Connecting to Kūpuna

What a heartwarming experience we had during our Mid-Pacific Grandparents' Day celebration!

On Thursday, several of our Manu o Kū 12 children connected with their grandparents from afar over Zoom. They presented “A Day in the Life” and expertly led their guests through activities while also navigating technology. While many of us have had to become very familiar with platforms such as Zoom due to the pandemic, our first and second graders had not previously had much experience with this kind of communication. I was so proud and impressed with the way the children were able to connect with their guests and adeptly use Zoom. You could feel the love and aloha emanating through the screen!

 

 

On Friday morning, with the beautiful music of the bagpipes winding through our campus, the children eagerly took the stage in our courtyard to perform our school oli, Welina Mānoa. Looking out at the faces–old and young was truly priceless! The children sang and signed the song, “It’s the Little Things,” written by John Farell (who will be visiting our school this week). The moment felt magical, leaving an imprint of warmth and connection.

Then it was time for the classroom! We performed one of the mele, Eia Mākou, that we sing during our morning meetings and found out a bit about our kūpuna guests–who was the most years “young,” who traveled the farthest, who had the most grandchildren, and who had the most grandchildren at Mid-Pacific. After this time as a group, the children greeted their VIP guests, shared with them a special book, interviewed them to find out more about who they are and what their life was like as a child, showed them some of the work they have done at school, led them on a classroom tour, and even taught them how to draw Mid-Pacific’s mascot–the pueo! I had an opportunity to meet with each visitor, and it was so wonderful to see and feel the connection between the children and their family members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was inspiring being able to observe these interactions and see the love shared between each child and their `ohana. Mahalo to all of our kūpuna and special guests who came to share the day and connect with the children. It was a truly magical day for us all!