Principal's Message

I am lucky to be the Principal at Kohala Middle School. I am in a place where I can be instrumental in creating the possibility for all students to realize their aspirations, to be able to contribute to and compete in a global society, to be responsible citizens, and to be prepared to continue on to High School and college. The role of a school leader and the importance of supportive school environment have changed over the years. In the past it may have been possible to describe the principal as the operator of the school, as if the school were something to be turned on and set to run with a quality homogeneous product as the result. We often talk today about smart machines which can adapt and change and think as the need arises. However, learning environments are more of a living entity than a mechanical one and they are dependent on parents, community, and faculty and staff. Teachers, staff and parents must ensure the mix of nurturing culture, appropriate subject matter, differentiated instruction, project based learning, high level thinking and questioning, note taking skills, and performance. A dynamic school and community environment is the foundation which supports and focuses these strategies. We are lucky to have such an environment at Kohala Middle. In the classrooms, teachers are teaching to new standards and we push students to learn at a pace which will provide a seamless transition to the next level of studies. When the bar is set high enough and with clear expectations and support, students find a way to learn, have fun, collaborate, and problem solve; the students are reaching for Hawaii's vision for its children.

Our partnership with KMS parents is critical to success. There are a lot of ways parents can support Kohala Middle School, for example:

• Communication (electronic access, newsletters, conferences, telephone, School Community Council)

• Achievement (AVID strategies, planner use, support for homework, TeenBiz, reading etc.)

• Organization / Engagement (quiet place at home to work, using school binders, goal setting etc.)

There are a lot of overused sayings such as, “it takes a village to raise a child” or “together we can” but they are certainly accurate when it comes to describing just how important partnering is in quality education. Each year please work with us to develop the Communication, Achievement, and Organization /Engagement that will lead to our kids to the future they deserve.

E kulia i ka nu'u

Strive for the highest