Fun Run Success!
Dear Parents of Mid-Pacific Institute,If you were one of the over 200 friends of MPI who crawled out of bed during the early hours of Sunday morning to run or walk the annual NikeTown race, many, many thanks for your support! MPI also placed 6th in the number of participants. All monies will be used to purchase sports equipment for the physical education program in the three schools. Generous applause and high-fives for our P.E. teacher, Pam Jenkins, who organized the MPI preschool and elementary contingency and encouraged your children to participate in this worthwhile community event. She is an inspiration to us on maintaining good health through exercise and diet, and I can see how much the children enjoy her P.E. classes. I know that many of you made this a family event by walking or running together. What spirit!
We gathered this morning for our all-school photo under threatening skies, but we were fortunate to have enough sunshine to take the photo. As you might imagine, it’s a feat getting 250 children, ages 3 through 11, to look straight into the camera! All questions about individual photos (payment, orders, etc.) are handled directly by the photographer. Please call Hawaii Pacific Photo, Inc., David Wong, at 947-4774. Or email david@hppdigital.com.
I’ve been spending the past two weeks meeting with faculty members on their individual teaching goals for this academic year. Their goals are linked to MPI’s mission statement, expected schoolwide learning results, and our preschool/elementary school goals discussed at our faculty retreat. MPI believes in the importance of supporting professional development so that the faculty members are constantly improving their craft — the art of teaching. To this end, teachers develop their own professional development goals and plans, which MPI supports through funding or providing opportunities for professional growth. For example, the faculty will be visiting each other’s classroom or specialist’s area several times this semester to learn more about instructional or classroom management strategies, how students at different grade levels interact in small groups, what the inquiry process looks like in kindergarten compared to a multiage class, etc. The teachers hold high expectations and standards for themselves, and I work directly with each of them to support their professional growth. I am impressed by each teacher’s resolve and commitment to providing quality instruction for all students.
The Moon Over Manoa silent auction and dinner is October 13 at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Monarch Room. All proceeds benefit capital improvement needs on campus. You may drop off auction items in the morning autoline at the turnaround in front of Wilcox on October 3-4, next Wednesday and Thursday only. I understand from the planning committee that there will be classroom baskets filled with quality items. I hope that you’ll be able to attend the gala — consider it a special night out for moms and dads.
The `Ohana is sponsoring a parent education evening, “Communicating with Your Child,” on October 9, the following Tuesday, 5:30 – 7:00pm, Dining Room. The presenter, Kathy Bentley, is a nationally recognized parent educator and the owner of Kathy's Parenting Solutions. She has her bachelor's degree in Psychology and her master’s in Counseling Services. She is an annual presenter at the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children and has presented at many educational forums across the state. She has appeared as a parenting expert on the Channel 2 Morning News, KITV 4 News This Morning, The Privilege of Parenting radio show and as a guest on Town Square on Hawaii Public Radio. She has written articles for Hawaii Parent Magazine. A light dinner at 5:00pm precedes the presentation. Childcare will be provided. Please call the school office at 441-3800 by October 5 if you need childcare and/or will be having dinner (provided by the `Ohana).
Some requests: Drive onto the elementary campus slowly because students and parents sometimes need to walk on the roadway behind the cars. When dropping off your child in the morning autoline, please drive all the way up to the other end of the turnaround, closest to the firelane gate, so that we can accommodate more cars behind you in the drop-off area. Please be patient because some children need a bit more time exiting their cars.
Can it be? I’ve already received a mailer about Christmas craft fairs. And the pumpkins are still growing in the pumpkin patch. Have a restful weekend with your children.
For our children,
Edna L. Hussey
Principal
Posted on September 27, 2007 5:19 PM | Permalink