Table of Contents
About Our Academic Curriculum Program
Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School utilizes current and technologically-advanced academic programs as well as interactive supplemental resources to support student learning. In alliance with our Technology Program and being a 1:1 school, in which every student has an assigned Chromebook, all academic curriculum and supplemental resources provide both paper and online learning templates at our teachers’ discretion. This allows our school to leave a positive impact on our environment as well as allows our students to practice their computational skills.
Throughout the years, our students have responded well to our academic program, therefore, ensuring consistent progress, improved confidence, opportunities for independent learning, and efficient growth data. The programs and resources our teachers use assist our students in bridging any learning gaps, especially over the past two years with challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning.
The academic curriculum that we utilize for compliance with our state core standards in regards to English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, is by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH). This program provides all required resources for students to learn and apply their knowledge in a practical way. Along with our curriculum, we utilize multiple supplemental resources such as: i-Ready (for diagnostic assessments), IXL, Achieve 3000 (for Grades 3-6), and more. Our educational staff delivers instruction with a project-based learning and hands-on learning approach, while integrating skills and knowledge of ʻIke Hawaiʻi, Mahiʻai, and Aloha ʻĀina in alignment with our mission and vision.
Our Expectations
Our General Expectations
As a small learning ʻohana, we all have the responsibility to mālama (care for) one another. NWOPCS is committed to promoting and maintaining the physical, emotional, and social safety, health, welfare and fitness of our entire ʻohana (students, families, personnel). As such, the entire NWOPCS campus is a drug-free and smoke-free environment.
Our Academic Expectations
Nā Wai Ola Learning Community Learner Outcomes
- Haumāna and mākua will demonstrate proficiency in three key areas of literacy: decoding/fluency, comprehension/making connections, and enjoyment of reading, writing, and oral communication. Haumāna and mākua will show they enjoy reading, understand what they read, question and react to what they read based on their unique mana‘o (thoughts), and share their mana‘o (thoughts) by talking story and writing.
- Haumāna and mākua will develop their skills in Hawaiian language, culture, performing arts and environmental stewardship. Haumāna and mākua will learn and practice Hawaiian culture (including ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language), hula (dance), oli (chant), and malama ‘āina (caring for the land) on a daily basis.
- Haumāna and mākua apply a variety of critical and creative research skills and technologies to address real world challenges in project-based learning.
- Haumāna and mākua accept kuleana (responsibility) for gaining knowledge, becoming increasingly self-motivated and self-monitoring. They are able to reflect on and apply their learning. By developing a practice of both independent and cooperative learning, they move toward individual and collective economic and political self-sufficiency.
What a haumāna learns becomes their kuleana to perpetuate and share in their life beyond school. Over time, they take more and more kuleana in caring for themselves, their ‘ohana, their ‘āina (land), and their lāhui (people).