting next year.

“The Culinary Club will be discontinued at the end of the current school year,” explained a March 5 letter from MHS Principal Katina Soares to parents. “We are committed to providing culinary experiences and career opportunities for our students. These opportunities will be integrated into the regular in-school culinary class curriculum moving forward.”

The decision to shelve the club was due to fundraising worries and an administrative desire for stronger adherence to MHS’s Academy Model, explained Soares in an interview with the Dispatch.…

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E Ola Ka ‘Olelo Hawaii 

Thursday, February 13th, 2025

E Ola Ka ‘Olelo Hawaii 

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor 

“If a culture has its language, the culture will live on. Once the language dies, the culture dies,” explained Kilia Purdy-Avelino. As a longtime kumu of ‘Olelo Hawaii currently teaching ‘olelo in a Hawaiian focused charter school, Purdy-Avelino has helped many students participate in this lifeline of language. Last week though, she sat in a slightly different role as a judge at the annual ‘Aha Ho’okuku ‘Olelo Hawaiian Language Competition. 

Molokai students of the Hawaiian language from preschoolers at Punana Leo to high schoolers and even some post-grad young adults gathered at Kulana ‘Oiwi Halau on Tuesday, Feb.…

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Lonoikamakahiki

Friday, January 31st, 2025

Lonoikamakahiki

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

Last week, Molokai residents made their way to Kaunakakai Ball Park to celebrate the end of Makahiki season. Makahiki, a four-month period starting in late October or early November and ending in January, represents the season of Lono, and the bounty of the rain and harvest. The Hawaiian tradition of competing in games to honor this time of year was revived on Molokai over four decades ago.

“Forty-four years ago, we started the Makahiki games playing baseball and basketball because that’s all we knew,” explained Walter Ritte, one of the founders of Ka Molokai Makahiki’s revival of the ancient tradition.…

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Sports Weekend Recap

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Sports Weekend Recap

Winter sports continued into the last few weeks of their regular seasons. Girls basketball took on Seabury Hall in two games at home. In Friday’s game, where the basketball team celebrated senior night, the Lady Farmers took an emphatic 50-4 victory over Seabury Hall. Leila Hooper-Phifer dropped 19 points and Kaia Yamashita put up 12 points in the win.

Saturday was more of the same for the Lady Farmers, taking a 38-17 win. This time Khloe Bicoy led the scoring with 12 points. The Lady Farmers ended their regular season with a 9-1 record and will host the MIL tournament in two weeks.…

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Training Homegrown Healthcare Professionals

Thursday, January 9th, 2025

Training Homegrown Healthcare Professionals

When Olelo Schonely Spencer at UH Maui College Molokai launched a Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) certification cohort program last year, she thought a couple of people might sign up.
“We didn’t really think we’d have nine right out of the gate,” said Schonely Spencer, who works as the college’s Career and Technical Education program coordinator. “[We thought] oh, just a couple, you know, just to kind of see if this is going to work. And it kind of exceeded all of our expectations.”
Those nine residents just received their certifications for free, made possible through a partnership with Good Jobs Hawaii.…

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