Posted on October 22, 2022
by Dr. Edna Hussey on October 22, 2022
At the recent Schools of the Future conference held at the Convention Center, one of the many discussions I participated in was about how schools have been impacted by the pandemic. At Mid-Pacific, technology made it possible for learning to continue at home through the faculty's sheer resolve to pivot from in-class to online teaching and innovative uses of digital apps, Zoom, and Google. While this was not the case for many schools lacking an infrastructure such as a digital network system or tech devices, teachers at these schools still managed to create a process to continue instruction at home. Events this week deepened my appreciation for those challenging two-and-a-half years, what we learned about ourselves, and what we have now been able to return to. Certainly just participating in the Schools of the Future with over 1,000 educators from private, public, and charter schools was a refreshing return to "normal." Presenters from the preschool and elementary included Leslie Gleim, Robynne Migita, Jordan Hasley, June Pepper. Dr. Priester and I facilitated a workshop looking at how school recipients of the 5-year Schools-of-the-Future grant are managing ongoing challenges. Here are some of the on-campus happenings just this past week that, coming through the Covid pandemic, have made me more appreciative of what school is for our Mid-Pacific community.
The 5th graders boarded the bus for Camp Erdman on the North Shore for a full day of team-building. Seven faculty members, including a middle-school teacher, served as chaperones. Even Scout, our fairly new service animal for a student, joined the class. Imagine that!
Some of the faculty chaperones before the trek to the North Shore. I don't have a photo for the return to campus, but they were still smiling . . . likely looking forward to a good night's sleep!
Parents are making their way back on campus to voluntarily assist as lunch supervisors in the dining room or doing read-alouds in classrooms.
In a few days, parents will be unpacking these boxes to prepare treat bags for the annual Spooktivity celebration on Friday, October 28. I promise you a few select photos from Spooktivity in next week's blog. The dining room is sporting Halloween decorations. Parents, check the preschool/elementary page on myPueo for the schedule of activities or read the details in this Sunday's newsletter. Nā ʻOhana Pueo (NOP) is the parent engine that powers Spooktivity and many more traditions during the school year.
The last time students were able to attend the schoolʻs symphony and band concert was two-and-a-half years ago. This past week, preschool and elementary students were treated to a lively concert with background video for the segment on Disney hits. The orchestra premiered a musical score of Mid-Pacificʻs alma mater, written by Michael Lim and conducted by Jeremy Lawi, middle and high school faculty. members. Singing the alma mater with an orchestra rouses school pride. The students all sang with robust spirit!
This was today at Admissions Open House in Bakken auditorium before prospective parents began campus tours with parent and student docents. Visitors stpped into classrooms, talked with docents, observed 3-D scanning and robotics, and listened to Capstone presentations by Alex and Pualani, who were in the 5th grade last year and are now in middle school 6th grade. The event was a lively "Experience" of Mid-Pacific, the theme of the 2022 Admissions Open House. A few current parents took the opportunity to visit the preschool and elementary, the first time to freely walk the campus due since restricted entry onto campus in the past two years, or visited the middle and high school.
Pualani talks about a passion project--knitting!--and a future goal to begin a knitting club in the middle school and a future knitting business to sell knitting materials and knitting classes for children. Did you know about the health benefits with knitting?
Alexʻs capstone project was about creating a biking business in Vietnam, his motherʻs home country, to reduce air pollution. The service would be free, providing 200 biking stations in Vietnam. He even has a business plan! I never underestimate the possibilities of our students.
This was just one week at the preschool/elementary, and itʻs only October. After the pandemic lockdown, weʻve been bringing back field trips, parent volunteers, and large-scale events, such as Spooktivity. Restoring events and activities has required more attention to logistics and safety, so the planning does take time. Nonetheless, activities that enliven school culture and create opportunities for face-to-face and hands-on as we had experienced pre-Covid, make me appreciate the ordinary, like singing together or students boarding a bus for a field trip. Simply extraordinary.
E Kūlia Kākou! Letʻs strive and aspire together!
For our children,
Edna L. Hussey, Ed.D.
Principal
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