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Aug. 6, 2025
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.
Editor’s Note: We’re excited to bring you the first issue of Ho‘oha‘aheo for this school year. It will arrive in your inbox every Wednesday, except when schools are on break. Have a great school year ahead and we look forward to continuing to highlight the accomplishments of Hawai‘i’s public schools!
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Aloha, HIDOE Community –
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter.
Happy new school year!
I hope that you all had a restful and rejuvenating summer. On Monday, I had the privilege of visiting Pearl Harbor Elementary School and Āliamanu Middle School on their first day of school. There’s something truly special about the energy and excitement that the start of the school year brings, and I’m thrilled to see our campuses once again filled with learning, laughter and the spirit of ne‘epapa. This year, we remain committed to providing a safe and enriching educational experience for all students across our islands and I look forward to an exciting year ahead! Watch the video below to see the back-to-school preparations and excitement at Nu‘uanu Elementary.
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Leadership changes
I am pleased to share two key appointments within our Department:
- Beginning Sept. 3, Jesse Souki will assume the role of deputy superintendent for operations, overseeing major infrastructure, facilities, and support services. Souki brings two decades of leadership experience across public agencies and institutions, serving most recently as associate general counsel for the University of Hawai‘i system, where he advises on land use, real property, governance and legislative strategy.
- Beginning Aug. 13, Sean Tajima has been named interim assistant superintendent for the newly established Office of Campus Operations and Support. This role will oversee Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness; School Food Services; and Student Transportation Services. Tajima has served since 2018 as the area superintendent overseeing schools in the Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area. He began his career with HIDOE as a special education teacher and has held principalships at Niu Valley Middle, Pauoa Elementary and Makakilo Elementary.
Expanding access for free meals to more students
Under Act 139 (Session Laws of Hawai‘i 2025), students who qualify for reduced-price meals will now receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. This means no cost for qualifying students, helping to ensure more students have access to nutritious meals to succeed. For applications and program details, visit our Free and Reduced Priced Meals Program.
New flavors cooking with Culinary Institute of the Pacific
Building on the momentum of the regional kitchen model, the next phase centers on menu redevelopment and cafeteria staff training to deliver fresh, nutritious and culturally relevant meals that appeal to students. We are partnering with Kapiʻolani Community College’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific (CIP) to lead the menu development process, along with the nationally renowned Culinary Institute of America.
GoKid carpool pilot program
A new carpooling option to help families get students to and from school while easing the impact of bus driver shortages and reducing traffic around campuses launched this school year. Families in O‘ahu’s Mililani Complex and Maui’s Kekaulike Complex will gain access to GoKid’s carpooling platform as part of a pilot. Only families from the school who have opted in can participate and each carpool is arranged by parents directly, one-on-one, and includes live trip monitoring. Traditional school bus services will continue to operate as normal, with GoKid offered as a supplement to existing transportation options.
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Fifteen rising sophomores–one from each HIDOE complex area–were nominated by their school principals and selected by their respective complex area superintendents to participate in the Global Innovation Race (GIR), an 11-day summer innovation accelerator hosted by Digital Media Academy at UC Berkeley from July 21-31. Students from over 10 countries collaborated in small, cross-cultural teams on real-world challenges through a curriculum grounded in design thinking, social thinking and entrepreneurial thinking. The experience culminated in a Film Fest Finale, where teams shared project videos and showcased their innovation journeys.
Students Brooklyn Brown of Pearl City High, Magnolia Cook of Kea‘au High, Mia Doma of Kalani High, Adleina Doses of Maui High, Isabella Hawk of Waialua High & Intermediate, Tomoya Ishida of Roosevelt High, Jerry Jiang of Kealakehe High, Daniel Lau of Kauaʻi High, Sophia Lyall of Radford High, Edgar Ortiz of Lahainaluna High, Miyu Palmer of Waiʻanae High, Simon Pederson of Waiākea High, Trislynn Picanco of Castle High, Lance Jordan Riveral of Campbell High, Carl Adolpho of Molokai High stopped for a photo at San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge on July 26 along with teachers David Kawika Gonzales of Kaunakakai Elementary, Leah Aiwohi of Kaua‘i High and Chloe Sato of Kalani High, who served as chaperones.
See a recap of their experience and view student projects.
Credit: Leah Aiwohi / Kaua‘i High School
Send us 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!
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Pearl Harbor Elementary School: What an exciting first day of school! Faculty and staff were happy to welcome students and families at drop-off with lots of smiles and school spirit. Our cheerleaders and school Shark mascot added to the fun, and KHON News stopped by to capture the excitement and share more about our school with the community. Our music students, Student Council, and Shark Ambassadors were also on hand to help highlight the great programs and opportunities we offer. It was a great day!
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‘Ilima Intermediate School: Chef Graham Elliot, an ‘Ilima Intermediate alumni from the 90s, has a special message for current students! He shares how his time at the school, and even taking Home Economics, helped him on his path to becoming a chef. He encourages students to find their passion and stay on that path. #GrahamElliot #IlimaIntermediate #HawaiiSchools #ChefLife #FindYourPassion #hipublicschoolsproud @grahamelliot @hawaiipublicschools
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Moanalua High School Student Association: With the school year starting, we wanted to give this year’s freshmen some class advice from the upperclassmen 🎒💭 From surviving your first week to making the most of high school, here’s what we wish we knew as freshmen.
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Use the #HIPublicSchoolsProud hashtag for a chance to be featured!
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Built in 1883, a Victorian-style mansion, originally named Keōua Hale, was a palace commissioned for a Hawaiian monarch whose name now graces this HIDOE campus. Though she never lived in the palace, it was later inherited by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and eventually became a school in 1908. What is the school known as today?
a. Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani Elementary
b. Queen Kaʻahumanu Elementary
c. Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani Middle
d. Princess Miriam K. Likelike Elementary
Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.
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Superintendent Hayashi was a panelist on PBS Hawai‘i’s Insights to discuss getting more locally grown food in school cafeterias and shared an update on the HIDOE’s goal of sourcing at least 30% of school food locally by 2030. Watch the full episode here.
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Mountain View Elementary, Kalāheo High and Innovations Public Charter School each won $5,000 as part of the 2025 Cooke Beautification Award for Public Schools that recognizes campus beautification projects that blend environmental education, Native Hawaiian culture and student-driven creativity.
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State and local leaders broke ground on the Wahiawā Center for Workforce Excellence, which will serve as the future home of the Wahiawā Public Library, University of Hawaiʻi Community College satellite classrooms, and Hawaiʻi State Department of Education offices.
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Iris McGuire
Title: School Athletic Director
Job site: Kea‘au High School
Years in the HIDOE: 20 years
Years in the position: 20 years (including eight years with other additional administrative duties)
Q: Briefly describe your career path.
A: I became an athletics director in 2004. I got certified as a CMAA (Certified Master Athletic Administrator) in 2011. I have been at Kea‘au High School my entire DOE career. I also am a National Federation of State High School Associations instructor for leadership training.
Q: How did you get into this role?
A: I was helping the former athletics director manage the programs while as a police officer in Puna. When he left, I was asked to stay and apply. I never thought to do this. God placed me where he felt I needed to be. I am an athlete and it grew from there.
Q: Favorite part about the job?
A: Seeing kids that have gone through our program and are now thriving in the community and seeing them grow as individuals.
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- Aug. 14 - Board of Education Special Meeting
- Aug. 15 - Statehood Day (Schools and offices closed)
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Public School Pop Quiz! Answer: c. Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani Middle.
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This newsletter was produced by the Hawai'i State Department of Education Communications Branch.
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Nanea Ching
Executive Editor
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Kimberly Yuen
Managing Editor
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Share your story ideas, events, questions and feedback to newsletter@k12.hi.us
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