School news and events for the week of {date}

Message from the Director

Aloha to the Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School learning community. I hope this last Monday Message of March finds you in good health and happiness.

The author Roy Bennett once penned: “Every challenge, every adversity, contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth,” and this statement perfectly captures your amazing response to the pandemic. Mahalo for your patience, cooperation, adaptability, and understanding, as we all together navigated the unknown of the COVID pandemic.

With the expiration of the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation last Friday, we can cheerfully share that all restrictions on campus have been removed. For specific details, please do review the ParentSquare email communication that was emailed your way last Wednesday, as it contains the message that came directly from Governor David Ige.

With the opening of our campus again, we look forward to sharing numerous events with our learning community here on campus. On Friday, April 22, we will celebrate Earth Day here with our own version of Makahiki Games. Kumu Kali and his Grade Three class is teaching the games to the rest of the school as their project based learning activity for this quarter and here is a little background.

In ancient times in Hawaii, the fall harvest signaled the start of the beloved Makahiki Festival. For 3-4 months, warfare was considered kapu (not allowed) and the people of Hawai’i filled their days with peace, festivities, feasting and games.

The Makahiki games challenged participants in strength, wisdom, endurance and strategic thought. Some of the activities in the games attracted the Hawaiian youth and we look forward to hosting a few of them here on campus that are listed below:

• Konane – Form of Hawaiian Checkers
• Ulu Maika – Hawaiian Lawn Bowling
• Uma – Arm Wrestling Laying Down
• Hukihuki – Hawaiian Tug of War

We hope to be able to provide seven stations for each of our classes to try out on the Makahiki Games day on campus. Looking forward to the future, we also hope to someday send a team from Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School to the Ka Moloka’i Makahiki, which is the loose equivalent of the Hawai’ian Olympics.

We are also pleased to share that Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School expect to be able to host our learning community on campus for Na Kupu Lau (May 6th), Talent Show (May 23rd-May 25th), and Grade Six Graduation (May 26th).

Mahalo for your support of our unique charter school and malama pono.

DJ Adams
Po’o Kumu (Director), Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School, Koloa, Hawai’i

“Ua ola no i ka pane a ke aloha.”
There is life in a kindly reply.