FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kindergarten students Zackery Shankles, left, Franz Duldulao and Teddy Thamdy celebrated Zackery's putt into the cup at the "Putt Zone" game. Yesterday's fun fair and luau capped a week of anniversary festivities at Kaewai Elementary.
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Alumni group gives back
Many appreciate how the Kalihi school takes care of its poor charges
Faatea Faatea was such a rascal at Kaewai Elementary School in Kalihi that he once locked his teacher in a classroom closet. He'll never forget her reaction.
Kaewai Elementary School
Founded: 1956
Address: 1929 Kamehameha IV Road, Kalihi
Number of students: 260
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"No matter what I did, afterward she gave me a hug and told me, 'You can do better,'" Faatea, 43, recalled yesterday, glistening in the heat as round tables arrived on campus for a luau that he helped organize to mark the 50th anniversary of his school.
"The majority of us are from the housing areas, where love and tender care doesn't come on a daily basis," said the union business agent. "It came when you did something special. I came from a home that had 10 or 12 of us in the house."
Yesterday's fun fair and luau culminated a week of festivities staged by alumni and staff to celebrate the little school's birthday, including a track and field day, an "inside-out backwards" dress day and a "Kaewai Idol" talent show. Shari Kurashige, Kaewai's schoolwide coordinator, marveled at the devotion of the school's former students.
"I have no real ties to my elementary school," she said. "I guess Kaewai was their life, growing up, because everything was so hard for them in the housing. Their teachers provided them not only with learning, but love and sometimes even food."
The alumni group formed two years ago to organize a dinner to honor retired teachers and staff. Since then it has staged golf tournaments, basketball competitions and car washes to raise money for the school. The sound system used at yesterday's concert was a gift from alumni.
"We're just very impressed that they take their Kaewai ohana so far," said Priscilla Shinmoto, a retired teacher who still volunteers at the school. "I mean, they're old -- we're old. They're in their 40s; we just got Medicare. We knew them as 12-year-olds, and here they are 40-something and just so giving."
But Faatea and other alumni say what they are doing pales compared with what their teachers did for them.
"Our teachers were just like parents to us," said Sam Valdez, who graduated from Kaewai in 1975 and was back again yesterday helping out. "On weekends we'd meet over here on campus, and they'd take us to the movies, take us to Maili Beach to pick up puka shells. Everybody was just family. That's one of the unique things about the school."
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Faatea Faatea helped kids shoot baskets yesterday. He and other alumni figured prominently in the festivities and often help out their old elementary school.
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More than 80 percent of Kaewai's 260 students receive subsidized lunch because of low family income, and a quarter are immigrants. One parent, concerned that the students might not have pocket money for the fun fair, suggested they collect recyclables, and the students brought in 9,000 cans over the last two months.
At the "Kaewai Idol" talent show on Wednesday, the alumni who served as judges gave all the participants the same prize because they did not want anyone to be disappointed.
"To see the faces of the kids when you present something to them, it's the biggest joy you can get," said Siota Moi, president of the alumni committee. "Other kids wouldn't appreciate it. For these kids, they act like it's something to die for."
Alumnus Lino Kakiva said it stumps people when he mentions his "elementary alumni" group.
"They say, what's that?" Kakiva said. "I say, 'elementary alumni.' I took three days off just for this. I put my vacation days just so I can help out."
He works as a manager at Aloha Stadium, and his employer donated round tables and chairs for the luau, he said, because the alumni group wanted to give the school cafeteria a touch of tablecloth elegance.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Third-grader Kapono Kakalia wound up to throw at the "Bean the Bottles" game at a fun fair and luau yesterday to celebrate Kaewai Elementary School's 50th anniversary.
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The anniversary festivities were especially welcome at the school, which has had to focus so much on reading and math scores that fun things such as May Day got "pushed aside," Kurashige said.
"In a community like ours, we have to really emphasize reading, writing, speaking and math, because a lot of our students don't have those opportunities," said Principal Dale Spaulding. "We're just thrilled to have this help."
"The alumni have been contributing more and more to the school every day," he said. "They're really good role models for the kids."
Spaulding's thoughts were echoed later by one of his students, Grace Mikaido, an 11-year-old who was nervously awaiting her turn at the microphone for a solo.
"It's great that they're helping out the whole school," she said. "When I grow up, I want to do that."