NavSpring'11Web

the island school

Navigator

a tri-annual publication Spring, 2011

So Much to Do So Little Time!

What’s Ahead?

May 16 - 19 May 26

Iowa Testing Grades 1-5 Sports Banquet

May 30

Memorial Day

June 2

June 13

Academic Awards Assembly Headmaster’s Brunch Final Exams Grades 6-12 Summer Beach Blast-Off - last day trimester 3 Graduation - 5 p.m.

Alumni/Faculty Mixer Kamehameha Day

June 17

Last day for teachers

August 15

First day of 2011-12

June 4 June 6-9 June 10 June 11

peggy@ischool.org

(808) 246-0233

• Exploring Kaua‘i and Beyond … pg. 2 • The Class of 2011 - what makes it so special? … pg. 3 • How do our students compare? … pg. 6 • The Gina Guerber Memorial Fund - enhancing opportunities … pg. 7 • Adrya Siebring - education that works … pg. 8 www.ischool.org

We may be a small school on a tiny island in the middle of a huge ocean, but there

One of the unique things about Island School is that students are given opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities. The tennis star, for example, might also be the lead in the high school play as well as on the robotics team. A student who sings in the chorus can also dance with our hula halau and travel to China with the China Club.

certainly is no lack of educational resources.

From the natural wonders to the religious and ethnic diversity, there is a multitude of places to go, people to meet and lessons to learn.

High School Chinese students travel to China in the summer of 2009.

Nā Pua O Kamaile, Island School’s halau, dance at Nu‘alolo Kai on the Na Pali coast

Visiting new places and meeting people are enriching experiences, essential to becoming well-educated, contributing members of society.

Exploring Kaua‘i …

Over their years at Island School, students explore the farthest reaches of our Garden Island. Kumu Kauka leads excursions all over Kaua‘i, each year featuring a different area in sync with the year’s May Day theme.

They visit important historical and cultural sites from the reefs at Camp Nau‘e in Haena to the salt pans in Hanapepe. Members of our hula halau have had the unique experience of dancing on the Na Pali at Nualolo Kai and at Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow in Koke‘e. They hike up Sleeping Giant, explored the sink hole at Maha‘lepu, sailed the coastline on whale watches, took pictures at Ahukini, spent nights at Koke‘e removing invasive plants and tromping the trails.

Our Mock Trial team dressed the part for the State competition on O‘ahu in March.

They came away with a 2nd place finish and awards for Best Lawyers and Best Witnesses.

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Island School Navigator

… and Beyond Opportunities for extra curricular activities have grown with the increase in student population. In addition to our KIF athletics, current high school students have an array of clubs and teams to join including: Robotics, Mock Trial, Model United Nations, Spanish, Chinese, Science Olympiad, SCUBA and National Honor Society.

Some of these groups hold competitions with other schools, which can lead to offisland excursions. The Robotics team went to Atlanta, Georgia, last year for the National FIRST Robotics Tournament. Our Mock Trial team was the island champ and traveled to O‘ahu for the state competition (they came in second). Other groups set out on even more ambitious treks to foreign countries, such as the China Club, whose second trip to China is scheduled for this summer.

The Class of 2011 - what makes them

so special?

The largest class Island School has ever graduated!

Class of

Number in Class

1981

3

1982

3

1983

2

2000

18

2001

6

2002

10

2003

13

2004

24

2005

20

2006

17

2007

21

2008

21

2009

24

2010

23

2011

32

6

Members from the Class of 2011 who attended Island School in kindergarten

56

# of colleges and universities to which this class has been accepted

108

#of acceptance letters received by the Class of 2011

23

% of part Hawaiian students in this class

Five-A-Day HMSA Song Contest Winners 2002

12

Members from the Class of 2011 who attended Island School as 3rd graders

as remembered by Chelsea & Megan Chock After thirteen years at Island School and many highlights to choose from, we both definitely agree that the HMSA Five-a-Day Song Contest was one of the best. We both remember writing the song; each of us in the class got to write a little bit of it! We worked with Auntie Mary Alfiler to perfect the melody and lyrics and eventually got it so we really liked it. We sent the tape into the judges and it was selected as a finalist!

Then came the fun part: choreography. Our class practiced after school and on weekends, often performing parts of it in Morning Circle. Finally, after weeks of rehearsing, the time came to perform it at Ala Moana Center Stage. We were nervous but excited, ready to show the world what we had been working on. At least ten other third grade classes were competing; all of their aunties and uncles were there cheering for them. Our group was small but loud.

Sure enough, all our hard work paid off, and we won first place! The $2,500 we won went directly toward paying for our 3rd grade trip to O’ahu, which is another highlight of our Island School lives. The Five-A-Day contest was definitely fun, and we both can say that we were once famous!

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Interscholastic Sports 2007 - 2011

This year’s graduating class was, thanks in large part # of seniors who to the S. W. Wilcox Trust and Wilcox Family, fortunate participated in at least one year to enter high school as our KIF sports program began of KIF sports some serious expansion.This class was the first to enjoy four years of high school sports in our new gymnasium. Adding new athletics teams to the Voyager roster has afforded our students opportunities to travel, meet other students and show their abilities in an islandwide and often statewide arena. Off-island trips to compete in the State track, cross country, air riflery, swimming and tennis competitions, were unforgettable experiences.

Lexa Mink-Flacco

“

Being a NMS Finalist is wonderful. It is opening up new opportunties for me that weren’t even on the radar before. That and the recognition of all the work I’ve put in have given me a fresh outlook on the future. I have a real attachment to all this - my mother was a NMScholar, and it means a lot to have followed her so far. I hadn’t even anticipated this sort of recognition until the letter came in the mail; this has been a true high point of my high school career.

National Merit Scholar Finalist 2011

”

Pierce Murphy

Fastest Runner in “

To be the top runner in the state is a huge honor. I have put many hours and so much effort into being the best I can be, and I am very proud of what I have accomplished.The feeling I had when I first won States and broke the 1500m state record was an unexplainable, amazing feeling that made me realize that all the hard work I have done has paid off. It was a feeling I had never felt and had not even imagined. I am honored to represent Island School in everything that I have done, and am excited to see what will come next.

the State 2010-2011

”

Island School Navigator

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Centerfold

On Facebook?

http://ischool.org.html

Join the Island School Alumni Group Just SEARCH and JOIN! Keep up with the latest announcements and keep everyone updated.

See photos of our alumni at this year’s auction,

2007 - Dianna Cowern is graduating from MIT this month with a BS in physics. She has decided to stay in the Boston area next year and is applying for jobs there. Noah Randolph-Flagg graduates magna cum laude from Carleton College in June, with a major in geology and a minor in Chinese. He was recently accepted as a Ph.D. student in earth and planetary science at University of California, Berkeley. He’ll be working under Professor Michael Manga, “…who is really cool and, according to People Magazine, one of America’s ‘sexiest men.’

I’m not kidding. Look it up,” said Noah. But more significantly, Professor Manga could be a project leader for the next Mars landing mission, so Noah could be involved with that! Noah will begin his U.C. Berkeley studies in the fall of 2012 because he’ll be in China for the next 18 months as a Fullbright Fellow, studying climate change.

2008- Rory Marsh and Chris (Hamster) White-Root, ‘06, moved from Kaua‘i to Seattle last September. They’re sharing a place next to the University of Washington campus with some fellow band members.

2006 - Kelsey Ritchie and Andrew Jones will graduate from University of Redlands at the end of May! Kelsey has a B.A. in studio art, with an emphasis in graphic design. Andrew has a B.S. in environmental management.

2005 -Moana (Mendoza) Britt was married on Kaua‘i last year to Jake Britt.

They have settled in Kilauea. She is working on her business degree from U.H. via online classes, while being blog editor for Hawai‘i Life Real Estate Services. She Moana (Mendoza) Britt and Jake enjoy deep with her sister and maid of honor, sea fishing on their Bianca Mendoza customized 21’ Boston Whaler. Sarah Sylvester has been traveling and working in Australia since January. She was last in Melbourne where she had visitors from all over the world. “The last one was from Austria and she said to tell me ‘hello’ from Megan Wood, a former Island School student, because she had just stayed with her in Auckland, New Zealand.

Sarah Sylvester has become an avid ukulele player on her travels in Australia. Small world.”

Sarah spent some time in Tasmania, WWOOFing, helping a family regenerate the native forest on their 200 acres of property. She just completed her degree from Concordia University in Montreal. “I have no future plans except to travel the world.” Jenny Ray returned recently from a five-week adventure on board the Robert C. Seamans as a deckhand

Passport to Carnival.

A good time was had by all! with SEA, a study abroad program that took her from Honolulu to Midway Atoll and back. Her future plans include either working with autistic children in Seal Beach, California, or joining the Peace Corps.

2004 -Jean Shiraki had the honor of being chosen Cherry Blossom Princess for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., where she is working as a Daniel K. Inouye Fellow. Her parents flew to D.C. for the festivities. Ashley Jones is back with her family in Carson City, Nevada, after more than two years in Kosrae, Micronesia, as a Peace Corps volunteer. She stopped by to visit friends on Kaua‘i on her way to Nevada.

She’s considering graduate school, but hasn’t decided exactly what Jean Shiraki, she wants to do next. Malea Cherry Blossom Richardson (aka Malea Rose) Princess lives in Beverly Hills where she works as an actress. She’s in the first episode of the final season of Entourage, an Emmy award-winning HBO show. She recently shot a pilot produced

by Jack Black and directed by Jason Lee. She was also in a music video with Big Time Rush and a Conan O’Brien commercial. “I am living my dream and it’s crazy. It’s a lot of hard work and rejection.

But when you get something, it’s very rewarding.”

Alana Kaholokula got a new job! As of this fall, she’ll be an English teaching fellow at the Oregon Episcopal School and will teach 10th grade English.

She’s moving to Portland, Oregon, from Walla Walla, Washington, in July, and is really excited about this new chapter in her life.

2003 - Chloe Roth released her debut fulllength album, “The Puppeteer,” produced by Chris Chu of the Morning Benders. She’s living in the Bay Area, playing shows and working on her next album.

She also added music journalism to her career mix and writes for SFGate (SF Chronicle online).You can listen to Chloe’s album at chloemakesmusic.com!

2001 - Kolea Hara started a new job as the Cost Engineer for Precore Fitness, a company just outside of Seattle, Washington, that makes home fitness equipment.

He’s working on their newest piece of cardio Kolea Hara equipment and “loving it!” Ita Rubio has been substitute teaching frequently at Island School since her son, Makoa, has gotten a little older. She has been helping out mainly with Kumu Kauka’s Hawaiian studies classes and recently choreographed an amazing Tahitian number performed by the girls in our high school halau at our May Day celebration.

Ita Rubio and Makoa

1989 - Cherisse Otsuka graduated from University of Southern California in 2001, with a degree in economics. She recently announced the opening of her own business, Chrysalis Foods. “I found out I was gluten intolerant in 2009, and was dying for a mochiko chicken plate lunch. So I started doing research and testing and here I am!” She sells her yummy gluten-free and other allergy-friendly foods at Vim & Vigor in Ala Moana Center. She posts her menus daily on the Chrysalis Foods Facebook page as well as on her website, http://chrysalisfoods.com.

Jeff Hubbard, ‘93, Mike Hubbard, ‘97, and David Hubbard, ‘00, showed up at Island School in March for Mike’s son’s birthday party. Mike’s wife, Liz, works at Island School as Activities Coordinator. All three brothers went to Australia for a body boarding competition. Jeff & Dave are now competing in Peru.

Alumni-Faculty Mixer June 11

Stop by the Frear Center after graduation on Saturday, June 11, and say “Hi” to your friends and former teachers.

There will be light refreshment and heavy reconnecting!

Hope to see you there.

From the Class of 2009, Abi Janus, Carly Snyder, Chelsea Maddon & Jessica Duarte at last year’s Mixer

Waving the Voyager Flag High

Q: How do Island School students compare islandwide and statewide?

A: Pretty Darn Good!

Check out the impressive list of achievements for 2010-2011. Our students measure up academically, artistically and physically.

ACADEMICS Science - 1st Place Science Olympiad Kaua‘i Regional Tournament Mock Trial - Kaua‘i Champs, 2nd Place State Finals Robotics - VEX Pan-Pacific Division Championship 2 Kaimana Senior Merit Awards Over 40 Merit Awards from colleges & universities across the country A National Merit Scholarship Finalist SPORTS Air Riflery - Boys KIF High Point Shooter Cross Country - Boys KIF League Champion Swimming - Boys KIF League Champions Tennis - #1 Boys KIF Single & Girls Doubles State Qualifiers

Track & Field - 4 State KIF Qualifiers, Overall Female Athlete - County of Kaua‘i Mayor’s Track Meet League All-Stars - cross country, boys air riflery, girls volleyball, boys baskteball, soccer, swimming, track & field, boys volleyball, tennis VISUAL ARTS 3rd Place State Congressional Art Competition East Kaua‘i Lions Club Sight is Beautiful Poster contest district winner 8 awards in the Kaua‘i Museum’s Elementary Art Festival 5 awards in the Kaua‘i Museum’s High School Art Festival

Taking What We’ve Learned to the Next Level Island School students are among the most fortunate in the world. They live in an island paradise and are the beneficiaries of a high quality education.

But a good education instills in students a feeling of responsibility to contribute to society in significant ways. Students who believe they can make a difference, are likely to do just that.

Our own island is a great place to start helping. Campus recycling and green technology projects generate a feeling of responsibility we all must have toward our environment. Both inside and outside the academic curriculum, good citizenship is emphasized.

Natural and man-made disasters around the world have illicited compassionate responses from our students, who have organized numerous fund-raising and food drives.

It’s no wonder so many Island School alumni are pursuing careers of service both to their communities and to the environment.

Wyatt Taubman, ‘04, introduces his water refilling station to an assembly of Island School students.

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Island School Navigator

Wyatt Taubman, ‘04, is a good example of someone whose life is dedicated to environmental concerns. “Helping to save the environment is my main

The Flo Water refilling station has met with enthusiasm.

priority right now,” he said. His company, Flo Water, is determined to make plastic water bottles obsolete.

The water refilling station he has installed on the Island School campus is changing the way we think about something as common as drinking water. And his idea is spreading; Punahou, Iolani, Mid-Pac and University of Hawai‘i have all expressed interest in the Flo Water program.

The Fullness of Education

by Robert Springer Head of School By nature, humans are learners. We grow and develop through the many experiences we have as we grow older, whether in school or out. Another way to put this is that schools do not have a monopoly on when, where, and how learning occurs.

Classrooms and organized lessons do work; they are effective and efficient means through which students acquire knowledge, skills, and values useful to them as they grow older. Nevertheless, classroom instruction is not the only way by which humans become educated. Learning neither begins nor ends at the classroom door. Our view is that classroom learning needs to be related to life on the outside and vice versa. In recognition of this, students in Island School’s Elementary Division take an aggregated total of 38 different field trips during the year, an average of six per class. These include the fifth-grade week-long tour of the Big Island and the third-grade three-day trip to O‘ahu; students go on whale watches and take hikes; they camp at Koke`e’s Discovery Center and at Camp Naue, to name a few. Through such activities, students learn by observation and shared experiences, and they enlarge and enrich their social and emotional skills as well as gain intellectual stimulation and physical activity.

Outside-of-classroom experiences occur at all levels of Island School’s educational program and take place even on our Puhi campus, as described in this issue of The Navigator. For example, students garden and build robots. They plan and run activities through student government, and they lead morning meetings. High school students volunteer their services to worthwhile causes. Seniors prepare and present projects through which they instruct and seek to persuade an audience about issues of particular concern to them.

Our Middle and High School students are organized into smaller, heterogeneous groups known as Na Hui. Curricula are developed that specifically address character and leadership education and often take advantage of our rich island environments as a learning resource.

Our students are being prepared for the world of their maturity, where significant growth and insights occur through professional training sessions and seminars as well as during informal activities involving both work and play. And they internalize this maxim: to live is to learn.

Development Update Auction Nets $188,000!

Proving once again that team work, hard work and dedication to what we do here at Island School leads to great results!

This money directly supports our financial aid program.

Annual Giving at $49,000 Help us reach our goal of $85,000.Visit http://diamondmindinc.com/island.html

Mahalo, everyone!

Gina Guerber Memorial Fund

Jim and Gina Guerber began their involvement with Island School as parents back in 1997. “We wanted to live here and knew public school was not for our children,” Jim remembers.

Since then, Jim has been active chairing the Technology Committee of the Board of Directors and being mentor for the Robotics team. Gina produced the auction program for years, until poor health interfered.When she passed away in 2009, Jim established the Gina Guerber Memorial Fund.

“It’s a nice feeling to know that you can continue to do good deeds even after your life is over,” said Jim. We both valued travel and gaining exposure to other countries and cultures. So I created an endowment fund in her honor to help Island School students reach those goals.”

An endowment fund such as the Gina Guerber Memorial Fund is administered through an agreement between the donor and the school. An initial gift is given and contributions by others are encouraged. A portion of the earnings are reinvested and a portion used by Island School in accordance with the established purpose of the fund.

“It has given me a lot of satisfaction being a part of Island School and watching it grow,” said Jim. “This is a great time for the next wave of “pioneers” to take the school to the next level.

Establishing an endowment fund is one way to do this.”

If you’d like information about contributing to or establishing any type of endowment fund, please contact Joan Shaw, the Director of Development, at 246-0233, ext. 232.

Island School Navigator

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Back in 1984, when Adie made her Island School debut, it was as a teacher in our first and second grade class. She moved to fifth grade a year later where she taught for 10 years.

Today she is our Dean of Students.

Adie understood early on that “when children find value in their studies, they become excited and more invested in their education.”

As Dean of Students, Adie creates opportunities for students to be renewed and grow as they prepare themselves for life after high school.

Through leadership retreats organizes each year for Na Hui and Student Government, students are stretched both socially and academically.

Activities are designed to engage them in real life problem-solving. “Life is challenging,” she said, “but it’s also exciting and filled with possibilities.”

Students can’t help but absorb her positive outlook. She spends time meeting with students and getting to know them in ways that allow trust to develop. Character education is

carefully woven into everything she teaches. “My goal is for students to accept their own uniqueness and to develop self-discipline and integrity. The transition into adulthood is rarely easy, it takes hard work to be successful.”

This year on the high school geology field trip, Adie noticed once again how energized students can become when they are truly interested. “Venturing outside the school environment allows students to develop strong relationships and make extrordinary connections.”

Adie’s belief in a positive future is validated by the many contributions of our graduates. Following the varied and impressive careers of our alumni, she marvels at what young people are capable of accomplishing. “Island School is a model of what education can accomplish when all the building blocks are in place.” From the Board of Directors, to the faculty, staff, and parents, Adie takes pride in being a part of the Island School team.

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

Adrya Siebring

It wasn’t long before she integrated her geology unit with a trip to the Big Island, a tradition she began in the mid-1980s that continues to excite our students today. “The opportunity to witness the earth’s process of growth and renewal is something our students shouldn’t miss,” she said.