Our Mission - Why We Do What We Do

Aloha Island School ‘Ohana,

It’s always an exciting week at Island School! Whether it was the Middle School across our island or right here on campus working hard for our second Ho‘okupu Learning Service day (picture inset is from the group in Waipā), the varsity boys soccer team fighting on the field to earn the title of KIF 2024 League Champions, to the Kindergarten exploration aboard the Grove Farm Train, we are a school that works hard and plays hard.

So much of what we strive to bring to life each day is embedded in our mission…because a quality education is not just an academic endeavor, it involves the heart and hands as well. We work to “educate the mind” in and out of the classroom – from 10th Graders reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and being able to ask questions of their guest speaker, the lead prosecuting attorney for Kaua‘i county to the “light and sound” science unit in first grade. Everyday we work to “inspire the heart” through advisory and class meeting times where we discuss what is on our minds and how to problem solve as a community…we learn conflict resolution strategies, hold ourselves accountable for mistakes from which to grow, and also offer forgiveness to move forward together. And as we get closer and closer each day to launch our seniors into the world to take their next steps to lead “lives of significance” beyond Island School, I am so glad we are an educational institution that believes in having students work with their hands, challenge their minds, and engage their hearts to help them understand that they have the agency to make a difference in the world.

Thank you to all those who have connected with questions and have confirmed your re-enrollment for next year. If you are needing details for re-enrollment and/or financial aid, particularly before the 2/15 deadline, you can find information here, and if you didn’t get a chance to review my letter regarding 24-25 tuition, you can access it here.

On Sunday, I fly out to O‘ahu to represent Island School as a member of the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools accreditation team as we do our formal visit for Kamehameha Schools Kapālama (KSK). I will be immersed in the intensive KSK accreditation process through Wednesday, and thank our administrative team in advance for covering for me while I am away.

 

I am always humbled by the trust given by every Island School family to partner with us in honor of the education of your children. I wish you a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to seeing you again when I return to campus next Thursday.

Mahalo,

Nancy Nagramada

Head of School