Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 4, 1 April 2011 — Kula Kaiapuni o Waimea program seeks teachers and portables, in hopes of reopening [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
Kula Kaiapuni o Waimea program seeks teachers and portables, in hopes of reopening
Pūnana Leo o Waimea plans to expand to accommodate the renewed program
By Mary Aliee Milham When the state's Kula Kaiapuni Hawaiian language immersion program at Waimea Elementary School closed in 20 10 due to low enrollment, eight Hawai'i Island keiki were pushed into a linguistic limho. Some of the students relocated to nearby schools, but none of those schools offer Hawaiian immersion programs. After years of immersion learning in the Hawaiian language, the students abruptly found themselves adrift, with no eomparable program within 60 rugged miles. Luckily, help and a soft landing were not far off.
Hawaiian language education stalwart 'Aha Pūnana Leo, whieh operates one of its Hawaiian language immersion preschools a eouple miles away from Waimea Elementary, has eome to the rescue with a plan to weleome the displaced Kula Kaiapuni keiki at its Pūnana Leo o Waimea campus. Kuulei Miner, whose son Ke Ua Hui was to attend the Waimea Kula Kaiapuni this school year, is elated by this news. "We're just so excited," said Miner. Ke Ua, who graduated from the Pūnana Leo o Waimea in June, was a sensation at his family reunion in 2008, when, at just 3 years old he gave a prayer in Hawaiian. "They were just so proud," Miner said. "Everybody thought that was awesome." After the Kula Kaiapuni closure, Miner said, Ke Ua regressed, despite his family's continued use
of Hawaiian in the home. She said the closure left the affected families "scared" and "scrambling" to eome up with contingency plans to keep their keiki's Hawaiian language education going. Coming to the rescue of Hawaiian language education is nothing new for 'Aha Pūnana Leo. The nonprofit organization, a pioneer of the Hawaiian language revival, opened its first Pūnana Leo, or Nest of Voices, Hawaiian language immersion preschool in 1984 and today operates 11 immersion preschools throughout the Islands. 'Aha Pūnana Leo provided similar support with use of its facilities in establishing kindergarten immersion programs in the past on Moloka'i, Kaua'i and in Hilo. XI KULA KAIAPUNI ON PAGE 12
EDUCATION
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Pūnana Leo o Waimea students learn the hula "Ke Ao Nei" from Kaleihīnano Kalani'ōpio, Kumu Kako'o (teacher aide), right, and Kumu Alaka'i (lead teacher) 'l'ini McDonald. The school hopes to house a reestablished Kula Kaiapuni o Waimea, whieh closed last year due to low enrollment. - Photo: Courtesy oīPūnana Leo o Waimea
Continued from page 6 "No Hawaiian language program should be closed," said Maluhia 0'Donnell, Site Coordinator for Pūnana Leo o Waimea. Stakeholders are still in the planning phase, however they are hopeful that with approval by the appropriate state Department of Education office, Pūnana Leo o Waimea will be able to hold a pilot kindergarten/first grade class in the 2011-2012 school year. Secondand third-grade classes will be added one grade per year beginning in 2012. The existing school building, a former World War II military barracks, is large enough to accommodate the kindergarten/first grade class. Adding the second- and third-grade classes poses more of a challenge. Although the school has room to grow on its existing site on Hawaiian Homestead land in Pu'ukapu, it will need one or two portable classrooms to accommodate the additional grades. This is an area where it could use some help. The school is actively seeking donors for the portable buildings. To allow time for the necessary preparation - design, permitting, foundation, plumbing and electrical work - the school is eager to find portable classrooms as soon as possible. Another pressing need is hiring fluent
Hawaiian language teachers. Waimea's remote loeahon and steep cost of living ean make recruiting difficult, said 0'Donnell. Ideal candidates are those who have met all state licensure requirements. However, in special circumstances, teachers may begin temporary employment so long as they have a bachelor's degree. They will then have three years to acquire their teaching credentials. 'Aha Pūnana Leo is seeking ways to provide support to teachers to get certification after being hired. At one time the organization operated a federal grant for this purpose. Most important, said 0'Donnell, is that prospective teachers be "committed to seeing the perpetuation of the Hawaiian language andto seeing that students leam through the Hawaiian worldview." She also noted that Hawaiian immersion programs that have grown from Pūnana Leo have a stiong reputation for academic achievement. To apply for the teaching position for the Kula Kaiapuni program, fax resume to (808) 885-2704 or email 0'Donnell at maluhia_o @ leoki.uhh.hawaii.edu. For information on making a donation, eall 0'Donnell at (808) 885-7166. ■ Mary Aliee Kaiulani Miīham, a Portīand, Oregon-based freeīance journalist, is aformer newspaper reporter and coīumnist from California's Centraī Coast.
KULA KAIAPUNI