‘Blue Ribbon’ schools recognized
for outstanding work

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

Nimitz, Kaiulani and Aikahi Elementary schools are beating the odds.

They have overcome high transiency rates and large numbers of students who speak English as a second language or live in public housing or homeless shelters.

Nimitz, Kaiulani and Aikahi Elementary schools yesterday were chosen from among seven nominees to represent Hawaii in the national 1998-99 Blue Ribbon Awards program.

Each school received $3,000 cash from Frito-Lay of Hawaii, sponsor of the local competition.

Blue Ribbon schools are chosen for outstanding leadership, teaching environment, curriculum and instruction, student environment and parent and community support.

At Nimitz Elementary, teachers try to meet the needs of all their students -- 95 percent of whom are military dependents, said Principal Kenneth Lee.

With the high transiency rates, teachers try to fill the students' emotional and social needs first.

The Malihini Greeter program pairs every new student with a student buddy who helps them become familiar with their new surroundings and teachers. Parent/teacher organizations and military units play a major part in making the children feel welcome, Lee said.

Once students make the adjustment, teachers concentrate on teaching to the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards. In the past five years, test scores in all grades have increased, Lee said.

One-fourth of Kaiulani Elementary's students are immigrants who speak English as their second language; 80 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch; and more than 50 students come from transitional or homeless shelters.

Staff, teachers and partnerships with community groups who believe in children have helped Kaiulani overcome obstacles to student learning.

Parents, Rotary groups and submarine crews have installed smoke detectors in students homes, networked the school for Internet access, painted classrooms and run afterschool sports programs.

Families have come to know Kaiulani as a place of support. "When children cross over our gate, this is their haven," said Principal Charlotte White. "They're loved, nurtured and treasured."

The school's focus on literacy and "Drop Everything and Read" days have contributed to improving test scores. In the past five years, SAT scores in the average to above-average categories have risen from 34 percent to 70 percent, White said.

Parent and community involvement is especially evident at Aikahi Elementary, also a national Blue Ribbon School in 1989-90.

Parents are involved in tutoring and campus beautification. The school has implemented innovative programs that deal with topics on the environment to space exploration, peer counseling and random acts of kindness to build academics and character.

The school also incorporates the arts into the core curricula and its campus with landscaping and artwork. The Parent-Teacher Organization pays for a performing arts teacher who teaches chorus afterschool.

The other nominees are:

Haaheo Elementary School, Hilo: The school is organized into three multi-age groups to allow teachers to focus on individual student needs and learning styles.

Younger students learn from the older students, while older students develop leadership skills.

Holualoa Elementary School, Hawaii: The school uses an accelerated curriculum to help students develop social, political and economic standards that every citizen needs. Students are challenged to read good literature and increase their comprehension with the Accelerated Reader Program.

Mililani Mauka Elementary: One of the first public schools entirely wired for voice, data and video communications. Support groups for teachers and parents new to the school were established.

Wilcox Elementary, Kauai: Students experience a range of educational experiences through the Market Day Program, where students grow and sell hydroponic vegetables. They share culture and music with a class in Japan through video conferencing and participate in public service projects at the long-term care facility at Wilcox Hospital.