News Detail
Let's Represent!
Aloha Island School ‘Ohana,
Maybe you were like me and you were hooked on the livestream for Merrie Monarch last night as the exceptional performers competed for the title of Miss Aloha Hula 2025. I periodically watched portions of Merrie Monarch before I moved to Hawaiʻi, but once here and having the opportunity to humbly study hula with Kumu Leinaāʻla as a member of Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinaʻāla, I had to do my part to root for her niece, Jaedyn Janae Puahaulani Pavao, who was competing last night for the big title. And to watch her hula, and then to hear her speak after she won about what it means to represent not only her family but her home of Kauaʻi, I was inspired in so many ways by her dedication to excellence while holding fast to and celebrating her roots in Kauaʻi and her family heritage. Her commitment reminded me of something we aspire to in our own students, for them to have a clear feeling of their love of Kauaʻi, their pride in their ancestors, and their understanding that they represent more than themselves when we as a school travel to different parts of our island and our state. I love thinking about how our students get the chance to develop this understanding through our program…
Understanding that wherever we go we bring with us our families, our ancestors, all those who have helped us become who we are. This connection to family, to heritage, to something bigger than us comes through modeling and teaching that we learn from those around us. I’m so inspired by our faculty, staff, and students and how they engage in the world representing their families, Island School, Kauaʻi, and even their home state of Hawaiʻi. Here are just a few current examples:
- 6th, 7th and 8th Graders on Thursday represented us at:
- Ku Mano i ke ala in Waimea Valley, doing their part to mālama ʻāina and support West Kauaʻi;
- Waipā, partaking in a project which includes kalo farming and maintaining the Hawaiian ditch system;
- Hulē‘ia estuary with Mālama Hulē‘ia, helping eradicate mangrove and other invasive plant species.
- (not to mention the students who stayed on our campus, managing recycling, ti leaf care, classroom care and more!)
- Track athletes in Mauʻi this weekend and Oʻahu last weekend, working hard to run their best times in order to compete at the state level.
- Kindergarten and 2nd grade students at Camp Naue in Haena as well as 3rd Grade students at Makanalani last week, showing with their families how they can both have fun and care for the beautiful spaces of our island.
- Lucas Summerhays as a three-peat for KIF individual golf champion and will go on to represent Kauaʻi at the state level.
- The 8th Grade class…yes 58 of them…will head out to the Big Island next week and combine their studies of Earth science and social studies for a 3-day immersion trip, representing Kauaʻi as they both take in all that they can learn from being on a different island as well as perform their class hula for Pele.
- Our seniors are heading to Nuʻalolo Kai next week thanks to so many people helping to keep this tradition going, especially Kumu Sabra and Kumu Kanānāikahaku.
- The music and visual arts program shared a wonderful program on Wednesday evening at KCCʻs Performing Arts Center as our students shared all they had learned with family and friends.
- Robotics students headed to California to compete in Fresno and represent Kauaʻi and our whole state of Hawaiʻi as they pushed their robot to new heights.
- In a few weeks, one of our seniors, Ashley Chun, will represent our school, Kauaʻi, and state at the NATIONAL level for the ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair), and we are so proud of all her hard work to design a paperfluge.
- Our first-ever girls flag football team and the athletes who courageously stepped onto the field, helmets on and mouthguards in, to play hard and represent their strength on the football field with peers from across Kauaʻi.
- Nā Pua Keiki & high school Hawaiian Language Huakaʻi doing a combined field trip to Waipā next week.
- And finally, our seniors getting ready to go to colleges across our country, and even across the world…and our alumni already there…who bring the aloha spirit they carry into their new communities.
Yes, I could go on and on about how our students share so much of who they are here on campus as well as when they travel and represent our school and Kauaʻi when afar. It's so fun to be a part of their 808 pride, and I'm so glad that at Island School we commit to experiences near and far for our students to share what they can do.
Thank you, as always, for choosing to partner with Island School for these critical years of your children’s lives. Have a wonderful weekend!
Together,
Nancy Naramada P’29
Head of School
