2024 La Lei - Island School’s 1st Annual Sabra Kauka Lei Contest

Aloha Island School ‘Ohana,

The excitement was palpable as students of all ages, from Kindergarten to our high school students, stood in line at the steps leading into school to register their carefully crafted lei for Lā Lei. And as the morning progressed, the line grew and grew, stretching all the way towards the office doors! How could we know what excitement Island School’s 1st Annual Sabra Kauka Lei Contest would generate? I was so impressed that just under 70 students submitted lei for this wonderful new tradition designed and hosted by the ‘Ohana Association! Not only was it a wonderful way to honor the cultural tradition and art of lei making, but I was so pleased for the event to be named after our dedicated Hawaiian Studies Kumu of nearly 30 years, Sabra Kauka.

It was so much fun seeing our students come to school dressed proudly in their aloha wear.  I could see the pride in students’ eyes as they waited in line to submit their lei. The hallways and classrooms held the wafting sweet smells of pikake and tuberose, puakenikeni and plumeria.... I could hear the oooooos and ahhhhhhs as I approached the Main Hall Lanai as students and adults viewed the beautiful lei made from paper, clay, kukui nut, ti leaf, and all forms of incredible flowers, ferns, and other foliage. I was so impressed by the creativity and dedication that students and staff alike showed in their contest submissions. What a wonderful way to head into this celebratory month of May!

And as we move through the coming weeks, with AP exams and projects galore, we hope family and friends will join us this evening at 6 pm for the Middle School Play, “The Big Bad,” that runs through Sunday. In addition, for Tuesday, May 14, you’ll want to secure your free tickets for our Choral Concert “As Seen on Screen” to celebrate through song film favorites by performers in 4th through 12th Grades. We’re thrilled to be one of the first events held in the newly reopened KCC Performing Arts Center.

And of course, our students are working hard in preparation for Hō‘ike on Friday, May 24, to honor the learning focused on our theme: Ola I Ka Wai – Water is Life. We hope you and your ‘ohana can carve out the time to join us for this special morning for Pre-K through 12th Grade! And, while formal dismissal will be around 11:30 am that day, we hope you can stay with us through our hō‘ike pā‘ina - lunch celebration - for a wonderful time to gather together and enjoy the day. (Don’t forget to order lunch tickets by Fri, May 17.)

As always, we continue to hold gratitude for your belief in Island School and for entrusting us with these important years of your child’s education. And please remember, we bridge the gap between what tuition covers and the full cost of the dynamic programming we provide through the unrestricted support of the Annual Voyager Fund. Thank you again to all those who have already contributed this year to get us to our current level of $165,000, and we continue to seek out all our families to participate in whatever amount is meaningful to you to help us meet our aspirational goal of $200,000. All gifts, no matter the size, make a difference in the support we can provide to our students!

Together,

Nancy Nagramada

Head of School