Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter, March 25

March 25

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.

Ho‘oha‘aheo Photo of the Week

Cole Cormier, a fourth grader at ‘Aikahi Elementary School, pours slime over his P.E. teacher Shannon Tanabe-Clark on March 13. Cormier was among the Top 5 students who got to slime their teacher for raising the most amount of money in the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge, an annual event where students learn about and raise awareness for heart health. The school raised over $5,800 overall for the American Heart Association. And the slime? It was made of hair conditioner and food coloring.

“It was pretty slimy but it conditioned my hair!” said Tanabe-Clark.

Credit: Karin Minniti / ‘Aikahi Elementary School parent

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!

Sunset Beach Elementary School

» Congrats to all our Shark Award winners! We focused on these attributes this quarter: Quality Producer, Forgiveness, and Respect. We also had some awesome art awards to give out. Way to go Sharks! ❤️🦈

Kekaha Elementary School

»Huge shout out to all the Pueos who participated in this year’s Kekaha School Talent Show! It was a great success! Mahalo to our guest judges for taking the time to come out to support and help score the acts.

Maui High School

» Mahalo Pōmakaʻi Elementary for allowing the MHS Education Pathway, Student Ambassadors, and Student Government to be a part of your 2025 Fun Run! Mahalo to ‘Iliahi Elementary School who came all the way from Wahiawā to entertain us with their beautiful hula and mele. Happy Spring Break!

Family Focus

Concerns for Our Hawai’i Schools Over Executive Order to Dismantle U.S. Department of Education The recently announced executive order, dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, is cause for great concern. We know that teachers, families, especially those with special needs children and those in Title 1 schools, are fearful of the effect on programs. What types of funding might we lose with the elimination of the federal Department of Education?  The Institute for Educational Leadership lists the following: Title 1 - Aid to schools in high poverty areas $18.4 billion IDEA - Aid to students with disabilities $15.5 billion Pell Grants - Needs-based undergraduate student loans $33 billion Title IV - Student loan program $1.6 trillion  (45 million students) Community Schools - $150 million Promise Neighborhoods - $91 million 21st Century Learning Centers - Out-of-school time programs $1.3 billion CTE - $2.2 billion Rural Programs $154 billion Additional programs: Nation’s Report Card, Institute of Education Sciences, Statewide Education Centers, ELL Student programs We know our Hawai‘i State Department of Education, Board of Education and governor are looking to protect the interests of Hawai’i families. Parents for Public School of Hawai‘i invite families to share concerns with us at info@ppshi.org. We will listen and watch for news to keep you up to date via our newsletters. We will advocate for you! With Federal Funding Insecure, Few Education Bills Still Viable We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2025 legislative session. Here are a few bills that we have supported so far. Preschool expansion HB692 HD1 SD1 (Companion SB712) Expands the Preschool Open Doors Program's eligibility criteria. Repeals the requirement that Preschool Open Doors Program providers be accredited. Dyslexia screening HB637 HD1 (Companion SB1001) Requires the Department of Education to implement dyslexia sensitive universal screenings and evidence-based interventions, offer professional development on structured literacy and evidenced-based interventions, and support pre-teacher programs in training candidates in structured literary instruction. Community Schools HB754 HD2 (Companion SB821) Appropriates funds to the Department of Education for community schools and a program manager position. School Capital Improvement HB636 HD2 (Companion SB449) Establishes a school capital improvement project modernization initiative in the School Facilities Authority to create a planning database for school facilities. We will be following the status of these bills and more at https://ppshi.org/2025-legislative-bills

Family Focus is a monthly column coordinated by Parents for Public Schools Hawai‘i, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization of parents, educators, community leaders, policy makers, and other stakeholders in Hawai‘i public education.

What’s for School Lunch?

This month, cafeterias statewide were offered the opportunity to serve green eggs and ham fried rice for breakfast using locally grown green onions. Local bunching onions, a variety of green onions known to have a juicier stalk and stronger onion flavor, along with spinach, colored this fun Dr. Seuss-inspired dish. An estimated 145 pounds of local green onions were distributed to the 78 participating schools.

Each day, HIDOE serves approximately 26,000 breakfasts – or 4.6 million per school year – to ensure students start their day with the nutrition they need to focus, learn and thrive. This special breakfast item was featured in light of National Read Across America Week and National School Breakfast Week, which both took place in the first week of March. Check out the recipe below!

Ingredients (yields approximately 10 servings):

2 ⅓ cups brown rice, uncooked
4 ⅓ cups of water 
1 ⅓ cups of liquid eggs or 6 large whole eggs 
2 ½ Tbsp vegetable oil
14 oz of fully cooked turkey or ham, diced ¼ inch 
2 oz local green onions, fresh, sliced 
14 oz of frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed) 
2 ¼ tsp sesame oil 
2 ½ tsp soy sauce 
½ tsp black pepper, ground 

Directions: 

1. Steam brown rice and fully cooked diced ham with water
2. Steam liquid egg in a 4" pan for 5-7 minutes or scramble liquid eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Critical Control Point (CCP): Heat to 165° F or higher for at least 15 seconds.
3. Add all ingredients to a skillet and cook for 2 minutes or until warm. CCP: Heat to 140° F or higher for at least 15 seconds.
4. CCP: Hold for hot service at 135° F or higher.

Mahalo to Moanalua Elementary School’s school food services manager, Daryl Kawamoto, and cook, Nathan San Juan, for inviting us into their kitchen and to Moanalua Elementary students, staff and parents for welcoming us into their cafeteria. 

Photos credit: Edgar Ambrosio / HIDOE Communications Branch

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

Important Dates & Upcoming Events

• March 26: Prince Kūhiō Day (Schools and offices closed)
  
  
• March 27: Board of Education Community Meeting, County of Hawai‘i

Tomorrow, March 26, we celebrate the life and legacy of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, the last prince of Hawai‘i who also served as a congressional delegate. Mō'ili'ili School on O‘ahu was renamed to Prince Jonah Kūhiō Elementary in 1923 after his death. Another Hawai‘i public school also bears his name – Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Elementary & Intermediate – and is a part of which HIDOE complex area? Kaimukī-McKinley-Roosevelt Hilo-Waiākea Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa Kapaʻa-Kauaʻi-Waimea Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.

HIDOE Headlines

A roundup of announcements, resources and shoutouts.

» From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Civil Beat columnist Lee Cataluna tagged along with Superintendent Keith Hayashi to see what a day is like as the department’s leader. She accompanied him to a school counselors gathering, multiple school visits, followed by an awards ceremony for employees and the Mililani Complex Choral Festival. 

» Baldwin High School culinary teacher Joyce Miyamoto, who oversees the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation’s Young Entrepreneurs Program at the school, helps student entrepreneurs develop and launch new products with locally sourced ingredients such as kalo, macadamia nuts and fresh Kula strawberries.

» Congratulations to Kaimukī High School Principal Lorelei Aiwohi and Maui Waena Intermediate School Principal Jacquelyn McCandless for being named the state’s 2025 Principals of the Year by the Hawai‘i Association of Secondary School Administrators! McCandless is the middle school honoree and Aiwohi is the high school honoree.

Inaugural girls flag football season to kick off in OIA tonight

McKinley High School senior Ayva Walthall, left, catches a pass over teammate junior Kiana Aga during a girls flag football practice on March 18. Photo credit: Stan Lee / HIDOE Communications Branch

In the final months of her senior year at McKinley High School, Ayva Walthall is still meeting new classmates.

Girls flag football season officially begins tonight in the O‘ahu Interscholastic Association with 12 games scheduled at six campus sites. In its inaugural season, Walthall is playing with girls she first met a month ago when practices commenced.

“It’s fun getting to know other people and meeting new people and trying to bond with them,” said Walthall, who also plays basketball. “It’s been a fun experience.”

League play is underway in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation and Maui Interscholastic League. OIA action continues this Friday and Saturday.

“Our dynamic is really good for a bunch of girls who haven’t played with each other before,” said McKinley junior Kiana Aga, a transfer student who didn’t know any of her teammates.

This is the first new sport for high school girls in over 20 years. Hawai‘i is the 12th state in the country to sanction girls flag football as a high school sport. There are 46 Hawai‘i public and charter schools statewide, along with some private schools, fielding a team.

Work With Us!

Federal workers or contractors impacted by the federal cuts are encouraged to explore employment opportunities with Hawai‘i public schools. Scan the QR code to sign up for personalized notifications.

Grade K-5 Student Success Coach Teacher, Daniel K. Inouye Elementary (Oʻahu)
Human Resources Assistant III, IV, V, Recruitment & Employment Section (Oʻahu)
School Custodian II, (Koloa Elementary (Kauaʻi)
Grade K-12 Deaf/Hard of Hearing District Office Teacher, Maui District (Maui)
Grade 9-12 CTE Automotive Teacher, Honokaʻa High & Intermediate School (Hawai‘i Island)

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

Public School Pop Quiz! Answer: 2. Hilo-Waiākea.

HAWAI‘I STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Keith Hayashi

Superintendent

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS

Ho‘oha‘aheo

PUBLIC SCHOOL PROUD

Contributors

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