Hawaii's public school students have now gone two straight Fridays without classes, but they're still learning a thing or two — about hard work, about ohana, even culture.

In Kahuku yesterday, the under-8 boys soccer team was practicing at the district park, high school seniors were sweating through a landscape project at Kahuku Medical Center, and the Vimahi family — five kids and mom Lori — was busy at a recycling project at home.

The Kahuku High & Intermediate School seniors spent the morning ripping out old shrubs and decaying trees to plant crotons and ti leaves at the medical center, said Lani Sumait, a parent on the school's Project Graduation committee.

Other students were painting and still more were inside working with the hospital's administration staff, Sumait said.

The service project was supposed to be performed today, but when the "furlough Fridays" were announced, the parents thought it would be a good way to engage the students on their day off.

"The opportunity gave them a chance to come out and do something for the community and use their time wisely,"she said.

Yesterday was the second Friday that schools have been closed for 170,000 students statewide due to teacher furloughs aimed at helping the state save money and close a massive budget gap. That spelled headache for those trying to figure out child care arrangements, but it meant opportunity for some.

Richard Landford of Mäili said furlough Fridays have become a way for him to connect with his three grandsons — a pair of twins, age 12, and their younger cousin, age 11 — who ordinarily would be attending Ka Wainona O Naauao Public Charter School in Nänäkuli.

"This has been an opportunity for me to bond with my grandkids since I retired," said Landford, 62, speaking earlier this week. "The three of them and myself, we sort of find things to keep us busy for the day. I'm into paddle boarding. And they like to go fishing."

Since the furlough days began, he has attempted to acquaint his grandsons with their cultural heritage by taking them to significant locations along the Waianae Coast, such as Pokaí Bay, a serene and historic setting where the four can paddle out to a break wall with lines and poles.

"I've tried to infuse their blood line back into them," Landford said with a chuckle. "Because they know every rap song ever written and every rapper who was ever born — but they don't know anything about the god Maui being born and raised right here in Nänäkuli."

Pokaí Bay is an important nautical location where he can speak to his grandsons about the stars and how to use them to maneuver in the ocean at night, he said.

"And, you know, nowadays, the parents get their kids involved in so much. I kind of understand what the parents are thinking. Keep them busy, and that way they stay out of trouble.

"But sometimes it's good just stepping back and going down to the beach and relaxing and letting the ocean water cleanse you — not only on the outside, but on the inside, too."

VARIOUS ACTIVITIES

Elsewhere yesterday, dozens of windward kids from public schools were treated to a tour of Hoomaluhia Gardens, where they learned about the uses of plants in food, crafts and clothing, courtesy of Kamehameha Schools.

In Kähala, dozens of parents were with their children at Kähala Elementary School protesting furlough Fridays in the morning and later joining others at the state Capitol for a legislative hearing.

Robyn Johansson, a parent of two children at Kähala Elementary, said children need to go to school five days a week.

"How can they compete with the rest of the nation? There is no other state that sends their children to school four days a week," Johansson said. "Education should have been the last thing the governor cut."

In an effort to help provide something educational to do for kids out of school yesterday, First Hawaiian Bank paid for admission for employees and their children to the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center in Honolulu. Among those taking advantage of the offer was a group of 10 family members and friends of the bank's Chinatown branch manager, Elroy Abe.

"It's been a tremendous response from employees,"said bank spokeswoman Susan Kam.

First Hawaiian also is paying half the cost of certain day care programs on furlough Fridays for employees.

HELPING OTHERS

Back in Kahuku, Tuavale Toalei, an out-of-work roofer, was at soccer practice yesterday morning with his son. He said many families there and in Läie are pitching in, with grandparents and neighbors helping out with child care duties. Toalei said his mother-in-law and wife have taken care of furloughed kids for othersbut he has the main responsibility for his four children, making it difficult to be out looking for work.

Soccer practice time had changed because of the furlough, with the Cowboy team, under-8 boys, drilling at 9 a.m. instead of at 5 p.m., said Arla Moore, the soccer coach and a state Department of Education teacher. One of the players had been spending the day with his mother at work, so the practice provided a break for her, Moore said.

"Pretty much our kids are with their parents at work," she said. "My nephew is on the team, so I have him because his mom is working."

Patsy Colburn, also of Kahuku, said furlough Fridays have been a matter of coming together to do what needs to be done. She is among those who have opened their homes to neighborhood school kids as a way of helping out.

Even though the first furlough Friday on Oct. 23 caught people off guard, neighbors pitched in without hesitation, she said.

"Everyone was surprised about this,"Colburn said earlier this week. "None of us thought it would happen. It was like, what happened to 'no child left behind'?"

"So, friends helped out friends. And everyone helped out each other. And that's how it is. We're just like one big ohana on this side. The community is close."

Colburn wasn't able to take in any kids yesterday due to a death in her family. But she said she plans to help out on other furlough days.

Colburn, who has taken in elementary and preschool-age children, has tried to make the days a fun, learning experience.

"We do all kinds of activities," she said. "They love to do finger painting. And I live up on a farm, so they love to go for a tour walk and see the cows and horses and pigs. It's like a field trip to them."

Which is just as well, because, according to her and other community residents, the number of families in the community with two working parents is considerable.

"And you've got to figure the number of kids there are down on this side," Colburn said. "And there's a lot of working parents. And then, we have people in the neighborhood who are what we call 'aunties' and 'uncles' who are watching all these youngsters. I think in every lane someone is watching kids."

They do it without pay, said Colburn, although the parents usually give the aunties and uncles money enough to feed their offspring.

Now, only 15 more furlough Fridays to go.