Island Youth

The keiki and `opio of Molokai

Learning Life Lessons Through Basketball

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Learning Life Lessons Through Basketball

The Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Team brought its positive message of pursuing an education, staying drug free and of course, basketball, to the Barn last Monday night for a spectacle of slam dunks and laughs.

Taking to the court in a charity game, the Harlem Ambassadors played the Molokai All-Stars, a team of volunteers from the fire department, police department and Friendly Market, in a game full of music, dancing and fun.

“Please stay in school, stay focused, be obedient, listen to your parents or guardians, the leadership that is before you,” said Lade Majic, coach of the Harlem Ambassadors. “Everyone can make it.…

Transition to Middle School

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

Community Contributed

By Alison Place, School Renewal Specialist

Ho`olauna defined is to “give an introduction to; to be friendly.”  This year’s sixth grade Ho`olauna was held on Monday, May 12 at the Duke Maliu Regional Park. The purpose of the annual Ho`olauna is to transition the outgoing sixth graders to middle school.  One hundred fifteen sixth graders from Kilohana, Kaunakakai, Kualapu`u and Maunaloa joined together to get to know one another and to learn more about what it means to be a Molokai Middle School (MMS) student.

Referred to as the Class of 2020, these students were told they are the visionaries who have 20-20 vision to create the world of the future while remembering the past.…

2014 May Day Highlights

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

2014 May Day Highlights

Each year, schools around the island celebrate May Day, known as Lei Day in Hawaii. Students at each school are selected for the royal court to represent every island, and perform songs and dances for family and friends. Here, we represent each celebration that’s taken place over the past three weeks.…

From Passion to Power

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

From Passion to Power

Slam poetry has emerged in Molokai schools among students and teachers bringing literary talents to the microphone to spit poems from the depths of their souls.

“When you write slam poetry, it’s an emphasis on your passions,” said MHS Hawaiian Language Immersion senior, `Apelila Ritte-Camara-Tangonan. “My passion and fire burns with my [Hawaiian] culture. I know a lot of people share the same fire and…for me self-expression through music, art or slam poetry rekindles my fire.”

Ritte-Camara-Tangonan was one of 13 rising slam poets who threw down, going word for word in the MHS Library last Tuesday night in the first ever Hana Hou Poetry Slam Competition.…

No Child Left Inside

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

No Child Left Inside

Turning litter from Mo’omomi into beautiful art, testing Kalama`ula waters for salinity and soil for pH levels and quizzing curious minds on the Kaunakakai Ahupua`a, students shared their research at the Molokai Digital Bus (MDB) capstone Ho`ike.

Students soaked in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research at the fourth annual capstone last Wednesday at Kulana `Oiwi.

About 250 students collected, weighed and sorted data to showcase as part of the MDB Molokai Ho`ike project, a yearlong program that takes students out in the field in a mobile laboratory to experiment. Approximately 75 of those students came to the event to aid their kumu in presenting baseline research to other students, teachers and their ohana.…

Robotics Team Gets Congressional Praise

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

Robotics Team Gets Congressional Praise

During her visit to Molokai last week, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard honored the Molokai Middle School Robotics Team for their accomplishments at the VEX IQ Robotics World Championships in California last month.

The team came home ranked 10th in the world in the teamwork category and 17th for Qualifications out of 60 teams worldwide. Their results also qualify them to compete in the international competition this summer in Honolulu.

“I think sometimes it can be easy for us… to take for granted how awesome all of you are, so I get the privilege of being able to tell you how awesome you are,” said Gabbard, “and how proud we are, not just here on Molokai, not just here in Hawaii, but across the country to see how the talent and the skill of the students here is representing the strength of Hawaii…”

Assisted by County Councilwoman Stacy Crivello, Gabbard presented the team with Congressional recognition.…

Birds for Bishop Museum

Sunday, May 18th, 2014

Birds for Bishop Museum

Hawaii’s native bird population is in peril, with 23 birds already extinct and more than 30 of the state’s avian species in danger of becoming extinct, according to a federal report.

However, fossil and sub-fossil discoveries and collections of specimens are providing a wealth of information that may save the birds. The first fossil findings took place on Molokai over 40 years ago, putting the island at the forefront of action and bringing in notable inquisitive scientists.

“It took millions of years for these birds to come to Hawaii and evolve into amazing species and once they’re gone, they’re gone,” said Molly Hagemann, the Bishop Museum’s vertebrate zoology collection manager.…

Hawaiian Youth make an Impact in California

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

Hawaiian Youth make an Impact in California

Community Contributed

By Clare Seeger Mawae

Josie and Alex Mawae just came back from California, having participated in two Stand Up Paddling events. Young competitors from all over the country as well as Brazil headed to Orange County to participate in the second annual Junior Pro Sup Fiesta at Bolsa Chica State Park on Sunday, May 4. This was the biggest youth event in the World that set the standards for the future of the sport.

The day, before many of the kids participated in Stand Up For the Cure at Newport which raised money for breast cancer. In that day alone, 15 lives got saved from the free cancer detection clinics with Skin and Breast Cancer.…

`Ohana Lawai`a Camp

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

Hui Malama O Mo`omomi News Release

Last year, Hui Malama o Mo`omomi hosted a successful `Ohana Lawai`a Camp. Thanks to our sponsors, Conservation International/Hawaii Fish Trust and Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development, we are once again hosting our second annual `Ohana Lawai`a Camp. The camp will be held on Friday, June 13 through Tuesday, June 17 at Mo`omomi Beach.

What makes our camp unique? We target the entire `ohana, requiring two generations but encouraging three or more generations to participate if possible. We feel that when more generations are included, families can share and learn from one another, and the knowledge and skills that are developed from camp will more likely continue to be practiced in the home when everyone shares the same beliefs.…

Molokai Represented at State STEM Conference

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

Molokai Represented at State STEM Conference

MEDB News Release

The fifth annual Hawaii STEM Conference was held on Maui on May 2-3, bringing together over local students, educators and industry professionals with some of the most innovative technology companies in the world. This year, 300 students representing 30 intermediate and high schools across the islands participated,including Molokai Middle and High Hawaiian Immersion school STEMworks students.

Since it began in 2009, the Hawaii STEM Conference has grown in popularity and star quality.  The event continues to attract national partners and sponsorships from top tech companies like Google and National Geographic Society, as well as Apple for Education, SketchUp, Chevron and ESRI.…