Learning in the Dirt
.JPG)
.JPG)
- Failure notice from provider:
Connection Error:http_request_failed Submission Deadlines
Advertising
Content
To print on:
-
Education
Add your commentTesting Toward Success
Taking tests does not have to be the bane of students’ lives – in fact, a new program on Molokai may show that regular assessment tests can help students learn more efficiently. Most Molokai public school students this year will take monthly benchmark tests in reading and math, as educators attempt to better track their progress and improve their Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) scores.
The benchmarks are the result of a new year-to-year contract with the Hawaii EDISON Alliance, a subgroup of the EdisonLearning company. The Alliance partners with Hawaiian schools struggling to meet national testing standards, and attempts to raise students’ scores through professional development, achievement systems and more, according to its website.
Paddlers Raise Thousands
.JPG)
Community Contributed by Clare Seeger Mawae
After a couple-year hiatus, the Molokai Challenge was brought back to life on Aug. 13 by two young Molokai SUP paddlers, 11-year-old Josie and 9-year-old Alex Mawae. Sixteen-year-olds Shauden Pedro and Kaela Pereira joined the event and all of them did so well despite challenging conditions of the crossing. In effort to raise money for charities of their choice, Youth in Motion relay teams crossed the Pailolo Channel from Maui to Molokai. They then continued their journey independently from Kamalo to Malama Park where six-man canoes joined in and paddled the last leg with them.
The purpose of this event is to inspire youth in following their dreams and realizing that no matter what challenges may be presented, opportunities do exist. The crossing from Maui is a chance for adults to give back to the next generation and a chance for youth under the adult chaperones to go out and accomplish challenges while inspiring other youth that they can do the same. At this year’s Molokai Challenge, participating keiki athletes raised well over $2000 in pledges to donate to their chosen charities.
.JPG)
Last Saturday on Maui, the three stand-up paddle teams gathered at D.T. Flemmings Beach Park, while participating kite boarders prepared themselves at an adjacent beach. The winds were perfect to start paddling to Molokai, since a southwest swell was running and causing turbulence with a strong current in a northeast direction making tactical decisions important. Out past mid-channel, the winds picked up and the swells and wind were lined in a perfect direction to make it over to Kamalo.
As Molokai was approaching with three miles to the destination, the Molokai Challenge lived up to its name, with shifts in wind and swells. The last three miles took almost 1.5 hours to complete because of the challenging factors, making crossing the channel seem quite easy. Four hours and 25 minutes later Josie Mawae touched shore with a huge smile on her face. Team Pa`a Hana with Shauden Pedro continued past Kamalo due to the shifting wind and then pulled out in line with Rice Patch. Two kiting teams had a blast making the most of the wind and swells giving an incredible air show at Kamalo.
Malama Park came alive with the kupuna singing and playing their instruments, dancing hula, talking story bringing forth flowing ideas of the future of this cultural park.
This was an amazing experience for the young paddlers and after the crossing was over, they were made it quite clear that this was just the beginning in the long distance racing quest. Both Josie and Alex Mawae are ready and set to mark their calendars for 2012 with more events and for sure doing the Molokai Challenge again, but this time with more experience and training under their belt.
For more information on SUP racing and/or trying the sport on Molokai you can contact Clare Seeger Mawae from Stand Up Paddle Association of Molokai and Youth in Motion via email at clare@youthinmotion.org.
Molokai Teaches with Heart
Submitted by Diane Abraham
The public school teachers on Molokai would like to thank The Molokai Dispatch for the opportunity to have our haumana share their experiences with their most beloved teachers. Each month, kumu from a different school island-wide will be featured in articles written completely by the keiki. This month’s student articles are from fourth-graders at Kualapu`u School.
Mr. Ryan Link (PE teacher)
Tutu’s Corner
Health Topics: Hearing and Vision
Column by Tutu and Me
Molokai Youth Compete in Naish Paddle Championship
.jpg)
Community Contributed
By Clare Seeger Mawae
The 6th Annual Naish Paddle Championships was held on Maui on July 24 from Maliko Gulch to Kahului Harbor, a distance of 9.54 miles. More than 220 world-class international competitors in both prone and stand up paddle divisions gathered for this event. Two Molokai youth, Josie Mawae, 11, and Alex Mawae, 9, were the youngest competitors in this prestigious line-up.
.jpg)
In the men’s division, Jamie Mitchell from Australia took first place in prone and Dave Kalama took first place in unlimited. In the 14’ division, it was Jeremy Riggs and in the 12’6 division it was 16-year-old Connor Baxter that came out ahead. In the women’s division, Candice Appleby won prone; 18-year-old Talia Gangini was victorious in the SUP unlimited, Sonni Hoenscheid dominating the 14’ division and Tomoko Okazaki winning the 12’6 division. Riggs Napolean, age 13, won the 14’ class in the under 16 division, placing 19th overall.
Josie took second in the women’s under 30 12’6 division, while her brother Alex finished fourth place to Baxter, one of the top paddlers in the world. Older sister Kaela, 16, finished fourth in the under 30 14’ class, while I took the role of a racing chaperone paddling back and forth between the Molokai kids.
This event was quite the experience for these young paddlers, who brought home respectable times of 2:09 and 2:10 considering the light winds and lack of muscle power compared to other paddlers. Perhaps the best part of this event was that their confidence rose, knowing that the deep blue and rolling swells of the ocean are not as scary as they once appeared.
It was also refreshing to see other young paddlers in the race with 12-year-old Skylar Lickle from Maui, 13-year-old Heimoana Delongeaux from Tahiti, Maleko Lorenzo from Maui, 13-year-old Riggs Napoleon from Oahu, the 14-year-olds Bern Roediger, Noah Yap, Travis Baptiste and 16-year-old Connor Baxter. These kids are paving the future for hopefully many more young paddlers to enjoy this sport.
A great event by all and perhaps next year there will be more of a line up from Molokai.
Kamehameha Schools Accepting Applications
Kamehameha Schools News Release
From Molokai to Med School
.JPG)
Growing up on Molokai, Dayton Wong and Kaimana Chow became friends when they attended Kaunakakai Elementary school. After attending separate high schools – Wong at Molokai High School (MHS) and Chow at Kamehameha Schools on Oahu – they reunited in the University of Hawaii (UH) undergrad dorms in 2006, helping each other study and pushing themselves to succeed. Now, they’re starting another journey together: a four-year program at the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) – making them two of only a few Molokai students who have been accepted to medical school.
While the pair’s parallel paths are notable, it’s their shared goals for the future that set could them apart from their class: they each hope to return to Molokai to practice medicine for the community that gave them so much, they said.
“Molokai being the small community that it is, it’s good to take care of the community, if you have a chance to do that,” Wong said. “It’s still a long ways away until I’ll be able to give back, but it can be counted on. It will happen.”
Chow said he, too, is motivated to return the gift of giving to the small communities which raised him.
“The communities [of Molokai and Homer, Alaska], since they’re smaller, they’re more like a family, more supportive,” he said. “It makes you wanna give back to those communities who help you along those journeys.”.JPG)
Moon-Minded
Molokai youth have stars in their eyes this week as they wait to be interviewed in the final round of Moonbots 2.0, the second year of an international robot-building competition sponsored by Google, Lunar X Prize Foundation and LEGO. The goal of each team is to design a robot to be made of Legos that could survive moon exploration.
Molokai’s four-person crew, named Molokai Mahina 2.0 (an encore version of their team name last year, Molokai Mahina), was among 20 teams worldwide chosen to advance to the second round – the first time a Hawaiian team has made it this far. More than 70 teams from around the globe entered the competition, which is open to students ages 9 to 18.
Team members include Alex Gilliland, James Duffy, Luke Kikukawa and Michael Kikukawa.
All contents copyright © 2003-2025. Molokai Dispatch, Inc. All rights reserved. 
