Here's to Lunar New Year and Auspicious Beginnings!

Did you happen to get a chance to get a glimpse of the Google Doodle today? See a screenshot to the left...Yes, it's true, tomorrow is Lunar New Year and the year of the dragon! And while so many families have different ways to celebrate this holiday, I try to do some special cleaning and have meaningful family time. I hope this weekend holds some great family time for you too...whether it's cheering on Voyagers together for our first-ever State Championship Soccer game, showing team pride for the 49ers (or Kansas City) or together celebrating 'Ōlelo Hawai'i at Kukui Grove.

 

And today, Friday, I was graced to spend my morning reflecting on our auspicious beginning together in my role as Head of School with the Board of Directors.

Jim Scott, former head of Punahou and RG175 Search Consultant, returned to Island School after various visits since completing the search he led with retired head of school and RG175 colleague Doreen Oleson, that led to my hire. Over the course of the last year, he and Doreen have continued to partner with the Board to ensure a smooth leadership transition. And today, our 3 hours of work together with him was a critical component of that transition. In our time together, we reflected on the past, and the strength of dedication that led to the Island School’s growth from fewer than 50 students to today’s nearly 500 students. We considered how the Board and this community moved through leadership transitions that included an interim head of school as well as the third hiring process in under five years. Jim gave great insights into what it means for a school to shift from a Board who must support the operations of the program to one that acts as a steward of the mission and focuses on long-term strategic decisions regarding resources and institutional longevity.

And most importantly, Jim helped us further understand their strengths as a Board as they look to support the future development of the school in partnership with me as Head and in the name of all of our students, families, faculty, and staff.

And all the while this important work of the Board was happening in the Frear Center, Kumu Sabra made special plans while she shared with us her usual teaching space. Throughout the day, Kumu Sabra walked students over to the Chinese Pavilion on KCC’s campus and continued a tradition over many years to clean the black mold off of the white marble lions. She has students use toothbrushes and toothpaste, a simple process that does not damage the statues. Her goal is to make this effort with her students so together they can, in her own words “learn more about the contributions of Chinese people to Hawai’i and to Malama Kaua’i.” 

I just can’t imagine a more auspicious beginning to the lunar new year than what today held.