Frequently Asked Questions - K-5 (Lower School)

Question: Where should I direct concerns about my child’s grade?

The teacher is the first point of contact regarding a student’s grade. By engaging the child’s teacher who issued the grade, the parent gets firsthand information in a timely fashion; this direct communication fosters a common understanding and a stronger partnership between home and school.

Question: How does the school address tardiness?

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Being on time to school in the morning and during the day is an important characteristic that defines a responsible citizen of our learning community. Tardiness typically becomes a more serious matter in Middle School when students begin to change classes during the day and assume more responsibility as they become more independent. When a student is late to school or class, we first determine if the tardy qualifies as “excused” or “ unexcused.” If unexcused, the tardy is considered a minor misconduct incident and 5 points are removed from the student’s conduct grade for the quarter grading period.

Question: Is space provided for students to store their instructional and personal supplies?

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Lower School students keep their instructional supplies in their classroom; their personal supplies normally are minimal. Middle School students are issued locks and lockers and students are required to keep all of their instructional and personal supplies in their assigned locker.

Question: Does the Village Campus have an annual Open House?

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The Village Campus hosts an annual Open House, although the purpose, intent, and time varies somewhat from the standard open house format. Our Open House takes place earlier in the school year (within the first two weeks) and is intended to provide parents with important information relative to academic expectations, curriculum, and general classroom procedures that facilitate home-school communication.

Question: Where should I direct a concern I have about the school?

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Almost always, a concern or inquiry should first be directed to the faculty or staff member who is most likely able to respond in a knowledgeable and meaningful manner. The administration maintains an open door policy, but will honor a process that invites parents and faculty to communicate directly, as this most often facilitates accurate communication and builds trust, understanding, and partnership. General questions or concerns can be directed to the office and/or principal.

Question: As a new parent, when will I receive information about the upcoming school year, e.g., school supply list, schedule, etc.?

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Yes. Information for the upcoming school year is distributed to families no later than June. This information will be sent home and posted on the school’s Web site. If you have any questions, call the Village Campus (K-8) office at 808-885-2501 or the Upper Campus (9-12) at 808-885-7321.

Question: Does the Village Campus have an after-school program?

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Yes. The Village Campus runs an after-school program for students in grades K-6 designed primarily as day care. Two faculty members supervise students as they complete homework assignments, play board games, read in the library, work on an educational computer game, play on the playground, or participate in arts and crafts activities.

We are in the process of building a foundation for a more "formal" after-school program. During the 2007-2008 school year, we offered a Lower School Spanish and dance class activity and we hope to expand these offerings for the 2008-2009 school year to include several athletic and arts/music offerings, as well as a modern language offering.

Question: What are the Village Campus office hours?

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Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Question: Does HPA provide transportation for students to and from school?

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No. Parents, relatives, or authorized guardians drive their children to and from school. There are designated areas for drop-off and pick-up that are supervised by the school’s security, faculty, and administration.

Question: Does the Village Campus have a dress code?

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Yes. We have Lower and Middle School dress codes. Students are required to meet specific standards in support of “presenting themselves in a respectful and responsible manner.” The Lower School dress code is not as formal as the Middle School dress code. We do require Lower School students to adhere to an informal physical education dress code by wearing a red T-shirt on the day they have physical education.

At the Middle School, we have instituted a formal physical education T-shirt requirement. For Middle School students, additional emphasis is placed on the “respectful and responsible” aspect of dress at school.

Question: What happens when my child is absent from school due to illness?

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When a child is absent from school due to illness, we ask that the school be informed as quickly as possible; usually, a phone call to the office (885-2501) is sufficient. The child cannot return to school on the day he/she is out sick to participate in activities either during the day, after school, and in the evening (special events).

Question: What happens when my child is absent from school as a result of vacation?

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The school strongly encourages families to plan trips and vacations during the school’s scheduled vacation breaks. As a citizen of a learning community, we feel a student’s presence is a responsibility that he/she should take seriously. With sufficient notice (minimum of two weeks), teachers can prepare some class work for students when they are away from school but, in reality, the student’s learning experience is significantly diminished due to the nature of learning in an interactive classroom environment. Students are permitted to make up tests and assessments within the regular school day when they return from vacation.

Question: How is misbehavior/discipline handled at the Village Campus?

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We prefer to not use the word “discipline” when helping students learn from their mistakes. We use the term "student management" and the concept of “natural and progressive consequences” to help students recognize and realize the implications of mistakes and poor decisions. Knowing that modeling is one of the most powerful tools for learning, the faculty and staff at the Village Campus interact with students around disciplinary matters in a manner that enables them to retain their self-worth and dignity, while learning to take responsibility for their actions. We document all student behavior issues that qualify as “minor” or “major” incidents. Teasing, being disrespectful, out of dress code, tardiness, etc., are examples of minor incidents. Physical aggression of any sort, lying, cheating, stealing, or vandalism are considered major incidents. Repeated minor incidents can qualify as a “major” incident. All major incidents harbor the potential for a suspension from school.

Lower School (K-5) Students: All minor K-5 student management concerns are addressed by the classroom teacher, who usually works with the parent to address the matter. Occasionally, additional support from either the school counselor and/or administration might be essential to help resolve the matter. When a major incident occurs, the school’s administration becomes involved and works with school personnel and the parents to address the matter.

Middle School (6-8) Students: HPA employs a student conduct report system, whereby every quarter, students begin anew with 100 points. In the event a student incurs a minor or major incident, points are deducted from the student’s conduct grade; minor incidents are valued at 5 points while major incidents can result in a maximum 25 point deduction. When a student misbehaves, the teacher will meet with the student to review the matter. If the teacher feels the incident warrants a point deduction, the incident is documented and both the student and teacher sign the incident report. Repeated minor incidents and all major incidents warrant involvement of the school’s administration. When a student’s conduct total falls below 90 points, the student no longer qualifies for honor roll for the quarter. Additionally, if a student’s conduct grade falls below 75, he/she is placed on “social” probation. Social probation limits a student’s participation in extracurricular activities and lasts for a semester or until the principal lifts this restriction.

Question: How long is the school day at the Lower School?

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School begins at 7:55 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m. Classrooms open at 7:40 a.m.

Question: What is the Village Campus?

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Hawaii Preparatory Academy is a K-12 institution with grades K-8 located about 1.5 miles from the Upper Campus. The Village Campus is situated between the Upper Campus and “village” of Waimea, hence, the term “Village” Campus. The K-8 school also is referred to as the “Lower Campus” in reference to the K-8 component of the school.

Question: What is the Village Campus (K-8) school culture like?

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Our school is committed to educating both the “head and heart.” We promote and support character education, quality citizenship, and academic excellence throughout all aspects of the school’s curriculum and culture.

Question: What is character education?

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Character education is that component of our school where we intentionally and explicitly help students understand the important virtues that serve as a foundation for a healthy and responsible life. Using the Heartwood Ethics Program, which embraces the virtues of love, hope, courage, loyalty, honesty, justice, and respect, we address and celebrate these qualities that are so integral to living constructive lives through activities at assemblies and events, literature, celebrations, service learning projects, learning to mediate and problem-solve, partnerships with parents and outside resources and, most importantly, through modeling daily living and work at the Village Campus.

Question: How do you address citizenship at the Village Campus?

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Creating a school culture of “caring” serves as the basis for good citizenship. Caring about how to conduct oneself in a respectful and responsible manner in all things related to our school and learning is paramount to helping create a healthy, productive community. We celebrate our students’ accomplishments and try to help them learn from their mistakes in an honest and sincere fashion. Our Middle School has an honor code that serves as a reminder to students about their responsibility as citizens of our school community.

Question: How will I know if my child is ready for kindergarten?

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Here are some of the observable signs that might indicate readiness in a child before entering kindergarten:

Is comfortable away from parents for several hours
Has the ability to express ideas and feelings to adults other than parents
Takes care of toileting needs independently
Is able to retell familiar stories
Enters a new activity without fear
Accepts minor disappointments or limits without anger or tears
Listens to and follows directions
Finds ways to resolve conflicts with peers independently
Is able to work independently without constant adult supervision/support
Participates comfortably in group discussions
Is developing an ability to stay focused and listen to a story
Makes simple decisions given a few choices
Uses a pencil or crayon with a relaxed and controlled grasp
Takes care of personal belongings
Repeats a series of numbers without practice
Identifies primary colors
Recognizes and identifies alphabet letters and sounds
Recognizes and identifies numerals and number values 0-10
Counts 5-10 objects accurately
Draws recognizable drawings

Question: How will the school communicate with me about my child's progress with grade-level skills?

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Teachers communicate with families through learning guides, parent-teacher conferences, regular teacher newsletters, and progress reports.

Question: How will I know where my child is in relationship to age and grade expectations?

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Regular classroom assessment allow classroom teachers to determine specific levels of understanding and skill with each of their students. Standardized testing, which takes place in the spring for children in grades 3-5, provides statistical data as one means of assessment. Conferences, both formal and informal, along with written assessment in the form of a progress report, provide families with a wealth of knowledge about each child’s skill level and progress noted within that level.

Question: Is the curriculum at each grade level contiguous, integrated, and challenging?

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Our educators, supported by a leadership team dedicated to the development of appropriate and challenging curriculum, work in collaboration to design, implement, and review curriculum strands in grades K-5 to ensure a contiguous, grade and age appropriate, and challenging curriculum for all students.

Question: Does the school have any policies regarding the use of computers and technology?

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Yes. All students in grades K-12 must adhere to the school's Acceptable Use Policy for their respective division. The school regards computers and technology as essential tools for learning. Students are expected to demonstrate responsible and ethical use of these resources. E-mail accounts are provided for students and are subject to monitoring. Students are responsible for the content of their computer accounts at all times.

Question: What kinds of transition activities take place from each grade level to the next?

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Classroom teachers design individualized opportunities for children to experience transition activities as each school year comes to an end. These include, but are not limited to, panel discussions where students in one class ask questions of students in the next grade level, time spent together on collaborative projects in the classroom of the next grade level, and written responses to frequently asked questions from one class to the next grade level.

Frequently Asked Questions - K-5 (Lower School)

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