Kupuna Day has quickly become a cherished annual tradition at Assets. We’ve seen attendance rise each of the last three years. This year, our K-6 students and teachers welcomed over 175 grandparents, aunties, uncles, and other special friends!
As in previous years, highlights of the day include eating breakfast and enjoying arts and craft activities together. The K-4 students greeted their kupuna with an Aloha Chant while the 5th and 6th graders entertained the crowd with the “Grandparent’s Day Song.” Both groups spent the past week rehearsing their performance and were excited to share it with their special guests. Students and kupuna then moved to the classrooms for fun-filled activities. I saw kupuna take tours of the classroom, share favorite memories of their grandchildren, make lei together, play morning meeting games, design kapa and conduct science experiments.
One of my lasting memories of this year’s wonderful event will be how far some kupuna travelled to be with us. Last year, I met a grandfather who travelled all the way from South Africa! This year, I met folks from Alaska, Tennessee, Kauai, Molokai, and Alabama, not to mention all corners of Oahu. To travel thousands of miles or fight morning traffic to spend a few hours at school is a degree of support and love that defines ohana and always takes my breath away.
One of my favorite phrases comes from Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, married writers, who both have told us in their work that, “Time is how you spend your love.” That sentiment is clear to me everyday when I see our teachers work with our students. I’m reminded of those words again when I see our students with their grandparents or aunties and uncles. What Kupuna Day illustrates is that time is a gift that children and kupuna give to each other.
Mahalo to all those who travelled from far and near, or extended holiday stays, to visit Assets and “spend your love” with us. Please enjoy some photos below from our event.
About the Author
Ryan Masa is the K-8 Principal at Assets School in Honolulu, Hawaii
Assets School K-8 Principal Blog 
January 31, 2017 at 8:58 am
Wow! The tile of this post is profound. It is a beautiful way to describe Kupuna Day and how we work with our students. I especially enjoyed when the students sang the grandparents day song. It made me call my own grandmother shortly after to tell her how I appreciate her!
Today, while I was on the 5-6th grade old world explorers gallery walk, I head the recorded voices of grandparents as part of the student projects. It is fantastic when older generations can see how new generations are using modern technologies in school, and even more incredible when they can have fun using the technologies together.
Thank you for the photos and the blog post, Ryan! The saying, “Time is how you spend your love” is going down in my notebook of favorites!
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