School photos went home yesterday with our learners. If you ordered photos and did not receive your child’s packet, please let us know. Our Photo Retake Day has been rescheduled to January 17th (It is no longer on 12/12). If your child was absent on the previous photo day, or you would like a picture… Read more
Category "Monday Message"
Writers’ Workshop
Writer’s Workshop is the framework for writing instruction and practice that is used in our Alaka’i O Kaua’i K-7th classrooms. The curriculum that will be utilized is the Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing, where learners write frequently, for extended periods of time, and on topics of their own choosing. Using a… Read more
Volunteer Requirements
At Alaka’i O Kaua’i, we love and appreciate all of our volunteers! If you haven’t already done so, please get a volunteer application and fingerprinting/background check packet if you intend to continue (or begin) volunteering with us in the school. We ask that everyone please complete these packets as soon as possible! We will also… Read more
Seeking a Few Winter Break Volunteers
Hanging out on Kauai for winter break? Looking for a way to support your school? We are looking for just a few volunteers to help paint and reorganize a certain space in our school (what will become the new teachers lounge!) If you happen to have paint brushes, paint pans or rollers we can borrow,… Read more
Upcoming Events
(Please see the school calendar for more information) Dec. 4: Coffee and Conversation, 8:15 a.m. in the library Dec. 5: Alaka’i Ohana Network, 2:45 p.m. in the library Dec. 7: Lights on Rice Parade, 5:30 p.m. at Kukui Grove Friday, Dec. 14, 12:30-1:40 p.m.: PBL Presentation of Learning (POL) – All Grades Dec. 24-Jan. 8: Winter Break (no school) Jan.… Read more
Lights Lights LIGHTS! — Info on the Lights on Rice Parade
We hope that all our ohana can participate with us in the Lights on Rice Parade this Friday! This week we are collecting donations of Christmas lights, glow sticks, Santa hats and candy canes. Please bring donations to the main office. At the parade, please wear your purple school shirts and lots of LIGHTS! School… Read more
Reminders Regarding Arrival and Dismissal
Please note that school begins at 8:15 a.m. Please drop your child off by 8:10 a.m. so they make it to class on time. This is very important for the flow of our classroom schedules and their morning meetings. Similarly, we want to remind you also that dismissal is at 2:25 p.m. Please do not… Read more
Take a Seat at the Buddy Bench
Our learners love hanging out together at our school’s buddy bench. A buddy bench is a simple idea to eliminate loneliness and foster friendship on the playground. Alaka’i O Kaua’i wants to spread the message of inclusion and kindness! Girl Scout Troop 823 helped make this possible, and we thank them for this generous gift!… Read more
Walmart Foundation Grant
Alaka’i recently got a shipment of new iPads and Chromebooks for our keiki, thanks to a Walmart Foundation Grant of $32,500. We are so thankful for this generous gift, which has allowed us to purchase some much-needed technology for our school.
Top Ten Benefits of a Flexible Seating Classroom
Walk into any classroom at Alaka’i O Kaua’i, and you notice something is different. You won’t find learners seated in traditional rows of desks during instruction. Flexible seating helps create a more active, engaged, enthusiastic, and relaxed room of students! This article lists the top ten benefits for incorporating flexible seating into our classrooms.
Seeking a Few Winter Break Volunteers
Hanging out on Kauai for winter break? Looking for a way to support your school? We are looking for just a few volunteers to help paint and reorganize a certain space in our school (what will become the new teachers lounge!) If you happen to have paint brushes, paint pans or rollers we can borrow,… Read more
iLEAD Students Prepare for Launch to Space Station
A team of iLEAD students is preparing to send a science experiment aboard the SpaceX-16 Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled to launch on December 4. The project is part of a partnership between iLEAD and DreamUp, the leading provider of space-based educational opportunities. The students’ experiment, which will be on the… Read more
Upcoming Events
(Please see the school calendar for more information) Nov 26, 2:45 p.m.: Alaka’i Ohana Network (Parent support organization) Friday, Dec. 14, 12:30-1:40 p.m.: PBL Presentation of Learning (POL) – All Grades Dec. 24-Jan. 8: Winter Break (no school) Jan. 21: No School – Martin Luther King Day Jan. 31: End of First Semester
Lights on Rice Parade
Alaka’i O Kaua’i will be participating in the Lights on Rice Parade on Friday, December 7th! Please join us for this fun event! We would love to have as many of our families possible walking with us to help spread the word about our school to our island community. We are looking for some donations… Read more
Alaka’i Ohana Network
We are very excited that our Ohana Network (our own version of a PTA) is up and running! We’ve had two productive meetings so far, and will hold our third on Monday, Nov. 26th, at 2:45 p.m., just after dismissal, in the library. We would love to have you join us!
Office Volunteers Needed
We are looking for office helpers! Parent volunteers would be greatly appreciated to help answer phones, assist with student questions, pass out ice packs or bandaids, and provide general office assistance. Please contact Claire at cl************@al**********.org if you are interested in starting right away! A Sign-up Genius will also be sent out next week for… Read more
Winter Break Projects – Facilities Beautification
We have several projects over the Winter Break (after New Year’s Day) around campus. We will be looking for volunteers to help paint, organize, and move furniture. Please let us know if you are willing to pitch in!
Driving Reminder
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.
Upcoming Events
(Please see the school calendar for more information) Wednesday, Nov. 21: Early Dismissal at 1:40 p.m. Nov. 22-23: Thanksgiving Break Friday, Dec. 14: PBL Presentation of Learning (POL) – All Grades Dec. 24-Jan. 8: Winter Break
Welcoming Our New Director
We are pleased to announce that our new director, Frederick Birkett, will be joining us this week. Mr. Birkett comes to us with many years of experience as a charter school leader. Mr. Birkett spent 15 years as a charter school principal in Massachusetts, New York City, and Hawaii. In addition, he has a Master’s… Read more
Lessons from the Character Lab
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” At Alaka’i O Kaua’i, our goal is to make this vision a reality. Overwhelming scientific evidence now shows that character strengths like self-control, curiosity, and gratitude are critically important to social and emotional well-being, physical health, and achievement.… Read more
Rockin’ Around the Clock for Our 50th Day
It was the 50th day of school on Friday, Nov. 16, and what better way to celebrate than to dress up ’50s style and Rock Around the Clock!
Writing to Pen Pals
Miss Frenette’s class is learning how to write friendly letters to their pen pals in Oklahoma.
10 Questions to Ask Your Child About Their Day at School
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
Driving Reminder
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.
Upcoming Events
(Please see the school calendar for more information) Nov. 12: Veterans Day (no school) Nov. 16: Noon, Multicultural Feast (Family Potluck) Nov. 22-23: Thanksgiving Break
The Importance of Learning Outside
I love to see learning “al fresco,” as I call it, at Alaka’i O Kaua’i. This week, during my “rounds,” I observed a class doing a writers’ workshop outside under the big tree by the playground, another class solving word problems during math with writing outside under the awnings, and several other classes composting, preparing… Read more
Literacy Instruction at Alaka’i O Kaua’i
Dr. Seuss sums up the magic of reading in the following quote: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Learning to read for a variety of purposes is essential to success in school and to learning in general. As an elementary… Read more
MAP NWEA Computer Adaptive Testing
Our learners were able to begin MAP testing last week, which will provide valuable information about the skills and concepts they have already mastered and what they are ready to learn next. Alaka’i O Kaua’i partners with MAP NWEA to assess their learners three times a year. MAP, which is an acronym for Measures of… Read more
Heads-Up from the Health Office!
It’s uku (lice) season, and we wanted to share some information from the Hawaii DOE about prevention, identification, and treatment. The school health practice for ukus will include: Inspection by the school health aide of a student who may have ukus; Notification of the parent/guardian that the student has ukus; After the parent is notified,… Read more
Multicultural Thanksgiving Feast
We will hold our first annual Multicultural Feast on Friday, Nov. 16, at noon. All families are welcome to join us for the festivities. This tradition will be a wonderful way to kick off the Thanksgiving week and allows us to build community and share foods that represent our unique family backgrounds. Sign up here… Read more
Upcoming Events
(Please see the school calendar for more information) Nov. 6: Election Day (no school) Nov. 8: 2:45 p.m., Launch of the Alaka’i Ohana Network (parent organization) Nov. 12: Veterans Day (no school) Nov. 16: Noon, Multicultural Feast (Family Potluck) Nov. 22-23: Thanksgiving Break
Halloween Fun at Alaka’i
We had such a fun Halloween at Alaka’i O Kaua’i. The 5th-grade learners put the finishing touches on the Halloween-O-Grams and personally delivered 171 treats to students and staff. Our costume parade started with Miss Casey’s class, and picked up each subsequent class until the whole school was circling the school. It was wonderful seeing… Read more
What is Morning Meeting?
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, students and teachers gather together in a circle for 20-30 minutes and interact with one another during four purposeful components: Greeting:… Read more
Alaka’i Ohana Network
We are gearing up to start our parent organization, which we are calling the Alaka’i OHANA NETWORK. All parents or family members who are interested in joining are welcome! The purpose of this very important organization is to create community support for our school — organize events, plan classroom activities, fundraise for the school, etc.… Read more
Multicultural Thanksgiving Feast
We will hold our first annual Multicultural Feast on Friday, Nov. 16, at noon. All families are welcome to join us for the festivities. This tradition will be a wonderful way to kick off the Thanksgiving week and allows us to build community and share foods that represent our unique family backgrounds. Please bring a… Read more
Ways to Get Involved
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