Before the break, Ms. Joeanne’s first grade class hosted their Presentation of Learning for Healthy Earth, Healthy Me. Their driving question was “How can we help keep our environment and ourselves healthy?” Children began their investigation by going on a walking tour over the grounds of Alaka’i O Kaua’i with Mr. Jon. They investigated, observed,… Read more
We ended the month of February with our 5th and 6th graders displaying what they learned about Native Americans and how to make pop-up books through the use of mathematical concepts. 5th grade, Ms. Collette Oguin Ms. Collette Oguin’s 5th graders studied the lives of indigenous Americans in the 1400s-1600s and how the geography of… Read more
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of articles on the pillars of Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School’s educational philosophy and approach. So here we are. We’ve explored six of the seven habits and why they’re important to us and our learners at Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School, and hopefully by this point you… Read more
Looking for fun activities for your children during Spring Break? We’ve included some options at Poipu Beach Athletic Club! (Note: Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School is not affiliated with this provider, but we are sharing the information as a courtesy to our families.) Poipu Beach Athletic Club has two amazing programs happening during Spring Break.… Read more
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of articles on the pillars of Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School’s educational philosophy and approach. Whether in the classroom, the workplace, relationships, or life in general, learning to compromise can be an important and helpful tool. However, what if there were a way to even further enrich… Read more
Aloha, Alaka`i O Kaua`i Families, Last week, Alaka`i O Kaua`i held Learner-Led Conferences (LLCs). Unlike traditional parent-teacher conferences, the learner is not only present but in charge of explaining their progress, reflecting on accomplishments, and reviewing progress on their Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) goals, which were set at the beginning of the year. For learners… Read more
Click here for the School Calendar Click here for the Community Calendar March 12: Kindergarten Open House March 16-20: Spring Break March 26: Kuhio Day April 19: Earth Day Community Event and Fundraiser
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of articles on the pillars of Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School’s educational philosophy and approach. They say communication is key, but if we lack understanding in our relationships and interactions, how can we ever hope to truly, clearly communicate? This week, we’re examining Habit #5: Seek First… Read more
Aloha! We’re excited to share an incredible learning opportunity for summer break! Learners who will be entering 7th-12th grade in the fall of 2020 are invited to Camp Kahili! There are four weeks available to campers (June 21-July 18), and you can opt to stay for one, two, three…or all four weeks! Community. Culture. Adventure. Campers will… Read more
Click here for the School Calendar Click here for the Community Calendar 2/17: Presidents’ Day – No School 2/20: Minimum Day 2/20-21: Learner-Led Conferences 3/16-20: Spring Break 3/26: Kuhio Day
Update Feb. 18, 2020: Aloha, Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School Family and Supporters, It is with sadness and great respect for Uncle Willie K that we must inform you the Benefit Concert for Alaka’i O Kaua’i, which was scheduled for February 22, has been canceled. Uncle Willie K is facing some health issues, so we are allowing him time… Read more
Update Feb. 18, 2020: Aloha, Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School Family and Supporters, It is with sadness and great respect for Uncle Willie K that we must inform you the Benefit Concert for Alaka’i O Kaua’i, which was scheduled for February 22, has been canceled. Uncle Willie K is facing some health issues, so we are allowing him time… Read more
Click here for the School Calendar Click here for the Community Calendar 2/10: Paradise Park Amusement Park – 2nd Grade POL, 2:00-3:00 p.m. 2/13: Learner-Free Day – Institute Day for Staff 2/14: Kids Heart Challenge 2/17: Presidents’ Day – No School 2/20: Minimum Day 2/20-21: Learner-Led Conferences
On Monday, February 10, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., our 2nd graders will have a Presentation of Learning called Paradise Park Amusement Park. Miss Brown and the learners will present a slideshow about the driving question: “How can we create an amusement park with fun-filled rides using math, science, and engineering?” Pictures and short video… Read more
On Friday, January 31, we held a school assembly that recognized our learners for exhibiting the 7 Habits, part of our social-emotional curriculum. Our learners represented Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Representing this habit helps our learners and staff make Alaka`i O Kaua`i school a very special place.
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of articles on the pillars of Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School’s educational philosophy and approach. “In the long run, if it isn’t a win for both of us, we both lose. That’s why win-win is the only real alternative in interdependent realities.” — Dr. Stephen Covey This week,… Read more
We are looking for parents or friends of the school who are involved in the community to donate to our upcoming Earth Day Event Silent Auction. We’re also seeking helpers! More details for the event will be coming soon!
Looking for fun activities for your children during Presidents’ Day weekend? We’ve included an option nearby! See below to learn about Kids Day Camp at Poipu Club. (Note: Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School is not affiliated with this provider, but we are sharing this information as a courtesy to our families.)
We will have a table at the Kukui Grove Center this Sunday, February 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to make Valentine’s Day cards with the keiki and do outreach for our school during the Gifts from the Heart Make & Take Craft Event. We hope to see you there!
Last Friday, we had an assembly to honor each of our learners for exhibiting Habit 5 of the 7 Habits: “Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood.” Learners and staff are working to implement all of the habits from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and it has been a rewarding and… Read more
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of articles on the pillars of Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School’s educational philosophy and approach. You can find more articles by clicking here. This week, we look at Habit #3: Put First Things First. This habit, which all of us at Alaka`i O Kaua`i are working to… Read more
Click here for the School Calendar Click here for the Community Calendar 2/9: Alaka ‘i O Kaua ‘i Valentine’s Day card-making at Kukui Grove Center’s Gifts from the Heart, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 2/13: Learner-Free Day – Institute Day for Staff 2/14: Kids Heart Challenge 2/17: Presidents’ Day – No School 2/20: Minimum Day… Read more
Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School is special because of our curriculum focus. The two main pillars of our curriculum are Project-Based Learning and Social-Emotional Learning. Last week, a new school club was formed to support the social-emotional needs of our learners. Our 4th grade facilitator, Ms. Kate, and a 4th grade parent, Mrs. Sally Nichols,… Read more
Driving Question: What value did the Wa’a Kaulua have in ancient Hawaii, and what about the design made it functional? Learn from our 4th graders! Date: Friday, January 30 Time: 10:00- 10:45 a.m.
Our school has officially kicked off Kids Heart Challenge with the American Heart Association. Be sure to check your learner’s backpack for all the details. We are learning how to keep our hearts happy and healthy! Get started now by downloading the FREE APP called Kids Heart Challenge for Apple or Android OR visit www.heart.org/kidsheartchallenge and search Alaka’i O Kauai Charter School to join our team, then click on the… Read more
On January 21, our kindergarteners had a fantastic time celebrating the 100th day of school by participating in lots of fun activities, including dressing up like they were 100 years old!
Click here for the School Calendar Click here for the Community Calendar 1/27: Board Meeting 1/31: 4th Grade Presentations of Learning, 10:00-10:45 a.m. 2/14: Kids Heart Challenge
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of articles on the pillars of Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School’s educational philosophy and approach. You can find more articles by clicking here. When was the last time you went on a trip to a new place without first looking up directions? Unless you have a superhuman… Read more
As a reminder, due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this month’s board meeting will be held on Monday, January 27, instead of the third Monday of the month. Anyone who would like to have a more informal conversation, ask questions, or share information with the board is invited to come to the meetings early… Read more
Last week, we introduced a vital element of Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School’s approach to education — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Learning and practicing the 7 Habits has been instrumental to our learners’ success living out the Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School motto of “free to think, inspired to lead” — not… Read more
Due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this month’s board meeting will be held on Monday, January 27, instead of the third Monday of the month. Anyone who would like to have a more informal conversation, ask questions, or share information with the board is invited to come to the meetings early (at 4:00 p.m.)… Read more
View on Getting Smart
We’re happy to introduce a new series of articles in the Monday Message, aimed at unpacking some of the essentials of the Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School educational model. Our educational model is driven by much more than simply making sure children are good students. Rather, it’s focused on equipping them to be lifelong learners… Read more
Congrats to our Alaka‘i O Kaua‘i Spelling Bee champ, Isabella Salamey (4th grade), and all our spellers! Our top two spellers will advance to the Kauai District Bee on January 16 at Chiefess Middle School cafeteria at 6:00 p.m. We held the Alaka‘i O Kaua‘i Spelling Bee for grades 4-6 on Friday, January 10, in… Read more
Ah, rain! There’s been a lot of it lately, and sometimes that results in muddy clothes. Parents and guardians of learners in ALL grades, we encourage you to send an extra change of clothes and shoes for rainy days to keep your kids clean, dry, and comfortable so they can focus on another fun-filled day… Read more
Click here for the School Calendar Click here for the Community Calendar 1/20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – no school 1/23: Jump for Heart Assembly 1/27: Board Meeting
Click here for the School Calendar Click here for the Community Calendar 1/6: Learner-Free Day (Staff PL) 1/7: Classes Resume 1/10: School Spelling Bee for Grades 4-6 1/23: Jump for Heart Assembly
We are holding the Alaka‘i O Kaua‘i Spelling Bee for grades 4-6 on Friday, January 10, at 11:30 a.m. in our gymnasium. The top speller from our school will receive a free one-year subscription to Britannica Kids! The Alaka‘i O Kaua‘i Spelling Bee will include only spelling, not vocabulary. This spelling bee is open to… Read more
Click here for the school calendar 12/20: Facilitator Workday 12/23-1/3: Winter Break 1/6: Learner-Free Day (Staff PL) 1/7: Classes Resume
Aloha, Alaka’i O Kaua’i Families! Please consider donating to your child’s classroom for the holidays. Each wish list is below. Every little bit helps our facilitators and keeps our learners happy and excited to come in each and every day! We appreciate you for choosing Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School, and we wish you a… Read more
Last Friday, December 13, 2019, was a very exciting day for everyone at Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School, because we had our very first annual Winter Production! Our music teacher, Elizabeth Lawson, who joined us this year to direct our school-wide music program, drew the best out of our learners. All learners in K-7 performed beautifully,… Read more
Looking for fun activities for your children during Winter Break? We’ve included some options nearby! See below to learn about Poipu Beach Athletic Club’s Winter Break Events as well as Healing Horses Kaua’i’s Winter Break Horsemanship and Riding Camps. (Note: Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School is not affiliated with these providers, but we are sharing… Read more
Our kindergarteners are in the midst of a project-based learning unit on gardening. They’re learning what’s needed to create a successful garden and what plants need to thrive. Our driving question is “How can we make our garden into a beautiful reality?” Through many hands-on activities, learners are mapping and constructing a bird’s-eye-view picture of… Read more
Click here for the school calendar 12/20: Facilitator Workday 12/23-1/3: Winter Break 1/6: Learner-Free Day (Staff PL)
Alaka`i O Kaua`i School is well into its second year of operation. Consequently, we are still putting policies, procedures, and systems in place to provide an outstanding learning environment for learners and staff. As with many new organizations, we have had many updates to our staffing, from facilitators to education assistants. In addition, we have… Read more
The week of Oct. 1 in kindergarten, we did our first community helpers Presentation of Learning (POL). We are so proud of our kindergarteners! They worked so hard the past month to learn all about the community helpers. In this POL, the learners got to pick who they wanted to be when they grow up.… Read more
At Alaka’i O Kaua’i, our school-wide discipline policy is based on the foundational skills of Love and Logic. Love and Logic is a philosophy founded in 1977 by Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D. It is the approach of choice among leading educators, parents, and other professionals worldwide, as it is dedicated to making… Read more
Do you ever ask your child about how his or her day went and get a one-word answer? Read this article to find out 10 questions that are great conversation starters! “The trick is to ask about things that are specific, but still open-ended. Move beyond ‘fine’ and ‘nothing’ by asking your child to describe… Read more
Please remember to DRIVE WITH ALOHA! As a community, we all share our school road. Please be mindful of your speed, passing with care (only if necessary), and practice patience in one-lane areas.
We love to see learning “al fresco” at Alaka’i O Kaua’i. Why is learning outside so important? An article entitled The Benefits of Learning Outside the Classroom states that direct experience outdoors is more motivating and has more impact and credibility. The results from learning outside the classroom can be instantaneous as well as active… Read more
Every morning, our learners gather together for Morning Meeting. It’s an engaging way to start each day, build a strong sense of community, and set children up for success socially and academically. Each morning, learners and facilitators gather together in a circle for 20-30 minutes and interact with one another during four purposeful components: Greeting:Learners… Read more
Interested in being a “Class Parent”? We would love to have you! Anyone interested in helping support a specific class, please contact the facilitator. Class Parents are there to support by volunteering in the classroom, organizing special activities, helping coordinate field trips or class parties — whatever the facilitator and class needs! A huge MAHALO… Read more
We are looking forward to your collaboration with your learners and their facilitator on the ILPs. Alaka’i O Kaua’i embraces the whole child, focusing on both social-emotional and academic skills. In lieu of the traditional parent/teacher conference, the learners, facilitators, and parents/guardians collaborate annually to create Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) to guide instruction. Everyone works… Read more
Alaka’i O Kaua’i embraces the whole child, focusing on both social-emotional and academic skills. In lieu of the traditional parent/teacher conference, the learners, facilitators, and parents/guardians collaborate annually to create Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) to guide instruction. Everyone works together to reflect on, monitor, and make adjustments to the ILP as needed. The primary goal… Read more
(Please see the school calendar for more information) Monday, Sept. 2: Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)
Donations to Alaka’i O Kaua’i are tax-deductible.
