Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter, Feb. 5

Feb. 5

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.

Aloha, HIDOE Community –  Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter. Vice Principals of the Year Congratulations to Niu Valley Middle School Vice Principal Marlyn Hutton and Waimea High School Vice Principal Penny Vess! They were both recognized this week as Hawai‘i’s 2025 Middle Level Assistant Principal of the Year and High School Assistant Principal of the Year, respectively, by the Hawai‘i Association of Secondary School Administrators. Each year, the organization recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high quality learning opportunities for students.

At left, Niu Valley Middle School’s Marlyn Hutton and Waimea High School’s Penny Vess were honored at school assemblies for being named as Hawai‘i’s 2025 Middle Level Assistant Principal of the Year and High School Assistant Principal of the Year, respectively.

Kaua‘i counselor wins national honor
Congratulations to Noelani Butcher of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on being named the 2025 American School Counselor Association’s Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year! She was recognized for developing two programs on campus to give students a sense of belonging.

“The Needs Closet” is a pantry of food, hygiene items and school supplies for students, and “Da Gameroom,” a space where students can play air hockey, ping pong and pool during recess for more opportunities to socialize. And in celebration of National School Counseling Week from Feb. 3-7, mahalo to all of our counselors for fostering a nurturing environment in which our students can thrive, both academically and personally. The role you play in guiding and supporting our students through their academic, social, and emotional challenges is invaluable and your impact extends far beyond the classroom.

Schools of Democracy
I’m proud to also share that Kailua High and Kalani High were recently recognized as the newest Hawai'i Schools of Democracy (HISOD). These schools join Mililani High and Maui High – our inaugural schools named last school year – as an initial cohort of schools that demonstrate dedication to preparing students to be active and informed participants in a democratic society.

Modeled after a national recognition program and tailored by the HIDOE for Hawaiʻis unique student landscape, these two schools went through a months-long process providing extensive evidence of its exemplary work in democratic learning and student engagement. A committee made up of HIDOE, the Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education (PACE), and community experts, reviews school applications and only certifies schools that display a commitment to the key indicators of the HISOD program. Next year the program will engage intermediate/middle schools and pilot an elementary program to create a K-12 continuum.

Students and staff from Kalani High School received its Hawai'i School of Democracy recognition in a ceremony on campus on Jan. 30.

Ho‘oha‘aheo Photo of the Week

Kapolei High School girls basketball players, from left to right, Hi'ialo Kala-Reantaso, Leila Paraoan, Shaila Galmiche, Lauren Palmer and Makaela Eddins pause for a smile during their senior night game against Leilehua High School on Jan. 15 at Kapolei High School.

Credit: Diana Okamura / Kapolei High School

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!

Lāʻie Elementary

» We were privileged to have the students from both the band and choir classes join us from Kahuku High School. They brought passion, energy, and their love for music was apparent and infectious. Our students joined in the fun 🤩 We are grateful to Mrs. Macy who inspires her choir students to be great and to Mr. Furukawa, who gave a wonderful demonstration of the many different instruments.

Kaimukī Middle

» Shoutout to these Kaimukī Middle School alumni from the Kalani High School Key Club @kalanikeyclub for helping us plant seedlings, build a shed, and dig holes for our future canoe plants in our Kīpuka Hawaiian Cultural Garden!

King Kekaulike High

» Congratulations to the King Kekaulike STEM Club teams for placing 1st and 2nd place at the Maui Regional Science Olympiad Tournament on February 1st at UH Maui College. Kekaulike has secured a spot at the State Science Olympiad Tournament in the Championship League.

Important Dates & Upcoming Events

• February: Black History Month
  
  
• February: Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month)
  
  
• February: Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month
  
  
• Feb. 17: President’s Day (Schools and offices closed)

It’s football weekend! Roy Gerela, a 1965 graduate of Kalani High School, led the AFC in scoring in 1973 and 1974 and earned Pro Bowl honors in 1972 and 1974. He also won three Super Bowl rings in 1974, 1975 and 1978 and is fourth on this team’s all-time scoring list. Which team did he play for?

1. Miami Dolphins
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Oakland Raiders

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.

Staff Spotlight

Angel Decierdo Title: School Counselor Job site: Leilehua High School Years in the HIDOE: 5 Years in the position: 5 Q: Briefly describe your career path. A: I used to work as an administrative assistant for Kamehameha Schools (KS). During this time, I got to work with many of their educators and leaders, which inspired me to reconsider my career path. I decided to go back to school in 2017 to earn my master degree in Counseling Psychology at Chaminade to become a school counselor while still working full time. I left KS in 2019 to focus on the clinical requirements for my degree, and eventually graduated in May 2020. I started my career as a school counselor in July 2020 at Nānākuli High & Intermediate School, where I also completed my counseling internship. I am now a school counselor for the Class of 2026 at my alma mater, Leilehua High School. Q: What are your primary duties? A: Provide counseling in areas of academic performance, social skills, self-esteem and attendance to students using person-centered, solution-focused strategies. We also work a lot with our faculty, staff and other key players on campus and in our community to develop programs and systems to ensure student success. Also making sure they meet all the credit requirements for their high school diploma. Q: Favorite part about the job? A: Being able to see my students grow through their challenges as they navigate through high school. It's rewarding to see them develop their identities and strengths, and how they make comebacks after failures/mistakes.   Q: Most challenging part about your position? A: It can be hard to balance everything, knowing that you are not just working with students but with various stakeholders and groups. You are sometimes the middle person trying to connect people and resources together. Q: What advice do you have for people considering this position? A: Be flexible, be adaptable, and be confident in yourself. A lot of what you do is learned while you're doing the job, and you have to be OK with learning to work in a very gray area. Even though I'm five years in, I still feel like I'm learning new things every year. Also, it can be an emotionally heavy job, so it's also very important to take care of yourself. Q: How does your job support students? A: Our counseling department is an integral part of the student support team. I work with a great group of people who are some of the best advocates for our students. When we're not working 1:1 directly with a student, we are going off on home visits to address attendance issues, coordinating student accommodations plans, collaborating with other groups, working on advisory lessons/curriculum, going to family court, volunteering for class fundraisers – the list goes on.

Are you a Hawai‘i State Department of Education employee and want to share about how your role supports student success? Please fill out this form for a chance to be featured as a future staff spotlight!

HIDOE Headlines

A roundup of announcements, resources and shoutouts.

» Students in Grades K-8 are invited to submit a poster that reimagines their school lunch featuring local ingredients in the 2025 Localicious Art & Recipe Contest. High school students can submit an original recipe that features locally grown, raised or caught ingredients for a shot at competing in a live cook-off! The deadline to apply is March 15.

» American Savings Bank awarded $135,000 in prizes to nine winning student teams from various schools statewide as part of its annual Bank for Education KeikiCo Business Plan Competition. Jefferson Elementary, Mānoa Elementary, Highlands Intermediate, King David Kalākaua Middle School, Nānākuli High & Intermediate and Pearl City High are among the winning schools.

» HIKI NŌ’s Winter 2025 compilation features stories from students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School about a historic bridge, the story behind Waiʻanae High School’s Searider mascot, a behind-the-scenes look at Honowai Elementary School and more. The episode is hosted by Aleksah Martinez, an 8th grader at ʻEwa Makai Middle School.

Work With Us!

School Counselor, Governor Sanford B. Dole Middle School (Oʻahu)
Library Assistant II, Highlands Intermediate (Oʻahu)
School Custodian II, Waimea High (Kauaʻi)
School Administrative Services Assistant I, II, III, ʻĪao Intermediate (Maui)
Office Assistant II, III, IV, Waiākea High (Hawai‘i Island)

For more career opportunities in the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, please visit hawaiischooljobs.com.

Public School Pop Quiz! Answer: 2. Pittsburgh Steelers.

HAWAI‘I STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Keith Hayashi

Superintendent

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS

Ho‘oha‘aheo

PUBLIC SCHOOL PROUD

Contributors

1390 Miller St. Honolulu, HI 96813 | Phone: (808) 784-6200 Fax: (808) 586-3234

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