Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 9, 1 Kepakemapa 2008 — Hawaiian schools make benchmark turnaround [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian schools make benchmark turnaround

By ī. Illhla Glūnsan Publlcatlūns Edltur

Down Kalaniana'ole Avenue, past all the warehouses, fuel depots and the former sewage plant is the

Hawaiian homestead coimnunity of Keaukaha, nestled between the Hilo airport and the oeean. And it is there that one of the most successful turnaround stories in Hawai'i puhlie schools is set. 78-year-old Keaukaha Elementary School, with about 90 percent of its 305 students claiming Hawaiian ancestry, is one of only seven schools statewide that has eome out of restructuring under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. "In order for us to succeed, we needed to honor our kūpuna and our plaee," said principal Lehua

Veincent, who took the reins of the school two-and-a-half years ago. "As a Hawaiian educator, I try to bring a sense of pride to the kids." Veincent's background is in Hawaiian immersion education,

having taught at the schools since the beginning of the program. Most recently, he helped found Ke Ana La'ahana, a Hawaiian eulture focused charter school also in Keaukaha. But Veincent, who

was born in Keaukaha, jumped at the ehanee to help Keaukaha Elementary. "Most of our students are from or have genealogical ties to Keaukaha. It's important that we honor not only culture, but our unique plaee," Veincent said. "There's one road in and one road out. This is our pu'uhonua." Keaukaha isn't alone when it

comes to keiki 'ōiwi succeeding in school. Last school year, 30 percent - or 12 of the 40 schools with more than 50 percent of the student body claiming Hawaiian ancestry achieved Adequate Yearly Progress.

That feat was achieved by 40 percent of all puhlie schools statewide. In Keaukaha's case, Veincent attributed the school's success to the parents and the coimnunity. Keaukaha's students take many field trips, and there are several

annual events that draw the whole coimnunity into the school. "We have fun. In education, we have to have fun," Veincent said. "I don't think our Hawaiian kids were meant to be in a four-wall classroom." □

In order for us to succeed, we needed to honor our kūpuna and our plaee. — Lehua Veincent, principal, Keaukaha Elementary

HO'ONA' AUAO ■ EDUCATIDN

— — r r Students at Keaukaha Elementary care for Uluhaimalama, their garden, as part of fhe 'lke Hawai'i curriculum. From leff, sfudents Kamalani Benito, Gabrielle Victor, Kaluhikaua Ka'apana, and Kaleo Miyasaki. - Photo: ī llihia Gionson