Aloha all,
Helen Keller wrote, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. Recently, during our Pō`alima `Ula`Ula activity, we witnessed the beauty of collaboration. A barren hill side will eventually transform into a symbol of collaboration.
Last year, under the guidance of Kumu Lōkahi, the 9th grade Hawaiian Culture class initiated the work on the hill. They toiled in the soil, removed boulders and carved terraces. In this process, Kumu Lōkahi reached out to the operations staff and they joined in on the experience. “Grounds” people shared their knowledge of plants and irrigation with the students. They assisted in helping the students remove boulders from the worksite. Back in the classroom, students prepared presentations on how the Ti plants should be arranged. They discussed possible challenges such as water and the invasive deer population. Students presented their “learnings” and were evaluated by people from administration and operations.
Unfortunately, Kumu Lōkahi was asked to fill a void in Hawaiian Language and the work on the hill stopped.
A year later, came an opportunity to resurrect this collaborative effort, and without hesitation, the same crew (student, teacher, and “grounds crew”) who initiated the work, completed the task (for now) of planting ti on the first section of the hill. It was truly a culmination (and in some ways, the initiation) of collaboration between student, teacher and staff. Stay tuned and witness the transformation of the hill, the transformation of people, and the transformation of school!
Imua,
Mr. Cagasan