Posted on: Thursday, November 10, 2005
Student-teacher interaction key
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
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Iolani School students in Ryan Roberts' ceramics class work on their projects. With more than 1,800 students, Iolani is the fourth-largest independent school in the United States.
JOAQUIN SIOPACK | The Honolulu Advertiser
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AT A GLANCE Where: 563 Kamoku St. Phone: 949-5355 Web address: www.iolani.org Principal: Val T. Iwashita, 11 years as headmaster and a 1967 graduate of Iolani School nickname: Raiders School colors: Red, black and white Enrollment: 1,833 students, is at capacity Testing: 34 members of the Class of 2006 qualified as National Merit-Semifinalists, more than any school in Hawai'i, and 44 percent of all National Merit-Semifinalists in the state, according to the school. Mean scores for the Class of 2006 on the SAT: critical reading 600; math 658; writing 613. History: Founded in 1863 as a school for Hawaiian and Asian boys after King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma wished to establish an Anglican Church in Hawai'i. Queen Emma gave the name Iolani, or heavenly bird. Originally in Nu'uanu but moved to current campus in 1953. Iolani became a co-educational school in 1979. Special features: Student-teacher ratio of 11 to 1; Keables Chair (writing), Tam Young Arts Chair, McDermott Chair for Journalism and Communication. Special programs or classes: Twenty-two Advanced Placement courses, five languages (Chinese, Japanese, Latin, French and Spanish) and Independent Study. Computers: Nearly 500 on campus for student use, including five computer labs. Notable alumni: Mayor Mufi Hannemann, class of '72; Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen, 1883; graphic designer Clarence Lee, '53; computer guru Guy Kawasaki, '72; businesswoman Corine Hayashi, head of HTH Corp., '84; actress and singer Liane Mark, '95. |
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When Debby Atkinson was looking for the best school for her two sons, she toured several private campuses before deciding on Iolani School.
Atkinson liked the student-to-teacher ratio (currently 11 to 1), the energy in the classroom and the school's record of academic excellence to give her boys, now in the ninth and 12th grades, a head start toward successful lives.
"As a parent, that is what you are trying to do," Atkinson said. "Both of my sons have at one time or another said, 'Thanks for sending me here.' That really tells you something."
Iolani School is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory school for grades K-12 founded upon Christian principles.
The 25-acre campus has a college atmosphere, with artwork hanging on exterior walls and sculptures rising from the landscaping. The bathrooms are spotless, the students are well behaved and they look you in the eye.
With more than 1,800 students, Iolani School is the fourth-largest independent school in the country, but the staff never lose sight of the individual student, according to Iolani headmaster Val T. Iwashita.
"The relationship with the (students) is developed and fostered with a lot of interaction," Iwashita said. "There is a lot of opportunity to interact both in class and outside of class."
Iolani has a reputation for stressing academic achievement, Iwashita said, but the school works to balance classroom studies with artistic and extracurricular activities.
"Obviously, our flagship is the academic arena," he said. "That is why kids need to go to school, to learn how to read and write and arithmetic. But kids need a balance between that and their spiritual growth, their physical growth and their artistic growth. I think it is only then that they can benefit and find meaning in life, long term."
Toward those ends, Iolani has built a new sports stadium, plans a new performing arts center and has a chapel on campus.
"We know that educationally, the kids and their environment is always changing politically, economically, socially and we need to change with that," Iwashita said. "We can't continue doing what we do now and expect 20 years from now for the school to be as effective."
What are you most proud of? The students' abilities to take risks, to try their best in all endeavors, to remain humble even when victorious and to see the big picture.
Best-kept secret: That Iolani is not just about core courses. Students excel in the performing and visual arts, including orchestra, band, hula, modern dance, ceramics, painting and sculpture.
Everybody at our school knows: Dennis Li, food service manager, who is always smiling and greeting students. He works from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m., does everything from pushing food carts to classrooms to preparing meals and managing the cafeteria. He walks like he is always in a hurry.
Our biggest challenge: Dealing with our self-imposed pressures to keep raising the bar.
What we need: A performing arts center — currently Iolani holds performances in the gym or Seto Hall, a large meeting room. The school uses outside venues such as Hawai'i Theatre, St. Andrew's Cathedral or Paliku Theatre for major performances.
Projects: Recently completed the covered open-air playground, refinished the track and installed new lower-school play equipment areas.
Special events: Encore Performing Arts Extravaganza, Family Fair, A Touch of Iolani reunion, Iolani Classic Basketball Tournament and the Ann Kang Invitational Volleyball Tournament.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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