education article 2010
TRANSCRIPT
E A S T O A H U I S L A N D E R / F E B R U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 0 / P A G E 4
By LINDA DELA CRUZ
Kaimuki Christian Schoolcelebrates its 40th anniversaryby honoring its very first prin-cipal, Helen McKenzie, at adinner party from 5:30 to 9p.m. this Saturday at DoleCannery. The evening features
a buffet, entertainment, reflec-tions on the past and a pres-entation on the upcomingmaster plan for the block,including the launch of a highschool in 2012.
Tickets cost $50 for adultsand $20 for children age 5 to12. For information, call732-1781 or log on towww.kcs40th.org or kaimu-kichristianschool.org.
McKenzie, a Palolo residentand Waipahu High Schoolgraduate, taught elementarystudents at St. Paul’s LutheranSchool before she becameKaimuki Christian’s firstprincipal in 1968.
“She was very organized —she had a mental file cabinet,”said fourth-grade teacherSteven Kaji.
“She loved every student.She dealt with faculty and stu-dents strictly but with a lotof love.”
“She gave the school itsDNA,”added the school’s cur-rent principal, MarkGallagher.
And he isn’t just saying thatbecause McKenzie is hismother-in-law (he is marriedto her daughter Lora, who isa KSC graduate. TheGallaghers’ daughter,McKenzie, named after hergrandmother, also attendsKSC as a sixth-grader. Herother son and daughter andher two other grandchildrenare all KSC graduates.)
“Nurturing is valued,” he
continued.“Christian valuesare lifted up as worthy goalswhere academics are alsoconsidered important. She setthe spirit for the mission ofthe school to see each childreach his or her God-intend-ed potential.”
During her nearly 30-yearcareer with the school,McKenzie witnessed the pre-K through sixth-grade facil-ity grow to include a middleschool, and now she’s look-ing forward to the openingof a new chapter.
“I never expected (theschool) would be going to thehigh school level becausethere are so many other highschools around,”she said.“Forwhat Kaimuki ChristianSchool and Church havebeen doing, this is somethingthat is very satisfying toknow that a small school canprogress into high school.That’s remarkable.”
Kaimuki Christian Schoolpresently has 300 students inpreschool through grade 8.When the high school opens,pre-K and elementary class-rooms will be moved into anewly constructed building,and the older students willhave classes in the two-storybuilding where the lowergrades are now until financesbecome available to build aparking facility, gym andpermanent high school build-ing.
“Our current sixth-gradeclass will be the first gradu-ating class,” said vice princi-pal Ulu Seria, who has beenwith the school for sevenyears.
High school classes willhave 20 students per grade,she noted, the same size asthose in the middle school.
“For those who like theextension of the family, thesmaller environment, we willbe focused on service tocommunity to have our stu-dents trained to be leaders intheir community when theygraduate,” she added.
Gallagher, who served asadministrator for the schoolfor two years before hereplaced McKenzie as prin-cipal in 1999, added:“Familiesare telling their family, friendsand co-workers that they’veseen something positive intheir child’s life.”
Kaimuki Christian ToHonor First Principal By SARAH PACHECO
Sacred Hearts Academyinvites girls in junior-kinder-garten through fourth gradeto a free Math Power work-shop from 8 to 10 a.m.Saturday.
The workshop is intend-ed to get girls interested inmath studies at an early ageand to prepare parents onhow best to help their daugh-ters succeed in the subject.
“Encouraging girls at anearly age to succeed in mathis a building block for futureschool and career success,”said school head Betty White.
Girls can participate in twograde-appropriate sessions:planning a trip to Mexicousing budgeting skills orcreating edible play doughthrough mixing and meas-
uring (grades 3-4); imple-menting counting, graphing,estimating and other mathskills in either a bowlinggame or restaurant busi-ness (grades 1-2); creatingfine arts and textiles (kinder-garten); and learning num-ber sense and geometricshapes through music, move-ment, literature and ediblecrafts (pre-K).
Parents who attend theworkshop will participatein a panel led by JosephZilliox, a professor of math-ematics education at UH, andlearn how math has changedin today’s classroom.
To register, call 734-5058,ext. 262, or e-mail [email protected].
Parents also can visitwww.sacredhearts.org to signup or for more information.
Giving Girls ‘Math Power’
Malama Maunalua teamsup with Whole FoodsMarket at 6:30 p.m. the firstand third Mondays of eachmonth at the MalamaMaunalua CommunityHouse, 4211 Waialae Ave.,for “talk story Mondays.”
The free presentationsare designed to connectand enlighten the commu-nity with up-to-date infor-mation about water quali-ty, the near-shore reefs of
Maunalua, volunteer andcommunity-based pro-grams, and more.
“We want to encouragethe community and ourcustomers to drop in, attendregularly to connect and getnew information on therestoration efforts going onin their community,” saidNatalie Aczon, Whole Foods’marketing supervisor.
For more information,call 738-0820.
Talk Story With MalamaMaunalua On Mondays
Sacred Hearts first-grader Shelby Wallen determinesthe weight of a pear. Photo courtesy of SHA.
Helen McKenzie