Students had fun in Kindergarten through 2nd grade as they kicked off the fall season by creating their own scarecrows using old shirts and pants brought from home. With the help from their middle school reading buddies, teachers and parent volunteers, students created unique faces and stuffed their own scarecrows with newspaper & straw until they were just right. Children later brought home their scarecrows to set up for neighbor kids to enjoy during Halloween trick-or-treat.
Students Take Their Classroom to the Zoo
3rd, 4th and 5th grade students took their class to the Honolulu Zoo to present their research on animals. Students prepared oral reports by researching an animal of their choosing and presenting their research facts to their classmates and Pre-K to 2nd grade students who also joined the field trip. Their teacher Lori Fukuoka helped her students prepare for their oral presentations by practicing, keeping notes and critiquing each other before their visit to the zoo.
Honolulu Symphony Ensemble Visits Ho`ala School
The Honolulu Symphony brought their music into the lives of Ho`ala students and teachers through the Symphony’s Education and Community Outreach program. The trio of musicians presented their love of music and music-making to students in Pre-K thru 12th grade. It was an intimate in-school ensemble performance especially designed for Hawaii’s children. The Honolulu Symphony is dedicated to enriching the lives of Hawai‘i’s children through accessible and affordable music programs.
Ho`ala students at every elementary grade level attend weekly music class. Middle school students attend weekly music classes as an elective. Music classes at all levels focus on the following concepts and skills: rhythm and melody (from imitating to reading notation), harmony, movement (folk dances and expressive movement), listening (making pitch distinctions and recognizing styles and master works), valuing (understanding music’s roles, and appreciating a variety of music), and creating (constructing variations and improvising). These concepts and skills are taught to each grade level as steps in a developmental continuum, from simple to increasingly complex.
