Department of Education Complex News

The Read Aloud Program invites families to enjoy an evening of food, family and literary fun. 

By Siri Anderson

Student Achievement

Congratulations to all Molokai schools for making significant and continuous academic growth! All six Molokai were invited to the Hawaii Distinguished Schools Award luncheon on Oahu, honoring their outstanding achievement in both reading and math from School Year 2005 through 2007.

As a parent or guardian, you can help the schools continue to address raising your child’s performance by:

• Coming to parent-school meetings and workshops
• Supporting your child’s good study habits;
• Reviewing your child’s homework and test results; and
• Setting goals with your child.

RAP – Read Aloud Program

The Read Aloud Program (RAP) is a fun filled family program that promotes reading aloud and helps parents and children share good books and build a lifelong love of reading.

Maunaloa Elementary School will host four more sessions; Feb. 19, March 4, April 22 and May 6. For more information contact the school liaison Kimberly Kaii at 552-2000.

Kualapu`u Elementary School will also host four more RAP sessions; Feb. 20, March 5, April 23 and May 7. For more information contact the school liaison Leila Elia at 567-6900.

Free Tutoring Available!

Qualified students can receive free tutoring in reading and math. Qualification is based on free/reduced lunch status. Parents, guardians and kupuna, please take advantage of these valuable services, designed to boost student achievement by filling out an application form today! Applications are available in school offices.

Free Books!

Molokai keiki and their parents are invited to take advantage of a special reading opportunity. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library provides free, high quality, age-appropriate books every month to registered children, who live in designated communities, from the time they are born up until kindergarten. This is made possible through a collaborative partnership among the Dollywood Foundation, the Hawaii Department of Human Services, the University of Hawaii Center on the Family and our elementary Schools.

To register your child, go to the office of the elementary school nearest to where you live to complete an application. Books will begin arriving via the U.S. Postal Service between eight to ten weeks after a registration form has been submitted.

Kudos to:

In a special Kaunakakai School assembly this fall, Malia (DeCourcy) Sakamoto was named “Everyday Hero.” The Everyday Hero Award, sponsored by Papa John’s Restaurant, recognizes teachers who instill a love for learning in students, respond to student needs and support peers by sharing effective instructional practices, experiences and expertise to maximize student learning. Along with Malia Busby, Mrs. Sakamoto developed the nationally recognized FACT (Families and Classroom Teachers) Program which effectively teams Kaunakakai teachers and families to support learning in a fun and natural way.

In his first year as the girls’ volleyball coach, Molokai Middle School vice principal, Matthew Helm, was named Coach of the Year by the MIL (Maui Interscholastic League). Leading his team to second place in the MIL and fourth place in the state championships was an outstanding accomplishment, as this was. Congratulations to both the team members and their coach!

Molokai Middle School students won first prize at the 35^th Annual Na Mele O Maui song contest for their division. Na Mele is dedicated to cultural preservation and the perpetuation of Hawaiian language and arts. The winning song, “E o Molokai’ was composed by a Molokai resident, Awapuhimele Napoleon and taught to the middle school students by her younger sister, Luana Keonaona Po’okela Napoleon, and aunt, Iolani Kuoha.

Lifelong Learning

K-12 Molokai teacher teams from all schools have been working to ensure instruction in writing and mathematics is consistent across all grade levels and schools. Meeting monthly, teachers are collaborating to align the State Standards into a “Molokai” document that will detail what students should be able to know, do and understand in both math and reading.

ETS (Educational Testing Service) continues to provide rigorous professional development in math and reading. As the complex restructuring provider, ETS has been charged with helping our schools increase student achievement. Molokai teachers have additionally been fortunate to participate in workshops offered by nationally recognized educational leaders including Cindy Strickland (Differentiated Instruction) and Anne Davies (Assessment for Learning).

Upcoming Complex Events

Please join us at our annual complex community meeting highlighting school Academic/Financial Plans. Enjoy dinner courtesy of the Molokai complex. Our school principals, complex personnel and ETS Providers, Pat and Carol Nordquist will be on hand to discuss focused strategies to improve student achievement and ways parents can support learning. Feb.13 at the Kaunakakai School Cafeteria 5:30-7:30 p.m.