Education

Molokai Challenge Deemed a Success

Monday, September 1st, 2008

Sixth annual event raised over $1,000 for isle youth groups.

From left to right Elle Cochran,Claire Seeger Mawae, Zane Schweitzer and Shawneen Schweitzer pose with mock-check of funds raised during 2008 Molokai Challenge.

By Albert Lanier

“Quality not quantity” was the phrase chanted- as if a mantra- on Saturday, August 30th by Clare Seeger Mawae, organizer of the Molokai Challenge which was held that day.
   
A handful of participants took their places in the 2008 edition of this now six year old event. The Challenge essentially consists of a crossing of the Pailolo Channel which commenced from DT Flemings Beach on Maui and concluded at Kamalo on Molokai.
   
There were four registered divisions: Stand-up Paddle Board, Windsurfing, Tandem Windsurfing and Kiteboarding.
    
Most of the participants took the stand-up paddle board route. Entrants Elle Cochran, Shawneen Schweitzer and her son 14 year old Zach Kekoa Schweitzer worked as a team.

A participant in the Challenge for four years, Zach Schweitzer said that he opted to eschew the windsurfing he did in past events and try stand up paddling (SUP) this year “’cause it’s the new thing.”

Lifeguard Archie Kalepa also SUP’d in this year’s Molokai Challenge and cross the channel with the fastest time of 3 hours and 10 seconds.

Though skies were clear and sunny, gusty winds were largely non-existent until participants headed toward Kamalo where they began to pick up considerably.

“Right when we got here, the wind blew” Kalepa said at Kamalo after the race.

“You need good wind, good swell-good swell conditions” said Kalepa about what makes for effective paddleboarding.

“Normally, you get these conditions on a daily basis” Kalepa observed about the lack of Windsurfers Jace Panebianco and Doug Miller also surfed the crossing in tandem.

While surfers and paddle boarders might find the course and the conditions of interest, the point of the event is not running a race but raising funds.

This year’s Molokai Challenge raised $1,800 for youth groups on the islands through the auspices of the Youth in Motion organization.

The 2008 event stood out from its predecessors because it marked the first time the Molokai Challenge had been held as a stand alone event.

According to Mawae, the Challenge had previously been part of a youth festival called “A Celebration of Youth Opportunities” which featured activities and events such as a sports clinic.

However, the Challenge had failed to forward much money to youth groups in the past because the costs of the festival had to be covered. The number of participants in the event has gone down of late. The first Molokai Challenge in 2002 featured 84 people and averaged 80 entrants for a couple of years.

But a lack of grant money and corporate funding help produce a downturn in participation since Mawae couldn’t pay for escort boats to shadow surfers, entrants had to produce their own boats as they did for this year’s Challenge.

Thus, while there were 15 registered entrants, only a few participants actually took part in the event.

However, Mawae’s spirits were buoyed by the fact that $1,800 was raised for distribution to youth groups and by the fact she was able to observe and keep tabs on the event from an observer boat. “Although (the turnout) was very small, I worked out a few of the kinks” noted Mawae.

The 2008 Molokai Challenge did have some sponsors including the Molokai Business Association and Young Brothers. Positive attitudes from participants like Schweitzer and Kalepa also contributed the good feeling experienced after the event.
    
“It was a good workout” Kalepa observed about this year’s Challenge “It was still awesome, still great.”

Mawae hopes to have larger field of participants for next year’s Challenge. Her future goals include reaching a point when the event can raise $50 to $100,000 each year for youth groups throughout Molokai.

Molokai High School Back on Track

Monday, September 1st, 2008

By Catherine Cluett

The Molokai High School Community Council meeting revealed adaptations and additions that are changing school policies. Students are enrolling in online courses to supplement the curriculum, and uniforms may become a school requirement in the future. Principal Linda Puleloa, in her report, noted that the year had a “rough and shaky start” with a shortage of teachers, particularly in math and Japanese.

Two new math teachers have since been hired, although administrators were not able to find a Japanese teacher to fill the position. As a result, Japanese students have been enrolled in online courses allowing them to continue their studies. With Spanish students also learning online, students are being encouraged to pursue courses not offered at the school through online options.

School uniforms may also be in the cards for Molokai High, though no decision will be made until more information is available. Students, parents and staff will all be polled before any decision is made to establish a uniform code at the school. Currently, three other high schools in the state have instated uniforms. The dress code as it exists now at Molokai High School is enforced by faculty.

The recent change in the school schedule statewide was also noted. This schedule will shorten both the winter and spring breaks by a week, allowing students to end classes in May.

School complex officer Melanie Coates conducted a School Community Council training session, educating members in such topics as the purpose of the group and its ground rules, academic and financial planning, and student support.

The Molokai School Community Council is looking for more parent and community involvement in their meetings. Guests are also welcome to attend at any time and add input to meetings. The council also currently needs a community member. This member cannot be associated with the school as a teacher of staff member, and cannot be a parent of a student at the school. Call Molokai High School (808) 567-6950 for more information.

Kualapu`u School Appealing State Decision

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Superintendent to make decision on results of Adequate Yearly Progress testing by end of August.

Community Art Project Completed at Kualapu’u School

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Mosaic wall is the newest addition to school’s art installations.

From left to right, Kualapu’u School art teacher Koki Foster and students Nainoa Kahale, 3^rd grade, Kaimana Kahale, 4^th grade, and Tabby Fernandez, 3^rd grade, admire their newest art project.

By Catherine Cluett

Art flourishes at Kualapu’u School as children proudly show off their newest project, a mosaic wall completed earlier last week. Students, parents, teachers, and staff at the school collaborated to create the project.

“One thing I love about the installation is watching the children interact with the mural -- by touching the tiles and discussing with each other their favorite pieces,” says Kualapu`u art resource person Koki Foster.

Inspiration
Besides acting as resource, Foster is also the inspiration for the project. Begun about a year ago, she says the mural was created partially in the classrooms, and partially during “Family Art Nights,” where parents and keiki had the opportunity to engage in the creative process together.

The permanent installation consists of about 250 ceramic pieces, individually created and glazed, and joined together on the wall by grout. The wall doubles as the back of a bench, creating a piece of both beauty and utility for all to enjoy.

Ninety tiles were made by teachers and staff at Kualapu'u, and `ohana and students made 160 tiles. The theme of the mural was left open, and artists were given the freedom to create whatever they wanted with the materials. The result is a colorful medley of themes and images, drawn both from reality and the imaginations of its creators.

The mural is one of several permanent, large-scale projects around Kualapu’u. The most recent work in progress is a painted mural entitled “Birds of the Forest,” which involves for the keiki both research of bird species and their artistic portrayal on a building wall.

Generous Benefactors
The project was made possible by a donation of $1,500 by Randy Antonio. The money was used to purchase clay and glaze for the tiles. In addition, each teacher received $150 of clay for students to use in the classroom throughout the year.

Kualapu’u School recently received a $6,000 grant from the Hawaii State Foundation of Arts and Culture for Foster’s latest collaborative community art project. Keep an eye out for “Math Discovery Islands” – benches around the school soon to be remodeled into creative unions of math, art, and utility.

Molokai Youth Make the Journey of a Lifetime

Monday, August 4th, 2008

Hard work and community support helped to send the island’s Catholic youth to World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia.

By Zalina Alvi

After more than two years of fundraising, the youth of a Catholic parish on Molokai had the experience of a lifetime when they traveled to Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day 2008.

All those who went agreed that it was an amazing opportunity to share in cultural and spiritual fellowship with other Catholic youth from as far as away as Columbia and Poland.

“Even though we come from different parts of the world, we all have the same beliefs,” said Julie Bicoy, who enjoyed the chance to meet and commune with Catholic youth from around the globe.

World Youth Day is the largest gathering of youth in the world, and it took place this year from July 15 to 20 in Sydney, Australia. Participants enjoy a series of spiritual and cultural events throughout the week, culminating in a Final Mass with the Pope on the last day.

Donna Bicoy’s said the group’s visit to St. Mary’s Cathedral was one of her favorite experiences. “It was definitely the prettiest,” she said.

The youth were joined in their excursion by youth ministry leaders Gene Santiago, Julie Bicoy, and Bo Mahoe. Together, the parish prepared a presentation and potluck dinner on Aug. 6 at St. Sophia’s to share their experiences with the rest of the community who helped them on their journey.

“We had a lot of community support,” said Ayla Bicoy, one of the lucky few who were able to participate in the event.

The young men and women of St. Sophia’s Catholic Church and Our Lady of Seven Sorrows were able to raise the $3,500 per person needed to send them on this historic event through chocolate sales, a golf tournament, selling lunch plates, and sponsorship from the community. They went on the epic 10-day journey with other parishes from Maui and Oahu.

Molokai Youth Get Their Hands Dirty

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps bridges the gap between conservation projects and island youth.

By Zalina Alvi

Deep in the bushes of Halawa Valley, a handful of young men and women are covered in mud, trying to restore a taro patch to its former vitality. They are pulling up weeds, learning about conservation work, and laughing and enjoying themselves as they do it.

“We get to learn all kinds of ways to keep the environment healthy, and to preserve for our future generations (…) The knowledge will pass on to us, so we can pass it on,” said participant Riare “Queenie” Perreira.

In fact, for the past six weeks, the eager youth of the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps have been traveling across Molokai, Oahu, and Kaho`olawe, working with various conservation projects as part of a summer program.

In exchange for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, skills in leadership and team-building, and a chance to play a role in maintaining the precious resources of our isles, they have been traveling from one location to the next and working non-stop.

“The program gives them the opportunity to do conservation work, get their foot in the door, to see what it’s like, and to build up their skills,” said Nicole Tachibana, a program leader on Molokai.

After team training on Oahu, the group moved on to the Keawanui Fishpond on the east side of Molokai. They spent a week moving rocks to help with restoration, building an ahu, and removing invasive species from the area, all the while learning about the importance of fishponds to our culture and our kuleana to preserve them.

The next week found the team in Kaho`olawe, where they helped to create a trail around the outside of the entire island in preparation for the annual Makahiki festival season, which is a four-month period beginning in late October or early November.

The rest of the six-week program included work with Kahonua Momona at the Ali`i Fishpond, removal of strawberry, guava and clidemia plants with The Nature Conservancy, and helping with the Molokai subcommittee of the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

All the young men and women working with the Corps on Molokai, most of whom were still in high school or had just graduated, felt that learning about their island and how to manage and preserve its resources were their main reasons for participating.

“I joined the program to preserve our nature and plants, and to learn about our island,” said Lynsey Dudoit-Alapai.

After each of these experiences, the participants, between the ages of 15 and 35, are expected to write journal entries about the importance of the work they are doing at each site, for which they are paid $1,000 at the end of the summer program.

This year, the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps sponsored 15 teams of youth statewide, which included close to 150 members. The program provides assistance on six different islands in Hawaii including Kaho`olawe, and is sponsored in large part by the Department of Land Natural Resources and Kamehameha Schools. The summer program is part of Kupu, which supports other programs such as a year-round internship, community assistance program, and the Hana Hou internship program.

Participants must apply online at www.hawaiiycc.com by March of each year for the summer program, and those accepted will have all their accommodation and travel expenses covered by the program.

Another Great Ride

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Everyone wins at last meet in keiki surf competition.

By Jennifer Smith

Providing a summer of fun in the sun for the whole family, this year’s Ko Molokai Keiki `O Ke Kai three-meet surfing series went off without a hitch. After 19 years of watching local keiki catching waves, a packed Waialua Beach last Saturday illustrated the continued popularity of the event with residents from all over the island.

“It’s been great,” said Peter Angelsea, Ko Molokai Keiki `O Ke Kai competition director. He said a solid participation from 69 keiki this year and favorable conditions helped to make the event a success. 

“The neat thing is that everyone pitches in,” Angelsea said. Parents, volunteers, local businesses, and even some generous members of the surf industry contribute to the event. “We can’t do it without them.”

While initially donations were few and far between, several people stepped up in the end to help shake the bushes and ensure that every participant received a prize after last Saturday’s final surf meet. The celebrations included an awards ceremony, potluck, and goodies for the keiki.

Angelsea and wife Minka Nelson have helped organize the event for the past eight years. Now with a one-year-old in tow, the demands of heading up the event are more challenging, but Angelsea said it is worth it. 

“It’s really satisfying to see it moving into its 20th year,” Angelsea said, explaining his appreciation for being able to support “the quintessential Hawaiian sport.”

He said next year will be a big deal, and he plans on taking full advantage of the year ahead to plan the event.

A Sad Farewell
Angelsea announced during last Saturday’s meet the sad loss of the owner of the property where the surf competition has been held for the last 19 years.

Robert Lindsey and his family have graciously allowed the organization to use the property, said Angelsea in an email. “We were all saddened to hear of his passing.”

Grades are in for Molokai Schools

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

Annual state progress report puts two Molokai schools at the front of the pack, and the rest in line for restructuring.

By Zalina Alvi

Two Molokai schools are among only 10 schools in Maui County to make the grade in annual state progress report.

Maunaloa Elementary is the only one on the island, and one of only four in the county, achieving what is called Adequate Yearly Progress, while Kilohana Elementary is in pending Good Standing (meaning they didn’t pass this year, but they have one more chance).

Meanwhile, Kualapu`u Elementary, Kaunakakai Elementary, Molokai Middle and Molokai High join 14 others in the county in line to receive state intervention, as a result of not meeting the proficiency levels for six years or more. A handful of other county schools are scattered on levels in between.

The progress reports are part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which tests students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 10 on reading and math. The idea is to assess whether schools are on their way to meeting a goal of 100 percent proficiency in the two areas by 2014.

This year, however, the scores needed to pass were raised from 44 percent to 58 percent in reading, and from 28 percent to 46 percent in math, which may account for the drop in the number of schools that are in good standing.

This year, only 113 Hawaii public schools, or 40 percent, met the proficiency targets, down from 184, or 65 percent, last year. In Maui County, the number went from 15 down to just four.

The proficiency levels are first applied to the school as a whole, and then to smaller groups that are categorized by ethnicity, poverty levels, English proficiency and special education needs. If even one of these groups are falling behind, the entire school will not be able to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress.

In 2008, 68 schools in the state, or 24 percent, did not pass because of one or two of these areas.

For those schools who achieved the lowest standing and get the label “Restructuring,” they will receive special training for school administrators and staff, as well as a private education consultant to help them develop strategies to increase student test scores and overall achievement.

Last week, Maui Complex Area Superintendent Bruce Anderson also traveled to New Orleans with about half a dozen school principals to receive similar training.

Department of Education Superintendent Pat Hamamoto, however, is remaining optimistic, and said she expected more schools in Hawaii would not make the grade because of the higher scored needed to pass.

“The true significance of the results is our students are applying and practicing what they are being taught in the classroom,” she told The Maui News. “Without a doubt, student achievement in Hawaii continues to improve.”