Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter, April 8

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

April 8, 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.

Aloha, HIDOE Community –  Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter. Monitoring weather conditions The state is expecting severe weather across the islands this week. The Department is closely monitoring conditions in collaboration with state and county emergency management agencies to ensure the safety of students and staff. At this time there are no widespread school or office closures planned. Any emergency announcements will be made through the Departmentʻs official communication channels. Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership award Congratulations to Wai‘anae Elementary Principal Sheldon Konno — this year’s Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership awardee! The annual award, announced at the Public Schools of Hawai‘i Foundation annual banquet, honors outstanding Hawaiʻi public school principals who demonstrate visionary leadership, a commitment to student success and meaningful engagement with their school communities.

Wai‘anae Elementary Principal Sheldon Konno, center, was named as this year’s Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership awardee. Photo credit: Nanea Ching / HIDOE Communications Branch

The event also recognized two outstanding semi-finalists: Christopher Bonilla of Holomua Elementary School and Adria Medeiros of Mountain View Elementary School. The following principals were also recognized as finalists:

• Ryan Amine, Mayor John H. Wilson Elementary School
• Michelle Barber, Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School
• Richard Carosso, Lahainaluna High School
• Alvan Fukuhara, Waipahu Intermediate School
• Wayne Guevara, ʻAiea High School
• Kendrick Kakazu, Major Sheldon Wheeler Elementary School
• Jennifer Luke-Payne, Kaʻaʻawa Elementary School
• Fig Mitchell, Kīlauea Elementary School
• Ervin Pasalo, Hōkūlani Elementary School
• Noel Richardson, Enchanted Lake Elementary School
• Timothy Shim, Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School
• Travis Toriano, Hilo Intermediate School

Mahalo to Island Insurance Foundation and Public Schools of Hawai‘i Foundation for shining a light on these incredible school leaders!

Hawai‘i’s first Anatomage Tournament
Over 160 high school students interested in health care from 40 public schools in Hawai‘i tested their knowledge in human anatomy and physiology in the first-ever Hawai‘i Anatomage Tournament held yesterday at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine. The Anatomage Table is an interactive, life-size digital platform that allows users to explore real human cadavers digitally. The competition focused on students’ knowledge of anatomical structures. Congratulations to Team Code Blue from Kalāheo High School and The Tibulas from Pearl City High School who will represent Hawai‘i in the Anatomage National Tournament in Santa Clara, Calif. on May 29-30.

Mahalo to juniors Will Heiken, Maximos Spheeris and Emi Nishimura of the Kalāheo High School Mustang Media program for putting together this great recap video of the event!

From left to right, Pearl City High School students Nesha Khloe Salgado, Ethan Rivera, Skyla Johiro and Emily Cunningham along with Kalāheo High students Alana Kanaan, Lucy Teramura, Darwynn Ayling and Carolina Boland will move on to compete in the national tournament after placing second and first, respectively, in the Hawai‘i Anatomage Tournament held at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine on April 7. Photo credit: Kimberly Yuen / HIDOE Communications Branch

HIDOE student internships
We’re excited to once again offer paid, in-person student internships at HIDOE state offices, complex area offices, and schools. These opportunities provide valuable employability and technical skills across a range of career pathways, including agriculture, business management, culinary arts, education and therapeutic services for human performance. Eligible students must be at least 16 years old and currently enrolled in a HIDOE school as a sophomore (Class of 2028), junior (Class of 2027), or in a Community School for Adults. The application deadline is April 10.

From March 24-26, Kapa‘a Elementary School fifth graders had the unique opportunity to learn about Pearl Harbor history and the battle that unfolded. As part of the Pearl Harbor Explorers Program, the students visited the Pearl Harbor National Memorial/USS Arizona Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, Battleship Missouri Memorial and even got to fly a plane using the flight simulator at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. They spent two nights in tight three-tier bunk beds aboard the USS Missouri. Beyond the immersive history lesson, students engaged in vital social-emotional learning, exploring the powerful role of forgiveness in reconciliation.

Credit: Heather Sokei-Lutz / Kapa‘a Elementary 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!

April is the Month of the Military Child, a time to honor the resilience, sacrifices and unique experiences of children in military families. Each year, all public schools in Hawai‘i distribute Federal Impact Aid Program Survey Cards, which help to get reimbursement for school districts that lose tax revenues due to a federal presence, and helps to recover the cost of educating federally connected students. In the 2024-25 school year, the Department received $47.9 million in Impact Aid. True or false: Only military-connected families must fill out the Federal Impact Aid Survey?

a. True
b. False

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.

Lāʻie Elementary School: It’s always a great day when we can come together as a school to celebrate our differences. 💙 At Lāʻie Elementary School, we showed our support for Autism Awareness Day by wearing blue and standing together in unity. Each class created their own poster—what a meaningful way to spark conversations about why being different is truly awesome. It gave us the opportunity to talk about kindness, inclusion, and accepting others just as they are, while also learning to embrace ourselves. Together, we are building a community where everyone belongs, everyone is valued, and everyone is encouraged to be kind.

Kea‘au Middle School: 🐸 Science Class: Ribbiting Results! Things got a little... gutsy in Ms. Teare’s 7th-grade science lab this past week! Our students traded their pencils for scalpels as they dove headfirst into their frog dissections. It wasn’t just about the “eww” factor (though there were definitely a few squeals!); it was an incredible hands-on journey into biology. By exploring the internal systems of our amphibian friends, students were able to see exactly how organs like the heart, lungs, and stomach work together to support life. 🔍

‘Aiea High School Student Government: Mabuhay! Had such a great time at the Traffic Safety Fair today! Huge thanks to Christiane, Lucas, and Zullivet for showing up, representing ‘Aiea High, and taking the time to talk story with everyone about concussion awareness. So proud of the way you connected with the community and made it fun and meaningful.

Use the #HIPublicSchoolsProud hashtag for a chance to be featured!

Leading with aloha: Building stronger community connections through our schools

By Aileen Kim, H.P. Baldwin High School

Nānākuli High and Intermediate School held its annual Songfest on Feb. 27. Photo courtesy: Raymond Johnson / Nānākuli High and Intermediate School

As we conclude the 2025-26 school year, we celebrate more than just academic achievement—we celebrate the ways our schools have become gathering places that illuminate our one-of-a-kind community here in Hawaiʻi. 

Across our islands, campuses have opened their doors not only to students, educators and community members but also to their shared experiences, allowing schools to thrive. School and community events, such as homecoming, donation drives and songfests, ignite that laughter, joy and pride we want to see in schools.

From the very beginning of the year, schools were challenged to brainstorm solutions and address the following question: “How can we make this activity or event better than last year’s?” In doing so, students across our islands showed up and showed out with aloha, emphasizing what makes student-led events so profoundly powerful. When students are given the space to lead, their voices fill the room and shape them. It revives the traditions and pride passed down through generations, making them even stronger for the next. Students step forward not simply as learners, but as leaders, making our public school education an invaluable experience. The following excerpts are from student leaders who were inspired by their school and community events and have left a lasting impact on the people they care about most.

Aileen Kim is a senior at H.P. Baldwin High School and serves on the National Student Council as the inaugural Hawaiʻi State Representative, uplifting and representing the diverse voices of students across the islands on a national stage. She is also excited to serve as the Maui District Student Council Organization chairperson. With a passion for public policy and STEM, she hopes to pursue a career in the legal field, where she can continue advocating for her community and creating meaningful, lasting change.

Kekuahiwi Woods Occupation: Professional dancer What school you grad? Pāhoa High & Intermediate School ‘19 Location: Las Vegas Hawai‘i Island native Kekuahiwi Woods is a professional dancer based in Las Vegas, currently performing with Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil, where he has been a cast member for the past four years. Raised in his family’s dance studio, N2Dance in Hilo, he trained extensively in hip-hop, breaking, contemporary, jazz, ballet and more—developing a dynamic and versatile movement style that continues to define his work today. In Michael Jackson ONE, he performs multiple roles, including “Warrior” dancer, one of four featured breakdancers, and understudy and backup for several lead roles such as “Sneaky” and the wushu arts character “Shy,” becoming the first male performer in the show’s history to do so. His career also includes performances at Rock-A-Hula, AREA15, and collaborations with major brands such as Toyota and the MGM franchise. He has performed internationally with the Brown Bags to Stardom All-Star Team in China, starred as a featured dancer at New York City Hall and is a National YoungArts Honorable Mention recipient. Grounded in his roots and driven by growth, Kekuahiwi continues to push the boundaries of his artistry on global stages. Woods attended Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, Haili Christian School, Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Technology Academy and Pāhoa High & Intermediate School. Q: Why did you choose this career path and what do you enjoy most about it? A: I come from a family of performers. Dancing is our passion and it’s what we do for fun. Growing up in my family's dance studio in Hilo, I was born for this. All of my training has prepared me and led me to where I am. I love that we always have a full audience at Michael Jackson ONE and I get to inspire them with my moves. I enjoy bringing joy to the older generation who have an appreciation for Michael Jackson’s music and style, but I also enjoy performing more for the younger generation. I want to share the same feeling that I got as a kid whenever I saw a killer performance and thought, “wow that guy is so cool! I wanna be like that!” I hope I do that for them and inspire them to be greater.  Q: What makes you #PublicSchoolProud? A: While attending Pāhoa High, I was proud of where I was from. Even though our dance studio was always elsewhere, I grew up my entire life out in Pāhoa. I am proud to say I’m a Pāhoa graduate. I love the friends and people I surround myself with. I love the people within my own community from school and church. That is why I’m #PublicSchoolProud.

Pāhoa High & Intermediate School graduate Kekuahiwi Woods, with green hair, is a professional dancer and performs multiple roles in the Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy: Kekuahiwi Woods

• April 6-10 - National Assistant Principals Week
• April 9 - Board of Education Student Achievement Committee and General Business Meetings
• April 15 - Purple Up! Day
• April: Month of the Military Child
• April: Autism Acceptance Month
• April: Financial Literacy Month
• April: Child Abuse Prevention Month
• April: National School Library Month

Educational Specialist II, Office of Hawaiian Education (Oʻahu)
Bilingual/Bicultural School-Home Assistant (Ilokano, Marshallese or Spanish), English Learner & Migrant Ed (Oʻahu)
Kūlanihāko‘i High, School Athletic Director III / I, (Maui)
Account Clerk I, II, III, IV, Kapa‘a High (Kaua‘i)
Academic Mathematics Coach Teacher, Mountain View Elementary (Hawai‘i Island)
HIDOE student summer internships (various sites statewide; deadline April 10)

To learn more about career opportunities in the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, please visit hawaiischooljobs.com or stop by our booth at our upcoming recruiting events:

Honolulu Star-Advertiser Career Expo
Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall
777 Ward Ave., Honolulu, HI 96814
Wednesday, April 29 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

HIDOE’s Office of Talent Management is hosting one-hour webinars to provide an overview of the application and hiring process. Visit each page for dates and registration information.

• Teachers, librarians and counselor positions
• Classified and support services personnel positions

Public School Pop Quiz! Answer: b. False. All families are encouraged to complete a form for each student in a Hawai‘i public school. In Hawaiʻi, Federal Impact Aid helps offset costs for school materials and resources, substitute teachers, student transportation, school utilities such as electricity, and other services at schools statewide. All students and schools benefit from Impact Aid.

This newsletter was produced by the Hawai'i State Department of Education's Communications Branch.

Share your story ideas, events, questions and feedback to newsletter@k12.hi.us

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

1390 Miller St. Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: 808-784-6200