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Dec. 17, 2025
Editor’s Note: Ho‘oha‘aheo will be taking a recess over winter break and will resume weekly editions on Jan. 7. Have a happy and safe holiday season and we’ll see you again in 2026!
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.
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Aloha, HIDOE Community –
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter.
Protecting our employees and upholding safety
In recent days, there has been significant media and public attention around an incident at a Moanalua High School preseason basketball game, where a member of our school staff was assaulted while performing her duties.
As of this morning, the two individuals involved in the incident have been served with a permanent trespass notice, banning them from all public school properties. We are also taking a hard look at what more we can do — including reviewing existing campus safety protocols and exploring how we can strengthen the tools available to schools.
Let me be clear: this kind of violence is unacceptable. No employee should ever fear for their safety while doing their job — especially not at a school event meant to bring people together in support of our students.
I want to acknowledge Moanalua High Associate Athletic Director Natalie Iwamoto's strength in coming forward — and to say directly to all of our employees: your safety matters, and you deserve to feel protected in the work you do each day.
As we continue this work, I want to thank all of our employees who show up for our students every day with care, professionalism and resilience. We remain committed to ensuring our school system is one where every student and every employee feels safe, valued and supported.
A message of gratitude this holiday season
As we head into the holiday season, I also want to take a moment to share a message of appreciation with all of you.
To everyone who has supported Hawai‘i’s public schools throughout the year — your dedication makes all the difference. On behalf of the Department, I wish you a joyful holiday season, filled with warmth, laughter and the spirit of the season. May the new year bring happiness, new learning and exciting adventures.
And a special mahalo to the students of Mānana Elementary School for joining me in this year’s holiday message!
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 Brrr! Snow was in the forecast at Momilani Elementary School on Dec. 11. Second graders Kailyn Fujita, Katelyn Nakama and Amy He joined their classmates for a day of snowy fun. For 24 years—except for two years during the pandemic—B&C Trucking Co. has donated its trucking services along with six tons of snow for this annual winter event. The school’s Parent Teacher Student Organization, Hui O Momilani, added to the excitement by purchasing an additional 12 tons, bringing the total to 18 tons of unforgettable fun!
Credit: Edgar Ambrosio / HIDOE Communications Branch
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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Which HIDOE campus is the largest by land area, spanning an impressive 492.35 acres?
a. Lahainaluna High School
b. Kūlanihākoʻi High School
c. Pearl City High School
d. Maui High School
Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.
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Leihōkū Elementary School: Students who had perfect attendance (no absences, tardies, or early releases) from Oct. 20 to Dec. 1 got rewarded with a field trip to see "The Nutcracker" at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.
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Hilo Intermediate School: Congratulations to Alejandra! Her design was selected as the winning logo out of more than 60 entries across the state for the 2026 Middle Level Student Leaders Summit. This contest was inspired by the film “Waterman” and celebrates the life and legacy of Duke Kahanamoku. Students created black-and-white logos featuring the phrase “Lead Like Duke,” and Alejandra’s artwork stood out among an impressive group. We are very proud of her accomplishment!
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Kaiser High School Boys Basketball: Thank you to all the players, coaches, families and alumni for volunteering this morning at the Honolulu Marathon. It was a 4 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. shift but all the boys were in good moods and ready to work. Go Cougars!
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Use the #HIPublicSchoolsProud hashtag for a chance to be featured!
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The early 1970s could be regarded as Kalani High School’s “Golden Age”—a period that produced many exceptional student-athletes who went on to compete in the Olympics and the World Series and also left lasting impacts in medicine, music, politics and other fields—including one athlete who would eventually become the school’s principal, writes Curtis Murayama in a Honolulu Star-Advertiser column.
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More than 300 middle school students from across Kauaʻi came together for the second annual Kauaʻi Middle School Makahiki Championship, an islandwide competition rooted in traditional Hawaiian games and cultural practice. Reestablished in Kauaʻi schools, makahiki provides students with hands-on cultural learning while promoting teamwork, discipline and sportsmanship.
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As part of Computer Science Education Week, Kamaliʻi Elementary School students participated in “unplugged” lessons on technology without touching a keyboard or a screen, learning the foundations of computer programming using floor mats and physical coding blocks. “At Kamaliʻi, we are committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to explore these future-ready skills,” said Gretchen Romerdahl, the school’s technology coordinator in a Maui Now article.
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 December reminds us to unite for equality, justice and dignity for all people!
December is designated as Universal Human Rights Month, with Dec. 10 commemorating the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a global pledge affirming that every person deserves freedom and dignity, regardless of background or identity.
Throughout the month (and beyond) we’re called to act for equality, justice and human rights. Explore classroom activities from the United Nations.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD) - Dec. 3
This observance promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities and raises awareness of the challenges faced by this community, specifically in the areas of human rights, accessibility and inclusion. The Australian IDPwD site offers discussion guides and classroom resources to help start meaningful conversations.
Inclusive Schools Week - Dec. 8-12
Each year, the Inclusive Schools Network invites us to reflect on the progress that’s been made, as well as on the work that still needs to be done, toward equitable education for all learners—especially those marginalized by disability, gender, income, culture or language.
This year’s theme “Children First” comes from the Maasai greeting “Casserian Engeri,” which means “And how are the children?” It reminds us that strong communities begin with the well-being of all their children.
Ask yourself:
- Are all children in your program feeling welcome and supported?
- Do your routines help everyone feel included?
- How can you help kids with disabilities feel seen and meaningfully included?
Each of these observances reminds us that human rights are the foundation of education. We must all work toward creating spaces where every child can learn, grow and feel like they belong.
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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.
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This month, Hawaiʻi public school cafeterias statewide were offered the opportunity to serve local ʻuala (sweet potato) bread for breakfast using locally sourced Okinawan sweet potato. Nearly 1,700 pounds of Okinawan sweet potato were distributed to 127 participating schools.
While the recipe was new to school menus, the flavor sparked a sense of familiarity for many students at Pearl City High School and Momilani Elementary School.
“Some of the bread tastes like my grandma's banana bread,” Momilani Elementary fourth grader Noel Belmodis said. “It tastes good… I never actually had it with sweet potatoes inside.”
Momilani third grader Aubrie Nakamoto thought it had a festive taste. “It tastes pretty good — it kind of tastes like gingerbread,” she said. “I like that it’s healthy and tastes sweet.”
Students at Pearl City High School agreed. “I actually really liked it because it's really sweet,” said sophomore Liam Menor. “The crust is really crunchy too, kind of like bread pudding… so I just gobbled it all up.”
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The effort to incorporate more locally sourced ingredients in school meals is part of the Department’s farm-to-school initiative, which aims to enhance food sustainability in Hawai‘i and aligns with the goals of Act 175 to improve student health while supporting local farmers.
“Just as excited as we get about using local ingredients, the kids do also,” said Pearl City High School cafeteria helper Senerity McGregor. “It's fresher, and we're able to help our local farmers, which we like.”
Parents also recognize the value of serving locally sourced foods. “I think it's really great that they're having locally sourced ingredients,” added Momilani Elementary parent Chad Nakamoto. “It brings a lot of peace of mind knowing that I can drop my kids off and they're eating a nutritious, fresh breakfast. Being that it's locally sourced just adds to the freshness, I'm sure — and they enjoy eating it.”
Try out the recipe below and bring something new and unique to your upcoming holiday gatherings!
Wet mix:
¾ cup oil
¾ cup water
3 eggs
Dry mix:
2-½ cups all purpose flour
2-¼ cups sugar
1-½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1-½ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
1-½ cup sweet potato (cooked and cut small to medium diced)
Directions:
- Pre-heat conventional oven to 350°F (or 325°F for convection).
- In a bowl, mix wet ingredients together.
- In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold in the sweet potato chunks.
- Mix until all flour is incorporated.
- Line 9" x 13" pan with parchment paper.
- Pour the mixture into a lined pan evenly.
- Bake at 350°F (or 325°F for convection) for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
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 Photo credit: Edgar Ambrosio / HIDOE Communications Branch
Mahalo to Pearl City High School’s cafeteria staff: Va’a Aitavale, School Food Services Manager Ross Inamine, Angela Arakawa, Pat Sue, Senerity McGregor and Bryce Yamaguchi (pictured left to right) for inviting us into their kitchen, and to Pearl City High and Momilani Elementary students, families and staff for welcoming us into their cafeteria!
“What’s For School Lunch?” is a monthly column coordinated by the School Food Services Branch that features new and exciting school meal initiatives.
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- December: Human Rights Month
- Dec. 19 - End of Quarter 2
- Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 - Winter Break (No school for students and teachers)
- Jan. 19 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Schools and state offices closed)
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Public School Pop Quiz! Answer: a. Lahainaluna High School is the largest public school by land area in Hawai‘i, due to the slopes and the agricultural lands of the campus. Watch a video tour of the campus produced by Lahainaluna broadcast students. The second largest campus is Kūlanihākoʻi High School in South Maui at 77.2 acres, followed by Pearl City High School on O‘ahu at 76.3 acres.
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This newsletter was produced by the Hawai'i State Department of Education's 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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1390 Miller St. Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: 808-784-6200
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