Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter, Feb. 28

Hawai'i State Department of Education sent this bulletin at 02/28/2024 11:45 AM HST

Feb. 28

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.

In the Loop with SuperIntendant Keith T. Hayashi

Aloha, HIDOE Community –

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter.

Advocating for predictable and reliable funding for school operations

The Department's current level of funding for operations next fiscal year is $30 million lower compared to this year, despite increasing costs due to inflation. For essential basic needs such as utilities and student meals, the state's two-year budget accounted for inflation in the first year only. Additionally, the Board of Education-approved budget for next fiscal year included approximately $100 million more than what is currently budgeted in Gov. Green's proposed state budget that legislators are considering.

Federal relief funds that provided an average of over $170 million a year the last four years to help Hawai‘i public schools recover from the pandemic also end this fiscal year. With uncertainty around the state’s financial obligations and federal support winding down, the Department is strongly advocating for predictable and reliable state funding for school operations. This will allow us to continue providing social-emotional and academic support for students and accelerate recent learning gains that are outpacing national trends.

Maritime welding competition

Hilo, Kapa‘a and Waipahu high schools sent student teams to compete in the second annual Maritime Welding Competition that was sponsored last Friday by Project MFG in collaboration with the HIDOE's Workforce Development Branch and Pacific Shipyards International. Waipahu junior Tripsen Canne-Tanele, who took first place, and other winners will move on to the National Clash of Trades competition this summer.

Students were also exposed to career opportunities and pathways via mini career booths and tours of Pacific Shipyards. Teachers from various high schools also had the opportunity to learn about incorporating welding concepts into courses like auto mechanics and agricultural technology and received donations of welding equipment from Project MFG.

Public Schools Week

In celebration of Public Schools Week, we asked special guests to share a message in support of public education. Click the image below to view video messages from some of our top elected officials.

#HIPublicSchoolsProud

Social media highlights of the most engaging posts of the week.
Use the #HIPublicSchoolsProud hashtag for a chance to be featured!

Kapolei High

» Our Law & Public Safety Academy students met representatives from HPD, Police K-9 Unit, and HFD. They learned about future career opportunities from those currently serving our communities. #HIPublicSchoolsProud

Kealakehe Elementary

» We celebrated these teachers and their ten and twenty year milestones in the DOE! Thank you for your many years of dedication! We’re lucky to have teachers like you 💙#HIPublicSchoolsProud

Ho‘okele Elementary

»Ho‘okele Elementary School’s #anchored4life club was recognized nationally for their support and accomplishments. Keep up the good work! #HookeleCARES #HIPublicSchoolsProud

Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i

Pepeluali (February) is Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, or Hawaiian Language Month. Mahalo for following along each week as we shared a new word or phrase on our social media platforms. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn to see our last post tomorrow!

This week’s word is: pakanā. Click the link to watch a video on pronunciation and use of the word in conversation.

West Maui Updates

We will be providing relevant information on Lāhainā schools in this space,
including updates on health and safety, construction and more.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers turns over Lahaina campus

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has officially finished construction on the temporary campus for King Kamehameha III Elementary at Pulelehua and transferred it over to the Department yesterday. The Department will now work on furnishing the classrooms and installing telecommunications equipment. The timeline for reopening is still on track with the first day of instruction at the new campus slated for April 1. Check out this video of USACE doing a final inspection of the campus.

Wipe tests

The Department continues to conduct bi-weekly wipe sampling in Lahaina classrooms to test for any particles settling on surfaces. The last wipe test on Feb 20. found no actionable levels of lead or arsenic, similar to previous samplings. Past results can be found here.

Air monitoring and sampling

The state Department of Health is conducting air sampling at stations around Lahaina, including at Lahaina Intermediate. The sampling is being conducted to ensure that the USACE debris removal activities do not significantly impact air quality in surrounding communities and will continue throughout the debris removal work. While Hawaiian soils contain nominal amounts of natural metals, the detection of metals has been low. Results are posted weekly on their website.

Important Dates

Feb. 26-March 2 - Public Schools Week
March 2 - National Read Across America Day

Community Query

Did you know the answer to this LifeSmarts question? 77% of participants on Instagram answered correctly.

What’s for School Lunch?

This month, featuring a new snack served in our school cafeterias from the Office of Facilities and Operations School Food Services Branch.

In honor of February’s American Heart Month, schools statewide were offered the opportunity to serve a new menu item that’s also currently on afterschool snack menus — chocolate chickpea dip! Also referred to as “chocolate hummus,” it was served as a bonus lunch item along with fresh fruit for dipping.

Chocolate hummus is a great nut-free alternative to peanut butter and is free of the top nine common allergens. Not only does it have the delicious taste of chocolate, but it is also made of one extremely nutritious pulse — chickpeas. Most kids wouldn’t even realize that they’re getting added protein, fiber, iron and magnesium from this special treat.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 100 grams of chickpeas contains:

17.5% of the RDA for protein
30% of the RDA for fiber
16% of the RDA for iron
51.5% of the RDA for magnesium

Whether it’s homemade or store-bought, chocolate hummus is a nutritious plant-based protein option. Try it with fresh local fruit and vegetables, whole grain rich breads, pretzels, crackers, and more!

We asked students at Pearl Harbor Elementary what they thought about this new item!

"I liked it. I like chocolate so I was happy that it was a chocolate dip. I ate it with apples but you can eat it with strawberries or toast too. I would recommend it to anyone who likes chocolate."

Taimane Li‘ili‘i
5th grade

"It was really good. I like dipping fruit with chocolate and it was really good. It was really sweet and I didn’t read the ingredients until after I ate it — I just thought it was a chocolate dip."

Khloe Benigno
6th grade

"It was pretty good with the apples. It tasted a little bit different by itself but with the apple it tasted like regular chocolate."

Kenneth Batongbacal
6th grade

HIDOE Headlines

A roundup of announcements, resources and shoutouts.

» Kalani High robotics students helped to create the Innovation Station – a portable classroom equipped with 3D printers and laser printers designed to deploy to different campuses to make STEM education more accessible to schools.

» STEMworks hosted “Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day” with 68 students from ‘Ilima Intermediate, Waipahu Intermediate, King Intermediate and Washington Middle School in attendance.

» Waipahu High students were showcased in the Star-Advertisers’ photo gallery of the Project MFG Maritime Welding Competition. Competitors had to perform real-world applications at Pacific Shipyards.