Moananuiākea Connections: A FestPAC Forward Event

Moananuiākea Connections: A FestPAC Forward Event

Welina e nā hoa makamaka,

In June of 2024, Hawai‘i had the privilege of hosting the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture. The Kamehameha Schools hosted a 3-day event for students, ‘ohana, and the community of Hawai‘i to engage their Pacific extended families through a variety of programming like song and dance workshops, traditional games, performances and more.

As the momentum generated by our time together at FestPAC Hawai‘i continues to ripple across Moananuiākea, Kamehameha Schools’ Kaʻiwakīloumoku Pacific Indigenous Institute invites you to the first in a series of events for the 2024-2025 school year.

Please find attached a flyer with information about our Fall events and we ask you to consider sharing with your networks.

Tahitian Song and Dance Workshop

The first event is a Song and Dance Workshop, open and free to the public. This evening activity is an interactive engagement for people of all ages and levels of skill. The workshop will be led by Manari‘i and Nalini Gauthier, leaders of the award-winning Hawai‘i-based Tahitian dance troupe, Tahiti Mana. They will be teaching a Tahitian song and the accompanying dance for kāne and wāhine.

Film Screening

Our second event is provided through a collaborative effort between FIFO, the Center for Pacific Island Studies, and the Kamehameha Schools Ka‘īwakīloumoku Pacific Indigenous Institute. “The Return of Polynesian Treasures” is a film that tells the moving story of the reclaiming of Polynesian heritage and identity, symbolized by the return of emblematic works of art to Polynesian soil after a long exile. There will be a panel presentation following the film screening with the Director of the Musee de Tahiti et des Iles, Miriama Bono and Tahitian kapa maker/artist, Hinatea Colombani.

For more information, please contact Snowbird Bento at snbento@ksbe.edu.

We look forward to the opportunity of engaging with you and building upon our Moananuiākea Connections!

3 days ago

Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School
Aloha kākou! We are currently hiring and seeking well-qualified candidates to join our team immediately.View our available positions here: Nā Wai Ola PCS Career Opportunities nawaiolapcs.org/contact/career-opportunities/If you are interested, please submit your cover letter and resume to hr@nawaiolapcs.org. Mahalo! ... See MoreSee Less
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Aloha e nā ʻohana o Nā Wai Ola,We are proud to share exciting and historic news for our school community.Today, May 28, 2026, the Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission met and unanimously approved Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School’s expansion to serve grades Kindergarten through 12.This milestone means that Nā Wai Ola will grow into a full K–12 learning institution through a thoughtful, phased approach:Grade 9: School Year 2026–2027Grade 10: School Year 2027–2028Grade 11: School Year 2028–2029Grade 12: School Year 2029–2030The Commission recognized our newly designed Project-Based Learning (PBL) educational program as both robust and rigorous, noting its strong alignment with our mission, vision, and commitment to Hawaiian culture-based education. This affirmation reflects the deep and intentional work of our kumu and staff in designing meaningful, engaging, and academically challenging learning experiences for our haumāna.We are especially excited about the work already underway to prepare for this next phase. Our educational team is actively building and refining our schoolwide PBL program to ensure it enhances student learning, strengthens outcomes, and reflects who we are as a school community.In addition, we have begun coordination with our partners at the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, including the Complex Area Superintendent, as well as leadership from Keaʻau High School and the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF). Through these collaborations, we are working to ensure that our future high school students will have access to athletics and extracurricular opportunities through Keaʻau High School.This achievement reflects the collective commitment, dedication, and belief of our entire community—our haumāna, ʻohana, kumu, staff, and board. It is a direct result of our shared vision to provide a high-quality, culturally grounded education rooted in ʻike Hawaiʻi and delivered through a dynamic PBL approach.This success belongs to all of us.As we move forward, we remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure that every student is supported, challenged, and inspired—now and into the future.Mahalo nui loa for your continued trust, support, and partnership.Interested in enrollment for school year 2026-2027? Click the link: nawaiolapcs.org/ohana/enrollment/ ... See MoreSee Less
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4 weeks ago

Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School
Aloha kākou!Are you still considering where to send your keiki for middle school for the 2026 - 2027 school year? Nā Wai Ola PCS still has a few more spaces available for grades 6 - 8. We also have a few spots available for grade 9 high school. Contact us at (808) 968-2318 or office@nawaiolapcs.com. ... See MoreSee Less
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