ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokāhi
(All knowledge is not taught in the same school)
As the school year winds down, I’ve been thinking about the above ʻōlelo noʻeau and its immense wisdom. One can learn from many sources. These past nine months, our faculty and students have been the beneficiaries of many opportunities to learn and grow from wonderful, diverse sources beyond the walls of Assets School.
When we as adults think back to our finest or most influential teachers, we often recall someone who wasn’t a classroom teacher in a traditional school. Many times we think of a parent, a kumu hula, martial arts instructor, sports coach, or musician. This is because we often learn some of our greatest lessons about ourselves and others in theaters, museums, studios, and on stages and playing fields.
I’ve already written about some of our field trips and guest speakers in this space before, but let me share a few more. Our K-4 elementary students visited the Honolulu Theater for Youth for several plays, including Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Kū Ā Mo‘o: Becoming a Guardian of Hawaii, and Eddie Wen’ Go: The Story of the Upside Down Canoe. Some of our middle school students also attended Eddie Wen’ Go because their classes have a global studies theme this year and are studying Polynesian voyaging, with a particular focus on Hōkūleʻa’s recently launched Worldwide Voyage. A special thrill for teachers and students was that the play’s soundscape was created and played by Assets alumnus, Danny Carvalho! We also had several classes visit the fabulous Bishop Museum. Did you know the Bishop Museum has 22 million plant and animal specimens in its collection, which makes it the fourth largest such collection in the U.S.? Class 73 was in for an extraordinary treat because they received a special behind-the-scenes tour of the museaum’s Anthropology Department with Dr. Mara Mulrooney. We also had informative visits to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center, Waikiki Aquarium, Lanakila Pacific, the Hawaii Historic Capitol District, Hawaiian Humane Society and the Kamaka Ukulele Factory.
Not all of our field trips were inside government buildings, theaters or museums though. We learned a lot from nature this year as well. Class 43 visited Aloun Farms during the fall and brought back large pumpkins to campus! All 3rd/4th grade classes just returned last week from a day at Waikalua Loko fishpond, where they engaged in all kinds of fun ‘āina-based learning activities. We’ve also had students visit Moanalua Gardens and hike through Kamananui Valley. We even had a middle school group take a walking tour through the Kaka’ako Arts District to view and discuss its incredible and ever-growing graffiti art and murals.
What a year!!! These are only a few of the many trips and guest speakers that our students participated in. Mahalo to our teachers for seeking out these experts and experiences for our students, and to Ms. Tess for helping coordinate the logistics. Also, mahalo to our teachers who offer after school classes, lead clubs and coach sports. These co-curricular opportunities are equally enriching and important to a full educational program.
Assets School Family Night – SNEAK PEAK
Don’t forget that Family Night is this Wednesday, April 29th. Family Night night features the Book Fair, Art Show and Middle School Project-Based Learning Expo. The students have been working hard all year on art projects and PBL displays, and they can’t wait to share these with family and friends. Everyone is invited! I can’t wait to see it all in action. If you’ve been on campus lately, you may have noticed that our school is slowly transforming into an art gallery, full of beautiful work. I don’t want to give too much away, but I did want to offer you a sneak peak! This is truly an event not to be missed!
Aloha,
Ryan
Assets School K-8 Principal Blog 