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January 2021
Aloha Families & Communities,
Happy New Year to all! Please join me in welcoming our new SASA, Iris Macatiag. Iris comes to us from Konawaena Middle’s office. Prior to that, she was an office assistant at Kealakehe High. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Emily Alani for running the Ho’okena office for the past year. We are still in the process of hiring a School Health Aid (SHA).
For quarter 3, here are some important dates to keep in mind:
Thank you to families who responded to our quarter 3 Return to Learn Survey. The results of the survey found 51% of our families choosing Total Distance learning and 49% choosing In-Person learning. Therefore, when we are able to move from orange to yellow, instructional time will be split equally between the two groups. As mentioned before, we are finalizing the schedule. Tentatively, students who will attend school in-person will do so on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7:45-2:00. Total distance learners will be in sessions on Thursdays and Fridays. On the days students are not online or in school, they will have packets to work on. We are still working on the Wednesday schedule. Before we transition to any plan, we will give families a two-week notice. If you have any questions, please call me at 328-2710 or email me at [email protected].
Mahalo,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
Happy New Year to all! Please join me in welcoming our new SASA, Iris Macatiag. Iris comes to us from Konawaena Middle’s office. Prior to that, she was an office assistant at Kealakehe High. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Emily Alani for running the Ho’okena office for the past year. We are still in the process of hiring a School Health Aid (SHA).
For quarter 3, here are some important dates to keep in mind:
- 1/13 & 14/21 - 7:00am-3:30pm Packet Pick-Up, Quarter 2 Report card included
- 1/15/21 - Konawaena Complex Planning & Collaboration Day (No school for students)
- 1/18/21 - Martin Luther King, Jr Day Holiday
- 1/26/21 - Rescheduled Virtual SCC Meeting @3:00 (Go to Community Engagement > School Community Counsel on our website and click on the date)
- 1/28 & 29/21 - 7:00am-3:30pm Packet Pick-Up Days
Thank you to families who responded to our quarter 3 Return to Learn Survey. The results of the survey found 51% of our families choosing Total Distance learning and 49% choosing In-Person learning. Therefore, when we are able to move from orange to yellow, instructional time will be split equally between the two groups. As mentioned before, we are finalizing the schedule. Tentatively, students who will attend school in-person will do so on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7:45-2:00. Total distance learners will be in sessions on Thursdays and Fridays. On the days students are not online or in school, they will have packets to work on. We are still working on the Wednesday schedule. Before we transition to any plan, we will give families a two-week notice. If you have any questions, please call me at 328-2710 or email me at [email protected].
Mahalo,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
December 2020
Aloha Families & Communities,
Hope all is well with you and your families. As we approach the Christmas and the New Year holidays, I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful and relaxing winter break. May all of our students, teachers, support staff and families get some rest from screen time!!!
After the break, this is the Return to Learn Plan for Ho’okena School:
January 5 th – January 6 th : Families will be surveyed to choose Total Distance Learning or In-Person Learning.
January 5 th – January 14 th : All students will begin the second semester at home with total distance learning.
January 19 th : Learning Lab students will return to campus daily from 8:00am-12:00pm.
When we move out of the orange and into the yellow COVID-19 monitoring range for two
weeks, we will be prepared with a Kindergarten schedule that will accommodate both in-
person learning and total distance learning.
In the next phase, from yellow to light green, we will be prepared with a schedule for students in grades 1, 2 & 5 to attend both in-person learning and total distance learning.
The last green phase will bring back all of our students for all day, in-person learning.
All of our planning in the different color phases depends on what our families choose in the survey (1/5-1/6). After we receive the results of the survey, we will prepare schedules for the different modes of teaching and learning. We will be sending out messages when the color phases change to keep everyone updated. These plans may be subject to change if needed. Please call me if you have any questions at (808)328-2710.
May your holiday season be filled with love and joy. Take care and be safe.
Mahalo,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
Hope all is well with you and your families. As we approach the Christmas and the New Year holidays, I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful and relaxing winter break. May all of our students, teachers, support staff and families get some rest from screen time!!!
After the break, this is the Return to Learn Plan for Ho’okena School:
January 5 th – January 6 th : Families will be surveyed to choose Total Distance Learning or In-Person Learning.
January 5 th – January 14 th : All students will begin the second semester at home with total distance learning.
January 19 th : Learning Lab students will return to campus daily from 8:00am-12:00pm.
When we move out of the orange and into the yellow COVID-19 monitoring range for two
weeks, we will be prepared with a Kindergarten schedule that will accommodate both in-
person learning and total distance learning.
In the next phase, from yellow to light green, we will be prepared with a schedule for students in grades 1, 2 & 5 to attend both in-person learning and total distance learning.
The last green phase will bring back all of our students for all day, in-person learning.
All of our planning in the different color phases depends on what our families choose in the survey (1/5-1/6). After we receive the results of the survey, we will prepare schedules for the different modes of teaching and learning. We will be sending out messages when the color phases change to keep everyone updated. These plans may be subject to change if needed. Please call me if you have any questions at (808)328-2710.
May your holiday season be filled with love and joy. Take care and be safe.
Mahalo,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
November 2020
Aloha Families,
It is with a heavy heart to inform you of our SASA Suzy Shiroma’s passing. Suzy was a longtime staff member of Ho’okena School. She will be dearly missed.
We would like to welcome our new School Health Aid Margaret Thoman. We are very
fortunate to have an RN as part of our staff.
Academically, the majority of our students have taken a reading and math growth check for quarter 2. So far, 82% of our students have progressed in reading and 68% have progressed in math. The growth was measured comparing scores from the end of the third quarter of the last school year to present. Without all of our families support and help at home, this would not be possible. Without our teachers providing synchronous lessons every day, this would not be possible. Without our support staff providing in-person help for our Learning Lab students, this would not be possible. I thank each and every one of you! I will update the data when we have all assessments completed.
As we move into late fall and early winter, the signs of the holidays are coming to life. It makes me think about how different the season will be. For the past five, out of the eight months since the beginning of the pandemic, it’s all about individuals’ personal choice. In my 30 years in education, I’ve always asked students to make the right choice, whatever the circumstance may be. However, the ask is always followed by, sometimes the right choice is harder to do. From kindergarteners to high school seniors, we must always model the right thing to do. Modeling is much more powerful and impactful than lecturing.
The pandemic case numbers are on the rise and there is a warning issued about reaching capacity in our hospitals. Please model the following:
Gathering during the holidays are so much fun and a strong tradition in our community. We are all going to have to make some tough decisions this season. Please model the right choices.
On behalf of your Ho’okena School family, have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Mahalo,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
It is with a heavy heart to inform you of our SASA Suzy Shiroma’s passing. Suzy was a longtime staff member of Ho’okena School. She will be dearly missed.
We would like to welcome our new School Health Aid Margaret Thoman. We are very
fortunate to have an RN as part of our staff.
Academically, the majority of our students have taken a reading and math growth check for quarter 2. So far, 82% of our students have progressed in reading and 68% have progressed in math. The growth was measured comparing scores from the end of the third quarter of the last school year to present. Without all of our families support and help at home, this would not be possible. Without our teachers providing synchronous lessons every day, this would not be possible. Without our support staff providing in-person help for our Learning Lab students, this would not be possible. I thank each and every one of you! I will update the data when we have all assessments completed.
As we move into late fall and early winter, the signs of the holidays are coming to life. It makes me think about how different the season will be. For the past five, out of the eight months since the beginning of the pandemic, it’s all about individuals’ personal choice. In my 30 years in education, I’ve always asked students to make the right choice, whatever the circumstance may be. However, the ask is always followed by, sometimes the right choice is harder to do. From kindergarteners to high school seniors, we must always model the right thing to do. Modeling is much more powerful and impactful than lecturing.
The pandemic case numbers are on the rise and there is a warning issued about reaching capacity in our hospitals. Please model the following:
- Always wear a mask outside of the home.
- Wash hands often.
- Social distance around others.
- If gathering is a must, limit the group to ten.
Gathering during the holidays are so much fun and a strong tradition in our community. We are all going to have to make some tough decisions this season. Please model the right choices.
On behalf of your Ho’okena School family, have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Mahalo,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
September and October 2020
Aloha Ho’okena Families and Community,
Thank you so much for supporting your children and our school during the first quarter of this school year. I know it has been a very challenging time for our families and students as we all learn how to learn in a very different way. I would also like to take this time to thank our teachers and support staff for being the Leading Learners they are. It has taken a tremendous amount of time and energy to deliver synchronous instruction with fidelity, as well as learn and apply the ins and outs of all the technology they are using. Whether you are a parent, family member, student, teacher, support staff, custodian or office assistant, every one of us in the Ho’okena ohana have displayed so much patience and understanding in the last several months. Again, thank you so much for all you do.
Reading continues to be our school focus. Success for All (SFA) is providing 11 days of virtual professional development this school year. Teachers have modified lessons to use the essential elements of the SFA system. During quarter 4 of last year, teachers in grades K-3 decided to implement SFA’s Power Teaching Math system. They are receiving additional professional development days to support their learning.
Currently, we are preparing for the second quarter, beginning October 12th. We are distributing packets for quarter 2, school supplies, and gift cards from October 1st-6th from 7:30am-4:00pm in P10 (next to the office). Please come by to pick up all of the goodies from various donations. The following are the organizations and what was donated:
Plans for the second quarter will begin with Distance Learning. After two weeks, we will gradually move towards bringing students back to campus in phases. Tentatively, on November 2nd, we plan to restart our Learning Lab. Twenty students have been identified to attend in-person class from 8:00am-12:00pm daily. Next, depending on the circumstances of COVID-19, we intend to continue bringing all students in grades 1, 2 and 5 to campus, for all day, everyday instruction. Grades K, 3 and 4 will remain with distance learning. As our state gets to a safer place, we will then return the rest of our students on campus. Unfortunately, we cannot promise a timeline. However, we will give at least a two week notice prior to making any changes to the schedule. As stated in previous communications, these decisions have been made with safety as the priority. If you have any questions, please call me at (808)328-2710.
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Thank you so much for supporting your children and our school during the first quarter of this school year. I know it has been a very challenging time for our families and students as we all learn how to learn in a very different way. I would also like to take this time to thank our teachers and support staff for being the Leading Learners they are. It has taken a tremendous amount of time and energy to deliver synchronous instruction with fidelity, as well as learn and apply the ins and outs of all the technology they are using. Whether you are a parent, family member, student, teacher, support staff, custodian or office assistant, every one of us in the Ho’okena ohana have displayed so much patience and understanding in the last several months. Again, thank you so much for all you do.
Reading continues to be our school focus. Success for All (SFA) is providing 11 days of virtual professional development this school year. Teachers have modified lessons to use the essential elements of the SFA system. During quarter 4 of last year, teachers in grades K-3 decided to implement SFA’s Power Teaching Math system. They are receiving additional professional development days to support their learning.
Currently, we are preparing for the second quarter, beginning October 12th. We are distributing packets for quarter 2, school supplies, and gift cards from October 1st-6th from 7:30am-4:00pm in P10 (next to the office). Please come by to pick up all of the goodies from various donations. The following are the organizations and what was donated:
- Hub Church - Grocery gift cards/month for 6 months, ear phones with mics for families with multiple students in one household, and numerous school supplies
- Pokemon International - Second grade teacher, Engela Edwards, applied and received donations from Pokemon International via First Books
- Aunty Ipo Gouveia -Medeiros (PCNC) - Donated Halloween goody bags for each student
Plans for the second quarter will begin with Distance Learning. After two weeks, we will gradually move towards bringing students back to campus in phases. Tentatively, on November 2nd, we plan to restart our Learning Lab. Twenty students have been identified to attend in-person class from 8:00am-12:00pm daily. Next, depending on the circumstances of COVID-19, we intend to continue bringing all students in grades 1, 2 and 5 to campus, for all day, everyday instruction. Grades K, 3 and 4 will remain with distance learning. As our state gets to a safer place, we will then return the rest of our students on campus. Unfortunately, we cannot promise a timeline. However, we will give at least a two week notice prior to making any changes to the schedule. As stated in previous communications, these decisions have been made with safety as the priority. If you have any questions, please call me at (808)328-2710.
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
May and June 2020
Aloha Ho’okena Families and Community,
First of all, my apologies for sending this message out later than normal. I wish I had definite plans to share with you for the opening of the next school year. As we all know, there is a new normal and the word definite, is rarely used because information and decisions change on a weekly and/or monthly basis. My hope was to be able to provide information on what the next year would look like. However, that is not possible at this time.
During the fourth quarter of continuous learning, this is the process we established:
Moving forward, this is how and what we are planning for our Summer Hub and opening of the next school year:
At this point, some of our families are probably thinking about whether or not to keep their children in school. As a parent, I completely understand your concerns. Please know this, we will do the best we can to keep your children and families safe. If you are leaning toward distance learning, we will make every effort to deliver instruction using a common platform from Ho’okena. This is to relieve some of the confusion for families with more than one child in the same household. We are also working with Success for All (SFA) to continue online reading and writing instruction. Year 1 of SFA has proven to be very successful. The data shows 99% of our students making progress in those areas. We will also be transitioning to SFA math for our K-2 students.
To help with keeping in contact with our families, please call the office to update any changes to phone numbers mailing addresses and/or email addresses. We will continue to use the SMS system and Class Dojo to send out information. Thank you for all you do to support our students in these uncertain times. Please take care and be safe.
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
First of all, my apologies for sending this message out later than normal. I wish I had definite plans to share with you for the opening of the next school year. As we all know, there is a new normal and the word definite, is rarely used because information and decisions change on a weekly and/or monthly basis. My hope was to be able to provide information on what the next year would look like. However, that is not possible at this time.
During the fourth quarter of continuous learning, this is the process we established:
- Surveyed families in regards to choice of delivery (mailed hard copy or online), device needs, and internet access.
- Planned and distributed devices.
- Planned and created weekly system to deliver continuity of learning by mail and online.
- Planned and distributed students’ personal items.
- Teachers kept weekly two-way communication via Class Dojo as well as attempted calls to families.
- Teachers and office delivered instruction online and hard copies weekly.
- Weekly virtual faculty and PLC meetings were held to plan and adjust during quarter 4 and prepare for the new school year.
Moving forward, this is how and what we are planning for our Summer Hub and opening of the next school year:
- By using the CDC guidelines, we have determined that 6 students may be accommodated per classroom. This includes 6 feet distancing in all directions, access to entrances and exits, as well as marking the traffic flow of students in common areas, planning for a daily cleaning schedule, the use of bathroom protocols, feeding logistics and health room protocols and procedures. We set-up two health rooms. We will use one for screening and the other to address non-COVID referrals.
- During the fourth quarter, our teachers learned how to deliver instruction via distance learning. They continue to be our Leading Learners as we may have to transition to remote learning in the near future. We are working on components such as schoolwide school platform, online etiquette and daily schedule.
- Teachers have identified 30 students to participate in our Summer Hub program (6/29-7/24). Students were identified by need, due to lack of internet access and contact during the fourth quarter. Instruction will be online and families that do not have access to the internet, will be invited to use the school’s internet. Students will sit at a station with their devices and headphones. We will also experiment with mifis. These are devices to support internet connectivity where possible.
At this point, some of our families are probably thinking about whether or not to keep their children in school. As a parent, I completely understand your concerns. Please know this, we will do the best we can to keep your children and families safe. If you are leaning toward distance learning, we will make every effort to deliver instruction using a common platform from Ho’okena. This is to relieve some of the confusion for families with more than one child in the same household. We are also working with Success for All (SFA) to continue online reading and writing instruction. Year 1 of SFA has proven to be very successful. The data shows 99% of our students making progress in those areas. We will also be transitioning to SFA math for our K-2 students.
To help with keeping in contact with our families, please call the office to update any changes to phone numbers mailing addresses and/or email addresses. We will continue to use the SMS system and Class Dojo to send out information. Thank you for all you do to support our students in these uncertain times. Please take care and be safe.
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
April 2020
Aloha Families,
Hope everyone is safe and healthy. In order to provide more resources for our families, we will be distributing hard copy activities such as math workbooks, notebooks and journals. Similar to the device distribution schedule, you may pick up these resources from the library at your scheduled time. Please note the schedule is over two days. Again, we ask only one household member to pick-up for the family. If you have any questions and/or concerns, please call me at 328-2710, Monday thru Friday from 8:00am-11:00am.
Hope everyone is safe and healthy. In order to provide more resources for our families, we will be distributing hard copy activities such as math workbooks, notebooks and journals. Similar to the device distribution schedule, you may pick up these resources from the library at your scheduled time. Please note the schedule is over two days. Again, we ask only one household member to pick-up for the family. If you have any questions and/or concerns, please call me at 328-2710, Monday thru Friday from 8:00am-11:00am.
Wednesday, 4/22/2020
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Time
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 10:00 |
Last Name
A, B C, D, E, F G H, I, J K |
# of Students
14 11 12 14 22 |
Thursday, 4/23/202
|
Time
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 |
Last Name
L M, N, O P, Q, R S, T, U, V, W |
# of Students
8 10 15 18 |
Your teachers will be communicating to you what was distributed and how to use them. Please take care and always be safe.
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho’okena School
March 2020
Aloha Families & Friends,
As Spring approaches, here are some dates and events for the month:
3/9 – 3/13 Spirit Week by Student Council
Monday – Pajama Day
Tuesday – Nerd Day
Wednesday – Twin Day
Thursday – Wacky Hair Day
Friday – Character Day
3/10 SCC Meeting at 2:30 in the Library – SY 2020-21 Academic Plan
3/16 -3/20 Spring Break (No School)
Spring Break Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO)
by Migrant Education Program
3/26 Kuhio Day Holiday (No School)
The Spring Break ELO is an opportunity for MEP students to attend school from 8:00am-12:00pm. If you are a migrant family, we encourage your participation. We will continue accepting registration forms until Wednesday, 3/18/2020. The students will be engaged in activities such as hula, gardening, reading and math activities, and physical education. Transportation is not included.
We want to acknowledge and thank all of our community members who participated in Ho’okena’s Career Day held on February 21st:
Isemoto Construction, Jason Leleiwi, Sonny Medeiros & Jason Kiaha
NFL Football Player Max Unger
Bee Keeper, Jaylyn Pua
Sea Quest Tours
Geologist, Mike Hale
Florist, April Quina
HELCO, DJ Henriques, Kala & Jordan
Police Officer Reuben Pukahi
Hawaii Fire Department, Garrett Nishihara & Fellow Colleagues
5K Ranch, Shirley Medeiros & Ohana
Kailua-Kona Librarian, Miss Jen
Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, Stacey Jones
Videographer, Andrew Graves
SKEA, JinAn Wong
KUPA & Marine Biologists
Our students were very interested in all of the different career choices. All of our participants shared the importance of education and requirements of their chosen fields. The students also found out the reading lexile levels of all professions and compared it to their current reading lexile levels. The teachers encouraged reading goal setting to reach the desired lexile level. Please ask your child about their experience, learning and goal setting. Again we would like to thank all of our participants for taking the time out of their busy schedules to support our students. In the future, our hope is to have our former students participate as employees or entrepreneurs at Ho’okena School.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
As Spring approaches, here are some dates and events for the month:
3/9 – 3/13 Spirit Week by Student Council
Monday – Pajama Day
Tuesday – Nerd Day
Wednesday – Twin Day
Thursday – Wacky Hair Day
Friday – Character Day
3/10 SCC Meeting at 2:30 in the Library – SY 2020-21 Academic Plan
3/16 -3/20 Spring Break (No School)
Spring Break Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO)
by Migrant Education Program
3/26 Kuhio Day Holiday (No School)
The Spring Break ELO is an opportunity for MEP students to attend school from 8:00am-12:00pm. If you are a migrant family, we encourage your participation. We will continue accepting registration forms until Wednesday, 3/18/2020. The students will be engaged in activities such as hula, gardening, reading and math activities, and physical education. Transportation is not included.
We want to acknowledge and thank all of our community members who participated in Ho’okena’s Career Day held on February 21st:
Isemoto Construction, Jason Leleiwi, Sonny Medeiros & Jason Kiaha
NFL Football Player Max Unger
Bee Keeper, Jaylyn Pua
Sea Quest Tours
Geologist, Mike Hale
Florist, April Quina
HELCO, DJ Henriques, Kala & Jordan
Police Officer Reuben Pukahi
Hawaii Fire Department, Garrett Nishihara & Fellow Colleagues
5K Ranch, Shirley Medeiros & Ohana
Kailua-Kona Librarian, Miss Jen
Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, Stacey Jones
Videographer, Andrew Graves
SKEA, JinAn Wong
KUPA & Marine Biologists
Our students were very interested in all of the different career choices. All of our participants shared the importance of education and requirements of their chosen fields. The students also found out the reading lexile levels of all professions and compared it to their current reading lexile levels. The teachers encouraged reading goal setting to reach the desired lexile level. Please ask your child about their experience, learning and goal setting. Again we would like to thank all of our participants for taking the time out of their busy schedules to support our students. In the future, our hope is to have our former students participate as employees or entrepreneurs at Ho’okena School.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
February 2020
Aloha Families & Friends,
The 2020 school year is definitely gaining momentum and our schedules are filling up with events and deadlines. Here are some important dates to calendar:
2/6 @ 12:30 Aunty’s Angels Pizza Party for our Top and Most Improved Readers
School Quality Surveys (SQS) in Thursday News - Please return by 2/11.
2/11 @12:00 American Heart Association Assembly
@2:30 School Community Council Monthly Meeting – SY 2020-21 Academic Plan
2/12 Teachers’ Institute Day (No School)
2/17 Presidents’ Day Holiday (No School)
2/19 @ 12:30 K-2 Hearing Screening by the Lyons’ Club
2/21 @ 9:00-11:00 Ho’okena Career Fair
2/24 – 3/6 Smarter Balanced Assessment Round 2
If anyone would like to participate as a presenter in our Career Fair, please call our PCNC, Ipo Gouveia at 328-2710. Also, please return all School Quality Surveys by 2/11/2020. All are welcome to join us for our monthly School Community Council meeting. We will be taking a look at the academic plan for SY 2020-2021. Your input will be appreciated.
One of our areas of improvement in our current academic plan is to decrease student absences. We are proud to announce a 4% improvement in quarter 2. When looking at the data, the attendance team noticed the number of students who are tardy is a challenge. There were 76 tardies in quarter 1 and 144 tardies in quarter 2. Please help us with this challenge. It is very important for all students to get to school on time every day. Here are some tips:
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
The 2020 school year is definitely gaining momentum and our schedules are filling up with events and deadlines. Here are some important dates to calendar:
2/6 @ 12:30 Aunty’s Angels Pizza Party for our Top and Most Improved Readers
School Quality Surveys (SQS) in Thursday News - Please return by 2/11.
2/11 @12:00 American Heart Association Assembly
@2:30 School Community Council Monthly Meeting – SY 2020-21 Academic Plan
2/12 Teachers’ Institute Day (No School)
2/17 Presidents’ Day Holiday (No School)
2/19 @ 12:30 K-2 Hearing Screening by the Lyons’ Club
2/21 @ 9:00-11:00 Ho’okena Career Fair
2/24 – 3/6 Smarter Balanced Assessment Round 2
If anyone would like to participate as a presenter in our Career Fair, please call our PCNC, Ipo Gouveia at 328-2710. Also, please return all School Quality Surveys by 2/11/2020. All are welcome to join us for our monthly School Community Council meeting. We will be taking a look at the academic plan for SY 2020-2021. Your input will be appreciated.
One of our areas of improvement in our current academic plan is to decrease student absences. We are proud to announce a 4% improvement in quarter 2. When looking at the data, the attendance team noticed the number of students who are tardy is a challenge. There were 76 tardies in quarter 1 and 144 tardies in quarter 2. Please help us with this challenge. It is very important for all students to get to school on time every day. Here are some tips:
- Get enough rest, 8:00pm to 8:30pm are ideal bedtimes.
- Have consistent and calming bedtime and morning routines.
- Post schedules for the routines. Keep it simple:
- Bedtime Schedule
- Brush your teeth
- Pick out tomorrow’s clothes and shoes
- Backpack check
- Family bed time story
- Morning Schedule
- Eat breakfast
- Brush your teeth
- Change your clothes
- Backpack
- Put on your shoes
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
January 2020
Aloha Ho’okena Families & Friends,
Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone had a great winter break and enjoyed all the festivities the holidays bring. As we begin the second semester, we are very proud to announce that all of our students have progressed in reading. The latest second quarter assessments show all students making gains. When looking at the data, we also noticed attendance matters. For example, when comparing students in the same reading group, the student with a better attendance record made more gains than a student with more absences. We encourage all students to be in school every day. Our ask from parents is to schedule appointments after 10:00am. The SFA block runs from 8:15am-9:45am, Monday through Friday. We really appreciate your support.
Report cards for quarter 2 are going to be sent home on Thursday, 1/16/2020. Please go over the report with your child(ren). Please praise for strengths and discuss how to improve on challenges. This is also a good opportunity to teach children about goal setting and more importantly, the plan to reach the goal. Providing rewards once goals are met may also be helpful. Free rewards are the best. Rewards such as a chore free day, distraction free one on one time with a parent or a play date with a friend are just a few suggestions. In regards to goals, I’ve learned that goals, without a plan, are dreams and goals with a plan, become reality.
As we continue to plan for our Career Day on Friday, February 21st, we are calling for community partners to participate in the upcoming event. The purpose of this event is to expose our students to career opportunities. Generally, participants are asked to share requirements/qualifications for the positions, especially in the area of education. We also encourage hands-on experiences and/or visuals to motivate them. If you are interested in supporting this event, please call and leave a message of our PCNC, Ipo Gouveia at 328-2710.
Other upcoming events in the next two months are:
1/16/2020 Quarter 2 Reports Cards
1/17/2020 Konawaena Complex PC Day – No School for Students
1/20/2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – No School
1/21/2020 January School Community Council Meeting @ 2:30 in the Library
2/11/2020 February School Community Council Meeting @ 2:30 in the Library
2/17/2020 Presidents’ Day Holiday – No School
2/21/2020 Ho’okena Career Day from 9:00am-12:00pm
The schedule for Smarter Balanced Assessments will be announced in next month’s letter. All third, fourth and fifth graders will be assessed in reading and math. Our fourth graders will also be tested in science.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone had a great winter break and enjoyed all the festivities the holidays bring. As we begin the second semester, we are very proud to announce that all of our students have progressed in reading. The latest second quarter assessments show all students making gains. When looking at the data, we also noticed attendance matters. For example, when comparing students in the same reading group, the student with a better attendance record made more gains than a student with more absences. We encourage all students to be in school every day. Our ask from parents is to schedule appointments after 10:00am. The SFA block runs from 8:15am-9:45am, Monday through Friday. We really appreciate your support.
Report cards for quarter 2 are going to be sent home on Thursday, 1/16/2020. Please go over the report with your child(ren). Please praise for strengths and discuss how to improve on challenges. This is also a good opportunity to teach children about goal setting and more importantly, the plan to reach the goal. Providing rewards once goals are met may also be helpful. Free rewards are the best. Rewards such as a chore free day, distraction free one on one time with a parent or a play date with a friend are just a few suggestions. In regards to goals, I’ve learned that goals, without a plan, are dreams and goals with a plan, become reality.
As we continue to plan for our Career Day on Friday, February 21st, we are calling for community partners to participate in the upcoming event. The purpose of this event is to expose our students to career opportunities. Generally, participants are asked to share requirements/qualifications for the positions, especially in the area of education. We also encourage hands-on experiences and/or visuals to motivate them. If you are interested in supporting this event, please call and leave a message of our PCNC, Ipo Gouveia at 328-2710.
Other upcoming events in the next two months are:
1/16/2020 Quarter 2 Reports Cards
1/17/2020 Konawaena Complex PC Day – No School for Students
1/20/2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – No School
1/21/2020 January School Community Council Meeting @ 2:30 in the Library
2/11/2020 February School Community Council Meeting @ 2:30 in the Library
2/17/2020 Presidents’ Day Holiday – No School
2/21/2020 Ho’okena Career Day from 9:00am-12:00pm
The schedule for Smarter Balanced Assessments will be announced in next month’s letter. All third, fourth and fifth graders will be assessed in reading and math. Our fourth graders will also be tested in science.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
Aloha Ho’okena Families & Friends,
Happy Holidays!!! How time flies when we’re learning and having fun! My apologies for this late submittal of the monthly letter. Here are some things going on in December:
At this time I would like to acknowledge and thank all of our community partners who have been so generous with their time and donations. Without all of you, many of our events would not be possible or as festive.
Here are some dates for upcoming events in January:
Please enjoy the winter break with your children. Have fun with family and friends. Relax and rejuvenate for the New Year and see all of you in 2020!
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
Happy Holidays!!! How time flies when we’re learning and having fun! My apologies for this late submittal of the monthly letter. Here are some things going on in December:
- 12/2 Coffee With a Cop & “Slow Down” Sign Waving
- 12/12 Aunty’s Angels Pizza Party for Top and Most Improved Readers
- 12/16 Hawaii Food Bank & KAPA Radio Holiday Food Bag Distribution
- 12/17 Kona Historical Society Field Trip for Preschool and Grades 3-5
- 12/18 Ho’okena’s Winter Program from 2:30-4:30
- 12/19 Kona Historical Society Field Trip for Grades K-2
- 12/2-19 Art Classes by SKEA
- 12/2-19 Quarter 2 Reading Assessments
At this time I would like to acknowledge and thank all of our community partners who have been so generous with their time and donations. Without all of you, many of our events would not be possible or as festive.
Here are some dates for upcoming events in January:
- 1/6 Teacher Work Day, No School for Students
- 1/7 Students Return from Break
- 1/14 January School Community Council Meeting @ 2:30pm in the Library
- 1/17 Konawaena Complex Planning & Collaboration Day, No School for Students
- 1/20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School
Please enjoy the winter break with your children. Have fun with family and friends. Relax and rejuvenate for the New Year and see all of you in 2020!
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
November 2019
Aloha Families,
As we start into the holiday season and families become super busy with festivities, I urge everyone to think about what really makes the holiday season. We should give thanks everyday for all of our blessings. Sometimes on bad days a blessing could be as simple as the ability to breathe. Be grateful for the challenges that we learn from. We should treat everyday like it’s Christmas. I often notice people seem more gracious during the holidays. Family is so important as we make special effort to see relatives we may not see everyday or for years. The New Year always brings new beginnings as we clean out and prepare for 2020. We make resolutions to better ourselves as we reflect on the past year.
For myself, I am grateful for our Ho’okena family everyday! Everyone continues to do great things and always go the extra mile. The teachers continue to work very hard with SFA. Besides the daily classroom instruction, everyone belongs on a Solutions Team. Here are some on the things they are working on:
On the calendar this month we have:
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
As we start into the holiday season and families become super busy with festivities, I urge everyone to think about what really makes the holiday season. We should give thanks everyday for all of our blessings. Sometimes on bad days a blessing could be as simple as the ability to breathe. Be grateful for the challenges that we learn from. We should treat everyday like it’s Christmas. I often notice people seem more gracious during the holidays. Family is so important as we make special effort to see relatives we may not see everyday or for years. The New Year always brings new beginnings as we clean out and prepare for 2020. We make resolutions to better ourselves as we reflect on the past year.
For myself, I am grateful for our Ho’okena family everyday! Everyone continues to do great things and always go the extra mile. The teachers continue to work very hard with SFA. Besides the daily classroom instruction, everyone belongs on a Solutions Team. Here are some on the things they are working on:
- Attendance - improving the attendance rate with incentives and record keeping
- Intervention – monitoring students and providing extra support to those in need
- Parent & Family – providing homework support before school starts in the library
- Cooperative Culture – planning & monitoring Getting Along Together (GAT)
- Community Connections – planning & coordinating community events like our first Trunk or Treat and farming for the Opelu Project
On the calendar this month we have:
- 11/6 Project Vision
- 11/11 Veterans’ Day (no school)
- 11/12 Picture Day
- 11/19 School Community Council @ 2:30 in the library
- 11/20 Coffee with Cops at 7:15am-8:00am at the bus depot
- 11/28 & 11/29 Thanksgiving (no school)
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
October 2019
Aloha Families,
Fall has officially begun and with it comes October break (10/7-10/11), School Community Council meeting (10/15), Parent/Teacher conferences (10/21-10/25) and our first ever, Trunk or Treat (10/31). Please note that for the entire the week of Parent/Teacher conferences (10/21-10/25) school will be ending at 1:00pm every day. More information about all of these events will be coming home soon. Please check your Thursday News Envelopes for updates.
We are ending our first quarter of Success For All (SFA). All students have been assessed and class placements are set for quarter 2. At this point, your child should be coming home with nightly reading and a short response assignment. While reading, please check for understanding by asking comprehension questions. Simple questions begin with “who”, “when”, and “where”. Complex questions begin with “what”, “how” and “why.” All of our students and teachers have been working very hard. Our teachers are definitely modeling being Learning Leaders who are elevating our students.
It is also the time of year to begin planning for the next school year. We will be adding our latest data to the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) in order to write the academic plan, which is driven by the HIDOE Strategic Plan, for school year 2020-2021. We are also in initial stages to prepare for the next Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visit in 2021. Please join us for the next School Community Council meeting on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 2:30pm in the library. We will be sharing, discussing and asking for your input on the various documents mentioned above. Please join us.
I would also like to mention our ongoing partnerships with our community. Aunty’s Angels came to school on September 10th to reward our top readers and most improved readers. As always, pizza, cookies, water, certificates and books were given to the students. We really appreciate the continued support. The Opelu Project, along with our 4th and 5th graders, started a partnership. Our students have planted and will maintain pumpkin and taro as a learning community service. The pumpkin and taro will be used in traditional opelu fishing. We are also continuing our partnership with SKEA. Teachers have identified the type of classes SKEA will provide as well as when lessons will take place. We are truly grateful to all of our community organizations that teach our students to give back to the community. Our hope is that they will give back to the community as adults.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
Fall has officially begun and with it comes October break (10/7-10/11), School Community Council meeting (10/15), Parent/Teacher conferences (10/21-10/25) and our first ever, Trunk or Treat (10/31). Please note that for the entire the week of Parent/Teacher conferences (10/21-10/25) school will be ending at 1:00pm every day. More information about all of these events will be coming home soon. Please check your Thursday News Envelopes for updates.
We are ending our first quarter of Success For All (SFA). All students have been assessed and class placements are set for quarter 2. At this point, your child should be coming home with nightly reading and a short response assignment. While reading, please check for understanding by asking comprehension questions. Simple questions begin with “who”, “when”, and “where”. Complex questions begin with “what”, “how” and “why.” All of our students and teachers have been working very hard. Our teachers are definitely modeling being Learning Leaders who are elevating our students.
It is also the time of year to begin planning for the next school year. We will be adding our latest data to the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) in order to write the academic plan, which is driven by the HIDOE Strategic Plan, for school year 2020-2021. We are also in initial stages to prepare for the next Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visit in 2021. Please join us for the next School Community Council meeting on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 2:30pm in the library. We will be sharing, discussing and asking for your input on the various documents mentioned above. Please join us.
I would also like to mention our ongoing partnerships with our community. Aunty’s Angels came to school on September 10th to reward our top readers and most improved readers. As always, pizza, cookies, water, certificates and books were given to the students. We really appreciate the continued support. The Opelu Project, along with our 4th and 5th graders, started a partnership. Our students have planted and will maintain pumpkin and taro as a learning community service. The pumpkin and taro will be used in traditional opelu fishing. We are also continuing our partnership with SKEA. Teachers have identified the type of classes SKEA will provide as well as when lessons will take place. We are truly grateful to all of our community organizations that teach our students to give back to the community. Our hope is that they will give back to the community as adults.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
September 7, 2019
Aloha Families,
The first month of school has flown by. Everyone at Ho’okena has been very busy as we implement our new reading system, Success For All (SFA). The first two weeks of school was focused on the social emotional learning component of SFA called “Getting Along Together” (GAT). GAT teaches our students to work in cooperative groups during their reading block from 8:00am - 9:45am. We are asking families to please schedule medical and/or dental appointments after 9:45am.
Your child’s SFA teacher may or may not be his/her homeroom teacher. The SFA system is based on smaller class sizes that are leveled to meet the needs of each student. We are very grateful that our support staff has agreed to teach groups of students in order to lower the number of students in each group. In the first two weeks of school, all of the students were assessed in reading. Depending on the results of their assessments, students in first to fifth grade were placed in a Roots or Wings group. At the end of each quarter all students are assessed to determine placement for the next quarter. The Kindergarteners do not switch classes. They learn through Kinder Corner all day long. Please join us for a SFA event on Wednesday, September 25th from 2:30pm-4:00pm in the Library. The purpose of this event is to share the SFA system with our families and provide an opportunity for questions.
Our Ho’okena enrollment has increased. Our projected count was 97 students. To date, our enrollment is 125 students. We are very happy that our numbers have increased. To learn more about how this affects the operations of school, please join us at our next School Community Council meeting is on Tuesday, September 10th from 2:30pm - 3:30pm in the Library. We will be sharing and asking for input towards our Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) which will drive the content of our Academic Plan.
Last, but not least, we have had some flooding issues this past week during the evenings. On the morning of Tuesday, 9/3/19, our head custodian discovered major flooding in our cafeteria, bathroom and four portables on the lower part of campus. The first grade class has been relocated to D102 until professional cleaners complete the clean up process. Our custodians and some of our support staff have been doing an incredible job by cleaning and setting up our makeshift breakfast and lunch areas. As of now, we have sandbags diverting water and debris to avoid future flooding. I will keep you updated on this situation.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
The first month of school has flown by. Everyone at Ho’okena has been very busy as we implement our new reading system, Success For All (SFA). The first two weeks of school was focused on the social emotional learning component of SFA called “Getting Along Together” (GAT). GAT teaches our students to work in cooperative groups during their reading block from 8:00am - 9:45am. We are asking families to please schedule medical and/or dental appointments after 9:45am.
Your child’s SFA teacher may or may not be his/her homeroom teacher. The SFA system is based on smaller class sizes that are leveled to meet the needs of each student. We are very grateful that our support staff has agreed to teach groups of students in order to lower the number of students in each group. In the first two weeks of school, all of the students were assessed in reading. Depending on the results of their assessments, students in first to fifth grade were placed in a Roots or Wings group. At the end of each quarter all students are assessed to determine placement for the next quarter. The Kindergarteners do not switch classes. They learn through Kinder Corner all day long. Please join us for a SFA event on Wednesday, September 25th from 2:30pm-4:00pm in the Library. The purpose of this event is to share the SFA system with our families and provide an opportunity for questions.
Our Ho’okena enrollment has increased. Our projected count was 97 students. To date, our enrollment is 125 students. We are very happy that our numbers have increased. To learn more about how this affects the operations of school, please join us at our next School Community Council meeting is on Tuesday, September 10th from 2:30pm - 3:30pm in the Library. We will be sharing and asking for input towards our Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) which will drive the content of our Academic Plan.
Last, but not least, we have had some flooding issues this past week during the evenings. On the morning of Tuesday, 9/3/19, our head custodian discovered major flooding in our cafeteria, bathroom and four portables on the lower part of campus. The first grade class has been relocated to D102 until professional cleaners complete the clean up process. Our custodians and some of our support staff have been doing an incredible job by cleaning and setting up our makeshift breakfast and lunch areas. As of now, we have sandbags diverting water and debris to avoid future flooding. I will keep you updated on this situation.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
August 5, 2019
Aloha Families & Communities,
As summer comes to a close and the new school year begins, the teachers and staff have completed a three-day training for Success For All (SFA). SFA is our reading and English language arts program. SFA also includes a social emotional learning component called Getting Along Together (GAT). GAT will teach our students how to work in cooperative groups within their classes. SFA also provides 19 days of professional development for our teachers and staff. We are going to have an SFA event on Wednesday, September 25th from 2:30-4:30pm. We hope all of our families will attend to learn about the program and how families can help to support their children. I am very grateful that our teachers and staff are taking this leap to be Learning Leaders. This will elevate our students and improve student achievement.
Let me also take some time to inform you of personnel changes. Erin Conrardy is our new academic coach. She will be responsible for supporting our teachers and staff with SFA. Ms. Conrardy also has a wealth of knowledge in science and math pedagogy. We will also work on improving instruction in those content areas. Engela Edwards will be our second grade teacher. Ms. Edwards will be a familiar face as one of the former preschool teachers. I am thankful that she is up for the challenge. We also have part-time teachers Kathy Fenzl, Suzanne Messmann, Henry Dirkmaat, Vashti Campbell and volunteer Wil Murakami to support our students through SFA. Long time employee, Carol Kahele, Migrant Education coordinator, has retired. The talent search is on for that position.
Besides our SFA focus for the year, we will be working on increasing parent involvement and engagement at Ho’okena School. One way to be involved is to join and/or attend School Community Council (SCC) meetings. SCC meetings inform all stakeholders as well as ask for input on school initiatives. The SCC meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 2:30-3:30pm in the library. We try to conduct meetings and events right after school to accommodate family schedules. We notice that many of our families come to pick up their children after school. If this time is not convenient for you, please call me at 328-2710. We will also have more family afternoon/night activities. Some of the activities can be found on the school calendar that will come home with your children at the beginning of school. So far we have the following scheduled:
August 13, 2019 School Community Council Meeting 2:30-3:30pm
August 14, 2019 Open House 2:30-4:00pm
September 25, 2019 SFA Night 2:30-4:30pm
October 21-24, 2019 Parent/Teacher Conference Week 1:15-2:45pm
December 18, 2019 Winter Concert
February 21, 2020 Career Day
May 22, 2020 May Day 9:00am
We are going to plan more activities and will let you know about specific dates and times in future messages.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
As summer comes to a close and the new school year begins, the teachers and staff have completed a three-day training for Success For All (SFA). SFA is our reading and English language arts program. SFA also includes a social emotional learning component called Getting Along Together (GAT). GAT will teach our students how to work in cooperative groups within their classes. SFA also provides 19 days of professional development for our teachers and staff. We are going to have an SFA event on Wednesday, September 25th from 2:30-4:30pm. We hope all of our families will attend to learn about the program and how families can help to support their children. I am very grateful that our teachers and staff are taking this leap to be Learning Leaders. This will elevate our students and improve student achievement.
Let me also take some time to inform you of personnel changes. Erin Conrardy is our new academic coach. She will be responsible for supporting our teachers and staff with SFA. Ms. Conrardy also has a wealth of knowledge in science and math pedagogy. We will also work on improving instruction in those content areas. Engela Edwards will be our second grade teacher. Ms. Edwards will be a familiar face as one of the former preschool teachers. I am thankful that she is up for the challenge. We also have part-time teachers Kathy Fenzl, Suzanne Messmann, Henry Dirkmaat, Vashti Campbell and volunteer Wil Murakami to support our students through SFA. Long time employee, Carol Kahele, Migrant Education coordinator, has retired. The talent search is on for that position.
Besides our SFA focus for the year, we will be working on increasing parent involvement and engagement at Ho’okena School. One way to be involved is to join and/or attend School Community Council (SCC) meetings. SCC meetings inform all stakeholders as well as ask for input on school initiatives. The SCC meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 2:30-3:30pm in the library. We try to conduct meetings and events right after school to accommodate family schedules. We notice that many of our families come to pick up their children after school. If this time is not convenient for you, please call me at 328-2710. We will also have more family afternoon/night activities. Some of the activities can be found on the school calendar that will come home with your children at the beginning of school. So far we have the following scheduled:
August 13, 2019 School Community Council Meeting 2:30-3:30pm
August 14, 2019 Open House 2:30-4:00pm
September 25, 2019 SFA Night 2:30-4:30pm
October 21-24, 2019 Parent/Teacher Conference Week 1:15-2:45pm
December 18, 2019 Winter Concert
February 21, 2020 Career Day
May 22, 2020 May Day 9:00am
We are going to plan more activities and will let you know about specific dates and times in future messages.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
May 7, 2019
Aloha Families,
As we begin the final month of school, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all of our community partners who supported our students throughout the year:
We truly appreciate all of the community support and look forward to continuing our partnerships in the future.
In preparation for the next school year, we are looking for anyone who would be willing to help us with our garden. This entails volunteering or working a couple of days a week, from August to May. If anyone is interested, please call us at (808)328-2710.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
As we begin the final month of school, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all of our community partners who supported our students throughout the year:
- Aunty’s Angels for their continued support by providing reading incentives for our students. They have sponsored quarterly pizza parties and end of the semester field trips.
- Fish Hopper Seafood & Steaks for hosting our students and treating them to lunches as part of our reading incentive program.
- Hulihe’e Palace for hosting our students as part of our reading incentives program.
- The Opelu Project for teaching our fourth and fifth graders the traditional ways and sustainability of fishing through classroom sessions and a field trip to Ho’okena Beach.
- Kahikolu Church for their donation of slippers.
- KAPA Radio for providing much needed school supplies.
- Kathy Fenzl for her many volunteer hours of service in the classroom.
- Leadership in Disabilities & Achievement of Hawaii for vision/hearing/developmental screening.
- Lilinoe Grace, with Aloha Map, for providing field trip transportation.
- The Lions Club for hearing screening for our students.
- The Monge family for their donation of slippers.
- The Rotary Club for vision screening and dictionaries donation.
- SKEA for teaching art to our students.
We truly appreciate all of the community support and look forward to continuing our partnerships in the future.
In preparation for the next school year, we are looking for anyone who would be willing to help us with our garden. This entails volunteering or working a couple of days a week, from August to May. If anyone is interested, please call us at (808)328-2710.
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
April 2, 2019
Aloha Families,
It is hard to believe we are in the last quarter of the school year. In the next few months we have much to complete as well as plan for the next school year. The third quarter assembly will be on Wednesday, April 3rd at 1:15 in the cafeteria. Students who have perfect attendance and students who excel with the General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) will be recognized. Our third, fourth and fifth graders will have the opportunity to attend Career Day at Honaunau Elementary School on April 12th. We hope our older students will be energized to do well in school in order to have options after graduating from high school. We want our students to be college and/or career ready. We are also having Literacy Night on April 17th from 2:30-4:30. We encourage our families to come by and see amazing student work. The students will display artwork integrated with writing in P7. We will also have entertainment and snacks for everyone to enjoy.
Our third, fourth and fifth graders will be taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) beginning April 22nd thru May 3rd. The SBA measures how well our students are achieving in regards to the Common Core State Standards. We highly recommend students get enough rest and a nutritious breakfast. Please try to avoid excessive amounts of sugar. It’s difficult to focus on too much sugar. The students will be taking some practice tests to better prepare them for the actual assessments.
The May Day Court is busy practicing for the big event on May 24th. These students spend their free time with Kumu Shirley during recess and lunch times. We are very proud of our participants who model excellent GLO behavior both in and out of school. We look forward to seeing all of you on the 24th!
Yes, we have a lot to do and with the help from our supportive families we will thrive. The next School Community Council (SCC) meeting will be on Tuesday, April 23rd in the library. All is welcome to be a part of our school community. The SCC is a great way to be informed and involved with everything in school. One item on our agenda will be the Health and Wellness work we will continue to do into next school year. Again, thanks for all you do for our students!
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
It is hard to believe we are in the last quarter of the school year. In the next few months we have much to complete as well as plan for the next school year. The third quarter assembly will be on Wednesday, April 3rd at 1:15 in the cafeteria. Students who have perfect attendance and students who excel with the General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) will be recognized. Our third, fourth and fifth graders will have the opportunity to attend Career Day at Honaunau Elementary School on April 12th. We hope our older students will be energized to do well in school in order to have options after graduating from high school. We want our students to be college and/or career ready. We are also having Literacy Night on April 17th from 2:30-4:30. We encourage our families to come by and see amazing student work. The students will display artwork integrated with writing in P7. We will also have entertainment and snacks for everyone to enjoy.
Our third, fourth and fifth graders will be taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) beginning April 22nd thru May 3rd. The SBA measures how well our students are achieving in regards to the Common Core State Standards. We highly recommend students get enough rest and a nutritious breakfast. Please try to avoid excessive amounts of sugar. It’s difficult to focus on too much sugar. The students will be taking some practice tests to better prepare them for the actual assessments.
The May Day Court is busy practicing for the big event on May 24th. These students spend their free time with Kumu Shirley during recess and lunch times. We are very proud of our participants who model excellent GLO behavior both in and out of school. We look forward to seeing all of you on the 24th!
Yes, we have a lot to do and with the help from our supportive families we will thrive. The next School Community Council (SCC) meeting will be on Tuesday, April 23rd in the library. All is welcome to be a part of our school community. The SCC is a great way to be informed and involved with everything in school. One item on our agenda will be the Health and Wellness work we will continue to do into next school year. Again, thanks for all you do for our students!
Aloha,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Ho'okena Elementary
March 5, 2019
Aloha Hoʻokena Families,
We would like to welcome everyone to our updated website. With the help of our own Mr. Bigelow, office assistant Emily Alani and volunteer parent Jennifer Morgan, we hope the improved site informs our students, families and community members of the upcoming events, important dates, learning opportunities and information more efficiently. The faculty and staff have helped us with this task by providing input as to what is currently being used and how to improve navigation at the website. I would like to thank everyone for their role in making communication a priority.
The last couple of months have been a transition period for Ho’okena. As the new principal, I have begun to get to know our students and all of the adults on campus who truly make this school a special place. It has been such an uplifting experience to be a part of such a wonderful learning environment. The students are all great individuals with the passion for learning. Our teachers, support staff and classified staff are incredible. Their commitment and dedication towards our youth are second to none. The parents I have met are genuinely caring and very proud of their children. I am very blessed to belong to such a great family.
Academically we are challenged with declining Smarter Balanced Assessment scores. The reading/language arts percentage is 29% and math is at 19%. However, next school year we will be a Success for All (SFA) school. SFA is a reading program which will assess students’ reading level and instruction is delivered using materials at their level. The students will be assessed on a regular basis to track progress. As needed, SFA will also prescribe additional support. Teachers will learn how to teach reading through a systematic research based way via 19 days of professional development throughout the school year. We will rely less on technology and focus on improving our teaching practices. I applaud our teachers for their willingness to become life long learners and excellent role models for our children.
The website is a work in progress. If you have any suggestions please email me at [email protected]. This page of our website will be updated on a monthly basis. I encourage our families to visit the Ho’okena site to keep up with our information. Again a big mahalo to everyone who makes this school a very special place.
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Hoʻokena School
We would like to welcome everyone to our updated website. With the help of our own Mr. Bigelow, office assistant Emily Alani and volunteer parent Jennifer Morgan, we hope the improved site informs our students, families and community members of the upcoming events, important dates, learning opportunities and information more efficiently. The faculty and staff have helped us with this task by providing input as to what is currently being used and how to improve navigation at the website. I would like to thank everyone for their role in making communication a priority.
The last couple of months have been a transition period for Ho’okena. As the new principal, I have begun to get to know our students and all of the adults on campus who truly make this school a special place. It has been such an uplifting experience to be a part of such a wonderful learning environment. The students are all great individuals with the passion for learning. Our teachers, support staff and classified staff are incredible. Their commitment and dedication towards our youth are second to none. The parents I have met are genuinely caring and very proud of their children. I am very blessed to belong to such a great family.
Academically we are challenged with declining Smarter Balanced Assessment scores. The reading/language arts percentage is 29% and math is at 19%. However, next school year we will be a Success for All (SFA) school. SFA is a reading program which will assess students’ reading level and instruction is delivered using materials at their level. The students will be assessed on a regular basis to track progress. As needed, SFA will also prescribe additional support. Teachers will learn how to teach reading through a systematic research based way via 19 days of professional development throughout the school year. We will rely less on technology and focus on improving our teaching practices. I applaud our teachers for their willingness to become life long learners and excellent role models for our children.
The website is a work in progress. If you have any suggestions please email me at [email protected]. This page of our website will be updated on a monthly basis. I encourage our families to visit the Ho’okena site to keep up with our information. Again a big mahalo to everyone who makes this school a very special place.
Sincerely,
Tammy Yoshimura-Furrer, Principal
Hoʻokena School
