Ala Wai Elementary School PARENT NEWSLETTER

503 Kamoku Street February 2016 Honolulu, Hawaii 96826

OUR SCHOOL VISION Believe. Achieve. Succeed. Dream Big and Make It Happen!

OUR SCHOOL MISSION To meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, the Ala Wai School Community will use all available

resources to achieve high standards in a safe, positive and nurturing environment.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Dear Ala Wai Ohana, February is a busy month for our school. We have our School Community Council (SCC) community meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 9th at 3:00 pm in the library. Parents and community members are invited to attend. Our PTSA board members will join the SCC meeting to share information about PTSA fundraising initiatives and other parent events. Our students in grades 3-5 will take the Hawai‘i Smarter Balanced English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy and Mathematics Assessments at the end of this month. The Smarter Balanced Assessments are designed to measure students’ mastery of the Hawai‘i Common Core Standards in English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy and Mathematics. We encourage parents to learn more about the Smarter Balanced Assessments at alohahsap.org. Student success depends on strong support systems in school and at home. Please continue to encourage your child to work hard in class and to ask questions if they do not understand their work. Thank you for your continued support of Ala Wai Elementary School as we continue to build support systems to ensure that every student can Believe, Achieve, and Succeed. Sincerely, Michelle DeBusca, Principal

IMPORTANT DATES Feb. 2 Eat Lunch w/Child – 3rd Grade only Parent/Child Interactive Workshop 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm Cafe Feb. 4 Kids Savings Deposit Day 7:30 am - 8:00 am in the café Feb. 8-16 Yearbook Sales Feb. 12 Dental Presentation - Cafeteria Grades 1 & 2 9:30 am – 10:00 am Feb. 15 PRESIDENT’S’ DAY NO SCHOOL – HOLIDAY Feb. 18 Read To Me International 8:30 am – 10:00 am Cafeteria Feb. 22 Parent Coffee Hour 8:30 am - 9:30 am in Room 7 Feb. 29 Hearing Screening

Grades K, 1 & 2 Waikiki 2000 Lions Club

School Community Council (SCC) The SCC meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. School concerns are discussed and the SCC makes recommendations to improve Ala Wai School. Meetings are held at 3:00 P.M. in the Office. Parents and guests are welcomed to attend any SCC meeting.

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Change of Address/Phone Numbers

Please inform the office of any change of address or contact phone numbers to keep our records current. Thank you!

After School Pick-Up Our regular school day ends at 2:15 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and at 12:35 p.m. on Wednesdays. Please be advised that adult supervision is not provided. To prevent the risk of potential harm and injury to your child, please make arrangements for your child to be picked up on time or enroll your child in Kama’aina Kids, our on-site after school provider. Thank you for your time and attention.

Volunteers Volunteers are always welcome at Ala Wai School. We are looking for interested parents who would like to volunteer this school year. If you have some time on your hands, please call our Parent Involvement Coordinator, Mrs. Potter at 973-0070 x 245. A date and time will be set up for an interview. Please have your current ID card and current TB test, which is a requirement for all volunteers. Mahalo!

Remember to Check Tuesday Folders

Our Tuesday Folder helps us to communicate with parents. Please set aside some time on Tuesday evenings to check your child’s folder for flyers, handouts, and other important reminders. Be sure to return any forms requiring your signature and/or responses with your child on Wednesday. Please print clearly so we can read names, addresses, phone numbers, grades, room numbers, and other important information. Thank you for your help.

Geographic Exceptions If you have moved or plan to move out of Ala Wai School’s home district and want your child to continue to attend Ala Wai School, you will need to fill out a Geographic Exception (G. E.). The G. E. may or may not be approved depending on space availability. The G. E. form is available in the school office. Geographic Exceptions are currently being accepted for the school year 2016-2017 for Grades K-5. The deadline is March 1. Learn more about the G.E. process at http://doe.k12.hi.us/ge/index.htm

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 Ala Wai Elementary School events, please contact: Mrs. Michelle DeBusca – Principal 973-0070 Ext. 225 or via relay Mrs. Candace Tonokawa – Vice Principal 973-0070 Ext. 226 or via relay

COFFEE HOURS

Please join us for our Parent Coffee Hours in room 7. We will have various topics of interests for you to enjoy. The following dates are scheduled for this school year:

Dates: Feb. 22, Mar.14, Apr. 11 & May 9

If you have questions, please call our Parent Involvement Coordinator, Mrs. Potter at 973-0070 ext 245. FEBRUARY WORD OF THE MONTH

PERSEVERANCE

To try your best, to never give up!

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HEARING SCREENING SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 29TH

Hearing Screening Permission forms will be sent home via the Tuesday Folder for students in grades K, 1 & 2. This community service is sponsored by the Waikiki 2000 Lions Club. The purpose of the Lions Hearing Screening Program is to identify school age children most likely to have educationally and/or medically significant hearing loss. Please call Mrs. Potter at 973-0070 x245 for more information.

VISION SCREENING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 7TH

Vision Screening Permission forms will be sent home February 9th for grades K, 1 and 3. If you have a child in a different grade level and would like to have your child’s eyes checked, please call Mrs. Potter at 973-0070 ext 245 to request a Vision Permission Form. The purpose of the Lions Vision Screening Program is to identify school-age children with vision problems that may affect their ability to learn in school. The permission form is required prior to the screening of each student. Good vision is very important to your child’s success in school.

HONOLULU ART MUSEUM

An exhibit was on display to share print works and poetry by elementary students. They were engaged in studies of rain flow and plant types in Oahu watersheds. This DLNR project was sponsored through the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu Museum of Art. Mahalo to the following students in fourth grade room 11, whose print works were on display at the Honolulu Art Museum from January 19 – 28, 2016. Jerone McCutcheon, Juztin Fulk,

Kaitlyn Nagata, Kaileigh-Ann Ragodos, Rickalyn Kanto, Leila-Chey Marcos, Leonardo Louie, Rui Kaneakua, and Sarah Kim.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

(ELA) COURSES FOR ALA WAI SCHOOL PARENTS

Ala Wai School is currently offering English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses on campus for parents through a partnership with McKinley Community School for Adults. Adult students will learn to integrate listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, math, and pronunciation skills with daily life skills for work, school, and personal/family situations. The following are the courses offered: Course Title: ELA Intermediate Days: Monday / Wednesday Begin and End: Feb. 1 – May 9 Time: 8:15 am – 10:45 am Room: Ala Wai School Room 6 Course Title: ELA Advanced Days: Tuesday / Thursday Begin and End: Feb. 2 – May 3 Time: 8:15 am – 10:45 am Room: Ala Wai School Room 6 The registration fee is $20 per course. Textbooks are required, which will cost approximately $30 - $40. If interested, please contact McKinley Community School for Adults at 594-0540. You may also visit them in person at 634 Pensacola Street, directly behind McKinley High School. All new students will be given a placement test to determine appropriate course level. Late registration after the start date is ok.

NEW BREAKFAST HOURS

7:15 am – 7:50 am NEW start time. Please come early to eat so your

child can start school ON TIME.

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Welcome to Ala Wai School! We would like to welcome our TA Cafeteria Manager Mr. Rayburn Awa’a Lincoln. Mr. Awa’a Lincoln will support our school for the rest of the school year.

KIDS SAVINGS PROJECT

2015 – 2016 Since the Fall of 2009, Ala Wai Elementary School has participated in the Kids Savings Project. Each month your child can deposit his/her earned money into their very own account. Together, you and your child will plan ways to earn money for his/her savings account. They are starting young to learn how to save for their financial future. Please call our Parent Involvement Coordinator (PIC), Mrs. Potter for more information on how to enroll your child(ren) in this project. You may reach her at 973-0070 x245 or visit her in room 7. The following deposit dates are set up for students already enrolled in the program. Kids Savings Project Deposit Dates for 2016 Ala Wai School Cafeteria 7:30 am – 8:00 am Jan 14, Feb 4, Mar 3, April 7 & May 5.

Read To Achieve Parent Workshop

Join us for our next parent workshop coming up on February 18th. This will be held in the Ala Wai School cafe from 8:15 am sign in to 10 am. The world of reading is a fascinating one. A child can enjoy life and learn a million things through reading. Mrs. Lynn Waihee from Read To Me International will speak about informational and recreational reading. She will share tips on how you can help your child(ren) develop a love of reading. Please call Mrs. Potter at 973-0070 x 245 if you are interested in attending. Mahalo

BOX TOPS FOR

EDUCATION Here is an opportunity to support Ala Wai School. Please save Box Tops for Education labels for our Literacy Center. Every label adds money towards our children’s education. Check the labels on all your purchases to see if the company is participating in this project. Clip the labels, place in an envelope and deposit in the drop off box located in the school office. Mahalo for your continued support!

Friends of Ala Wai School PTSA We are starting the month of February with our "Cool Our School" Fundraiser. We will be selling frozen foods including smoked chicken, Kalua Pork, and Laulau. All proceeds will go to future air conditioning projects at Ala Wai School. Look for more information in your child's Tuesday folder. Are you willing to serve the students of Ala Wai Elementary? Are you looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the life of a student? If so, our PTSA program is the place for you. We would like to invite you to come to our next meeting on Monday, February 22, 2016, at 3pm. We meet in Principal DeBusca's office. Lastly, we still have some Regal cookies leftover. We will be selling the last of the cookies on February 9, 2016 at the upcoming SCC meeting. We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please feel free to call Lucy Teal, (808) 973-0070, ext. 257, or you an email our PTSA President, Larie Manutai at langi23@gmail.com.

SCHOOL FORMS Please help us by signing and completing school forms that are sent home via Tuesday folders.

*Don’t forget to fill in your child’s name, grade

and room number. Please provide a current phone number in case we need to call you. Mahalo!

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January Menehunes of the Month

Kindergarten

K-30 Tiffany Pham K-31 Maxwell Zee K-32 Erick Welle K-P5 Glory Sonis

First Grade

1-21 Sofia Melnik 1-22 Jude Elieisar

1-23 Millenc Hairens

Second Grade 2-25 Liana Seo

2-26 Timothy Scoville 2-27 Makoa Donlin

Third Grade

3-3 Clarence Char 3-4 Christina Setik 3-5 Bryleen Martin

Fourth Grade

4-10 Elbrey Piliwale 4-11 Claudio James 4-12 Athan Welle

Fifth Grade

5-18 Savana Avent 5-19 Tristin Louis

5-20 Taylor Halterman

February’s word of the month is

PERSEVERANCE

"To try your best, to never give up!!!"

Every student should have a goal for the week, month, or rest of the school year