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Island Youth

The keiki and `opio of Molokai

Maunaloa and Kilohana Schools Among Best in State

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Maunaloa and Kilohana Schools Among Best in State

Molokai has one of the smallest populations in the state, but that population is home to two of Hawaii’s best public elementary schools, according to a state-wide school performance program.

Based on scores from the 2013-14 school year, Maunaloa and Kilohana ranked within the top five percent of Hawaii public schools in the DOE’s Strive HI program, which reviews school performance through the four categories of achievement, student growth, readiness and gap rates. On Oct. 16, the Department of Education (DOE) recognized both schools with two $15,000 checks.

“To have two coming from Molokai, it’s a phenomenal accomplishment,” said Jessica Worchel, the DOE’s Special Assistant to the Superintendent.…

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Bullying Awareness

Friday, October 17th, 2014

FAB News Release

Families Against Bullying (FAB) will be having their sign waving on Friday, Oct. 17 on the Molokai Public Library lawn.  We like to invite our community and youth to come to support us in spreading the word about bully awareness.

We ask for all participants to make their own signs and wear blue on that day which represents bullying awareness.  October is recognized as bully awareness/prevention month around the world, where communities come together and advocate about bullying.  Everyone is invited to participate on that day from 3:30 to 5 p.m.  Let’s make a difference as a community for our children.…

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Waving a Message

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Waving a Message

Youth got together to share a message promoting healthy lifestyles last week. A sign waving in conjunction with National Recovery Month helped educate the Molokai community about mental or substance abuse disorders and the treatments available.

Hosted by Alu Like’s Hoala Hou program and the Ho`i Ho`i Leadership Group, the annual sign waving was held this year on Sept. 26. Ho`i Ho`i Leadership Group is comprised of eight middle and high school students who participate in weekly lessons, activities and service projects through Alu Like, according to Jana Sasada, program supervisor.

“Our Ho’i Ho’i Leadership Group plays a big role in organizing, planning and preparing all of our community activities and service projects,” said Sasada.  …

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An International Affair

Friday, September 26th, 2014

An International Affair

Kaunakakai Elementary hosted their first annual Cultural Night last Friday, complete with belly dancing and a balut eating contest, to showcase the cultural diversity within the community.  Parents and community members with many ethnic backgrounds from Fiji, Micronesia, Philippines, Russia, France, Mexico, Japan, Ireland, Turkey, and of course Hawaii, came together to expose students and their families to some of the cultures that make our community unique.

The goal of the evening was to educate and enrich the students by allowing them to “explore” other countries foods, traditions, and languages without even leaving the island, according to  coordinators of the event, Parent Community Network Center Coordinator Jennifer Whitted and Physical Education teacher U`i Kalani.…

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MHS Students Visit East Coast Colleges

Friday, September 26th, 2014

MHS Students Visit East Coast Colleges

Community Contributed

By Ric Ornellas

Molokai High School (MHS) 2013 graduate Michael Kikukawa is the first Molokai student to study at Harvard, a recognized institution in the world of higher education. Michael’s current academic standing as a Harvard sophomore inspires other MHS students to broaden their horizons in higher education.

On Friday, Oct. 3, 14 MHS students will travel to New York City and New Haven, Connecticut, to visit universities and colleges to consider post-high school educations on the East Coast. The students are members of the Molokai College Career Tour Club (MCCTC), a new MHS student club. The students will visit Columbia University, Barnard College, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York University, and Yale University in New Haven, CT.…

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Learning Tech Together

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Learning Tech Together

Huddled outside in the hot sun, Kaunakakai Elementary sixth grade students raced solar-powered toy cars that they built in the classroom as part of the two-week Tech Together: Ka Ulu Ana Program.

Tech Together is a 10-day in-class program that delivers science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, to sixth grade students statewide through stimulation and interactive activities. Three Molokai schools, Kaunakakai, Kualapu`u and Kilohana, participated in the program this year with a curriculum focused on renewable and non-renewable energy technology, sustainability and the correlation between Hawaii culture and energy needs, said Vaito`i Tuala, Trainer Two, or lead classroom instructor, when she visited Molokai two weeks ago.…

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Fun for the Whole `Ohana

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

Fun for the Whole `Ohana

Last Saturday’s Kualapu`u School `Ohana Fun Fair brought crowds of families for a day that included a beauty pageant, fitness challenge, horseback and wagon rides, face painting and art booths, bounce house, and a wide assortment of food and craft booths. The event was a kick-off to the school’s 10th anniversary of converting to a charter model.

The fitness challenge, pictured here, featured age-appropriate obstacle courses in a fun, “everyone wins” race over tables, through tires, into a muddy dunk-tank, and past opihi-picking challenges, all to end with a cooling water slide. The fitness event, through a partnership with Na Pu`uwai, promoted exercise, healthy competition and self-confidence, according to Na Pu`uwai’s Kari Kikukawa.…

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Butterfly Garden Tiles

Friday, September 5th, 2014

Butterfly Garden Tiles

Community Contributed

By Frances Feeter

The butterfly garden at the Molokai Public Library established earlier this year by Chevy Levasa received added adornment on Saturday, Aug. 23.  Thanks to the hard work of keiki and kupuna of the Molokai Art Center who spent many days creating and decorating the creative and unique tiles, the ceramic squares were placed around the butterfly-shaped garden.

Several children were present to lay their tiles around the butterfly-friendly plants that continue to attract these fluttering friends in the heart of Kaunakakai.  Monarchs have been enjoying host and nectar plants of milkweed, cosmos and crown floor.  Small blue butterflies tentatively identified as Hawaiian blues are flitting around the rattlepod plants.…

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Kualapu`u School Receives $50K Grant

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

Ho`okako`o and Kualapu`u School News Release

Hawaiian Airlines Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Kualapu`u Public Conversion Charter School for two new projects essential to the educational achievement of its students: Project Kuka`Ike STEM Education Program and Project Kuakupono Student Support Services Program.

Project Kuka`Ike STEM Education Program is a school-wide initiative to expand STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) for students in Kindergarten through sixth grades. According to Sue Forbes, the school’s Math and Science Curriculum Coordinator, “The goal is to prepare teachers to provide a robust, hands-on STEM education with a focus on the environment and agriculture that the children of Molokai can easily relate to, and which significantly improves their achievement in math and science.”…

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Granting Success

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014

Granting Success

When she was in eighth grade, Molokai High junior Momi Afelin wrote her first grant for robotics education. Fast forward three years and she has five successful grants under her belt, with the most recent awarded to the Kaunakakai Elementary robotics program last Friday morning.

“I hope this grant opens the kids’ eyes to all the opportunities that are out there for them in STEM,” Afelin said, referring to science, technology, engineering and math fields

For the last two years, Afelin has volunteered her time as a student mentor after school at Kaunakakai Elementary to help students with their presentation skills.…

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