The director of Kawaiahao School is retiring in June after a quarter-century devoted to nurturing Hawaii children. Kawaiahao School
director looks forward
to ‘a whole new path’Wendy Lagareta is retiring
By Christine Donnelly
after 25 years of leadership
Star-BulletinIn a letter to parents, Wendy W. Lagareta described her 25 years as a teacher and administrator as "an amazing journey and extremely rewarding experience" but said it was time for "new energy and vision" to lead the Montessori school owned by Kawaiahao Church.
Lagareta, 54, is leaving to work with her husband, Bruce, and a business partner, who are opening a store next month at Manoa Marketplace called East of Java, which will feature Indonesian and Asian art and furnishings.
"It's a whole new path for me," said Lagareta, who will continue teaching in Chaminade University's Montessori training program.
She anticipates many future visits to the school where she began as a preschool teacher a few months after it opened in 1975.
Among Lagareta's first students was her own daughter, now grown and a mother herself.
Lagareta hopes the family connection will continue with her grandchildren eventually attending Kawaiahao, "where my daughter truly made lifelong friends in preschool."
The school's advisory board has unanimously recommended that Marie Hook, longtime assistant director and kindergarten enrichment teacher, be promoted to the director's job Lagareta has held since 1986.
The Kawaiahao Church board of trustees will vote on it next month, Lagareta said.
Kawaiahao School has 116 students, ranging from preschool to third grade, in five classes. It follows the philosophy of education pioneer Maria Montessori, who believed that young children do best in a well-ordered, hands-on environment that helps them develop self-discipline and discover the joy of learning.
The school also aims to perpetuate Hawaiian language and culture and Christian values.