Posted on: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Enterprising spirit propels campus to top of its class
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Ha'aheo Fourth-graders Casey Chong and Angela Nako work on their class project, a fish-selling business called Beta for You.
Ha'aheo Elementary
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AT A GLANCE
Where: 121 Ha'aheo Road, Hilo Phone: (808) 974-4111 Principal: Kelcy Koga, for two years School mascot: Kao'e School colors: Purple and white History: In the late 1700s, King Kamehameha was preparing to leave Hilo and travel to the Hamakua coast. He knew that when he returned his warriors would consume most of the local food, so he commanded the people to plant taro. They planted a large field in one day. King Kamehameha was so impressed with the work that he named the area "Ha'aheo," meaning "proud," to honor the work done in the taro field. Ha'aheo, which went from taro, to sugarcane, to diversified agriculture and now residences, continues to support a proud and hard-working community. Ha'aheo Elementary School is on the former taro field, overlooking the ocean, in the rural district of North Hilo. It was founded in 1888 to educate the children of sugar plantation workers. Testing: Here's how Ha'aheo Elementary students fared on the most recent standardized tests. • Stanford Achievement Test: Listed is the combined percentage of pupils scoring average and above average, compared with the national combined average of 77 percent. Third-grade reading, 86 percent; math, 90 percent. Fifth-grade reading, 86 percent; math, 92 percent. • Hawai'i State Assessment: Listed is the combined percentage of pupils meeting or exceeding state standards, and a comparison with the state average. Third-grade reading, 62 percent, compared with state average of 51.8 percent; math, 20 percent, compared with 28.5 percent. Fifth-grade reading, 74 percent, compared with state average of 55.6 percent; math, 41 percent, compared with 25.5 percent. Computers: 60 Enrollment: 169 Low-income enrollment: 47 percent
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HILO, Hawai'i — Ha'aheo Elementary is an innovative school often years ahead of the times.
It was the first Neighbor Island school to implement School /Community-Based Management and the first to switch to the modified school calendar, said Principal Kelcy Koga. Ten years ago it adopted a narrative report card that eased the transition to the new Department of Education standards-based report card, Koga said.
Learning is project-based at the campus, where third- and fourth-graders started a business and kindergartners to second-graders are growing a garden. The business has been more successful than the garden, but Koga said he thinks that's good.
"I've always said the best thing that can happen is that they fail initially so the kids can problem-solve," he said. The children had to get into the science aspect of their garden and learned it had rained too much this year, Koga said.
As schools across the Islands faced cutbacks, Ha'aheo and six other schools in its complex had to find ways to "make do," he said. They applied for and received a $600,000 grant to focus on math.
With the innovations and strides the school made last year — 75 percent to 80 percent of the students read at grade level — it became the only Blue Ribbon candidate from the Neighbor Islands, he said.
The school didn't win the coveted award, but it showed it has what it takes to be in the running, Koga said.
The school's small size, close-knit community and staff are the reasons it can be innovative, he said.
"They don't think like traditional teachers," Koga said. "They really think standards-based. They really think achievement. Right now we're moving into project-based learning."
The third- and fourth-grade project was to start a business selling fighting fish. Last year the business, called Beta for You, received from the Business Education Partnership a $500 grant, which was repaid this year. The students did so well they were able to create a perpetual grant for other schools to start similar projects, Koga said.
What are you most proud of? The school's innovative spirit.
Best-kept secret: The staff. "Everyone is looked at as an educator and everyone has something to contribute," Koga said. Clerks, the secretary and the custodian all contribute to the learning environment, he said.
Everybody at our school knows: Dannette Armstrong, educational assistant. She can do anything, Koga said. "All the different grade levels vie for her attention. She has a huge heart. She tutors, cooks, cleans. She'll do whatever it takes to move our achievement."
Our biggest challenge: The weighted student formula. It will mean the school's budget will be greatly decreased. This year the Legislature provided relief to ease the transition to the formula, which begins this fall, but the small school will certainly face cutbacks when the full formula kicks in.
What we need: Space. The student population has outgrown its buildings. The school has obtained more land but now it needs to build classrooms.
Special events: Kindergarten Camp, July 15. Teachers and staff will visit the homes of incoming kindergartners, give them packets of information and invite them to the camp, which is a half-day orientation for parents and children. The visits give parents a chance to meet staff and give staff an opportunity to see children's homes.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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