Parent
January 10, 2013
Connection
Breaking News
teach Tahitian dancing after school on Tuesdays from 3-4 p.m. in the Frear Center. All ages 9 and up are welcome. No charge. Dancers should bring a pareo/sarong and a t-shirt in which to dance.
Yearbooks On Sale Now
Welcome Miss Deatri
Joining Miss Natasha in the 4th grade classroom is Deatri Nakea. Deatri actually started working here in December, making a smooth transition for Miss Jamie, who is on maternity leave. Deatri is a Kaua‘i native, with a teaching degree from UH at Manoa. She has been teaching art and planning curriculum for Kamehameha Schools (from which she graduated high school) since 1999. She decided to move back home last spring and has been doing volunteer work. Deatri reports she is enjoying being at Island School and working with Natasha.
Slipper Tree Helps Kaua‘i Families
Mahalo to the many Island School families who donated slippers to the Slipper Tree during the holiday season. The slippers have been given to Nana’s House, for distribution to needy families throughout the year.
Tahitian Dance After School Lauren Calhoun, our high school social studies teacher, has offered to
Order your yearbook early. Go to http://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/ ybk_lp_main.html. Please consider purchasing an ad in the yearbook. Information is available on the Jostens webpage.
Pirates Know How to Party
Avast Me Hearties! Be ye getting excited about the upcoming auction? Mark ye calendars for Saturday, March 16, and buy yer tickets now! Watch for a letter coming yer way with instruction for donating an item to the auction. Please share it with your friends, neighbors and family. If you have a unique idea for a donation (a dinner, a favorite bottle of wine, a gift certificate to your favorite store, tour, lessons) or useful contacts in the travel/hospitality/ entertainment businesses or access to unique experiences either here or elsewhere, please contact Adeline Sears (808-635-4440 or searsa002@ hawaii.rr.com) or Laura Cushnie (808-645-0959). Our donation form
Click HERE for important dates is attached to this week’s PC.
Auction Volunteers Wanted to Make Phone Calls Can you make a few phone calls a day for a couple of weeks? The Auction Committee needs help following up with letters mailed out to potential donors. This is a great opportunity to help from your own home, on your own time frame. A detailed script will be provided with all the information you’ll need to do a fabulous job. Don’t be shy - step up. Or ye might be walkin’ the plank. (Not!)
Alumni Gathered at December Reception
Former Island School students of all ages and faculty got together last month at JJ’s Broiler in Nawiliwili for the annual Alumni Reception. The room was decorated with Jennifer Jasper’s nutcracker collection, numbering in the hundreds. It was great to see everyone. Many thanks to the ISAA committee for organizing this event, the crew from JJ’s, and to those who attended.
Alumni, Milo Spindt, Dave Hubbard and Mike Hubbard talk story with Sean Magoun at December’s Alumni Reception.
To contact the publisher of Island School’s Parent Connection, email peggy@ischool.org
I.S. Chronicles GEOGRAPHY – Students in grades 4-8 will compete in this year’s National Geographic Geography Bee tomorrow, January 11. Competing will be Andrew King and Manu Trujillo in 6th, Aliana Ho and Douglas Sears in 7th, and Andy Anderton, Joel Deblin, Luke McIntosh and Maureen Valdez in 8th. The winner will take a qualifying exam and, if she or he passes, will compete in the State Geography Bee in April. Andy, by the way, was the winner of the State Geography Bee two years ago, when he was home schooled. KIF SWIMMING – The season is in full swing. The first two meets were held over break. Our Voyager team includes: Kai Anderson, Sam Goldberg, Hannah Stone, Kalena Wong, Bel HinojosaMielcke, Laura Macklin, Alex Macklin, Michael McEvoy, Eric Potter, Jacob Dysinger, Stephen Foster, Imara Joroff, James Papa Kyle Riddle, Carlie Rutt, Leilani Boemer, Quinn HannahWhite, Natalia Smith, and Joy Claypoole. Their coach is Meaghan Sims.
KIF Swim Season: James Papa, ‘15, dives while Alex Macklin, ‘14, & Laura Macklin, ‘16, wait their turn.
SENIOR UPDATE – Congratulations to our seniors who received letters of acceptance
over Winter Break: Steele Bird, Kimberly McDonough, Bronson Griep and Marcus Punua accepted at University of Hawai‘i at Manoa; Kim McDonough accepted at Hawai‘i Pacific University in Honolulu; Matthew Cowden accepted at Northern Arizona University in Flaggstaff, AZ; Jai Odyssea accepted at Elementary students enjoyed the Holiday Sing Along on the Friday before Winter Break. Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, NV; and Mass Chorus Festival. This event, Joy Claypoole accepted organized by the Hawai‘i Chapter at College of Saint Benedict in St. of the American Choral Directors Joseph, MN. Association, gives Island School students the opportunity to join over ROBOTICS – For the Kaua‘ibots 300 high school singers from across FIRST robotics team, the end of Hawai‘i to rehearse for two days winter break was the beginning before presenting a public concert. of the new competition season. A The concert, conducted by Dr. Edith hardcore group slept over at school and the rest turned up at before dawn Copley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Northern to watch the new game kickoff. This Arizona University, will be presented year’s game, Ultimate Ascent, is a at the Central Union Church in challenging one, with robots hurling Honolulu on Sunday, January 20. In Frisbees and climbing pyramid addition to activities related to the structures. ( http://www.youtube. concert, the high school singers will com/watch?v=wa5MGEZNrf0). The take a private tour of Kawaiaha‘o team will build and test furiously Church, the grounds of the Mission for six weeks, ship the robot to Houses, and a docent guided tour of Honolulu, then practice and ‘Iolani Palace. Students and families develop improvements until they have been involved in fundraising leave for competition at the end of activities since September to help Spring Break (first week of April). offset the cost of the trip. Island Kaua‘ibots welcomes students and adults who are interested in building, School is the only Kaua‘i school to participate in the festival. programming, or driving a robot, learning how to do these things, or HAWAIIAN helping the team with logistics or STUDIES – fundraising. They work until at least 8 p.m. every day and there’s plenty to Fourth grade boys made bowls, do. Contact James Massaro (james@ using ball-peen ischool.org) or Kate Mink (kate. hammers to chisel mink@ischool.org) to get involved. rocks. The rocks were provided by CHORUS – On Friday, January Ethan Inanod and 18, 56 members of the Island School his grandpa. The Alaka‘i Chorus will head to O‘ahu girls wove lauhala bracelets. At right, to participate in the third annual Kainoa Merano shows off his bowl. Ho‘olokahi Festival All-High School
Parent Page
Parent Association Computer Safety & Awareness Seminar • • • •
Join us for a hands-on experience!
Visit some of the latest websites students are using. View social networks and learns the pros and cons. Learn how to secure computers and track history. Find out the tech trends here on campus.
Instructor: Nathaniel Evlsin, Technology Dept. Head
Tuesday, January 22 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Koa Room RSVP to reserve a computer. Child care provided upon request. Contact Leah Edwards, PA President at edwardsohana@hawaiiantell.net
Classified Ads CAROL CULVER DANCE ACADEMY: Enroll now for 2013. Classes in Kapa‘a and Lihu‘e beginning now. Tot Ballet (ages 3-7), Jazz/Hip Hop (ages 6-12), Tap (ages 6+) East Coast Swing & Lindy Hope (teen/adult). Thursdays at Kapa‘a Neighborhood Center and Island School on Saturdays & Tuesdays.For more information visit www. dancekauai.com. WANTED TO BORROW: Jewelry and bling that would pass for pirate treasure: silver, gold, gems chains, coins, goblets, crystal etc. - you get the idea! For use in the 5th grade play, Treasure Island. Contact Peggy (peggy@ischool.org) or Mrs. Wortmann (cindy@ischool.org) or drop them off in Peggy’s office (marked with your name, please). KCP AUDITIONS: Director Jo Grande announces auditions for KCP’S next production, The Dixie Swim Club, January 21, 22, 23, Monday, Tuesday,
Mahalo to
♥♥♥
♥ ♥ ♥ Terry & Carol Wells for donating 24 “legacy”
Bahia Rosewood trees whch were planted above the football field.
♥ ♥ ♥ Daniel Bicciche for lending the 5th graders a
variety of nautical objects to use in their play, Treasure Island. Laura & Brianna Ryan, Robin Pratt, Lauren Hunt, Kathy Conery, Lisa Splittstoesser and Laurel Petterson McGraw for their help with set design and construction.
♥ ♥ ♥ Licia McDonald for donating a used Casio WK-
210 keyboard to the music department.
♥ ♥ ♥ Alan & Monica King for donations to our
costume collection.
♥ ♥ ♥ the following volunteers who helped with the
recent auction mail-out: Heather Biedermann, Laura Cushnie, Corey Dobashi, Lucy Dresner, Daryl Edwards, Lauren Hunt, Katie Johnson, Liz Hubbard, Alan & Monica King, Lynne MacDonald, Naomi Matias, Amanda Nunez, Robin Pratt, Valerie Rivera, Adeline Sears and Lulu Schilleci.
Wednesday 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Puhi Theatrical Warehouse, 4411A Kikowaena, Puhi, Kauai (100yards behind the Harley Davidson store across from KCC – see below for directions). Great roles for 5 women. The characters age from their 40s to their 60s in the play. Auditions will include cold reading from the script. Call Jo for more information as needed: 808-652-8558. The Dixie Swim Club opens March 15 and will play for three or four weekends. PLAY WRITING: The year of WIT’s fourth bienniel Ten Minute Play Festival, “Kaua‘i Shorts.” Typcally, WIT produces about sixteen plays during the festival. The plays are chosen by a panel of experienced judges and if things go as in the past, the audience will vote on their favorites, who are honored with a large piece of paper given on the last day of performances, acknowledging the accomplishment! Much applause accompanies the giving of the large piece of paper! Plays may be submitted via email attachment at any time before April 1st to: romeycurtis@aol.com. For detailed instructions, contact Romey at the above email address.
How Much Screen Time is Healthy? What did your children get as gifts? Tablet? Computer? TV? XBox? Smart Phone … in addition to positively affecting your child. If, for Managing the amount of time your children spend on example, you have an active, easily agitated child, you these kinds of devices can be challenging. With technology might use television to calm him or her down. Instead, changing and developing so quickly, new devices can try alternating TV time with another calming activity, replace the gadget-of-choice several times a year. As soon such as yoga, puzzles or quiet time with books. as studies come out on one device, it has become a thing of the past. A recent article in The Washington Post (Molly • Research content and quality. When deciding Knight Raskin, January, 3, 2013) cites several studies what television programs or apps to allow your child and provides interesting statistics and anecdotes on the to use, do your research. Log on to Web sites such as subject. If you’re interested, you can read it here: Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that rates popular digital programs for age-appropriate Managing Your Children’s Screen Time content and educational value. Even better, there’s a Common Sense app — available for download free on Raskin has developed a set of “screen-time tips” for iTunes — so you can rate your kid’s content on the go parents: before giving them the go-ahead. • Get answers. When your children ask for a new »» Avoid setting concrete limits. “When you give gadget, ask them to explain exactly what they need it your kids a limit on screen time, you’re creating the for. Challenge them if they argue it’s because “everyone idea that it’s bad and amplifying their desire,” [Michael else has one.” Before considering a purchase, ask them Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child to explain exactly what they will use the device for Health at Boston Children’s Hospital] says. Instead, and engage them in a meaningful conversation about grant permission on a case-by- case basis — this will technology and peer pressure. demonstrate to your child that you care about what, • Carve out unwired time. Find the time to take your and when, they are watching. family off the grid. Put away the tablets and televisions, »» Participate actively. Chances are you have little turn off the smart phones and spend an afternoon at interest in slinging Angry Birds at pigs onscreen, but the park. There’s no better way to ensure that your try sitting with your kids and asking them to explain child has the skills to enjoy the company of others than why they’ve chosen a game or program. This helps silencing your devices and spending time together. close the gap between digital immigrant (you) and
digital native (your child), and builds a more trusting, open dialogue on the topic of technology. Try the same with older kids using social media. »» Resist patterns. By turning on the television every rainy, long afternoon, or every time you’re cooking a meal, you’re conditioning your child to expect screen time in response to certain signals. If you’re stuck in a pattern of predictable television or computer times, make an effort to break those patterns and inspire your children to think up new ways to entertain themselves, such as building a fort or setting up a pretend school. »» Find alternatives. Ask yourself why you turn to screen time for your kids, and challenge yourself to think of what might serve you better as a parent,
One of the pitfalls of new technology, particularly with teenagers, is that it’s created the fear that being without it means missing out — even if it’s just missing out on a Facebook status update. By encouraging your kids to detach from the digital world, you’re teaching them it’s okay to be a few hours behind the curve. The same holds true for family mealtime, one of the single greatest predictors of academic and personal success in children. Sit down with your kids, engage them in conversation, and make no room for technology at the table. Online at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/ screen-time-tips-for-parents/2013/01/02/51a259c8-2f63-11e2-9f500308e1e75445_story.html
Island School 3-1875 Kaumuali`i Hwy Lihu`e, Kaua`i, Hawai`i, 96766
January 10, 2013 A weekly publication We’re on the web at www.ischool.org