MARCH 2021

Editorial Mission: As the Department’s primary publication, we aim to live up to the meaning of ha‘aheo — to cherish with pride — by bolstering and sustaining pride in public education and touting the successes happening across the system as we deliver on the power and promise of public education. The March issue of Hoʻohaʻaheo is dedicated to highlighting voices from Maui district.

Mahalo to CAS Lindsay Ball as he transitions leadership of the Canoe Complex to Rebecca Winkie

» Pictured above: Lindsay Ball, complex area superintendent and Dr. Rebecca Winkie, incoming deputy complex area superintendent

After leading the Hāna-Lahainaluna-Lānaʻi-Molokaʻi Complex Area for 13 years, Lindsay Ball will retire on June 30. He has been mentoring his successor, Dr. Rebecca Winkie, principal of Princess Nahiʻenaʻena Elementary, to lead the "Canoe Complex."

"Over the past 13 years, CAS Ball’s clear guidance and steadfast leadership has been a source of inspiration and confidence for those of us in the Canoe Complex. His consistent message has always been to make decisions based on what is best for students,” Dr. Winkie said.

We asked CAS Ball about his experiences in education and his future plans — and where to grab good eats in his complex area.

#PublicSchoolProud  |  Student

Haʻaheo wau i ke komo ʻana i ke kula aupuni ma muli o nā kumu a me koʻu mau hoa. He mau kumu kōkua nui ma ka nui hiki, a leʻaleʻa koʻu mau hoa. ʻO koʻu kula aupuni, nānā nui ʻia ka palekana o nā keiki ma ke kula.

» Kūkawaiʻolu Hāmākua is an eigth grader at Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Lāhainā.

I am proud to be in public school because of my teachers and friends. My teachers go to great lengths to provide all the help they can and my friends are fun. At my public school, they really care about the safety of all keiki at school.

Teacher Voice  |  Cultivating seeds of empathy

“Mister, you have a new student from Mexico. He has limited comprehension of the English language,” my former student’s low, whispering voice wafted into my last math period. Our discussion of trigonometric functions paused.

“Buenas tardes,” I greeted Victor and introduced him to the whole class, who gave a warm welcome in return.

At dismissal, I spent time learning more about Victor, a reserved fine young man whose aspiration in life is to finish higher education.

While I have an equal amount of understanding and familiarity with Spanish, I am cognizant of Victor’s language barrier, and a cobweb of questions started to spin in my head. “How am I going to meet Victor’s learning needs?” “How can I be an effective math teacher to him?”

Teacher Voice  |  Supporting multilingual newcomers in the general ed classroom

Classroom teachers have a million decisions and actions to move on per day. When we don’t have additional resources and colleagues to help us provide the best services to our students, it becomes exponentially more difficult to provide our supports in areas such as reading and math intervention, special education, and English learners. As I firmly advocate for fully funding public schools, here are some ideas for those who serve English newcomers.

Knowing your students’ backgrounds, academic levels, and who they are as people is key to building quality education. As we create positive relationships with our students, we better understand their needs and become stronger advocates. This worksheet from Getsupported can help you get started collecting information about your students.

Collaborating with educators is virtually better than ever!

» Pictured above: Edith Middleton, English department chair and teacher at King Kekaulike High

One of the endearing beauties about the field of education is how teaching can look and feel different at every school. Most schools are excellent at connecting faculty while some settings promote collaboration in theory but struggle with the conditions necessary for it to blossom. Options and settings that authentically connect and foster collaborative environments can make for happy educators. However, participating in collaborative opportunities can be challenging when one lives on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Maui offers an incredible myriad of professional development, but it can be limiting in scope unless time is sacrificed from the classroom or during breaks to fly to another island for wider networking.

More than ever, Covid-19 forced us to isolate ourselves and meet students, family members, strangers, etc. through screens. While the physical world shut down, a new world of global communication unlocked. As an introvert and glass-half-full optimist, I started to see this new era of virtual living as the perfect time to embrace and seek global educator networks.