Hanai Family Program 2011-2012

Family Questionnaire:Download (PDF 64 KB)

Family Agreement: Download (PDF 64 KB)

Flier: Download (PDF 104 KB)

Introduction

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, in an effort to deepen our sense of community, has developed the Hanai Family Program.  In a partnership between the school administration, the campus residential programs, and the HPA ‘Ohana Association, we have created a program to establish a sense of ‘ohana (family) by engaging each of our non-Hawai‘i Island boarding students with HPA families on the island.  Beyond the obvious benefit to the boarding student of having a sense of "family" in our community, our sponsoring families will enjoy the experience of developing a relationship with a youth and family from off-island.

Purpose

To connect each off-island boarding student with an on-island HPA family for the student's time (4-7 years) at HPA.

Boarding Student

• Agree to work with his/her hanai family to schedule activities or outings around their HPA sports and academic commitments.
• Invite the hanai family to HPA events and/or an activity that includes the boarding student's family during their visit to the island.
• Host the hanai family brothers/sisters at HPA for a weekend or at an HPA event at least once a semester.
• Inform and plan any scheduled outings with the hanai family with their dorm head.

School

• Coordinate the selection/assignment of boarding students to hanai families and any associate mailings, schedules, and plans with the HPA ‘Ohana Association Coordinators.
• Help boarding students plan an event or weekend that the hanai family's children can attend at HPA in the boarding facilities.
• Distribute a letter to explain and encourage parents of boarding students to become involved in the ‘Ohana Association and the Hanai Family Program.
• Assist hanai parents with scheduling, planning, and checking the boarding students in and out of the dorm for planned activities/outings.

HPA ‘Ohana Association

• Co-coordinate the recruitment and selection of HPA families to participate in the Hanai Family Program with the HPA boarding staff.
• Co-coordinate the opening, closing, and Parents Weekend events for those families and students participating in the Hanai Family Program.

Activity Suggestions

The program works best by inviting the hanai son/daughter to an outing/activity that already is planned for the family rather than planning a special event around the visit.  Overnight or weekend stays at the hanai family's home are not a requirement of the hanai family but are encouraged.

Basic, simple activities are encouraged and could include shopping, beach outings, barbecues, fishing, movies, dinner, and attendance at church.

A holiday tradition or birthday celebration of a hanai family member or the hanai student are other ideas.

Hanai outings may be simple yet creative.  Fit an activity or outing into your schedule and allow it to be an event for you, your family, and your hanai son/daughter.

Requirements

The most basic requirement is a real interest in hosting and meeting a boarding student from another island, the mainland, or another country.  Evaluations from other host family programs indicate this to be the most critical criteria for program success.

Participating families and boarding students must sign and return the Hanai Family Program agreement.

The completion of a basic questionnaire is needed to determine some characteristics of the family and their preferences to assist in pairing families with boarding students.

Student Check Out Process

Middle School

At the Middle School, the boarding student must complete a weekend leave form and submit it to the director of residential life and the hanai parent must contact the director of residential life at 808-885-2551 (office) to set up an outing for the boarder.  Please note that on many weekends, HPA activities are arranged such that ALL boarders leave as a group and return as a group so pick up/drop off times need to be scheduled to ensure that there is supervision available on campus for a hanai student who does not go with the rest of the boarders.

Upper School

In general, it is the responsibility of the boarding student to complete either a weekend leave request or to check with the dorm head and sign out accordingly.  After the boarding student has submitted the request, the hanai family will receive a call confirming the outing.  However, a courtesy call by the hanai family to the dorm head is appropriate and appreciated.

Goals

To offer:

• Boarding students and their families a "connection" with a family in the Waimea community.
• Opportunities for day students and their families to meet and foster friendships with boarding students and their families.
• Parents a better understanding of the ‘Ohana Association's role in and contributions to the HPA community.

Basic Commitments

We ask for the following commitments during the year.

The Hanai Family

• Organize at least two outings and/or a weekend each semester with the Hanai son/daughter, more if possible. We ask that the activities be something the Hanai family members would customarily do together.
• Attend welcome and "thank you" receptions for parents and students participating in the program at the beginning and end of each school year.
• If the "connection" works, consider continuing the relationship for the duration of the boarding student's stay at HPA.
• Allow the Hanai family children who attend the Middle School or Upper School to participate in an HPA boarding weekend or outing with their Hanai brother/sister.
• Sign the Hanai Family Agreement developed by the ‘Ohana Association and HPA as part of the Hanai Family Program's commitment to provide a supervised and safe environment for the boarding students.

‘Ohana Association Hanai Family Program
hanaiinfo@hpa.edu