Click here for the School Calendar
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April 29-30: Literacy Assessments
May 28: Last Day of 2020-21 School Year
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
April 29-30: Literacy Assessments
May 28: Last Day of 2020-21 School Year
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School emphasizes 21st-century skills and preparing learners for the work world, and tangible experiences help elevate the learning process.
Examples include our third graders’ podcast; our DreamUp to Space challenges, where teams of learners come up with scientific research projects that launch to the International Space Station for testing; or our living history programs, where learners re-create scenes from history.
Real-world experience is at the heart of what can make project-based learning (PBL) truly exciting, challenging, and rewarding for learners. When PBL is infused with real-world experiences, learners develop crucial skills while they’re still in school. Additionally, these experiences can provide learners with deeper insights into career areas they may want to pursue. Furthermore, kids find that their success isn’t defined merely by a grade but by the experience they gain through the process.
Finally, learning that incorporates real-world experience helps learners become familiar with professional environments. Besides learning the subject content, learners develop skills crucial in the work world, including clear and timely communication, thinking critically, problem-solving, and time management.
As part of a well-rounded PBL curriculum, real-world experiences are essential to Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School’s mission.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
April 29: Minimum Day
April 29-30: Literacy Assessments
May 28: Last Day of 2020-21 School Year
April 19, 1:00-2:00 PM HST
Join NASA Ames Chief Scientist Dr. Jacob Cohen and his team to learn about The Hazards of Space Travel. Following his presentation, participants will have the opportunity for a Q&A. Spaces are limited, so please click here to register today!
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
April 19, 1:00-2:00 PM HST
Join NASA Ames Chief Scientist Dr. Jacob Cohen and his team to learn about The Hazards of Space Travel. Following his presentation, participants will have the opportunity for a Q&A. Spaces are limited, so please click here to register today!
At Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School, what’s important is not only ensuring learners are receiving an academically well-rounded education but also that they have the tools they need to succeed in an ever-changing world. That’s why we place a high priority on 21st-century skills.
These skills are essential in a worldwide market that’s moving faster by the day, and they funnel to a key focus: a person’s ability to enact and/or adapt to change.
Why? Because we live in a world where long-established industries are now regularly disrupted with new ideas and methodologies. Kids are preparing for work in an era when nothing is guaranteed, and it’s important to be adaptable.
When we speak about 21st-century skills, we’re talking about those things that help learners adapt and thrive in a world that is increasingly more dependent on technology as well as a global economy and workplace. The 12 essential 21st-century skills include the following:
Through individualized instruction and project-based learning, we celebrate and foster each child’s individuality and support them in discovering their highest potential. We believe each child will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to achieve their fullest potential in preparation for college and the demands of the 21st-century workplace.
Succeeding in the 21st century calls for skill sets that go beyond the basics mandated by densely packed education standards and what’s evaluated on standardized tests. Learners also need to build skills sets that will last a lifetime. To solve problems in our complex, fast-changing world, learners must become nimble, creative thinkers who can work well with others.
In line with the 12 skills identified above, there are four Cs Alaka’i O Kaua’i focuses on instilling in learners, as identified by the Partnership for 21st-Century Skills:
It is critical to keep in mind that those 4Cs don’t replace academic learning goals; rather, they complement and enhance them.
Since Alaka’i O Kaua’i ’s inception, we have been committed to helping develop well-rounded kids, those who are lifelong learners empowered to lead and succeed in a changing world. By incorporating 21st-century skills, we’re making sure they’re ready for anything they face in their journey.
Pictured: Alaka’i O Kaua’i classroom, February 2020.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
April 29: Minimum Day
April 29-30: Literacy Assessments
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
April 5: Learner Free Day (Staff Professional Learning Day)
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Spend even just a few moments inquiring about the Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi approach to education, and one of the first things you’ll hear about is project-based learning, or PBL. It’s at the core of our approach to school and a proven asset to education.
So what is project-based learning? In PBL, learners actively explore real-world challenges to acquire deeper knowledge of the subject at hand. Research shows that learners increasingly retain and enjoy what they’re learning when PBL is done well.
This educational model helps students learn the valuable collaboration, academic, and problem-solving skills our global economy will demand from them. Through the PBL method, learners tackle engaging projects about real-world issues that require critical thought, inquiry, and synthesis, and culminate in regular Presentations of Learning (or POLs) to their peers, facilitators, community members, and parents.
The PBL model requires learners to research, collaborate, and carefully weigh information and evidence in a nuanced problem-solving environment. It teaches learners to accept feedback, create solutions, and present their findings in a high-performance context — preparing them for the rigors of the 21st-century economy and the challenges of a global world.
PBL provides the following benefits:
In short, project-based learning is at the core of the Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi model because we believe it is at the heart of how kids learn best. Time and again, we’ve seen how PBL helps learners develop academic skills, build leadership skills and character, and lay the foundation for promising careers.
Click here for the School Calendar
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April 2: Good Friday – No School
April 5: Learner Free Day (Staff Professional Learning)
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
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 feel more equipped and empowered to approach your own life and work with clearer focus and vision.
But how do we maintain that energy?
That’s where Habit 7 comes in — Sharpen the Saw. Incorporating the 7 Habits into your life is all about achieving balance. But living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It’s all up to you. You can renew yourself through relaxation, or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything.
“Sharpen the Saw” means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have — you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples:
The point is, if we don’t take the time to recharge and renew ourselves regularly, we will burn out and find our efforts stale.
As Dr. Steven Covey said, “Renewal is the principle — and the process — that empowers us to move on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement.”
What that sharpening looks like will vary from person to person. For you, sharpening the saw might mean taking a 10-15-minute walk every day where you can decompress and not focus on day-to-day responsibilities. Or maybe it means better structuring your workweek so on weekends you can focus primarily on family time. Whatever your saw-sharpening looks like, find something that works for you.
As the saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. To make the most of the 7 Habits in improving yourself, your life, and your work, it cannot be a piecemeal effort. Each enhances and strengthens the others. Step by step, find the balance of incorporating each habit — and don’t neglect yourself. Sharpen that saw so that you can truly be your best.
For more information on the 7 Habits and other leadership resources, click here to visit the FranklinCovey website.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
March 26: Prince Kūhiō Day – No School
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
March 15-19: Spring Break – No School
March 26: Prince Kūhiō Day – No School
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 and strengthen our communication and interactions?
That’s what’s behind Habit #6: Synergize.
Synergy brings into focus the old adage that “two heads are better than one.” Instead of merely striking a compromise, synergy allows us to creatively collaborate with others and find new solutions to problems. The essence of synergy is to value and respect our differences, build on strengths, and compensate for weaknesses.
In Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School culture, when learners are incorporating this habit into their lives, they’re learning to work in groups and building and reinforcing a mind-set that says, “I get along well with others — even people who are different from me.” That lays the foundation to a long-lasting collaborative approach to life in a multicultural and interdependent world.
There are a couple of helpful steps to know if you’re in synergy:
One of the most important keys to synergizing is learning to trust, and that trust is built through communication.
Take, for example, these three levels of communication and the associated levels of trust:
When we learn to see our individual differences as strengths instead of weaknesses, we are well on our way to learning to synergize.
Join us next week as we explore the seventh and final habit: Sharpen the Saw.
For more information on the 7 Habits and other leadership resources, click here to visit the FranklinCovey website.
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
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 to Understand, Then Be Understood.
Many of us often seek first to be understood; we want to get our point across. But in doing so, it’s easy to ignore the other person completely, pretend that we’re listening, selectively hear certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely. And so, what happens is that we filter everything through our life experiences and decide what someone means before they’ve even finished.
But is that the most effective communication?
Our listening tends to fall into four categories:
Dr. Stephen Covey defined empathetic listening as listening with the intent to truly understand. To really understand, we need to get inside another person’s frame of reference, and see the world from their point of view. Our listening also needs to be driven by an authentic desire to understand the other person and to build trust with them.
As part of the Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School educational model, we encourage learners to incorporate the following practices into their communication:
When we listen with the intent to understand others, instead of simply with the intent to reply, we begin true communication and relationship-building. Seeking to understand takes kindness; seeking to be understood takes courage. Effectiveness in our communication thrives in a balance of the two.
Join us next week as we explore Habit #6: Synergize.
For more information on the 7 Habits and other leadership resources, click here to visit the FranklinCovey website.
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@makerlearning.net.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
Open seats for 2021-22 will be filled by enrollment lottery (random drawing) March 12. To be included in the enrollment lottery, please fill out this form by March 5!
“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, we’re examining Habit #4: Think Win-Win. Someone with a win-win mind-set sees life as a cooperative arena, instead of a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions, and means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying.
Why is this habit so vital to us at Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School? Because none of us lives in a vacuum. Every day, we interact with other people who have their own sets of passions, motivations, and priorities. So how do we successfully navigate the world as an individual among many other individuals?
Dr. Stephen Covey held that a person or organization approaching conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three vital character traits:
Developing a win-win approach is also beneficial to our growth and maturity. As we seek to have win-win interactions and relationships, we develop our humility, better recognize the humanity of those around us, develop long-term perspectives, and also learn to become more assertive.
There are four steps that can help the win-win process be truly beneficial for all involved:
Developing a win-win mind-set is an important step toward being a more collaborative individual, which is at the heart of what the Alaka`i O Kaua`i Charter School learning model is all about. Win-win is certainly a balancing act, but when we strike that balance everyone benefits.
Join us next week as we explore Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood.
For more information on the 7 Habits and other leadership resources, click here to visit the FranklinCovey website.
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 put into practice, is about identifying and organizing one’s priorities. In essence, someone who puts first things first is saying, “I spend time on things that are most important. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow a plan. I’m disciplined and organized.”
Dr. Stephen Covey said that “first things” are basically all those things that you value most in your life. So, you should manage your schedule according to your priorities to get all essential things done on time.
Skills that can be learned by putting first things first include:
An effective way to implement Habit #3, according to Covey, is breaking down activities into four quadrants of urgency and importance:
Covey suggests you become more aware of your internal drive, values, and goals. This makes it easier to say “yes” to the actions that are based on these factors. This way, values and goals are less often overruled by (non-important) urgent matters. Remember that whenever you say “yes” to one thing, you will no longer have time for something else. Time is the most valuable and least replaceable of all resources. Things that appear urgent will most likely trigger a “yes” if you are asked to help out. It’s useful to understand that saying “no” is also a legitimate option.
By identifying what’s most important to you, and where your passions lie, you can more easily learn to put first things first.
Join us next week as we explore Habit #4: Think Win-Win.
For more information on the 7 Habits and other leadership resources, click here to visit the FranklinCovey website.
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@ileadschools.org.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
When was the last time you went on a trip to a new place without first looking up directions? Unless you have a superhuman sense of direction, you searched for how to get where you were going, whether on your phone or an old-school paper map. That’s what this week’s habit is all about.
Last week, we discussed the first of the 7 Habits: Be Proactive. A proactive person believes in taking responsibility for their lives and investing their time and energy on things within their control — and not losing sleep over the things they can’t control.
But how does one successfully lead a proactive life? Part of the answer lies in Habit #2: Begin With the End in Mind. Starting a proactive journey is difficult if you don’t know where you are trying to go. Beginning with the end in mind is very much like consulting a road map.
In short, to begin with the end in mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of the desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing one’s proactive muscles to make things happen.
To reinforce a mind-set of beginning with the end in mind, Dr. Stephen Covey encouraged developing what he called a personal mission statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life.
So what does it look like for learners to embrace a Habit 2 mind-set and develop their personal mission statements? Helpful steps include reminding themselves of the following:
Do you know why Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School’s focus on developing children who are free thinkers fits so well with the 7 Habits? Because, for instance, Habit 2 is based on imagination — the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. When children are empowered to imagine what can be, the results can be incredibly inspiring.
Join us next week as we explore Habit #3: Put First Things First.
For more information on the 7 Habits and other leadership resources, click here to visit the FranklinCovey website.
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@ileadschools.org.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
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 to mention how it helps our staff thrive.
This week, we’re continuing to unpack the habits with Habit #1: Be Proactive. In short, being proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which they have little or no control, proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control.
In general, most of us fall into one of two categories: Either we’re reactive to situations in life, affected by factors outside of ourselves and believing we have no control over situations — or we are proactive, realizing that we are “response-able” and that we have freedom to choose our responses. A proactive individual peppers their language with “I can” and “I will,” while a reactive person falls back on “I can’t” or “if only.”
In short, proactive people focus their efforts on what Dr. Stephen Covey calls their Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about, like health or problems at work. On the flip side, reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern — things over which they have little or no control.
It has been amazing to see how understanding these concepts empowers Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School learners to take charge and command over both their education and their lives. We’ve seen time and again how it trickles down to every aspect of their lives, and that is at the heart of the Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School model: developing the whole child so that they are equipped to live with purpose and intent.
As Dr. Covey said, “The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct, and learn from it.” When children learn to apply this in an academic setting, it can only spread to every other area of life.
Next week, we’ll continue exploring what makes the Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School approach to education so innovative, explaining Habit #2: Begin With the End in Mind.
For more information on the 7 Habits and other leadership resources, click here to visit the FranklinCovey website.
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Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@ileadschools.org.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
At Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School, 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 who are fully developed and prepared to lead in the 21st century.
Whether you’ve been part of the Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School family for a while or are fairly new, you’ve most likely heard a lot of talk about “The 7 Habits” and how important they are to what we do. Stephen Covey’s best-selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has been deeply influential in the shaping of our approach to project-based learning, as well as our staff development. We are constantly inspired by how we see our learners put the 7 Habits into action.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll expand on each of the habits, how they relate to learning at Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School, and even practical ways you can incorporate them into your daily life.
To get things started, though, we wanted to take today to introduce the 7 Habits.
Coming up next week, we’ll dive into the first habit, Be Proactive, discussing what it looks like in practical terms and how you can make it part of your life.
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@ileadschools.org.
Sincerely,
The Maker Learning Network Team (formerly iLEAD Schools Development)
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
Did you know you can help Alakaʻi O Kauaʻi grow and provide additional resources by just doing the things you’re already doing every day?
We call this “passive fundraising.” Through Amazon Smile, you can buy items for the same exact price, and Amazon will send us a portion of their proceeds each time you shop with them. Every little bit counts! Please help us take advantage of the opportunity to earn funds! See below for details and make sure your purchases make a difference! Please help us build a better school for our keiki with the opportunity to earn funds from everyday purchases! We sincerely appreciate everything our Alakaʻi Ohana can do to help!
See below for the simple steps for using Amazon Smile and see how easy it really is!
Amazon Smile
National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on effective education options for children and is the world’s largest celebration of opportunity in K-12 education. It’s a time when we showcase and celebrate our schools and the fact that families have exactly that: a choice of where their children can go to school and have the best learning experience that fits them! Mahalo for choosing Alaka’i O Kaua’i to be such an important part of your lives!
Want to share your appreciation for your Alaka’i O Kaua’i facilitator? Download the template below and share a selfie with your letter at makerlearningnetwork.org/stories!
National-School-Choice-Week-Facilitator-Thank-You-TemplateSchool choice is the process of allowing every family to choose the K-12 educational options that best fit their children. These options include all forms of education, from traditional public schools, to public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling.
Every child deserves an effective, challenging, and motivating education. Because each student has their own unique set of talents, interests, and challenges, a variety of options in education is crucial. School choice ensures that each student can find a learning environment that allows them to be inspired, successful, and happy.
—National School Choice Week
Click here for the School Calendar
Click here for the Community Calendar
Dear Alaka’i O Kaua’i community,
Once a month, we share a new Together Tuesdays video. Click here to submit your photos or short videos for the next edition! Submissions received by the Friday before each edition are eligible to be included.*
We can’t wait to see your contributions!
If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@ileadschools.org.
Sincerely,
The iLEAD Team
*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners.
We are located at Kahili Mountain Park on the south side of Kauai.