Last Words

We are here! My last blog of the school year 2024-2025! Each blog has provided you with glimpses of classroom learning, explanations of teaching approaches, and commentary on education topics. The faculty blogs are more focused on what’s going on in their respective classrooms. Photos or examples of student work are intended to provide even more clarity about the learning in the preschool and elementary. In this week’s blog are some closing thoughts as I trace the throughline of these postings.

The key learning approach here is inquiry, a fundamental mindset and stance about how we go about learning processes as well as an understanding of how learning evolves. While content is informed by national and state standards, the key to beginning the learning journey comes from the beautiful, inspiring, evocative questions that the children or teachers ask. Essential questions are beginning points. From these first steps in August and throughout the school year, the inquiry journey is marked by “landings” — a few weeks of deep learning into a topic, then stopping to see where the journey is taking them. Then the journey continues again on the next expedition into a related topic, a reflection period to consider more questions and coalesce understanding at this point.

This is the inquiry journey that becomes the Celebrations of Learning that every class, from preschool through fifth grade, shared with parents in the last few weeks of school.Your children led you through the displays of work or invited you to participate in learning stations. This year’s Celebrations of Learning were evidence and demonstrations of high quality learning. Learning in art, music, character education, and physical education are sometimes integrated in the inquiry, and we acknowledge doing more to encourage students to express their learning in the languages of art, music, and movement.

The student-teacher-parent conferences led by students are well orchestrated. Students have selected artifacts of their learning that show how they’ve been working towards the Learner Profile and reflect aloud the reasons how these artifacts demonstrate their own learning. The undercurrent of learning practiced daily are the reading, writing, and math skills necessary to help students make sense of the inquiry content.

But there is another equally important dimension that further enriches learning. Traditions such as Spooktivity, Kūpuna Day, Christmas and May Day performances, Kidsʻ Heart Challenge, Leavetaking, and Field Day, monthly assemblies are all part of the learning journey.

All of this incredible program we offer is a tribute to a world-class faculty and staff who carry a strong image of the child, collaborate as the means to problem solve, and work so well as a learning community and team. I appreciate them.

My last words are for Parents and Friends — thank you for the support we receive in so many ways. Your spirit of volunteerism is unmatched as well as your generosity in the annual fund. Your caring words. Your questions for clarity. Your belief in our educational values. To families leaving Mid-Pacific, we wish the very best for your child and family. Thank you for the time your child was able to participate in all things Mid-Pacific.

A hui hou, dear Families! Enjoy summer bliss with your children!

E Kūlia Kākou! Let’s strive and aspire together!

For our children,

Edna L. Hussey, Ed.D.
Principal