Ke Kula Niÿihau o Kekaha

[Liko Puha]

http://www.kauaiworld.com/display/inn_news/news01.txt

Friday, June 20, 2003

Hawaiian language school Ke Kula Ni~Qihau O Kekaha graduates its first
senior class

By TGI STAFF and Ke Kula Ni~Qihau O Kekaha Learning Center

Three students from Ke Kula Ni'ihau O Kekaha Learning Center, a New
Century Public Charter Laboratory School, were honored Saturday at the
school's first graduation ceremony.

Graduating seniors include U~Qimalamalama Kelley, Hi'ipoilani Kanahele, and
Kawaimana Kanahele.

Graduation day started out with a special service held at the Waimea
Hawaiian Church. This was a time for the graduates to be together with
their families and other students in order to "ho'omaika~Q'i i ke Akua," or
to acknowledge the spiritual side of this important occasion in their
lives.

Later in the afternoon, official graduation ceremonies were held on the
campus of Ke Kula Ni'ihau O Kekaha, located at the site of the former
Kekaha Armory across the street from Kekaha School. In addition to the
traditional diploma, each graduate was presented with a lei po~Qo, a shell
lei worn on the head; a lei ~Qa~Qi, a traditional Ni~Qihau shell lei; and a
kihei, or cloak.

Both H~Qipoilani Kanahele and Kelley are currently planning to continue
their studies at Kaua'i Community College, and Kawaimana Kanahele's
immediate goal is to make a music CD and pursue his interest in music.

Ke Kula Ni'ihau O Kekaha is unique in that its primary goal is to
perpetuate and strengthen the Ni'ihau dialect of the Hawaiian language
among Ni~Qihau youth, as well as to prepare the students with the necessary
skills for both survival and ultimately success in the modern world of the
twenty-first century.

The model used in the school is one which has proven successful with other
indigenous language speakers throughout the world, such as Welsh in Great
Britain, Saami (Lapp) in Norway, and Romansch in Switzerland. This style
of teaching has proven to be effective in each of these countries in not
only preserving the indigenous languages but also providing a strong
academic background ensuring future educational success for the students.

This model provides that children be taught exclusively through their
native language in early school years in order to strengthen the language
and provide the basic educational skills needed to succeed in the upper
grades.

At Ke Kula Ni'ihau O Kekaha, the Ni~Qihau dialect of Hawaiian is used as
the medium of instruction from kindergarten through the early elementary
years. English is then formally taught beginning in the middle school,
with core classes continuing to be taught primarily in Hawaiian. In high
school, core classes are taught in both Hawaiian and English, and French
is added as a third language.

Doubts about the possible negative effects of teaching exclusively in
Hawaiian during the early years were basically put to rest when Pua
Kanahele, an eighth grader at Ke Kula Ni~Qihau O Kekaha, recently won first
place in the English-language middle-school division statewide essay
contest sponsored by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Guests at the graduation ceremonies included not only families and friends
from the Ni~Qihau community, but also representatives from Ke Kula ~QO
Nawahiokalani~Qopu~Qu in Kea~Qau on the Big Island, and Ke Kula~QO Samuel M.
Kamakau in Kailua, O~Qahu. The three graduates had earlier attended
graduation ceremonies held at each of these schools.

Other guests included a variety of people who have supported the school
over the years, including members of the ~QAha Punana Leo, Office of
Hawaiian Affairs, and dignitaries from the state Board of Education, the
Kaua~Qi Complex Area of the Department of Education, and the County of
Kaua~Qi.

The staff at the school includes: Paul Koki Williams, administrator;
Leimokihana Kanahele and Hi~Qipoi Kanahele, elementary school teachers;
Kalei Shintani, middle school teacher; Hokulani Cleeland, high school
teacher.


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