The Hope Carried in "Yet"

Here we are making our way through April showers – Last week closed with ʻOhana Morning over at Nā Pua Keiki, and today we concluded the week with an important day of conferences, connecting families and teachers, either virtually or in person with our team here on campus. We truly believe in “formative assessment” here at Island School. If that is not a common phrase for you, it is “edu-speak” for feedback given through work assessment with growth as the goal. It is the opposite of “summative assessment,” feedback given on whether or not a finite demonstration of mastery is shown. There is absolutely a place for both types of assessment. A final exam and the AP Test are examples of summative assessments, and a paper assessed and given the chance for re-evaluation to process feedback and improve and MAP testing are examples of formative ones. We believe that our students continue to grow and that when a skill is challenging, it simply means they are not ready YET to move on. The possibility of “yet” reminds us that all of us, when truly engaging in learning, are facing something we donʻt know how to do yet. The hope carried inside “yet” is what pushes all of us to continue to grow and get better at whatever it is we are learning.

Have you been watching any of the livestream of Merrie Monarch these past few nights? Talk about inspirational – the hours and hours of training across a lifetime journey is amazing to watch. As a haumana of Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala, I humbly attend class each week to learn from our Kumu as well as my hula sisters, knowing that the struggle to learn something new is what keeps my life enriched. Then to have the chance to sit and watch those on stage in Hilo from afar, the excellence of the members of our hālau, all the incredible musicians, dancers, cultural practitioners from across our state and beyond… Listening to the stories of the history and importance of how the preservation of hula, mele, oli, and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi overall sustained so much for Kānaka Maoli, I further my understanding of why hula holds such a place of cultural respect and reverance and why teaching it to all our students as people who have the great gift of living in Hawaiʻi is part of our role as a school.

As has already begun and through the coming weeks, our students will continue to engage in opportunities for formative feedback as they learn their class hula and mele as a part of their Island School experience, to value and understand an element of our shared home of Kauaʻi through active participation. Their efforts will come together in our all-school celebration of learning, our Hōʻike. Please be sure to hold May 15 from 9:00 – 11:00 am, and if you can plan to stay through lunch, we hope you will join us for a delicious meal together!

As always, we are so grateful to you for entrusting Island School with the education of your children. And mahalo nui for participating in ʻOhana Morning with NPK or in teacher conferences this past week in support of your child’s/children’s learning.

With gratitude,

Nancy Nagramada P’29

Head of School