Ho'oha'aheo Newsletter, Oct. 30

Hawai'i State Department of Education sent this bulletin at 10/30/2024 10:00 AM HST

Oct. 30

Editorial Mission: As the Department's primary publication, we aim to live up to the meaning of ha‘aheo – to cherish with pride – by bolstering and sustaining pride in public education and touting the successes happening across our system.

KEEP In the Loop with SuperIntendant Keith T. Hayashi-Template

KEEP Superintendent Keith T. Hayashi-Template

Aloha, HIDOE Community –

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter.

Hawai‘i chefs partner with students to spotlight local ingredients
Local chefs teamed up with culinary students at their alma mater high schools for the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation's “Eat Think Drink 27” event at the Prince Waikīkī on Tuesday night.

Farrington High grad Robin Abad of Aliʻi Fish Market, Kalani High grad Keaka Lee of Kapa Hale, Mililani High grad Jeremy Shigekane of the Prince Waikīkī, and Moanalua High grad Mackenzie McCue of Artizen created dishes featuring local ingredients and inspired by what students want to see on school lunch menus (chefs were given the top 25 items from the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundationʻs annual Localicious recipe contest).

Dishes included Thai yellow curry featuring Ludovico Farms chicken, Ho Farms butternut squash, MA‘O Farms baby carrot and Mountain View Farms Thai basil; rice bowls featuring local beef and pork sukiyaki, Waialua Fresh eggs, Ho Farms long beans, Kanekoa Farms pickled vegetables, Gava Grow Farm onions and Kupu Place microgreens; saimin featuring locally caught ahi shumai and smoked ahi dashi, Sun Noodles, Mariʻs Gardens micro cilantro and Okuhara Foods fishcake; and vegetarian tacos featuring Small Kine Farm mushroom and cauliflower, Kawamata Farms tomatoes and Ho Farms romaine.

The event kicked off with a keynote by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz who shared his insights on how strategic government investments can drive meaningful change in local food systems and support Hawai‘i farmers. I participated in a panel discussion that followed about the challenges and opportunities of integrating regional kitchens into local agriculture. The panel discussion was moderated by First Lady Jaime Kanani Green and also included Candace Ka‘ana‘ana, general manager of FCH Enterprises (Zippy’s Restaurants); David Wong, owner of Mountain View Farms in Wai‘anae; and state Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa of Kona, vice chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems.

Chef Jeremy Shigekane of Prince Waikīkī, right, mentors culinary students from his alma mater Mililani High School in an “Eat, Think, Drink” event hosted by the Hawai'i Agricultural Foundation on Oct. 29 at Prince Waikīkī. Credit: Nanea Ching / HIDOE Communications Branch

Honoring civic excellence: Hawai‘i Schools of Democracy named
Congratulations to Kalani High School and Kailua High School for being named Hawai‘i Schools of Democracy! This recognition is a testament to the exceptional efforts and dedication the staff at both schools put forth in promoting democracy, civic engagement, and fostering an environment of inclusivity and active participation among students. Last year Mililani High and Maui High earned the inaugural designations.

New date for King Kamehameha III Elementary site community meeting
Due to a scheduling conflict, the community meeting to gather feedback on a potential site for the permanent rebuild of King Kamehameha III Elementary has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. in the cafeteria of the temporary campus at Pulelehua. Please RSVP here. If you RSVP’d for the previous date and are no longer able to attend, you can change your response to the same form.

National Principals Month

In honor of October being National Principals Month, we are sharing videos from ED Talks Hawai‘i featuring award-winning school principals on their unique leadership styles.

In this video, Fern Elementary School Principal Glen Miyasato shares how he builds trust with families for collaborative parent engagement through simple, everyday acts of caring. Miyasato was honored as the state’s 2023 National Distinguished Principal.

Principals helping principals through Leadership Institute’s residency program

Four experienced HIDOE principals are now helping current principals navigate the challenges of being a school leader by providing ongoing support through the Leadership Institute’s principal-in-residence program.

The program, which has been around for almost a decade, takes sitting principals outside of their schools and allows them to provide guidance in different areas of need for other principals. The principal-in-residence is a two-year program.

“The job of a principal has changed. It’s much more complex now. They’re financial leaders, instructional leaders, community leaders. All of these things have been added to the hat and it can cause burnout,” Alisa Bender, one of HIDOE’s principals in residence, said. “We’re supporting the principals and elevating them in their practice.”

Bender, a former principal at Hickam Elementary and ‘Aiea Intermediate, serves as the secondary principal in residence and spearheads the Hawai‘i Principals Forums. These forums consist of quarterly online convenings, an annual January convention for all HIDOE principals to collaborate on leadership challenges and two in-person forums for secondary principals. These convenings are interconnected and designed to strategically support the communication cycle within the tri-level system to ensure that schools are supported meaningfully and all levels stay responsive to the changing needs of students. All four principals in residence collaboratively plan and coordinate these forums.

The Principals Forum is an annual convention for all HIDOE principals to collaborate on leadership challenges. Credit: Kimberly Yuen / HIDOE Communications Branch

In the newest role created to align with Superintendent Hayashi’s focus on middle level education, Jill LaBoy works with 55 middle school principals across the state to build systems and structures to support the needs of young adolescents. She previously served as principal of Kailua Intermediate.

Jaclyn Lone Elk and Tiffany Pratt are both with LI’s Professional Development and Educational Research Institute (PDERI) and lead the New Principal Academy (NPA). Pratt, previously of Kaʻūmana Elementary, oversees support for 16 first-year principals and Lone Elk, previously of Barbers Point Elementary, oversees support for 24 second-year principals. The two organize monthly seminars and also work with a team of coaches made up of retired HIDOE principals and retired complex area superintendents who also work with the principals in the academy. They help new principals navigate convoluted areas such as managing finances and budgets, using the Office of Talent Management’s hiring platform, and examining what positions are needed.

“I’m a product of this pipeline,” Pratt said. “I did the NPA, I had support. I felt a calling and commitment to serve the Hawai‘i State Department of Education and give back and be a 24/7 support for whatever a new administrator might need.”

The New Principals Academy for second-year principals met at Pu'uhale Elementary School in September. Credit: Jaclyn Lone Elk / Leadership Institute

Ho‘oha‘aheo Photo of the Week

From left to right, Ma‘ema‘e Elementary School second graders Kody Sakata and Jorge Rivera, fourth grader Xavier Gay, and kindergartener Zen Gay show off their costumes at the school’s Halloween Bash on Friday, Oct. 25.

Credit: Kimi Takazawa / HIDOE Communications Branch

Submit your public school-related image from this school year for a chance to be featured as next week’s Ho‘oha‘aheo Photo of the Week!

#HIPublicSchoolsProud

Social media highlights of the most engaging posts of the week.
Use the #HIPublicSchoolsProud hashtag for a chance to be featured!

Baldwin High School

» Congratulations to the Girls and Boys Bowling teams for capturing the 2024 MIL Championship!!!

Roosevelt High School

» Class of 2025, we’re all in this together🎶 You guys really broke free this homecoming! Keep staying fabulous this school year 🎓✨

Pa'auilo Elementary & Intermediate

» Mala Planning with Aunty Elika and Aunty Melissa. Ti-Leaf lei making (twist to the right wrap to the left) #paauiloschool #paauilotigers Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger.

Important Dates & Upcoming Events

Oct. 31 - Board of Education Finance and Infrastructure Committee and General Business Meeting
November: Native American Heritage Month
November: Military Family Appreciation Month
Nov. 5 - Election Day (Schools and state offices closed)

Leilehua High School adopted the mascot of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Military Academy West Point in 1932. Today, Leilehua, which serves military-dependent students at Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield, is also home to a live version of this animal as part of the school's Natural Resources Career Pathway. What is this mascot?

Eagle
Mule
Falcon
Ram

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.

What's For School Lunch?

In honor of October as National Farm To School Month, schools statewide were offered the opportunity to serve locally grown sweet potato, yams, bok choy and kabocha squash. With tomorrow being Halloween, these ingredients were featured in a recipe for “Goblin Goulash,” which combines the local produce items with local ground beef to create a popular stew from Chile called Charquicán. “Charquicán” means “stew with jerky” and is a traditional comfort food served year-round.

Farm To School products help to provide fresher ingredients and better nutrition for Hawaiʻi’s students while reducing the climate impacts of distant farming and transportation and helping to support local farmers, Hawaiʻi’s economy and sustainability.

Photos credit: Edgar Ambrosio / HIDOE Communications Branch

Mahalo to Highlands Intermediate’s school food services manager Iris Maneafaiga, left, and the cafeteria team Darren Cantere, center, and Jayce Ichiyama for inviting us into their kitchen to cover this special Halloween recipe!

“What’s For School Lunch?” is a monthly column coordinated by the School Food Services Branch that features new and exciting school meal initiatives.

HIDOE Headlines

A roundup of announcements, resources and shoutouts.

» Eight students from Konawaena, Kaʻū, Honokaʻa and Hilo high schools participated in the ʻAle Lau Loa Youth Ambassador Program, a program that connects indigenous youths to share cultures with each other. They were paired with students from British Columbia, Canada.

» The school lunch at Laupāhoehoe Public Charter School on Friday made history as Hawai‘i’s first 100% local school lunch. It comprised all local ingredients – beef brisket, bok choy, rainbow carrots, steamed garlic ‘ulu and poi.

» Campbell High School students visited the Kaiyu Maru, a 698-ton Japanese training vessel from Fukuoka. Moored at Aloha Tower, the ship acts as a floating classroom and home for 52 students from Fukuoka Suisan High School on their 4,393-mile journey across the Pacific.