November & December 2017

Volume XXXIV, I ssue 4

Kaleo ‘O Waiákea

Waiākea Dear Royals and Parent/Guardians, I would like to first wish everyone a Happy Holiday season. Please be safe and enjoy our upcoming Winter break, which will start on Friday, December 22, 2017. School will resume on January 8, 2018. We had a successful Math night where our teachers were able to share strategies our parents can use at home with our students. Parents who reinforce what our students learn in school are a great partnership that will only benefit our students. Please look out for parent nights advertised through our newsletter. Throughout the first semester, we have been recognizing student classes with high attendance rates. Classes are rewarded monthly with medals based on their class attendance rate for the month. Teachers have created poster boards to collect their class medals. You can find these boards hanging in our cafeteria. Finally, Waiākea Elementary School wants to create college awareness with our young students. We want to introduce and expose our students to possibilities. Our teachers have created name signs with the logo of the college they have attended and our staff have been wearing clothing of colleges on the first Monday of every month. We are hoping that by doing to hang these banners in our cafeteria for all students to see. We will use them to help our students set goals for themselves and to introduce new possibilities to our students. Again, Happy Holidays. Have a fantastic New Year as we bring in 2018. Sincerely, Ken K. Watanabe Principal

Principal’s News

Waiakea Elementary School

180 W Puainako Street

Hilo, HI 96720

Phone:

(808) 981-7215

Fax:

(808) 981-7218

Website:

Waiakeaelementary.org

Ken Watanabe, Pr incipa l

Kara Uchida , V ice Pr incipa l

Upcoming Events

December 21 – End

of 2nd Quarter. Full

Day.

December 22 to

January 5

Winter Recess &

Teachers’ Work Day

– No school

January 8 – Return

to School!!

January 12 –

Complex Day – No

School for Students

January 15 – Martin

Luther King, Jr Day

–No School

Our Mission : Waiākea Elementary School – preparing our students for today and tomorrow by providing strong academic and emotional foundation.

Character Dress Up Day Costume Contest

October 31 was Halloween day and we had many little storybook characters, princesses and super heroes “invading” our campus!! Wow, what a day!!! FUN, FUN, FUN! We had a short parade around the campus and a quick costume contest. Thanks to all the participants! You were all WINNERS!

Lower Elementary Participants: Mila-Brinley Gambol, Caitlyn Arruda, Krislyn Rodrigues-Nasario, Zazereh Tampon-Kekaualua, Sofia Ooka, Tahlia Carter, Josh Taketa, Kaizen Turner, Taylia Chartrand, Jackson Curry, Rhett Auth, Peyton Tada, Joey Fujinaka, Aivah Thompson, Qwynn Pascual Lee Read, Tommy Kocher, Aidenn Segobia, Sophie Chavaries, Zaylee Fronda, and Kamryn Kuramoto. Lower Elementary Winners: 3rd place: Zazereh Tampon-Kekaualua as the Mad Hatter 2nd place: Qwynn Pascual Lee Read as Harley Quinn 1st place: Mila-Brinley Gambol as Little Red Riding Hood Upper Elementary Participants: Anayah Joaquin, Skyler Miyashiro, Kamakani Bass, Kaelyn Sewake, Sarihn Agno, Saede Kohara, Kaden Yoshizumi, Shaiann Ah Sing, Zoey Benevides, Miles Mann, Calena Caneda-Amaral, Keona Gomes, and Somer Howell. Upper Elementary Winners: 3rd place: Shaiann Ah Sing as a Scarecrow 2nd place: Zoey Benevides as a Day of the Dead Skeleton 1st place: Keona Gomes as King Kong the Strong A big MAHALO to our awesome committee members who worked hard making this day a huge success. THANK YOU to: Yumi Gamiao, Keona Gomes, Tia Kunimoto, Richlynn Udtohan and Keldon Yoshida.

NEXT DRESS UP DAYS

Wed. , Dec. 20th – Holiday Pajama Day – Come to school wearing your comfy pair of holiday Pjs.

and

Thurs. , Dec. 21 – Holiday Spirit Day - Wear anything festive to spread holiday cheer!

Watch for the flyer with more information. Please dress appropriately and have FUN!!!!!

SCC Community Meeting #1

The School Community Council (SCC) held their first Community Meeting onThursday, November 16, 2017. Mr. Watanabe shared and explained recent student test results and discussed the vision for our school. We also broke up into groups to discuss how resources are currently meeting our students needs as well as how we can better meet the needs of our students. Good discussion. The comments and questions will help our administration and faculty formulate our academic and financial plan for the coming years. Please watch for notice of our 2nd Community Meeting that will be held in late March/April. The revised Academic Plan will be shared at that time.

Notice and Request for Accommodations If you are an individual with a disability, please contact the following personnel to make arrangements for

reasonable modifications and accessibility to school events at least 10 days in advance to the event you wish to attend. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your request. For Waiakea Elementary School events,

please contact: Ken Watanabe, Principal @ 981-7215 ext. 225 or Kara Uchida, VP @981-7215, ext. 226

Hello Students, Parents, Faculty and Staff of Waiakea Elementary School,

Membership has increased by 19 families putting us at a total of 188 members and we are so proud to work with you in support of the Waiakea Elementary Community.

Upcoming Fundraisers Amazonsmile: www.smile.amazon.com search WES PTO, we receive a portion of every sale! We’ve

currently earned $26.21 since August!

Zippy’s Chili Fundraiser

On behalf of the Fundraising Committee, we would like to thank you for your continued support. The first fundraiser of the year netted $11,323.00, which is 2,835 Zippys Benefit Tickets. The 1st place classroom for the lower Elementary is Mrs. Yoshizumi’ 1st graders, with $1,714.00 and the upper Elementary is Mrs. Maikui’s 4th graders who sold a total of $1,116.00. The second place winners were Mrs. Sugiyama’s 1st graders with their total of $1,377.00 and Mrs. Doctors 3rd graders with a total of $988.00. First place winners will be awarded a PIzza Party and second place winners will be given an Ice Cream party to thank them for all of their hard work. Please remember tickets expire December 17, 2017. Thank you parents and various community members who volunteered to support this fundraiser: Tracie Camero, Cody Akiona, William Brown, Jin Fujinaka, Kellie Hashizaki, Leanne, Silva, Kelsey Kalua, Rachel Kitagawa, Braysen Libed, Desiree Mende, Donn Mende, Sandy Taniguchi, Gavin Tanouye, Robin Valencia, Alan Shiraishi, Kelsie Valledor-Yoshida, Amy Honda, Tierney Barcarse, Nikie Watanabe, Principal Ken Watanabe, Vice Principal Kara Uchida, Students, Teachers,and Staff at Waiakea Elementary School. If you haven’t received your envelopes with tickets, they will be available at the front office.

Trunk or Treat Our first ever Trunk or Treat was a huge success! We had 77 students, 49 families, and 19 cars which decorated haunted houses, Minecraft, spooky potions and more! Thank you to Gavin Tanouye for MCing, Waiakea High School Key Club, WES Custodians for set up, parents for decorating their cars, prize donations from CU Hawaii, Liko Lehua, HPM, Cronies, and Hiro’s place, and committee volunteers: Ryan Chong, Peter Fernandez, Korri Fernandez, Malama Chong, Sarah Naleimaile, Lisa Kawachi, and Sharla Mohica. Holiday Arts and Crafts Mahalo to all of the families who attended the Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair! Thank you for supporting Waiakea Elementary School and for making this a fun, memorable event. Special thanks to Tracey Lynn Photography for donating her time, materials, and expertise to provide amazing holiday photographs to our families. Her generous donation raised $220.00 to help offset the cost of craft materials making this event very specialA big thank you to event chair Karen Clark, Bethany Daly, Tierney Barcase, Leslie Sumitani, Kathy Sewake, Lisa Yanagisawa, Jin Fujinaka, Mrs. Sato and the WHS Key Club for making the event possible. And of course, Gavin Tanouye, thank you for serving as the voice of the event and keeping us all entertained! Thank you to all of the Waiakea Elementary School community for making this event successful. Happy Holidays!

February Holiday Arts and Crafts During our February member only event- Participants will learn Hands-only CPR and AED use. The craft activity will include a heart shaped Hands-only CPR Quick Guide w/child’s picture (practicing Hands-only CPR). Our purpose is: To equip families and the school community with basic Hands-only CPR and AED skills to use in the event of a cardiac emergency. To develop united efforts between community helpers, educators and families to secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, and social education. Look for the flyer/sign up in January!

New Ideas

If you have an idea and would like to see the PTO support it, please consider chairing the committee to evaluate the idea. We love new ideas and suggestions but also need people committed to seeing them through. We have an open at-large position on the board. Please consider running for a board position where your vote/voice is heard through service to the organization.

PTO board meeting dates, Kindergarten bldg. MPR-A, 5-6 PM 12/14, 1/18, 2/22, 3/15, 4/26, 5/17, 6/21, 7/19. Also please welcome our new at-large board member Robin

Valencia who was voted on during the Trunk or Treat Event on Oct. 27. Thank you for your service. Thank you for all you do to support the students of Waiakea Elementary. If you should have any questions please feel free to contact me at Tierney.Barcarse@weshilo.k12.hi.us

Thank you for all you do to support the students of Waiakea Elementary. If you should have any questions please feel free to contact me at Tierney.Barcarse@weshilo.k12.hi.us Thank you, Tierney Barcarse, President, Grade 3 student Kelsie Valledor-Yoshida, Vice President, Grade 2 and 5 students

Amy Honda, Treasurer, Grade 1 student Tracie Camero, Secretary, Grade 1 student

Math Night Mahalos! We had a very nice turn out at out Math Family Night on November 29. A HUGE shout out to the math committee teachers who did an AWESOME job presenting to the families! Our teachers - Nikka Takane, Kendra Botelho, Dawn Fukumura-Sawada, Kristen Sanborn, Eri Lockhart, Prudy Sonomura, Mei Ceria, Kari Maikui, Whitney Sugimoto, Dean Newell, Lisa Kon Mukai and Teri Ono held their audiences captive and engaged. The students who came also got to work with and challenge their parents in a variety of math activities. It was really nice to see the parent-child interactions. Thank you to these teachers for taking the extra time to share their knowledge with our families. Great job! Mahalo to resource teachers, Paige Nakano, Kathy Sewake. Cindy Iwata and Lisa Yanagisawa for manning the registration table, for helping with planning and executing this activity night as the after family night clean up. Thank you also goes out to Vice Principal, Kara Uchida who opened the night for us, rang the bell at the exact minute so that parents knew when to transition within their 3 rotations, and closed up B building, cafeteria, and the parking gate. To the grade 1 teachers, Chery Mendoca-Abelleral, Jill Igawa, Jenny Fujiyama, Kristen Sanborn, and Kristy Yoshizumi, thank you for letting us invade your rooms. We know you had a little stress tidying up the rooms for us. The rooms were in great shape. And last but not least, Mahalo to the families that attended. We hope you took home some new knowledge.

Did you know….

Waiakea Elementary is a Title 1 School? What does that mean? Title 1 is a federal grant that provides financial assistance to

schools with high numbers or percentages of poverty children to help ensure that all children meet the challenging state

academic content and student achievement standards .

ROYALS OF THE MONTH – October 2017

KINDERGARTEN

Mrs. Botelho

Brinn Brooks

Chloe Luna

Mrs. Hashizaki

Khloe Church

Riana Forsythe-Delima

Lellalynne Pukahi-Fermahin

Mrs. Kelson

Kira De Los Santos

Carl James Miguel

Mrs. Naito-Hata

Samantha Sehna

Navy Yamauchi

Ms. Shibuya

Zayne Lui

Nanoka Tanaka

Ms. Shigenaga

Jayzen Gomes

Mika Grohs

Olivia Ranne

Ms. Takane

Legacy Figueroa Cayden Young

FIRST GRADE

Mrs. Abellera

Jonzo Ching

Jada Taketa

Mrs. Fujiyama & Mrs. Sanborn

Joshua Judd

Haylee Jade Purdy

Mrs. Fukumura-Sawada

Tevyn Arias

Sadie Eckersley

Mrs. Igawa

Rihanna Juda

Alana Kealoha

Mrs. Ota

Alisyn Mende

Elizabeth Walker

First Grade - cont.

Ms. Sumaoang

Lainey Chong

Peyton Tada

Mrs. Yoshizumi

Percyna Pitiol

Zoey Suiaunoa

SECOND GRADE Mrs. Gomes

Seajae Pedro

Loghen Spain

Kai Tsugawa

Mrs. Perry

Jaycelynn DeVera-Toyomura

Ranson Francis

Mrs. Robledo

Nainoa Haleamau

Maria May Malasaga

Mrs. Saiki

Polinahe Camba-Kaniaupio

Ty Haraguchi

Ms. Saludares

Elizabeth Sophie Chavaries

Rafan Rahman

Ms. Sonomura

Kaleb Bugado

Kimmy Kaneshiro

Mrs. Stecher

Evan Adler

Lily Kay-Wong

Hudson Urasaki

THIRD GRADE

Mrs. Ceria

Daylilah Oshiro

Peyton Orevillo

Ms. Doctor

Nanea A'ana

Kawailani Daquep

Kalena Roby-Silem

Mrs. Donquis-Moore

Kysen Honda

Gloria Ooka

Mrs. Kouchi

Keawe Ledo

Richlynn Udtohan

Drew Lan Weital

FOURTH GRADE

Mrs. Maikui

Makoy Kailimai

Tayleigh Narimatsu

Kolin Oshiro

Ms. Michael

Keili Ching

Jayzen Hough

Kameron Kelekoma

Mrs. Nakayama

Hunter Cabreira

Zayn Timbresa

Mrs. Silva

Tayden Aninion

Lokelani Jackson

Nikka Wakimoto

Ms. Sugimoto

Emma Kozuma

Mrs. Tsugawa

Elena Dinkel

Olson Melsemal

Ms. Yoshida

Aneka Herring

Somer Howell

Jesse Inouye

Taiana Kaopio-Kapeli

KINDERGARTEN

Mrs. Botelho

Triton Erece

Abraham "AJ" Poai

Mrs. Hashizaki

Brooke Erece

Lilly-Marie Spalding-Carriaga

Mrs. Kelson

Robert Ching

Ahliya Iopa-Kam

Elijah Konanui

Mrs. Naito-Hata

Kyartan Grabowski

Tiffany Komata

Ms. Shibuya

Audrey Mingil

Hope Nachor

Ms. Shigenaga

Kaiden Rocha-Younce

Urbyne Wakida

Ms. Takane

Zoey Sumiki

Hyrum Van Ness

FIRST GRADE

Mrs. Abellera

Olive Marusek

Madisyn Mende Mrs. Fujiyama & Mrs.

Sanborn

Tupou Seini Holani

Keyan Wada

Mrs. Fukumura-Sawada

Rhailee Cisneros

Alyssa Nacis

Skyler-Jay Nakamura Mrs. Igawa

Oshen Malsemal Aliyah Mohica

Mrs. Ota

Stephanie Rylen Chanhmany

Kaien Minato

Ms. Sumaoang

Datura Doan

Kailea Naihe

Mrs. Yoshizumi

Selena Doan

Amaya Guillermo

SECOND GRADE

Mrs. Gomes

Aleijah Balangatan

Cheriah Flores-Kataoka

Qwynn Pascual Lee-Read

Mrs. Perry

Peyton Augustin

Ritanii Henry Mrs. Robledo

Taylor Bugado John Tabuyo

Mrs. Saiki

Kayako Kobayashi

Colten Matsuo

Ms. Saludares

Jeylin Kapeli-Rafael

Chanel Luiz Rivera-Kaahanui

Ms. Sonomura

Jayda-Anne Jadulang

Treyton Schiszler-Harp

Mrs. Stecher

Pono Kiko

Kamryn Kuramoto

THIRD GRADE

Mrs. Ceria

Kaia Stimson

Conor Wallace

Ms. Doctor

Kielehiwahiwa Doctor

Anthony Doan

Chanse Ka'aua-Long

Mrs. Donquis-Moore

Skyler Beasley

Lexis Lis-Calvo

Mrs. Kouchi

Loa Grabowski

Khia Hokoana-Stanley

Maxwell Miller

FOURTH GRADE

Mrs. Maikui

James Creekmur-Hironaka

Zya Yanazaki

Mrs. Nakayama

Uraijah Flores

Zhyre Tampon-Kekaualua

Mrs. Silva

Eva-Mally Essau

Rosemarie Fernandez

Kayla Hill

Ms. Sugimoto

Brancin Akana

Micah Polloi

Mrs. Tsugawa

Shawntel Smith

Joshua Simeon

Ms. Yoshida

Mia Kim-Tomono

Khloe Ventura

ROYALS OF THE MONTH – November 2017