Jan. 15

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. Legislative session With the 2025 legislative session kicking off today, I’m looking forward to the Department’s opportunity to collaborate with elected officials on priorities that support successful student outcomes. Our budget requests focus on ensuring Hawai‘i’s public schools receive the predictable and reliable resources needed to provide every student with the high-quality education they deserve. Over the years, we’ve made significant progress in key areas, from academic gains on the National Assessment for Educational Progress – known as "The Nation's Report Card" – to initiatives promoting equity and opportunity for all students. These achievements affirm that thoughtful investments in public education lead to meaningful results. 6 HIDOE teachers earn Presidential Awards Congratulations to our six amazing educators who were recently honored with the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s highest award for science and math teachers!

• Science teacher Whitney Aragaki from Waiākea High – who was also our 2022 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year;
• Math and computer science teacher Michael Ida from Kalani High – who was our 2023 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year;
• Science teacher Jessica Barbera from Jefferson Elementary;
• Math teacher Gregory Kent from Kailua Elementary;
• Science teacher Karleen Lynch from Pearl City High; and
• Math teacher Sarah Milianta-Laffin from ʻIlima Intermediate

They are among 336 teachers and mentors from across the country who were nominated by their principals, teachers, parents, students or members of the general public for serving as role models to their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of STEM education. 

Their dedication to fostering innovation and excellence in STEM education inspires not only their students but also their peers and communities across Hawai‘i. This recognition is a testament to their commitment to preparing our students for a future of limitless possibilities. Congratulations!

Student media teams win top honors in national contest
Congratulations to the winning teams from the following HIDOE schools for placing top honors in the Student Television Network’s (STN) Fall Frenzy competition! I enjoyed seeing our students express their creativity, showcase stories from our communities and compete with other schools across the country. Fall Frenzy is a four-day regional contest that challenges students to showcase their creativity and teamwork under tight deadlines, mirroring real-world production environments ahead of the national STN convention in March.

• Moanalua High School - 1st place in School/Community Feature (Regions 1/2/3) and 2nd place in Morning Show (Regions 1/2/3)
• Kaua‘i High School - 1st place in Narrative Podcast (Regions 1/2/3)
• Waiākea High School -  2nd place in Vertical Film (all regions)
• Baldwin High School - 3rd place in School/Community Feature (Regions 1/2/3)
• Maui Waena Intermediate School - 1st place in Middle School Wildcard Broadcast and 2nd place in Morning Show
• Highlands Intermediate School - 2nd place in Middle School/Community Feature and 2nd place in Middle School Short Film

View all of the winning student projects here. 

Ho‘oha‘aheo Photo of the Week

Mākaha Elementary School students and staff welcomed Principal Leslie Ziu to her first day on the job on Jan. 7. Ziu previously served as a teacher at 'Aiea Intermediate, a TA principal at Ho'okele Elementary and a vice principal at Kapolei High.

Credit: Fran Kodama / Mākaha Elementary School

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!

Kanoelani Elementary

» 🎉🏆 Congratulations Attendance Trophy Winners! 🏆🎉 👏 Great job meeting the attendance goal! Your commitment to being present every day makes a huge difference. 📅 Remember: Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow! 💪✨

Pāhoa High and Intermediate

» MAKAHIKI 2024-25!! Our students had the opportunity to participate in several Makahiki games before heading off to winter break such as He'e Hōlua, ‘Ulu Maika, 'Ōʻō Ihe, Ho'olei ‘Upena, Huki huki, and more! Mahalo to Ms. Gouker and her ALO students for putting on this year's Makahiki event for high school and middle school.

Keaʻau High Athletics

» Last week our winter athletes partnered with @keepitflowing and @easthawaiidrugfreecoalition to make signs, sign wave, and help paint our new campus mural to bring awareness to safe driving and youth advocacy. Great job Cougars!

Family Focus

Cellphones in School? Survey Results Are In!

Parents and teachers spoke to us about their concerns regarding cellphones in school. Among those concerns included:

• Students being distracted by their cellphones during class.
• Teachers are needing to spend class time collecting and returning phones.
• The possible loss of phones and who would be liable for the loss

These concerns and more prompted us to distribute a survey to learn more about these concerns and thoughts on potential solutions. 

The survey was distributed to Parents for Public Schools Hawai‘i members and was also included in the October 16th issue of Ho‘oha‘aheo. 

A total of 538 individuals responded, including 42 administrators, 310 teachers, 310 parents, (some teachers and administrators are parents) and 13 students. These responses came from all school levels – 221 from elementary, 223 from middle/intermediate, and 262 from high school teachers, parents and administrators. (Some parents have students in more than one level.) 

Just highlighting a couple of the survey points here. Support of some form of a cell phone ban in schools:

• 76.4% want some kind of ban - including collecting phones in class, using software to block usage during class, or using a device such as a pouch to contain phones during class.
• 10.1% are not sure.
• Only 13.6% do not want a ban of some sort. 

Of the options presented in the survey:

• 26.4% favored use of a Yondr pouch - each student would have a pouch with a magnetic closure. When entering class, their pouches would be closed with the magnetic device; upon exiting the pouch opening would be released. We know at least one school is piloting this solution now.
• 23.9% favored having teachers collect phones during class.
• 16.9% favored using a blocking app.
• 14.2% favored teachers just telling students not to use phones during class.
• 13.7% were not sure.

Please click here to see the survey’s full results. 

Parents for Public Schools Hawai‘i has been researching other options. Among them is a free app called Detezo that manages cell phone access. To learn more about this app and other potential solutions, contact deborah@ppshi.org.

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.

Important Dates & Upcoming Events

• January: School Board Appreciation Month
  
  
• Jan. 16: Board of Education Human Resources Committee, Finance and Infrastructure Committee and General Business Meeting
  
  
• Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Schools and offices closed)

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at which school's auditorium on Sept. 16, 1959, to deliver his "A Pastor's Hope for America" address, just three weeks after Hawaiʻi became the 50th state?

1. Governor S. W. King Intermediate School
2. Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School
3. President Theodore Roosevelt High School
4. President William McKinley High School

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.

HIDOE Headlines

A roundup of announcements, resources and shoutouts.

» “I am a math machine. I can fix my mistakes. I will be a good friend”: Kilohana Elementary School first graders share their affirmations for the new year with the Molokai Dispatch.

» Hawai‘i middle school students are invited to submit an essay that explores a civic issue important to them and their community to the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i 2025 National Civics Bee contest. The winner of the state contest will receive a cash prize and a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national championship.

» Castle High School special education teacher Maya Sullivan and student Hali’a Tom-Jardine took part in a global contest to name a quasi-moon – a space rock orbiting Earth. They were on a panel that also featured Bill Nye the Science Guy and actor Penn Badgley.

Staff Spotlight

Martina Nagasako Title: Librarian Job site: Lahaina Intermediate School Years in the HIDOE: 5 years  Years in the position: 4 years  Q: Briefly describe your career path. A: My journey with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education began as a substitute teacher in 2020. I found working with students very fulfilling and was inspired to pursue a teaching license in secondary science. I eventually transitioned to a role as a school librarian, where I discovered my true passion. To further enhance my skills and knowledge, I am currently pursuing a master's degree in library and information science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, with an anticipated graduation date in spring 2026. Q: What are your primary duties? A: As a school librarian, my primary duties include: assisting students and staff with information literacy, managing the library collection, providing instruction on library resources and platforms, and collaborating with teachers to integrate library resources into curriculum. Q: Favorite part about the job? A: My favorite part about my job is the opportunity I have to work with each student that walks onto our campus. I get the opportunity to interact with and build positive relationships with each student. Q: Most challenging part about your position? A: That there are never enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I would like to. Q: What advice do you have for people considering this position? A: For those considering a career in school librarianship, I highly recommend it! I find the profession to be extremely rewarding. As a mother of three children working full time, I have been able to work towards obtaining my library and information science degree. Through the program, I have learned so many essential skills in order to provide students and staff in our community with valuable tools for success in life. I have also discovered my passion for empowering students to become information-literate individuals and fostering a love of reading in our community. I believe school librarians play an important role in shaping the future of our students. By providing access to information and inspiring lifelong learners, we can make a difference in their lives and in the community. Q: How does your job support students? A: I believe my job is a great support to students. I enjoy being able to assist them with navigating all of the information that surrounds them. Through teaching them important information literacy skills, students are better prepared for lifelong success.

Are you a Hawai‘i State Department of Education employee and want to share about how your role supports student success? Please fill out this form for a chance to be featured as a future staff spotlight.

Work With Us!

School Administrative Services Assistant II, Waiāhole Elementary School (Oʻahu)
Librarian, Major General William R. Shafter Elementary School (Oʻahu)
School Security Attendant I, II, Waimea Canyon Middle School (Kauaʻi)
Grade 6-8 Special Education Life Skills Teacher, Kalama Intermediate School (Maui)
Grade K-2 Hawaiian Immersion Teacher, Ke Kula ʻO ʻEhunuikaimalino (Hawai‘i Island)

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

Public School Pop Quiz! Answer: 4. McKinley High School. King later shared his impressions of Hawaiʻi’s diverse society with his congregation saying, “As I looked at all of these various faces and various colors mingled together like the waters of the sea, I could see only one face – the face of the future!”

HAWAI‘I STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Keith Hayashi

Superintendent

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS

Ho‘oha‘aheo

PUBLIC SCHOOL PROUD

Contributors

1390 Miller St. Honolulu, HI 96813 | Phone: (808) 784-6200 Fax: (808) 586-3234

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