Navigator Fall 2011-2012

the island school

a tri-annual publication Fall, 2011-2012

Navigator

Building Community Support What’s Ahead?

Nov. 11-14 Week of Nov. 14

HS Drama to O‘ahu Fringe Festival Finals for HS & MS

Friday, November 18

Last Day Trimester 1

November 21 - 23 November 21 - 25

Teacher Work Days & Development Thanksgiving Break

Monday, Nov. 28

Beginning Trimester 2

Thurs/Fri December 8 & 9 Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences Tuesday, December 13 Winter Choral Concert at KCC PAC December 19 - 30 Winter Break December 22

Alumni Reception

January 2, 2012

Classes Resume

Friday, February 3

Island School’s 35th Birthday Celebration

peggy@ischool.org

(808) 246-0233

• Following our faculty and staff after school … pg. 2 • Connecting with the community … pg. 3 • Alumni Reception - Dec. 22 … centerfold • A Peek at our brilliant Board of Directors … pg. 6 • Inexhaustable volunteer Kathy Richardson … pg. 8 www.ischool.org

When They’re Not at Island School With so much talent, experience and expertise, it’s no surprise that our teachers and staff have a tremendous impact on our community. On weekends, afternoons, evenings and during breaks, many of them are busy volunteering for other organizations. Below are just some of the ways our staff and faculty offer their time and expertise away from campus.

Hawai‘i Concert Association Jim Bray, chair of our English and Social Studies Department, has been involved for 7 years and for 5 years as its president. Bob Springer, our Head of School, also serves on their Board.

Na Pali Coast `Ohana Sabra Kauka, our Hawaiian Studies teacher and kumu hula is current president, and past vice-president.

Purple Striped Honu Theatre for Kids Peggy Ellenburg, drama teacher/ director of alumni Relations/Publications, and Sue Macklin, PK teacher, are board members of this organization that produces theatre for children.

Kaua‘i Society of Artists Penny Nichols, our art teacher, served on their board, including as president, for over 25 years and is still an active member.

American Red Cross Jackie Mierta volunteers as a certified water safety instructor and lifeguard.

Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council Mike Goto, our Business Manager, served as Kaua‘i District Commissioner for 13 years, and continues to volunteer.

‘Ae Kamali‘i Preschool, Lihu‘e Rachelle Alayvilla, our kindergarten teaching ass’t has been the secretary on their Board of Directors for three years.

Dog Fanciers of Kaua‘i Kawaikini Hawaiian Immersion Public Cristy Peeren, 1st grade teacher, is president and conducts dog training classes. Charter School, on the KCC campus Reshela DuPuis, our HS social studies teacher, is treasurer on their school board.

Hawaii Association of College Admissions Counselors Joan Shaw, our Assistant Head of School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island Development Director and College Daryl Edwards serves on their Alumni Counselor, is the Kaua‘i representative.

Schools Committee as an interviewer.

American Heart Association Jackie Mierta, our physical education Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation teacher, has led Island School’s Jump and Sabra Kauka has been on their Hoops for Heart fundraiser for 25 years. Board of Directors for “so long I can’t remember!”

Pulama Kupuna, a Leadership Kaua‘i Community Project HOEA - Hawaiian `Ohana for Education Daryl Edwards, our Ass’t Development in the Arts Director, is a founding member and Sabra Kauka has been on their volunteer since 2010. advisory board since 2008.

Friends of Kamalani Playground & Lydgate Park Eric Devlin recently joined and serves as a committee member.

Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship, Po‘ipu Lorena Wong has volunteered in various capacities for five years.

Kaua‘i Chorale Judy Byce, who teaches computer skills and math, is the board treasurer and also sings in the chorale.

Kolam Foundation Jim Bray is on the board of this foundation that sponsors a school in India. He also spent a summer teaching there.

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Island School Navigator

Jim Bray with members of the Claremont Trio, after a performance at Kaua‘i Community College’s Performing Arts Center.

Cristy Peeren at a Dog Fanciers training class.

Daryl Edwards (standing far right) with Pulama Kupuna members and students from Waimea High School, Kapa’a Middle School and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School provide yard service for an elderly Koloa resident.

For thirty-five years, Island School has found myriad ways to connect with the people, businesses and families of Kaua‘i.Wherever our students, faculty, administration and board members go on the Garden Island, they find ways to benefit our island community. Not only will you see the Island School ‘ohana making contributions to a better Kaua‘i, but you will also see the community making good use of our beautiful campus. Island School and Kaua‘i - a great match!

Partnering with the Tech Community enabled high school students islandwide to discover the excitement of robotics.

Community mentors volunteer their engineering expertise with Kauaibots.

When 50 high school students from four high schools meet with 25 highly trained technology experts from over 15 different businesses to work on a robotics project, a wonderful partnership develops. Triggered by our innovative Math and Science Department Chair and instructor, James Massaro, Kauaibots was born in 2007, with just a handful of students and mentors. Over its relatively short existence, greater participation and stronger community sponsorship has

The mentors involved represent local technology companies and businesses including: Oceanit Engineering, IT Kaua‘i, Textron, Kaua‘i Commercial, Signature Systems, SAIC, Unlimited Construction, Wildwood Studios, Parker Group, Eco Technologies Group, as well as Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), the Department of Education, doctors, nurses, lawyers and Island School alumni and parents.

“Some of the mentors started out just wanting to help, but now they’re really into it,” said Lexa Mink-Flacco, who graduated from Island School last June but remains a loyal participant. Another alumnus, Logan Alcott, ‘07, was a pioneer Kauaibot and still finds time to lend his enthusiasm and expertise to the group.

Who Uses Our Beautiful Campus? (besides us)

Kaua‘i Academy of Creative Arts Iglesia Ni Cristo AYSO National Soccer Association Hawai‘i Children’s Theatre Carol Culver Dance Studio Rakudo Taiko Ensemble ZUMBA Kaua‘i Kamehameha Schools Alumni Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Shotokan Karate Kaua‘i Leadership Kaua‘i Malama Pono Head On Driving School Hawai‘i Transportation Association Kaua‘i Dance Academy Kaua‘i Chorale Various Hawaiian Cultural Groups Kaua‘i Rotary Club Boy Scouts of America Maritime Licensing Center Kaua‘i High School Soccer Team and more …

… and with the Botanical Gardens The National Tropical Botanical Gardens is one of the foremost sites for conservation of tropical plant species in the world. Kaua‘i is the home for three of its five centers, which are staffed with scientists and educators who share their expertise with Island School. To help us with our landscaping, the NTBG sends their staff to advise us on the best way to plant, transplant and care for the many Polynesian plants on our campus.

Hundreds of Island School students have contributed thousands of hours volunteering at various NTBG sites. They have gotten their hands dirty, pulling invasive plants and replanting them with native species. The Kaua‘i Youth Initiative leader at Island School, Kerith Edwards, teaches high school English and helps connect students with NTBG’s Youth programs.

Collaboration between Island School and the NTBG touches on goals from both organizations. The NTBG means to conserve tropical plant species and to provide education to further this goal. Island School means to prepare its students to leave productive lives as contributing members of their community. It’s a perfect combination!

Island School Navigator

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Centerfold

Alumni Fun-Facts

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2003 - Luke Evslin was married to Sokchea Eng in July. They’ve settled on Kaua‘i where he’s still an active paddler and canoe builder with his company, Kamanu Composites.

The number of Island School Alumni who are current Island School parents: Hobey Beck, ‘85, (Braden - 11th) Heather (Weir) Barth, ‘85, (Colby - 3rd) Peter King, ‘86, (Hobey - PK, Braydon - 3rd) Tora (Kaufman) Smart, ‘87, (Eli - 7th) Robin (Thomson) Pratt, ‘89, (Bradley - 1st, James - 4th) Alicia (Kawaihalau) Asuncion, ‘89, (Amber - 3rd, Micah - 6th, Logan - 11th) Dana (Mackey) Temme, ‘89, (Lola - 6th, Alex - 7th) Kevin Kawaihalau, ‘90, (Kawena - 10th, Kezia 11th) Tanya (Evslin) Gamby, ‘91, (Zeke - 2nd, Jackson 4th) Ryan Mackey, ‘92, (Kammi - PK, Brooklyn - K) Chia Granda, ‘94, (Ahanu - PK) Milo Spindt, ‘94, (Kai Nalu - K) Keola Luka, ‘95, (Kaiaka - 1st) Keana (Hanchett) Oliveira, ‘95, (Kilinoe - 1st, Makali‘i - 4th) Kylie Wilson, ‘96, (Abi - 3rd) Mike Hubbard, ‘97, (Savannah & Maddie - K, Tanner 1st) Nathaniel Evslin, ‘98, (Max - PK) Colby Ayonon, ‘01, (Chloe - PK) 2010 - Christy Mayfield has been traveling with her sister, Kim, (‘08), and classmate, Lauren Werner. The trio took a road trip from Atlanta, Georgia, up to New York City, stopping on the way for roller coasters, peaches, Dylan concerts, Broadway and adventures too numerous to mention. Christy and Kim have a trip to Chile in the works for November. Sara Loreti was accepted into medical school in Verona, Italy. She begins this month.

2009 - Marty Whitney is studying in Padua, Italy, for a semester. She’s one of 23 students enrolled in Boston University’s Language and Liberal Arts Program, which is a study abroad program based at BU’s Center for European Studies. She started out with a month of intensive Italian language (she’s already studied about four semesters’ worth of Italian at Mount Holyoke) and is now enrolled in three classes at BU’s center and in a class at the University of Padova. All of these classes are taught in Italian!

2005 - Aria Castillo recently moved back to Kaua‘i to take a job as Marketing Coordinator at the Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa. Jenny Ray has been loving her job at Captain Andy’s and is preparing for a trip to Turkey at the end of November.

From there, she will visit Kyle Marsh, who is studying in Jerusalem. George Ferrier lives in the U.K., working as an editor for an independent publishing company in Ipswich, Suffolk, publishing land-based and agricultural books and DVDs. She handles some of the basic editing as well as some of the production (“liaising with designers/typesetters/printers, etc.”) She also is enrolled in a distance learning course on Editorial Project Management.

2008- Kim Mayfield was officially acknowledged for the first time in a scholarly paper. Her name appears in September’s Nature magazine in a letter about the availability of geologic nitrogen for plant uptake, written by several of her former professors from U.C. Davis.

2006 - Andrew Jones is currently enrolled in an EMT certification course through UCLA. “Seems like an adventurous and fun job –rewarding, challenging, and I hope to always be learning new things while on the clock.” He spent some time on Kaua‘i last spring, then summered in the Lake Tahoe area with his family, who hadn’t all been together for a long time. He says he’s saving up for his next international adventure: Kenya, Uganda, Laos, or possibly back to India.

Newlyweds, Jeni (Guerber), ‘04, and Jay Eitel

2004 -Congratulations to Jeni (Guerber) Eitel who was married on the beach at Na Aina Kai Gardens in Kilauea in September. The newlyweds live in Santa Monica.

On the beach for Jeni Guerber’s wedding: River Young, ‘00, Tiana Kamen, ‘04, Cory Hom-Weaver, ‘04, Bianca Mendoza, ‘05, Katie Richardson, ‘04, Jean Shiraki, ‘04, Tiana Caylor, ‘04, Tatiana Zina, ‘06, Jamie Emberson, ‘05, Alicia Cowern, ‘06, Zach Kamen, ‘00.

2001 - Ita Rubio started working at Island School full time as a teacher’s aide in Mrs. Cristy’s first grade classroom! She also works at Sushi Bushido, in Kapa‘a, and for Hawaiian Creative Video doing videography for weddings and parties. On weekends, she finds time to spend with her son, Makoa, who is 18 months old. She is working on a committee with Caira Nakasone and Clare Petterson (both ‘02), to organize the December Alumni Reception.

2000 - Lokahi (Kakalia) Vernon and her husband, Justin, are the proud parents of a baby girl, Kiana, born at the end of August! (See photo at right.)

1997 - Sirena Castillo married Christopher Long last February. (See photo at left.) Chris is a market analyst for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, CA. Sirena is an attorney with Manatt, Phelps and Phillips in Los Angeles, and recently was named Public Counsel Law Center’s 2011 Pro Bono Attorney of the year for the Immigrants’ Rights Project. Public Counsel is the nation’s largest pro bono law firm.

1981 - Chris Smith (at right) recently made the front page of The Garden Island Newspaper for being the pilot who flew the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea home from a meeting at the United Nations General Assembly.

Upcoming Alumni Events Alumni Reception

Thursday, December 22, 2011

6:00- 9:00 p.m.

Place to be announced

Facebook Event Page

http://www.facebook.com/event.

php?eid=310372322322657

Alumni-Faculty Mixer

June 9, 2012 Directly following graduation (6:30pm-ish) Frear Center

Kealia Alumni & Family Reunion

June 30-July 1, 2012

Camp Sloggett

Facebook Event Page

http://www.facebook.com/event.

php?eid=258426055956

They don’t get any better than this

Island School’s Diverse and Supportive Board of Directors Board Member

Position on Board

What else do they do?

Volunteer for NTBG, Wilcox Hospital, Waioli Corporation

Katherine G. Richardson

Board President

David W. Pratt

Vice President; Chair, Development; Retired Executive, Grove Farm Buildings & Grounds, Finance Committee Corporation

Steven Hunt

Treasurer &. Chair, Finance

Charles G. King

Ass’t.Treasurer; Finance Committee, Development Committee, Membership Committee

Jim Guerber

Secretary; Chair, Technology Committee, Buildings & Grounds

Owner, Signature Systems, Inc.

David W. Proudfoot

Ass’t. Secretary; Chair, Personnel Committee, Buildings & Grounds

David J. Bissell

Finance Committee

Partner, Belles, Graham, Proudfoot, Wilson & Chun CEO, Kauai Island Utilities Cooperative

Debra Blachowiak

Development Committee

Mary L. Capwell

Chair, Academic Affairs and Activities

Bill Cowern Laura Cushnie

Building & Grounds Committee Academic Affairs Committee

Tanya Gamby

Academic Affairs Committee

Owner, Sleeping Giant Sotheby’s International Realty Superintendent, Greenwich, CT Public Schools, Retired President, Hawaiian Mahogany Co., Inc. Vice President, Cushnie Construction Company, Inc. Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice

Alan King

Development Committee

Managing Partner, RAH LLC

Jim Mayfield

Development Committee, Finance Committee, Technology Committee

Samuel Pratt

Finance Committee

Howatt Peter King

Development Committee

Wade Lord

Chair, Buildings & Grounds; Admissions/ Marketing Committee

Jay Manzano

Buildings & Grounds

Sonia Topenio

Admissions/Marketing Committee

Owner and President, Island Business Services, Inc. OSJ Manager, AIG Financial Advisors; President, Niu Pia Land Company, Ltd Historical Cartographer, GIS Professional Vice President, Asset Services, CB Richard Ellis President, Kauai Operations, Unlimited Construction Services, Inc. Vice President & Business Banking Manager, Bank of Hawai‘i

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Real Property Review Officer, Dept of Finance, Real Property Assessment Div, County of Kauai President, King Auto Center

School to Community

by Robert Springer Head of School A happy symbiosis exists between independent schools and communities in which they reside. The benefits are many and reciprocal, starting with members of the organization itself, students and staff and their families, but reaching beyond this group to others. A key question is, how is Kaua‘i different because of Island School?

We begin with our particular focus: running a school for selected students. By our mission statement, these students are to be prepared for successful higher education. And this is occurring. Since 2000, 140 students have been graduated from Island School and admitted to colleges and universities across the country and in Hawai‘i nei. Some already have graduated and returned as responsible and productive citizens, e.g., computer programmers, nurses, entrepreneurs and teachers.

Then we turn to students currently enrolled, pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The mission states that they are to be in a safe environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, initiative, and respect for self and others. That this, too, is occurring is shown by the strength of our enrollments, the rigor of the curriculum, assessments of student progress, and the variety of activities in which students participate, including character development. What these students learn affects their families and neighborhoods, has an impact like ripples in a pond.

In addition, our high-school students are required to contribute 20 hours per year to community service, and our middle and elementary students do their fair share of community service, too. Also, members of the faculty and staff serve a variety of community organizations in various capacities. The entire institution is community minded.

When not needed for educational programs, our facilities are used by numerous groups, mostly non-profit organizations needing a place for their activities – musical practices, meetings of all sorts, sports events, Hawaiian cultural programs, and so forth.

This is not by chance but by design. Through example and practice, Island School’s ‘ohana is committed to the institution’s purposes. These include the preparation of our students to live productive, fulfilling lives as confident, responsible life-long learners and contributing members of society. In doing this, we are building a base of community support so necessary to the well-being of our institution as well as to the benefit of the larger society. It’s wonderful to know that we are embedded and useful, an integral part of our beautiful island home.

Development Update vol·un·teer [vol-uhn-teer] n.

A person who performs a service willingly and without pay: the Island School parent volunteer built a planter box for the elementary vegetable garden Volunteerism, or “Sweat Equity” as it is fondly called, is the lifeblood of an institution like Island School. The relationship is mutually beneficial: without volunteers, the costs of running the school would soar and some things would simply not happen; on the other hand, volunteers make new friends, gain new skills, and receive the benefits of goodwill, fellowship and fulfillment.

Who are our Volunteers? parents, guardians and family members board members Parent Association officers & Room Parents faculty & staff students members of the local business community retirees

What do Volunteers Do for Us? organize the annual auction raise money for class activities provide scientific and technical expertise help out in the classroom participate in family work days build sets and costumes for plays teach classes on Art Day give special presentations chaperone dances, field trips, retreats help with mass mailings support our athletic programs mentor students in robotics For more information on volunteering at Island School, or to make a monetary donation, contact Joan Shaw, Director of Development, at (808) 246-0233.

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Kathy Richardson

today she serves as its president.

Over her 25 years of involvement with the school, she has seen and been closely involved with the development of the curriculum and the expansion of the campus. As a board member, her input has helped guide the school’s long range planning, including several capital campaigns.

Kathy is a hands on kind of volunteer.

She regularly shows up at family work days with her shovel and gardening gloves. The Hawaiian Garden at the entrance to the school is one of her special projects, which she funded, tilled and helps to maintain.

One of her interests has been the athletic program. Kathy’s family, the Wilcoxes, was instrumental in funding the construction of the Wilcox Gymnasium, which bears the name of her uncle and aunt, Samuel and Edith.

“I love watching the students learn, grow and discover themselves,” Kathy said.

Kathy’s commitment to community service extends throughout Kaua‘i and beyond. She is a trustee and Chair of the Education Committee for the National Tropical Botanical Gardens. She manages and is buyer for the Wilcox Hospital gift shop. She also serves on the board for Hawai‘i Opera Theater and the Waioli Corporation.

“Seeing the graduating classes grow in numbers and alumni returning to enroll their children is a sign of the school’s success,” she said. She sees the need to build more classrooms as “a wonderful challenge.” The board’s current capital project is to build a new science facility.

“Island School is not static. It grows to meet the challenges in curriculum, athletics and the community. The administration, faculty, staff and students all make me proud.”

Island School 3-1875 Kaumuali´i Hwy Lihu´e, HI 96766

Kathy Richardson recognized the need for an independent college preparatory school on Kaua‘i back in the 1980s. She enrolled her son, Wayne, in Island School as a kindergartner in 1986 and volunteered to head up the Parent Association. The following year Kathy joined the Board of Directors;

“I love seeing where they go, what they do and who they become after Island School.”