Our School

List of 8 items.

Mission and Philosophy
Island School is an educational system. The various parts coordinate to contribute to the development of alert and lively human beings who are:
- skilled in the basic tools of the modern world;
- knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, current as well as of the past;
- sensitive to outside, local, and world influences and communities;
- aware of and committed to their civic responsibilities;
- filled with curiosity and an eagerness to find their particular niche, fulfillment, and joy in life.
Our success is measured through student growth and development, individually and in the aggregate, and by appropriate college placements of its graduates.

Island School is a place where not only traditional lines of thought are respected, but staff members keep abreast of new ideas and technologies. As appropriate, these are incorporated into the curriculum. Learning is dynamic and progressive, not fixed and static; therefore, the curriculum is under continuous review and best practices are consistently employed.

Location and Campus

The School

Island School currently enrolls 492 students in grades pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Students are served by 52 teachers and 4 instructional support positions. The student/teacher ratio is about 15:1. Administrators and other staff members number 27, bringing the total staff count to 79 positions.

The school population reflects the diversity of the island. Students range in age from 3 1⁄2 to 18 years old. In ethnicity, they are mixed. About half are of Caucasian descent; the rest are of various backgrounds including: Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Hispanic, Chinese, and other ethnicities. In ability, they rank in the top third of students nationally, as indicated by the Education Records Bureau, Stanford Achievement Test (9), College Board SAT and other assessments. Based on demonstrated need, 51% of the families receive some amount of financial aid.

Students come to Island School from all areas of the island. Most travel to and from the campus by private car including carpools. School bus service is available to students living in outlying areas from Princeville on the north shore all the way to Kekaha on the west side. This means that Island School is a commuter school, not the center of a residential community. The population of Kaua‘i is 72,000. Of this number, nearly 12,000 are children and young people of school age. About 1,000 (8%) attend either independent or parochial schools. Island School is the largest and most comprehensive of these.
Faculty – Characteristics of Excellence
The Island School faculty is a passionate, diverse group of individuals who are dedicated to the growth of their students, their community, and themselves. They describe themselves as:
- knowledgeable in both content areas and with student development;
- lifelong learners;
- dedicated professionals;
- self reflective;
- responsible;
- flexible and collaborative;
- ethical;
- respectful - to the environment, self, and others;
- fearless and risk-taking;
- empathetic;
- enthusiastic about teaching;
- well-rounded;
- creative;
- empowered.
The rewards gained from teaching at Island School include:
- academic freedom;
- being part of a dynamic and caring community where learning is valued;
- being surrounded by excellence in others;
- being supported both academically and personally;
- seeing students grow and blossom as a result of our teaching;
- working with a diverse and interesting group of colleagues.
Curricular Programs

Island School’s curriculum is based on Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs).

ESLRs include 12 significant competencies that are the guiding force in the design of curriculum in all subjects and disciplines from kindergarten through grade 12. These grew from the Mission Statement, are based on Howard Gardner’s ideas about multiple intelligences, and are continually reviewed and adjusted by faculty and administration to ensure their relevancy and efficacy.

Elementary School
Island School’s mission statement, philosophy, policies, and 12 ESLRs guide the development of the elementary curriculum and all of its programs. The curriculum teaches to the whole child through language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, Hawaiian studies, technology, social skills training, physical education, and health education. It is designed to meet all of the intelligence areas according to Howard Gardner: verbal-linguistic, math-logic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

Experienced and dedicated elementary teachers implement research-based practices and focus on the continuous improvement of each child’s knowledge and skills. For example, a multi-age teaching approach in math and language arts is in place to ensure that all students’ academic needs are met. A low student to teacher ratio with small classes, a steady focus on the growth of the individual student, and meaningful experiential activities both within and outside the classroom all contribute to high-quality learning at the elementary level.

Middle School
The middle level program at Island School, which includes grades 6-8, addresses the particular needs of pre-adolescent students as they transition from elementary to high school. The middle level curriculum is driven by Island School’s mission statement, philosophy, policies, and 12 ESLRs. The instructional program includes courses in language arts, math, science, social studies, foreign language, visual and performing arts, Hawaiian studies, computer science, physical education, and health education.

Students have opportunities to advance academically based on performance and readiness. The middle school program cultivates the joy of learning, teaches students to manage the increasing demands of secondary education, and reinforces both the extrinsic and intrinsic rewards of effort and accomplishment. The middle level program supports students as they move toward increased independence in their lives. Faculty members teach to the whole student with a focus on Howard Gardner’s defined areas of intelligence. In addition, self-awareness, self-management, community skills, study skills, clarification of personal values, and emotional intelligence are all part of students’ personal and academic development. The middle school focuses on the development of healthy habits and best practices for personal and academic success in high school.

High School
Island School’s high school offers a rigorous college-preparatory program that prides itself on both its comprehensive curriculum and individualized instruction. Our faculty continuously provides thought-provoking, critical challenges, and regularly adapt their lesson plans to the needs of their students on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.

While attending Island School, students are required to perform 20 hours of community service per year and take college-preparatory classes in all of the following: language arts, mathematics, science, history, foreign language, visual and performing arts, computer science, Hawaiian history, and physical education.

Students are challenged to test their intellectual boundaries through honors and AP level courses. Approximately half of all graduating seniors have taken at least one AP course.

As sophomores, students are required to complete a three-part Sophomore Project that begins with a thesis in American Literature, continues with a position paper in U.S. History, and culminates in a round-table discussion facilitated by the entire humanities faculty. This comprehensive project illuminates and combines many universal themes found in both American Literature and History and is a testament to the type of team-teaching and collaboration that occurs amongst dedicated faculty. As seniors, students complete an independent senior research project in an area they are most passionate about.

From inception through completion, the seniors are responsible for designing, researching, and presenting a thesis, experiment, or problem/solution model. Meeting at regular intervals with faculty members and community mentors, students become experts in their chosen fields and verify their expertise in a teacher-led interview. All seniors must then present their findings to the community in a thirty-minute presentation. Only after a successful interview and presentation may an Island School student earn his/her high school diploma.

Enrichments
Island School believes that enrichments are essential for every student’s complete development and education. Arts programs strive to expose all students to creative experiences through various mediums and content areas – visual arts, theater arts, music, computer technology, Hawaiian Studies, and physical education. Integration of the arts into other subject areas is encouraged and facilitated as faculty seek to foster and develop students’ risk-taking, initiative, and confidence in artistic endeavors and expressions.

The strength of arts education at Island School lies in its performance-based curriculum. Arts education and experiences are viewed as necessary for all students’ academic, personal, and emotional growth. Students in elementary, middle, and high school engage in enrichment experiences. Classes in art, music, computer technology, Hawaiian Studies, drama, and physical education begin in Pre-Kindergarten and are components of every students’ education through grade five. Middle School students are enrolled in a year-long physical education class, and have the opportunity to select visual arts, music, drama, or computer technology electives. High School enrichment electives incorporate a range of choices, including ceramics, drawing, ukulele, improvisation, acting, play production, hula, yoga, weight training, robotics, and digital media. Each year major performing and visual arts events are produced by Island School students and staff, including May Day. The annual calendar also includes 2-3 drama productions, exhibitions at local art galleries, and participation in local and statewide art competitions.

Enrichments are integral to the Island School experience and are designed to expose students to performance-based experiences. These are created to increase cultural awareness, engage students in higher-level thinking skills, foster and expand their creativity, and enhance their lives both in and beyond school.
Extra & Co-Curricular Programs

Athletics
Island School, which is a member of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation, offers High School-level athletic competitions in soccer, basketball, golf, volleyball, swimming, cross-country, track and field, tennis, paddling, and air riflery. On average, 80% of students participate in sports during the school year. In recent years, Island School students have participated in county and state-level competitions and have set records in these events. Efforts have continued to cultivate greater interest in sports by including middle level athletes in practice sessions as well as creating a middle school intramural league to play parochial and other independent schools on Kaua‘i. Elementary students have the opportunity to participate in the middle and elementary track team and compete in the annual County Track Meet.

Student Activities
Student leadership is fostered through Student Government in high school and through Student Council in middle and elementary grades. Each of these groups plans social activities, fundraising enterprises, and spirit-generating events. They also lead meetings, discuss concerns and problem-solve.

The campus is active even after school hours, when clubs, tutoring, sporting events, and social events take place. Middle and high school students may participate in a number of clubs and activities, including SCUBA Club, Mock Trial, Junior Restoration, Interact, Model U.N., Spanish Club, Robotics, National Honor Society, and Science Olympiad. Elementary students meet for First Lego League robotics club, sports, and other activities. Dances, retreats, movie nights, and many other social activities are planned, mostly by student government groups.

Off-island trips are organized by faculty, some to neighbor islands, others to foreign countries. These trips take months of planning and fundraising and are life-changing experiences.

Community Service
Community service is encouraged and promoted for all Island School students. For example, students care for the environment by participating in beach clean-ups and native plant restoration. Students also raise funds for relief programs and organize local food drives for those in need. Every year Island School celebrates its birthday by sending its students into the community to work on projects with community organizations such as the Kaua‘i Humane Society, Friends of Lydgate Park, National Tropical Botanical Gardens, and Koke‘e Discovery Center. High school students are required to give a minimum of 20 hours of community service per year.
Portrait of a Graduate
Upon graduating, an Island School student will :
- Have confidence - is prepared to take on challenges and problems with enthusiasm and integrity;
- Be responsible - is accountable for his or her own actions, respects deadlines, and fulfills obligations;
- Love learning - embraces opportunity, sets goals and strives for growth;
- Contribute to society - is a problem-solver that seeks creative solutions;
- Collaborate with others - listens to other points of view and appreciates diversity of backgrounds and opinions;
- Appreciate creativity - appreciates the arts as an essential element of being human;
- Be physically fit - leads a lifestyle that promotes health and well-being.
Island School Quick Facts

Island School is a co-educational independent day school, pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, founded in January 1977.

Staff Count (2018-19)
FTE Elementary Teachers 16.10
FTE Middle School Teachers 9.4
FTE High School Teachers 13.85
Program Support 5.43
Administration 7.25
Staff 12.20
TOTAL STAFF 78.08

Student Count (March 2020)
Pre K - 5th grades - 161 enrolled
6th - 8th grades - 119 enrolled
9th - 12th grades - 142 enrolled
TOTAL STUDENTS - 422 enrolled

Board of Directors (2019-20) - 20 volunteers

Campus 38.4 acres with 13 buildings, including a regulation gymnasium

Accreditations
Western Association of Colleges and Schools (7 years)
Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools (7 years)
National Association for the Education of Young Children (Pre-Kindergarten, 5 years)

Financial Highlights (June 30, 2019)
Gifts & Fundraising Contributions To:
Endowment $3,600
Special Projects $385,448
Tuition Aid $345,186
Operations $91,002
Captial $549,009
TOTAL $1,374,245

Gifts & Fundrasing Contributions From:
Individuals & Families $393,175
Foundations & Trusts $185,577
Businesses & Corporations $51,000
TOTAL $629,752

Tuition (2022-23)
Pre-Kindergarten - $11,350
Kindergarten - 12th grade - $17,500

15 regular classrooms	Main Hall which serves as a theatre and cafeteria
2 science laboratories	Center for Hawaiian Culture and the Arts
2 computer laboratories	2 Learning Resource Centers
art room	1 faculty workroom
music room	offices for teachers and administrators
small gymnasium	acres of playing fields
full-sized, regulation gymnasium	ample parking

Our School

Welcome to Island School

List of 8 items.