An atmosphere of learning

Courses cultivate creativity and critical thinking

It's one thing to have an intellectually challenging education. It's quite another thing to have the confidence to use it. La Pietra, Hawaii's secular single-gender school for grades six through 12, takes pride in ensuring that girls have both.

La Pietra School Name Passport Faculty adviser Piia Aarma Editors Amanda Chang and Tihon Nguyen Address 2933 Poni Moi Road Honolulu 96816 Head of School Nancy D. White Nickname Lady Panthers Enrollment 237 Faculty 75

Situated at the base of Diamond Head, La Pietra offers a curriculum and extracurricular activities typically associated with much larger schools. An innovative scheduling program allows for an impressive array of college preparatory classes, as well as electives and a host of guests that open minds to our constantly evolving world.

Integration of technology and of subject areas makes learning fun at La Pietra. For example, ninth grade literature students, inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Art Spiegelman, wrote their own family survival stories this term and then used the "Comic Life" program on their Macs to create extraordinary works of literature and art.

Another example is senior Cherie Okada, who is creating a short documentary film about the guest speakers who spoke in last term's "Economics Through the Lens of Hawaiian History" class, which featured some of the most influential movers and shakers in Hawaii.

Creative teaching is a point of pride at this historic campus. In one of their history courses, girls prepare amicus briefs to support their arguments about current issues; the "Thinking Women" course puts the girls in touch with leading female figures; and "Math for Independent Women" teaching ranges from learning how Federal Reserve interest rate moves affect the economy to learning about credit card usage.

Critical and creative thinking are key to leadership, and La Pietra empowers girls to do both. Town Meetings, for example, give students a constructive voice in school matters. The current academic calendar allows for final exams before the winter holiday break instead of after -- a change the students put forth at a Town Meeting.

But what is leadership without community? Giving back is encouraged throughout the school, from homerooms to clubs to individual projects. The entire school is involved annually with the Children's Fair, a Parent-Faculty Association fundraising event. A student chair and vice chair are selected from the senior and junior classes, respectively. It's their job to lead their classmates in work and creative participation.

The most important day of Children's Fair is the day before the public fair starts: Special Guest Day, when children from special education programs islandwide get their own day on the pony rides and games, each one with their own La Pietra hostess.

The opportunity to participate in just about anything that interests an evolving mind is here. But the opportunity to excel and lead is even greater because classes at La Pietra are small, with an average teacher-to-student ratio of 1:10. That means that a highly qualified group of dedicated teachers come to know each girl individually. They learn how she learns, and they find ways to ignite her passion and gently push the outward boundaries to ensure that each girl enlarges her world.

Not only do the girls have a chance to strive in academics but they also get a chance to excel in sports as well. La Pietra's 2006 varsity basketball team won ILH Division II championships last year for the first time since 1981. With only 237 students, every girl at La Pietra is inspired to try out for any athletic team, and because of the small size, they get to play the sport they want.

Repeated studies have shown that girls do better in a single gender learning environment. They have great opportunities to lead and gain confidence and are more inclined to enter fields traditionally more dominated by males.

Many look at this extraordinarily lovely campus and buildings and assume that only the economically fortunate can attend. This is not a school for just "rich kids." The students at La Pietra reflect the diversity of the community.

There is a profound dedication to educating all young women, and 40 percent of the girls receive some type of financial aid or scholarship.

Two guest lecturers last year sum up La Pietra well. Paul Brewbaker, Bank of Hawaii economist, said: "You have an extremely impressive group of students and a highly stimulative and challenging approach to introducing them to complex issues. I was very impressed. Thank you for the inspiring opportunity to spend some time with bright juniors and seniors, a rare event for me."

Randy Roth, University of Hawaii law professor and author of "Broken Trust," said: "The questions reflected preparation and critical thinking, as well as intelligence and aloha. I left La Pietra today feeling especially good about the future of the state."

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Girls find they fare better in academics without boys

Many people may not have heard of La Pietra, yet it is one of the most noteworthy schools on the island. La Pietra boasts a high academic standard for its students, which prepares them for college and life after high school. Moreover, La Pietra is a school in which girls find a sense of accomplishment and success in many fields.

Much of this success is due to the lack of male students in the student body. While many teenage girls may see this as a form of "cruel and unusual punishment," the girls at La Pietra will tell you otherwise. Our students are proud to be attending an all-girls school because they understand and appreciate its effects on their lives. The girls feel the absence of boys helps them academically and socially.

An all-girls school, and therefore all-girls classes, helps reduce the amount of distraction during class. The students find themselves more focused when they do not have the option of staring at the opposite gender.

Furthermore, girls are more likely to raise their hands or speak up when they know an answer to a question because boys are not around to intimidate them. In short, the lack of male students creates a comfortable learning environment in which girls do not have to worry about being wrong or looking good all of the time.

Even though the academic advantages to an all girls school are more obvious, the social advantages are equally great. While one may assume that attending an all girls school makes a girl socially awkward around boys, it is actually the complete opposite that is true. The girls claim that they actually have more confidence, even around boys, than their friends who go to co-ed schools.

La Pietra is a small school, so older students are friendly towards younger students, which creates a sense of community. The school has a Big and Little Sister program that helps new students become a part of the La Pietra family. Everyone is a member of this family, so everyone is accepted and encouraged to find their little niche within the school.

That is why La Pietra graduates are successful in many, if not all disciplines. That is also why girls can "dream big" at La Pietra; they have the confidence and the tools to succeed.

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What important issue in the state do you feel should be addressed?

Rachaell Siah
Sixth grade
"Littering is a big issue, especially if it goes in the water."

Zeli Barry
Sixth grade
"I think we should keep Hawaii beautiful. The waters here are dirty. The land is polluted."

Kiana Hieda
Eighth grade
"Our sewage system. It's very irritating to know that every second, sewage is entering the ocean and that there's nothing I can do to stop it."

Katie Nichols
Junior
"Conserving Hawaii's natural resources. The fact that we live on an island means that we have limited land and water resources. We need to focus more attention on this issue before it's too late."

Kelsea Aaberg
Junior
"I think that as a state full of sun and wind, we should be exploring alternative sources of energy. Thousands of watts of solar power go to waste each year, and if we had a cheap and efficient way to harness that energy there would be no excuses for using oil."

Sachiko Slomoff
Sophomore
"I think Hawaii should address environmental issues such as our impact on global warming. Even without the United States signing the Kyoto Protocol, cities such as Seattle and New York have already taken action to lessen their energy consumption."

Celidh Evans
Senior
"The homeless problem! Homelessness affects tourism and shows a great lack of respect for local people."