A Time for Reflection

Aloha Island School ‘Ohana,

Here we are on the cusp of our October Break! I hope the change in routine brings your family a chance to slow down and be with each other in ways that a regular school week can make more challenging. Whether that is a little more time in the water, time in the mountains, time with a book, time playing music, time with ‘ohana filled with laughter and fun…I hope the pause allows your children to take time to stretch out of their routine so they can then look forward to the labor of learning that school asks of them when we return on Tuesday, October 15.

And as I was doing some reflection, I spent some time thinking about how this past week marked the start of Filipino American Heritage Month…. I am excited about the special month designation due to my own family heritage – both my parents immigrated are from the Visayan region of the Philippines. As is fairly typical in California public schools, and I graduated from our town’s local high school, I learned little to nothing about the Philippines, even though it played a significant role in some major moments in American history in the 20th century, was a US territory for for 48 years, and was the largest Asian immigrant group in California. I am so impressed by the high school students in Hawaiʻi who initiated a movement for a Filipino history course as a core academic option for their peers that was just accepted by the Hawaiʻi DOE. The students felt there was an under-representation in curriculum of the Filipino experience even though people of Filipino heritage make up as much as 25% in the state and nearly 32% in Kauaʻi by last census numbers. When my mother first came to visit Hawaiʻi many years ago, she said it felt like home to her, and I now know what she meant more than ever. If you get the chance, I hope you might consider taking part in some of the Kauaʻi Filipino Cultural Center events on October 18 and 19 at their beautiful community center right across the street from us. 

And then across this week, perhaps you’ll have a quieter time to reflect on what is important for you, or if you celebrate Yom Kippur, to engage with and atone for some of the choices you have made. I hope we give our children down time, lots of screen-free time, reading-from-a-book time, water time…anything that slows things down for them and allows them to relax into their full selves, not worrying about what others think but feel gratitude for what and who we have in our lives.

Finally, I just wanted to reflect on how, Monday, 10/14, in many parts of the country is known as Columbus Day. And then that same day, for most of my professional life in California, was known as Indigenous People’s Day. And here in Hawai‘i, Monday is known as Discovers’ Day. I loved learning last year that in 1972, Hawai’i chose to honor the Pacific and Polynesian navigators through the designation of Discovers’ Day in October. And how cool is it that I got to do along with our students something that seemed like only an unlikely dream, to have even a short moment on the deck of the Hōkūleʻa when she was here in Kauaʻi. This world that we live in has so many experiences and perspectives to learn about, and I am grateful to be in a community that values many voices.

I wish you a wonderful break with your children that I hope includes time to pause and reflect. As always, mahalo for your belief in our community and for entrusting your children’s education to this dedicated team at Island School.

Together,

P.S.

I have such gratitude for those of you who have jumped in and participated in the Annual Voyager Fund! And special big thanks to those who are giving through a recurring monthly donation; I hope you love your magnet…mine already has a special spot in my office. Let’s keep working together towards our 100% participation goal in the Annual Voyager Fund in the name of all that we can do together for our Island School ‘ohana!