In Brief | Schools 11-21-12

Kahakai council meets Tuesday

Kahakai Elementary School will hold its monthly School Community Council meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the office conference room.

A discussion of the 2013-14 financial and academic plans and a decision on the academic plan for 2013-14 are on the agenda.

Students invited to Newbery Quiz Bowl

All schools, including home-schooled students, are invited to participate in the 24th annual Big Island Newbery Quiz Bowl. Fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students read 40 Newbery winners for the competition. This reading-incentive program promotes the reading of award-winning literature, the winners of the annual American Library Association’s award for the best written children’s book.

This year’s bowl will be held April 25 at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel

For more information on how to participate, call Paula Kamiya at 883-2285 or Julia Tao at 959-7887.

Presentations on Native Hawaiian scholarships scheduled

The University of Hawaii is reaching out to Native Hawaiians who want to pursue a college education. The effort is part of a statewide initiative to bring Native Hawaiian scholarship opportunities to underserved communities in Hawaii.

In that spirit, UH has partnered with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and GEAR UP Hawaii to present the 2012-13 Native Hawaiian Scholarship Aha, a series of free presentations for high school students, parents, teachers, current college students, adult students, counselors or anyone interested in learning about the resources and financial aid available to Native Hawaiian students. There will also be a brief workshop on filling out financial aid applications and strategies on earning scholarships.

Presentations will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hawaiian Homes Hall in Waimea and 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Kealakehe High School cafeteria. Information about the workshops is available at hawaii.edu/aha.

Other community partners supporting the workshops include the Native Hawaiian Education Association, Kamehameha Schools and the Pacific Financial Aid Association.

Parker debaters earn national recognition

The Parker School debate team has earned membership into the National Forensic League’s 100 Club because of its performance throughout the 2011-12 school year. The school is one of four in the state to gain this recognition.

To become a member of the 100 club, national teams must earn 100 or more debate points, or degrees, in a given year, placing them in the top 10 percent of all league chapters nationwide. This is the third year in a row that Parker School has earned the honor.

In addition to this achievement, Parker debater Jesse Tarnas, who graduated in 2012, was named by the National Forensic League a State All-American for Hawaii. To receive this accolade, a debater must be in the top 1 percent of point earners in the state. Just five students from Hawaii were honored as State All-Americans last year.

Tarnas was also last year’s Hawaii state champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Students invited to enter anti-meth art contest

The Hawaii Meth Project has announced the “Take a Stand Against Meth” art contest, a statewide initiative designed to leverage the creativity and passion of Hawaii’s young people to communicate the risks associated with methamphetamine use.

The contest challenges Hawaii teens to create original works of art inspired by content from the website methproject.org, a definitive source of information about the highly addictive drug and its social, mental and physical impact. As an inspiration for their artwork, teens can choose from the more than 350 pieces of content on the site, including interactive facts, videos, animation, image galleries, personal stories from users and first-hand accounts from experts. Works in any style or medium, with the exception of videos, are eligible for entry.

The contest’s first-place winner will be awarded an Apple iPad, and the runner-up will receive an Apple iPod touch. A panel of judges will select all winners based on the originality of their concept, as well as their planning, execution, artistic merit, and creativity. In addition, the public will be able to vote for their favorite works online, and the submission with the most votes will win the People’s Choice Award and an Apple iPod Touch. Finalists will be announced Jan. 8. The winning works of art and other select pieces will be displayed in the State Capitol from Jan. 8 to March 22 and at Honolulu Hale from March 25 to April 12.

The Hawaii Meth Project art contest is open to all Hawaii students ages 13 to 18. Teens younger than 18 must have a parent or guardian’s permission to participate. To be eligible, each entry must be an original, unpublished work of art, communicate a strong anti-meth message, and be inspired by content from methproject.org.

To enter the art contest and get contest rules, visit methproject.org/action/hawaii or Facebook.com/hawaiimethproject to register and upload a photo of the artwork. Entries may also be submitted through Instagram using hashtag #hmpart2012. Deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Dec. 10. The public can vote for the People’s Choice Award at Facebook.com/hawaiimethproject through Dec. 25.

Lucianai, Bradley win Hiatt scholarships

Hawaii Preparatory Academy seniors Bhillie Luciani and Catherine “Cat” Bradley are the recipients of the Hiatt College Scholarships for Community Service and Creativity and Initiative.

Luciani received the Community Service Award and a $1,000 scholarship for her concern and care for others. Luciani has managed to be an exceptional student and athlete and still find time to devote more than 100 hours to teaching and coaching young children to swim.

Bradley received the Academic Creativity and Initiative Award and a $1,000 scholarship for her research work in the school’s Energy Lab, which has been compared to graduate-level studies. Her internships in energy monitoring at local hotels and businesses have led to thousands of dollars in savings for these organizations.

Konawaena students receive GLO Awards

Konawaena Elementary School has announced the names of students receiving first quarter GLO Awards.

Self-Directed Learner — The ability to be responsible for one’s own learning: Hannah Duffy, Aysia Tayamen, Malia Bacxa, Nina Nozaki, Kaelyn Andrade, Lareine Samantha Alejandro, David Hoag, Kai Aoki, Melanie Lyles, Brandon Sayphone, Georgia Beard, Spencer Spinola, Nakoa Damas, Saige Go-Oana, Edward Wessel, Juliana Losalio-Watson, Makana Manuel, Kiarra Vidal Ganir, Payton Kim, Shayla Sayphone, Ann Marie Alex, Maria Villegas Magana, Nathand Demers, Kit Neikirk, Caileen Teramoto

Community Contributor — The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together: Tyra Zane, Felicity Mariano, Makamaelani Lovell-Wong, Shea Paahana, Kyriah James, Jaeden Meyer, Kahiau Rivera, Maming Bacxa, Jaimin Medeiros, Candida Deutschbein, Samuel Nakamoto, Caylie Alapai, Maria Gutierrez-Valdovinos, Talmidge Beard, Claudia Demotte, Gilleboy Cruz, Lacey Young, Naia Balancio, Kimberly Garza Magana, Lilo Canda-Alvarez, Cielo Guzman, Chloe Awa, Nicole Demers, Kamalani Catabay, Torrance Satta-Ellis, Jacob Fernandez-Victor, Mersaydeez Kathryne Rocha, Jimi Lee DeMello-Malapit

Complex Thinker — The ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving strategies: Brandon Melendez-Mendoza, Ava Lyles, Nanea Henriques, Chloe Jennings, Eli Wicklander, Emperor Domogma, Keau Higashi, Alexander DeAguiar, Anthony Calpito, Karli Barit, Tarry Southerland, Jordan Fukushima, Kamaehu Makanui, Cristal Ramirez-Cisneros, Peyton Winkel, Chase Zucker, Dannia Andrade, Drew Basque

Quality Producer — The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality products: Aycen Blanco, Ezekiel Makana Kaupiko, Sarai Dee Dotimas, Kenya Ramirez-Cisneros, Ashlynn Kahaulelio, Mikaila Maile, Helixa Hadley, Bryanna Cruz-Espinoza, Grace Academia, Jade Edmoundson, Dwayne Abner, Tamatasi Faafia-Akeo, Willy Monkeya, Jana Masunaga, Kellsea Medeiros, Kaezn Antolin, Jenna Oyama, Sara Kimura

Effective Communicator — The ability to communicate effectively: Kai Takahashi, Jerzie Lopez, Teddy Lorenz Alejandro, Riley Asakura, Anna Leurnlerger, Uhiwai Wall, Karly Andrade, Cody Kashiwabara, Civic Gomes, Sabrina Helm, Sean Kobayashi, Nathan-Jay Gabaon, Natalia Magana Quezada, Jayla Medeiros, Makai Alcoran, Nainoa Hua, Mia Espinoza, Elisha Martin

Effective and Ethical User of Technology — To utilize instructional technology to make mathematics meaningful and standards attainable: Ethan Makahanaloa-Ikeda, Mela Tokumura-Hanato-Wells, Faith Brandt, Jack Ningeok-Ross, Malia Casabar, Sophia Burgess, Eli-Anthony Uemura, Jarom Alani, Flavio Bagay, Aidan Allred, Jahvon Etienne, Taylie Oshiro, Makayla Abril Butters, Keith Ai Jr., Treston Tinao, Francis Transfiguracion, Tayvin Gaspar, Isaac Carmelotes, Kai Kale, Kaela Yamane.

Online auction benefits school garden program

Malaai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School is staging its second eBay Giving Works online auction and inviting friends to convert Black Friday into Green Friday.

Malaai’s Green Friday online auction theme has a triple meaning — first because purchasing any of the online auction items supports green values, most importantly, helping sustain what is the state’s leading middle school garden in teaching sixth- through eight- graders environmental and cultural stewardship and about healthier choices. Second, most items offered reflect a greener lifestyle – from giving a loved one the gift of a fig or olive tree that will be planted in their honor in the garden, to baskets of organic locally grown produce, to a brewhaus tasting-tour featuring locally brewed beers paired with locally grown foods, to a dinner for eight created by an Island Thyme gourmet chef who sources only the best fresh produce, fish, meat and baked pleasures. The third benefit of this Green Friday online auction is not having to leave home.

Among this year’s auction items is an opportunity to adopt a chicken for a loved one. The hen will take up residence at the school’s new “Fort Chicken” — an ultra-sturdy hen house designed and built by John Dean of Hamakua.

Also offered are several healthy pampering gifts, including a facial, a massage and a basket of wellness and relaxation items. Other items include clutch purses made from recycled leather and a new wheelbarrow handpainted by island artist Archie Macaraeg.

All items will be available Friday through Dec. 2 on eBay’s Giving Works; search for Malaai. For more information about the garden, visit malaai.org. For questions about the auction or otherwise getting involved in supporting the school garden program, contact Executive Director Alethea Lai at alethea@malaai.org or 989-7861.