Principal’s Message

Aloha e nä `ohana

Our middle school is continuing the process of preparing to make changes for the 08-09 school year that we feel will enhance the overall experience for our haumana.  Listed below is a bullet-point listing of what will be in place in August.

•    6th grade will grow to 108 students.
•    Class size will be reduced at all grade levels.
•    Hawaiian Language will be added as a required class in 7th and 8th grade.
•    The majority of the daily classes will be extended from 75 to 90 minutes.
•    A study or homework time will be added at the end of each 90 minute block.
•    A Reading Specialist will be added to serve the needs of our middle school haumana.
•    Students will select only one (1) elective course per year.
•    The number of laptop computers will increase as more teachers are utilizing the power of technology in the classroom.
•    Students will be required to pass all seven subjects annually.  Failure to do so, will lead to required summer work to earn the right to continue at KSH.

The key fact to remember is that we are reducing class size, increasing the amount of time teachers spend with students and continuing to provide services to assist students as they build their educational foundation for future success.

Other projects currently being worked on including the hiring process for my replacement as MS Principal, as well as, the positions of Hawaiian Studies teacher, Physical Education teacher and the new Reading Specialist.  More news will be forth coming after the Spring Break.

The past few weeks have been very active as the 7th grade experienced a special Nohona Hawai`i day and our 8th graders recently returned from their Moloaka`i huaka`i, the culminating event of our 8th grade school year.  Sixth grade is preparing for more activity in the near future.

Finally, please begin to adjust your schedules as we prepare for Student-Led Conferences right before Spring Break.  Your participation in these conferences is of the utmost importance to your child and his/her growth and development.

As always, mahalo for giving us the opportunity to educate your child.  Your confidence in KSH is valued and appreciated.

I mua,

John R. Colson
Principal, Kula Waena

December 26, 2007

Aloha e nä `ohana

We hope this letter finds you enjoying your holiday season with the `ohana.

While students are vacationing, we have been planning and preparing for the second semester.  Our focus, as always, will be to encourage students to take better care of each other and to be responsible for their actions.  For clarification purposes, the majority of the discipline referrals from August to December were related to these two issues.  Any help on your end would be appreciated as we need to send our haumana a consistent message showing them that we are all in this together.

A particular concern that needs your attention is the behavior of our students after school at Prince Kuhio Mall.  We have a growing number of reports of inappropriate behavior including shop lifting, vandalism and behavior that has caused merchants to ban certain students from their stores and restaurants.  This behavior reflects very poorly on the school, our families and the students.  Because our students are in uniform, the behavior of a few reflects poorly on the entire school.

As reported by the Headmaster, our security department did an audit of students at the mall after school, as well as, identifying student behavioral issues and the time that they are picked up by parents or guardians.  Our findings continue to cause concern and we need your help.

All middle school students and `ohana need to remember that any action that reflects poorly on Kamehameha Schools may be cause for school discipline.  Please make the time to discuss this issue with your child as we will be proactively working to improve student behavior and our relationship with the mall merchants.  Further, we need your commitment to pick up your child after school without leaving them unsupervised to cruise the mall for hours.

The faculty and I have been working on a restructuring plan, I Liko Ka Liko (To ensure the liko buds or blossoms) for the Middle School to begin in Fall of 2008.  This 3 year plan will increase middle school enrollment offering more students the opportunity to build a solid foundation for high school and beyond.  Changes that will take place, in 2008 – 2009 are as follows:

•    Hawaiian Language will become a required class for all 7th and 8th graders.

•    Student Load – All students will be required to take, and pass, seven classes per year.  Any failure must be corrected in the summer for the student to continue the next school year.  Multiple failures will, most likely, lead to separation from Kamehameha Schools.

•    Study Hall – Study Hall will no longer be a class; however, study time will be provided in each core class if homework is assigned.  Core is defined as English or Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Hawaiian Studies/Language.  This study time will be supervised by the Core Teacher providing a stronger learning environment for students.

•    Electives – Students will have the choice of one elective class each year, rather than the current two choices.  One of the elective choices was replaced by the Hawaiian Language requirement.

Much more information will follow as we move closer to August 2008.  However, your child (current 6th and 7th graders) must begin to think about their elective choice, so that we may plan appropriately.

Enjoy your last few days of vacation and know that we look forward to working with all of our students as we help them grow and maximize their individual potential.

As always, mahalo for allowing us to educate your child.  We appreciate your confidence in KS and take our responsibility very seriously.

Should you have questions or concerns, please contact us at your convenience.

I mua,

John R. Colson
Po`okumu, Kula Waena

P.S.    Congratulations to our Middle School Band members who are participating in the Tournament of Roses parade on January 1, 2008.  Members are:

Jackson Aiona
Dylan Alip
Kapena Aveiro
Emma Ayau
Erin Carvalho
Nainoa Hart
Stetson Lindsey
Alex Ikeuchi
CJ Matsuyama
Kalauao Naipo-Arsiga
Joseph Nakoa
Akoakoa Paleka-Kennedy
Pomai Racpan
Eloy Roldan
Warner Shaw

Aloha e nä `ohana

Our opening term has come to a close.  Much has been accomplished as we work to help each student reach his/her fullest potential.  As is always the case when you are dealing with youngsters, there are some issues that we will be addressing and we need your assistance. 

The students have created a game called “I’m Nervous”.  The game allows a member of the opposite sex to touch a person in a “suggestive” location on their body.  They may continue touching in suggestive areas until the person says “I’m Nervous”.  We are working with all students to reinforce the school’s position that any physical contact is not acceptable and a behavior that will bring serious scrutiny.  In order to preserve the dignity of all of our students, this game will be stopped and this type of peer pressure will not be tolerated.

Several students have been released from the Middle School for inappropriate behavior over the past few weeks and several others are at risk.  We are doing our best to address student behavior in a proactive manner and hope to get students refocused before serious discipline is needed.  Our efforts are only as effective as the amount of reinforcement we get from home.  I encourage you to talk with your children and encourage them to think before they act.

Text messaging and cell phone use at school continues to be a problem.  If we cannot get this abuse under control, we will need to confiscate phones when the abuse occurs and hold the phones until June.

As trivial as it may seem, student dress continues to be an area of agitation and one of the areas where students stretch the rules, believing it is “only” dress code.  Because we believe in standardized dress as an institution, we will take the time to enforce our dress regulations.  Repeat offenders will receive consequences from detention to Saturday
School depending on the frequency of the violation.

On a positive note, we welcome back our Social Studies teacher, Amy Ka`awaloa who returns from maternity leave after giving birth to her son, Tyler.  We thank Mrs. Koehler for her work and care as the long term substitute. Three members of the Middle School faculty are traveling this week to the National Middle School Association conference in Houston, Texas.  Representing our middle school are Language Arts teacher Monica Spittler, Holomua teacher Jan Bumatay and Counselor Cathy Moran.  They are tasked with researching the latest trends in education and reporting their findings to the full faculty upon return. 

Finally, please continue to use KS Connect to stay abreast of your child’s progress and status.  We are committed to keeping the information current and useful so that students and parents may proactively attend to appropriate academic issues. Please enjoy the current issue of the monthly “Middle Years” as it is a great tool to better understanding your middle schooler. Please know that we are doing our best to serve the needs of each student.  Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the Middle School Office. 

 I mua,

 John R. Colson

Principal, Kula Waena

Aloha e nä `ohana: Mahalo for your cooperation over the first two months of the school year.  Our haumana have made great strides in all areas of school life and we are very pleased to date.  As with any school; however, we have issues we are dealing with which will continue to improve the school environment for everyone. 

Back to School Days - The importance of a strong home and school partnership to support our children is crucial for their success.  Your presence at Back to School Days was definitely a testament of your dedication to support that partnership.  BTSD serves three main objectives.  The first and foremost is to orient parents to life as a middle school child at KSH middle school.  Second, it offers teachers the opportunity to emphasize key components of their curriculum and establish relationships with the parents.  The final objective is to allow students a chance to share their academic goals for the year.  Despite the challenges of organizing such a large event, parent, student and teacher survey responses overwhelmingly support Back to School Days.  One parent stated, “By attending BTSD it has made me more aware of what is expected from each class so that I can help my child better understand any concerns he has regarding the subject.”  Parents also commented on how much they appreciated various aspects of the middle school particularly our built in study hall.  It was definitely a long day for many and we appreciate your attendance.  It is a huge undertaking and we are grateful to the parents for their support, the students for their motivation and the faculty and staff for their commitment.  A-Plus Approach to Parenting - Enclosed is an abbreviated power-point printout from Dr.
Kimo Alamedia’s presentation about parenting teenagers in today’s world.  Approximately fifty parents enjoyed this parenting session and have asked for more opportunities.  Our Outreach Counselor, Robbie Ann Shimose was responsible for this event and she will be planning future sessions with a variety of topics.  Stay tuned. 

No Work No Grade – Our revised program produced fewer students with missing work this past Friday.  As we work to teach “accountability”, our hope is that students will develop the self-discipline to do their work on time and avoid the in-school suspensions that prevent them from enjoying student activities and vacation days.  A reminder of a new piece to the program is “Pä`ina Day”.  An afternoon of fun and food as a reward to the majority of our students who complete their work and model “accountability”.  Our hope is that the positive reward will entice more students to be accountable; thus, enjoying the reward.  Your support on the home front is always an added benefit. Discipline – The number of students involved in disciplinary action has jumped recently.  Unfortunately, most of the violations are focused on “dishonesty” as a result of not doing their work or on “integrity” when trying to be “cool”.  We will continue to teach “accountability” and “integrity” and eventually these important values will become part of each student’s personal foundation. 

Fair Play – A point of emphasis this year continues to be treating each other with respect.  All students are encouraged to treat others the way they would like to be treated.  Although this happens the majority of the time, we continue to see students hurt by words or actions of others.  Our counselors, teachers and educational assistants attempt to keep a watchful eye on our students to make sure all students are comfortable in their own skin and happy to be at school daily. Kahu Apaka – Kahu recently signed on as Assistant Pastor at Haili Christian.  He now will split his time between our Middle School and Haili, thus freeing him up to spend more time with our keiki and their `ohana.  Congrats, Kahu! 

In closing, please enjoy your Fall Recess with your keiki.  We look forward to their return on Monday, October 8^th. 

I mua Kamehameha, John R. ColsonPrincipal, Kula Waena 

P.S.      Please enjoy the October edition of “Middle Years”

Aloha!

The 07-08 school year is underway and we welcome 101 new students to the Middle School and the unique opportunity to learn and grow as part of the KS Experience.

On Wednesday, August 1 we welcomed our new students with a full day of orientation activities, and at the same time, oriented the parents of all new 6th graders.  We were please to have over 90% of the parents attend.

During our orientation for parents, we focused on how the parents can assist their child to get the most out of the KS Experience.  A  major factor in the success equation for students is involved and interested parents.  If parents will stay involved and assist the school in making sure each student is focused and benefiting from the experience, then the odds for success increase geometrically.  All parents are encouraged to stay connected with your child’s teachers and counselor so that we may be proactive in our support of all students.

As a reminder, the Middle School calendar was built this year to allow longer vacation periods including long weekends built around teacher in-service days and holidays.  The intent is to give families the opportunity to travel without having the student miss classes.  Middle School education is very much hands-on and can not be duplicated with homework assignments.  Further, it should be noted that the Middle School will not require homework over the major vacations of Fall Recess, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break.  With all of these accomodations we hope that our students will be in class daily.

Our goal for the 07-08 school year is to have a campus free of harassment and full of “pono” behavior.  We will be working hard throughout the year to make sure that everyone feels good about being here and can focus their energies on learning and growing.  Please help us by encouraging your child to “do what is right, no matter who is watching.” If this can become actions and not just words, our students will have made a major leap in maturity.

Mahalo for trusting us to educate your children.  We take the responsibility very seriously.

Imua Kamehameha!