News from Kaua'i Pacific School

Kaua'i Pacific School Newsletter

Issue: # 4

April 2009

THOUGHTS FROM THE PRINCIPAL

This year one main area of focus was writing instruction. Last summer, we had a one day professional development session in Writer's Workshop and acquired a new resource to teach writing. We have been really pleased with the growth we have seen in our student's writing across all grades so I thought I would share some samples! Our second graders have been studying the rainforest over the past few weeks. As part of their final project for this unit, they wrote letters to the US Senate to persuade them to devote more resources into protecting the rainforest. Here are three of the letters for you to enjoy:

Dear Senator,

Please, please tell the people to stop cutting down trees because the rainforest gives us life, medicine, oxygen and all other really good stuff. If you can't get enough money, try hard and don't give up. Thank you!

From,

Shaughnessey

Dear Senator,

Please make a law for people who cut down the rainforest. We need oxygen to live. If we don't have oxygen, we will die. Think about the animals in the rainforest. It is their home. We need your help!

From,

Ariel

Dear Senator,

The reason I think we should save the rainforest is that if they keep cutting down trees, the rainforest will be gone and thousands of people will die. So if you care about animals because I do, I'm asking you Senator do you want more animals to die? Please save the rainforest!

From,

Felix

Thanks to the kids for stepping up and demonstrating that ANYONE can make a difference!

News

APPRECIATIONS

Thank you so much to the Jaeb family for a lovely movie night..The movie "theatre" was amazing and the food was out of this world. Somehow the wonderful chef Ryan created a meal that included Eggplant and Tofu Green Curry over Brown Basmati Rice served over lentils with bananas on the side for something like $1.82 per serving. DELICIOUS! Thank you also to Denise for bringing her popcorn machine and to all the families who attended. It was a wonderful event.

A few others:

Lisa Breen for updating our slide shows for our Open Houses.
Laura Check who has gone above and beyond these pat few weeks handling what has become a very busy office!
Joel Guy for filming the Talent Show! What a nice surprise!

MONDAY MARKET RECAP

This year we have raised about $1400 from Monday Market. This three year old tradition is one way we model our core values. The market helps in teaching our children the importance of environmental stewardship and the importance of being global citizens.

I would like to especially thank Jeannette Rothweiller for conceiving the idea of Monday Market and for serving as lead organizer. I would also like to thank the class parents for their leadership in making sure that every Monday Market was bountiful and special for the children.

TERRIFIC TALENT SHOW

Wow! What a show! Our student performers did a terrific job amazing the audience with talents from hula hooping to break dancing. The whole event was fantastic. The dance train at the end ensured that everyone left the talent show feeling jazzed and inspired.

Special thanks to our emcee Sam Goldberg, Kirk Smart for doing the sound and Joel Guy for filming.

Student Performers

Zara Allen ( & Mom!!)

Last week marked the end of another elective session. Students had the opportunity to take pottery, digital media, hip hop, drama, garden/raw cooking, watercolor and physical education. The classes were highly engaging and provided some amazing hands-on learning opportunities for our students. We would like to thank the following teachers for their contributions to the success of this program:

Hip Hop - Rachel Kattlove

Drama - Jennifer Downs

Pottery - Chris Skabo, Licia McDonald and Steve Goldberg

Watercolor - Takuyo Takahashi

Physical Education - Suzanne Messinger & Michele Schwemmer

Garden/Raw Cooking - Laura Check & Lotus

Digital Media - Paul Clark

Click on this LINK to watch the video the students made in Digital Media this semester! It's great!

SECOND GRADE CLASS NEWS

We are coming to the end of a fantastic year. The 2nd graders have grown leaps and bounds academically, socially, and physically. Our rainforest inquiry has been so interesting and exciting. The students completed wonderful animal reports and they each wrote a letter to the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C. inorder to get more of the rainforest protected. They have learned how important the rainforests are for the earth's survival, not to mention the beautiful animals that are losing their precious homes. The field trip to Limahuli gardens was fantastic. It taught us so much about the rainforest on our exquisite island. Thanks again to our dedicated parents and the support they have given to make this a super successful year for the children.

KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE CLASS NEWS

The Kindergarten and First Grade have been studying insects for our unit "it's a buggy world," and we were so pleased this week to get to see two of our Monarch caterpillars transform into beautiful chrysalises! It was truly amazing to see this magical transformation take place, and we appreciate Denise letting us interrupt Art class to watch the first one happen. We have many chrysalises now, and we will be watching them carefully as they metamorphose into butterflies.

We have also been working on a play about "The Grouchy Ladybug," as well as some songs that we are excited to share with our parents before the end of school. It will be a busy couple of weeks coming up, but we are excited for all the fun things that are happening!

Aloha, Carla and Ryan

YES MEN FUNDRAISER A GREAT SUCCESS!

Wow! What a party! Our Yes Men Fundraiser was a great success. About 100 people grooved to the fantastic dance music provided by Kirk Smart, Elijah Lenhart and Will Lydgate. The food was scrumptious and the auction was gorgeous! We raised about $6,500! You can see more photos by clicking on this KPS web-site link.

Special thanks to the following for serving on the committee:

Beatrice Allen - Food/Drink

Lisa Mindel/Honey Sanson - Silent Auction

Maria Maitino - Volunteers

Maria Walker - Advance Ticket Sales

Denise Dion-Scoyni - PR/Publicity/Photographer

Licia McDonald - Decorations

Several parents,friends and faculty volunteered the evening of the event and helped to ensure that everything ran smoothly and fun was had by all. Deep gratitude is extended to:

David & Carla Bissell

Britany Holmgren-Mueller

We would also like to thank the following individuals and companies for donating items to the Silent Auction:

Angie Ell

Bali Built Homes

Bruna Stuada
Bernardo Lizaragga

Brad Dawber

Cosibella Cristena

Denise Dion-ScoyniHanalei
Dolphin Restaurant
Honey Sanson

Jeannette Rothweiller

Finally, thanks to the parents who helped with the class projects: Licia McDonald, Honey Sanson, Lotus, Liane Wilson, Pascale Searby and Tom Lieber!!

SUMMER READING

Just because school is out doesn't mean the kids should stop reading! Research shows that reading skills can significantly decline over the summer if students don't maintain a regular reading routine. The good news is that students can make significant GAINS over the summer if they read every day. You can take help your kids get in the summer reading habit by taking them to the library to get great books each week. Take books everywhere you go - it's a great solution for the "I'm bored" syndrome that sometimes befalls all kids.

This year, in lieu of the reading lists we usually send home, we have decided to save some trees and instead provide you with links to some great summer reading lists.

Education World Summer Reading List

A few summers ago, Education World and Barnes and Noblejoined forces to present a HOT, HOT summer reading program. Thanks to our readers' contributions, we have gathered summer reading lists by grade, along with reviews of new books, interviews with favorite authors, and lots of ideas for summer projects to extend reading -- projects for kids to do with friends or on their ownand projects for families to do together!

Summer Reading List to Take to the Library or Book Store

If you are looking for good children's books for summer reading, it helps to have a booklist or two of recommended reading that you can take with you to the bookstore or library.

ALA 2009 Notable Children's Books

The annotated 2009 Notable Children's Books reading list from the American Library Association (ALA) includes the current Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, Geisel, and Batchelder Award winners and Honor books, among other award-winners. The reading list is divided into four categories: Younger Readers, Middle Readers, Older Readers, and All Ages. It includes both children's books and young adult (YA) books.

Happy Reading!

Books

MADRE TIERRA SUMMER ARTS PROGRAM

June 15 to July 10, 2009

Aloha KPS Ohana! Summer is almost here, and we just wanted to remind you that there is a FUN and CREATIVE opportunity available for kids 5 to 15 years old this summer. At our second annual Madre Tierra Summer Arts Program we will be offering students many diverse classes to inspire and nurture their creativity, and we plan to have just as much fun as last year! For more information, including our brochure and sign-up form, check out the "Summer Program" link on the kauaipacific.org website, and feel free to contact Ryan at 639-6269 or ryan@kauaipacific.org with any questions.

Mahalo, and we hope you all have a fantastic summer! - Ryan, Jimena, and Ria

Events