What a Year!

Aloha Mai Island School ‘Ohana,

While it’s natural for students to wait enthusiastically for this day, how can the last day of school have already come and gone! With Beach Blast Off for the Elementary, the Trunk-or-Treat Parade for Nā Pua Keiki, locker clean out and final elective classes for Grades 6-11, and the seniors closed the day with a full rehearsal for tomorrowʻs graduation and an alumni celebration – it was a full day! I look back at the year, and I marvel at all that we accomplished together…

• First year in our new Woodshop for Nā Pua Keiki
• Expansion of Cross-School Partnerships NPK with: Upper School Science Olympiad Team; mini Spanish lessons US students; Learning activities with Upper School ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi students; PE class designed and run by middle school girls PE class.
• 2nd year in partnership with KCC - Federal Student Worker that assists PreK with 20 hours of support a week.
• First on-campus Gala - A Night Under the Stars
• Highest gross and net for financial aid program raised through the Gala
• First graduating seniors with 4 years of Hawaiian language (and 4 earned the seal of biliteracy)
• Invitation to lead protocol at community cultural events like Makahiki
• 5th grade and MS groups both placed 2nd in the all-island Makahiki competitions
• Ola Ka ʻĪ at Kukui Grove: Island School students closed Hawaiian Language Month Celebration
• First full year of making in the Makerspace, 6th Grade Wheel, MS and US elective course
• Robotics invited to represent Hawaiʻi in Governors Cup and to compete in Canada 
• Updated Daily schedule centering student learning across whole school
• IS as a Cell-Phone use free campus PK-12 during school day 
• Grade level Deans from PK -12
• Immersive Study Off-Site - Senior Nuʻalolo Kai Trip, 8th Grade Hawaiʻi Island Trip, Inter-island College Tours, Na Leo Hou All State Chorus Trip, NHD, Science Olympiad/Fair, Model UN, Robotics Competitions
• Ho’okupu (community Service) /Ed-venture, regular PK-5 field trips, ES overnights 
• 5th Grade study of murals on Oʻahu; Visiting artist & 2 murals at school in the ES quad.
• 2nd Grade inspired, Spanish, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and Art students create book in honor of Sabra. 100+ people have worked on this book in three languages.
• New Roof on Frear
• May 16, 2026 designated as Kumu Sabra Kauka Day in the County of Kauaʻi in honor of her 31 years of service at Island School and all her other remarkable accomplishments
• Wilcox gym Fans are being installed
• KIF Coach of the Year - Island School’s Girls Soccer Coach (parent and board member) - Colby Ayonon ’01
• Wrestling returns and we have a KIF individual wrestling champion
• 1000+ attended Hōʻike with heartfelt sharing of learning from grades PK-12
• Participation in the inaugural season of Surfing, with 2 athletes competing at the state level
• First girls soccer team selected to complete at the state level for Island School
• KIF mixed-paddling team league championship
• KIF girls track team league championship
• 113 AP Exams taken by our 110 10th-12th Graders
• 118 Acceptances to 89 different schools in 22 different states and 3 countries for our 42 seniors
• $1,200,000 awarded  in scholarships and grants for college to the Class of 2026
• Hundreds of hours of National Honor Society peer tutoring

and the list could go on and on…

What a wonderful year this has been. We have so much to be proud of, and we will continue to grow and seek out ways to improve as a school. As I finish my 3rd school year, I continue to humbly appreciate the opportunity to serve as Head of School and feel so honored to be a part of this special school community.

We’ve had a great year together, and I cannot wait for our 50th anniversary next year! I hope you have a wonderful summer ahead, that the change of pace for your children allows for more time to dive into a good book, fish for hours along a fast flowing river or the gleaming blue ocean, support and care for elders in their lives, set their sites on achieving an athletic or academic goal…whatever it is, I hope your children have a wonderful summer.

**Please be sure to review the announcements in the Compass, including an invitation for parents/guardians to complete a simple annual survey about the 25-26 school year that you can complete by clicking here too.**

For those not returning to Island School, we wish you well, especially our graduates!

And for the students we will see in the fall, while I am glad for a slightly slower pace over the next few weeks, as I’m guessing you are too, I can already tell that I am looking forward to seeing you again, bright smiles and all. 

Together,

Nancy Nagramada, P’29

Head of School

n.nagramada@ischool.org