Trekking back from spring break

Answer:  Travel — Washington, D.C. Disneyworld. Malaekahana. Disneyland. Camping. Seattle. Japan. The beach. Mexico. Maui. The Big Island. Whistler. Kauai. San Francisco. Play dates.

Question: What did you do during spring break?

And so the children emerged from their cars Monday morning, some bright-eyed and cheery, some yawning, and some teary-eyed at having to leave parents. I know many parents have also been re-adjusting to regular work schedules! Many students swapped spring-break adventures with one another, eager to get back into the rhythms of learning. It was good to hear the voices of your children on campus again.  

During the two-week interim, we were able to do some deep cleaning in classrooms and offices. We also began an improvement project in the play structure area. The preschool sandboxes now have a concrete apron onto which the children can step without getting muddy on rainy days. We also reinforced the area behind the tire swing with a CMU wall and new fencing to prevent runoff during heavy downpours. There should be a new water fountain by the Character Education House in the next week for children coming from the play structure or ball field.  During the first week of June, we will resurface all the dirt areas around the play structure with high-quality turf. Apparently, little or no grass can grow in these patches due to the lack of sufficient sun. And we’ll be placing more benches for seating.


We are proud to announce that MPI first-grader Julian Kiyabu’s volcano painting was selected “Best in Show” in the annual art contest sponsored by MOA on March 21-22.  His piece will be displayed at the State of Hawaii Exhibition from June 7 -14 at the Honolulu Academy of Arts Linekona Center, along with the work of other district winners.  His painting will travel to Japan as part of an international exhibition of children’s artwork. The work of two other first graders, Mari Kwee and T.J. Johnson, was accepted for the Nuuanu-Kalihi-Manoa District Exhibition held at Ward Warehouse in March.  There were hundreds of paintings entered into the district competition, so we are delighted that three pieces of our students’ artistry were selected.  Congratulations also to our art teachers, Jill Brooks and Jordan Guillory, for their encouragement, and to our students’ parents for their support. Please go to Jill Brooks’ webpage for photos of the artwork. We are rooting for Julian!

At our faculty meeting this past Wednesday, we discussed the accreditation process and planned several meetings to analyze, assess, and evaluate what we teach (curriculum), how we teach (instruction), and how we determine the quality of student learning (assessment). Of the eight faculty meetings remaining, five to six will focus on our self-study process. Similar discussions are also occurring among middle school and high school faculty during the next few weeks.  In fact, every facet of the school, from school governance to finances to health/safety and school community, is being assessed based on criteria and standards established by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.  Several of you have graciously volunteered to also serve on accreditation committees. Heads up: all of you will be asked to complete a schoolwide survey for your feedback on various aspects of the school. I will keep you informed.

Our final admission assessment sessions are this Saturday, April 5. Whew!  We have held assessment sessions for every grade level, from preschool through fifth grade. And yes, there is a wait pool at every grade level. We already have our preschool enrollment of three-year-olds confirmed for school year 2008-2009. Letters of invitation for kindergarten admission will be mailed mid-April. Please make sure that you submit your re-enrollment contracts to the Business Office by the due date.  

Another reminder about t-shirts: Students should wear the MPI uniform t-shirt or the commemorative 1908 shirt every day. On Fridays only, students may wear their MPI uniform t-shirt, the 1908 shirt, or any other MPI-related t-shirt such as a class-trip t-shirt, or Ho`olaule`a t-shirt. Every first Friday of the month is Choice Day (students may wear free dress that fit the guidelines specified in the parent/student handbook).  

I was able to take off three days during spring break to take care of some much-needed tasks, in this order:  lunch with friends, cleaning the refrigerator, cleaning house windows and screens, re-lining pantry shelves and kitchen drawers, babysitting grandchild, and reading. Travel? Does travel around the house count?

For our children,

Edna L. Hussey
Principal  

Posted on April 3, 2008 10:07 PM | Permalink