Week of 10/27/23
What's Happening at HPA This Week?
Message from the Head of School
Aloha HPA ʻohana,
We’ve got spirit, yes we do…
Rocktober! This new fall festivity at Village Campus last Friday set into motion a chain of events, positive vibes, and a growing wave of excitement that is building through the next couple of weeks!
When I met with the Student Council in August we discussed and underlined three areas that have heavy impacts on school culture and student experience. The first is scholarship. We want to create an environment where students feel safe to strive for excellence, where they push to grow and learn, and ultimately they develop critical skills that support higher learning. The second is service. We desire to be a community that gives forward and contributes to the efforts of making communities better. This comes in many shapes and sizes and most often starts with individual actions or ways of being that eventually add up to larger and more impactful initiatives. The last area of focus we discussed can tie it all together. This one is also very controllable – we have the power to inspire and sustain it. But, it is sometimes just out of our reach from year to year based on different factors. I believe it can have a major influence on the culture of a school and the feeling everyone has about their work — spirit. I’ve been at schools, and even at times here when school spirit has lagged. The formula isn’t too difficult and timing is important, but ultimately, like most things, it is tied to the energy put into it. Just as when the successes of particular athletic teams or school and community events are influenced by the energy applied — when that energy is strong and genuine we make the magic happen.
We have an opportunity this weekend and next to really build and ride a large wave of Ka Makani spirit with several important events. Athletics can play a key role in the surge of school spirit and community experiences, but the foundation has to start much deeper. Similar to the statement about character, athletics isn’t where character takes root, but it does provide ground for character to grow and shape. It’s an arena for character to show and shine.
Our cheer team participated in their culminating event on Wednesday. After a win in front of a packed, Ka Makani red-clad fan base in Castle Gymnasium on Thursday, our volleyball team is now battling for a BIIF league championship this Saturday. Our football team will play under the lights tonight for a BIIF league championship and our girls and boys cross country teams will host the BIIF championship races on the Upper Campus on Saturday. What a line-up!
These events are not limited to our grade 9-12 community alone. We are a small school fighting a few weight classes up. We want our K-8 students and families to feel just as much a part of this effort as our Upper School families. Our kids need to see themselves in these situations and there is no better way to do this than by attending events. Get there, wear red, and share your pride for HPA.
Come Monday, we’re not done, we’re only just beginning. Our Student Councils on both campuses will then guide us through carefully curated Spirit Weeks for all three divisions. I love witnessing their creativity and camaraderie! From Pajama Day to Crazy Hair Day, I’m all in! It’s fun and it makes school fun — this is important. Working hard at scholarship, service, and school spirit cultivates a well-rounded, fulfilling, and memorable experience for us all. I hope you will join in and let your Ka Makani spirit soar!
Gratefully,
Fred Wawner
Head of School
School Bulletins for the Week of 10/27/23
Lower School
Each week, Lower School Principal Dora Kwong writes a message to K-5 families highlighting joyful moments and meaningful lessons and offering a glimpse into what students and parents can plan for in the weeks ahead.
From the desk of your Division Principal, Dora Kwong
Aloha Lower School families,
It was wonderful to connect with families these past two days here at the Village Campus! An important component of our school-family partnership, Parent-teacher Conferences are one of our five formal times of family-school communications (Intake, Parent-teacher, and Student-led Conferences, alongside two annual academic reports, one at the end of each semester). We hope your meetings with your child’s teachers provided an opportunity to discuss their learning journeys, goals, challenges, and strengths. We love and enjoy seeing families on campus and look forward to these days each year.
Another time that we hope to see you will be during our Pinch Pot Harvest Fête, coming up on Friday, November 10, from 3:15 to 5:00 pm in Ulumau Garden. A Garden and Art collaboration, our Harvest Fête seeks to highlight community giving, usher in the Makahiki season, and provide time for families and students to connect. Students have created pinch pots, one to keep and one to give, and we will be serving warm noodle bowls cooked in part from our Ulumau Garden harvest. This year’s Harvest Fête will raise money for our dear island neighbor, Maui. Come enjoy the live music and good cheer!
It’s hard to believe it is time for another event when we are still buzzing from last week’s amazing Rocktober! Mahalo once again to our ‘Ohana Association representatives who pulled off this gathering, Ratna, Michele, Rebeca, Petra, Iolani, Teresa, Kolby, and Vanessa! Their time, energy, and enthusiasm provided a wonderful community event for all of us. We have been continuing to enjoy the ti leaf lei and kindness rocks students created from that afternoon!
If you did not get a chance to do so, please stop by the Village Campus Lost and Found, located on the lanai adjacent to the Village Campus Main Office. All items not picked up by next week will be cleaned and donated to our local thrift shop.
You probably saw on your Seesaw posting our K-8 Librarian, Mrs. Kristin Tarnas, posted a newsletter, HPA Taylor Library News, with a photo album and updates. Take a look and always feel free to stop by the library itself after school for a browse with your keiki!
Lastly, it behooves me to give a shout-out to Ms. Mellon Monello, K-8 EdTech Specialist, whose Middle School students work in creating films for PBS’ Hiki NŌ continues to be featured. On October 31, at 7:30 pm, we are so proud that the film created in last year’s Yearbook & Documentary Film Class, Being Kumu, will be aired. This short film features our very own K-8 Hawaiian Studies Educator, Kumu Kūwalu Anakalea, and was created by HPA students, Lane Surdam ‘27 and Khloe Nakagawa ‘28. You may also share and live stream it here.
Have a wonderful weekend, Lower School ‘ohana. See you next week, Spirit Week!
Mālama pono,
Dora Kwong
Lower School Principal
Schedule
Our K-5 classes continue with in-person instruction on our Village Campus on Monday, October 30.
We encourage all families to check the School Calendar in myHPA for the most up-to-date information. In addition, a list of Key Dates (school opening and closures) can also be located on the Lower School Family Resources tile located in myHPA.
Coming Up
• Monday, October 30 – Friday, November 3: Lower School Spirit Week
• Tuesday, October 31, from 2:30 to 3:00 pm: Village Campus Trick-or-Treat Halloween March
• Friday, November 10, from 3:15 to 5:00 pm: Pinch Pot Harvest Fête; Village Campus
HPA Admissions Open House
HPA will be hosting Open House events for all three divisions — Lower, Middle, and Upper School — in the month of November. Please help us spread the word!
Lower School
November 1, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Middle School
November 8, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Upper School
November 10, 8:30 to 11:00 am
As a reminder, the 2024-2025 application is now available online to apply any HPA siblings and share with your friends and family. The admissions team will also be out “on the road” in a variety of locations locally and around the world to meet up with prospective students, parents, alumni, and more! We look forward to many good times together as we dive into the new school year. Mahalo for your partnership and enthusiasm for HPA!
Helpful Lower School Contacts & Links
Student Support
- Ms. Rachel Baydo, K-8 School Counselor, rbaydo@hpa.edu
- Mr. Joe Ludes, K-8 Learning Specialist, jludes@hpa.edu
After School Program, K-5
Mrs. Mele DeMille, Director of After School Programs, mdemille@hpa.edu
Past Email Communications
All past email communications can be accessed by visiting the Lower School Family Resources tile on myHPA and scrolling down to Past Parent Email Communications, 2023-2024.
myHPA
In addition to Seesaw, many important resources can be located on our community portal, myHPA. Check the Lower School Family Resources tile for the most up-to-date information.
Middle School
Each week, Middle School Principal Glenn Chickering pens a note to 6-8 families reflecting on the activities and accomplishments of the week and previewing what students and parents can look forward to in the coming days.
From the desk of your Division Principal, Glenn Chickering
Aloha Middle School families,
It was so great to get to see and catch up with so many of you during the past few days of Village Campus Parent-teacher Conferences. The conferences are such a key component as we strive for open communication and partnership. I’ve used this passage before, but it warrants repeating; “…the level of trust in schools (students, teachers, parents) is the variable that most strongly determines academic outcomes.” – Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform.
We hope that these conferences gave you a window into your child’s learning in their classes and helped you connect with their teachers so that we can continue to partner in helping our students grow into their best versions of themselves.
On Thursday afternoon, I had the pleasure of hosting a Virtual Open House with prospective HPA families. We were joined by some current parents who shared their perspectives on their children’s experiences at HPA. We know things aren’t always perfect and we’ll always hit some bumps along the way, but it was heartwarming to hear that these parents see our intentions and see the results of the community we are striving to build in their children’s comfort level and success at school. Thank you for that partnership!
Speaking of parent gratitude, we’d like to send a big mahalo to the Village Campus ʻohana and all the parents who helped transform Roctober! from an idea to a successful reality. Great stuff!
This week’s Fly on the Wall peeks in on Grade 7 science classes, where students are busy creating ecosystems out of the wilds of their imaginations. While they must make these ecosystems sustainable ones, complete with a workable food web with producers on up to apex predators, they have a lot of creative freedom to dream up some truly interesting (and sometimes scary) flora and fauna. We’ll share pictures once we see some of their complete ecosystems and interworkings.
If you find yourself on campus, it would be worth stopping by the Village Campus lost and found located just outside the office. It is pretty stocked with some great stuff that you may not be quite ready to donate. We’ll also remind the students, but an extra set of eyes just might be what it takes to get those hoodies and water bottles back to their rightful owners.
That said, if you’re on campus, please make sure you stop in our Lynn Talyor Library. Ms. Tarnas has created a wonderful environment of her own in there. Check out some of the great things going on with this HPA Taylor Library News update.
And finally, our students’ work in creating films for PBS’ Hiki NŌ continues to be featured. On Halloween night at 7:30 pm, Being Kumu, features one of our very own Kumu Kūwalu, filmed by HPA students, Lane Surdam ‘27 and Khloe Nakagawa ‘28. This one was filmed in last year’s Yearbook/Documentary Film Class. You can live stream it here.
I hope you and your family enjoy the weekend!
Mahalo,
Glenn Chickering
Middle School Principal
Capstone Update from K-8 Capstone Coordinator, Dagan Bernstein
Aloha mai kākou. Over the past month, our 8th-grade capstone students transitioned from the “community need” milestone to the “project proposal” phase. They completed an exploration of community needs related to their chosen topics and honed their research skills using tools such as the “Question Tree Map.”
As the weeks went on, students identified gaps in information, aligned their findings with specific community needs, and prepared for peer presentations. This led them to craft the core of their project proposals, highlighting clear problem identification, proposed solutions, and a central mission statement.
The process culminated in a thorough review phase. Students analyzed feedback from a variety of sources and participated in a final review session with their capstone advisor to ensure a holistic refinement of their projects. As we transition to conferences, they are equipped with a solid direction and foundation for their discussions.
Schedule
Our Middle School 2023-2024 Daily Schedule continues with in-person instruction on our Village Campus on Monday, October 30.
We encourage all families to check the School Calendar in myHPA for the most up-to-date information. In addition, a list of Key Dates (school opening and closures) can also be located on the Middle School Family Resources tile located in myHPA.
Don’t forget Monday, October 30 – Friday, November 3 is Spirit Week!
Monday, October 30: Pajama Day / Crazy Hair Day
Tuesday, October 31: Halloween Costumes
There will be photographs at lunchtime in the breezeway for anybody who would like to enter the costume contests. There will be three categories:
- Funniest
- Character
- Group
Winners will be announced at our Assembly on Friday, November 3. Middle School advisory classrooms will be receiving Lower School trick-or-treaters to round out Halloween day at the Village Campus. Middle School students won’t be left out of the treats though, as they will receive a gift bag compliments of the ʻOhana Association.
Wednesday, November 1: Wacky Wednesday
Think opposite day – anything but a backpack, anything but a water bottle – Think WACKY!
Thursday, November 2: Advisory Match Day
Students in advisory classes dress alike or in a common theme.
Friday, November 3: Dress like a teacher / Dress like a student day
Coming Up
• October 30 – November 3: Middle School Spirit Week
• Tuesday, October 31, from 2:30 to 3:00 pm: Village Campus Trick-or-Treat Halloween March
• Friday, November 10, from 3:15 to 5:00 pm: Pinch Pot Harvest Fête; Village Campus
• Tuesday, November 21: Middle School Makahiki Games
HPA Admissions Open House
HPA will be hosting Open House events for all three divisions — Lower, Middle, and Upper School — in the month of November. Please help us spread the word!
Lower School
November 1, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Middle School
November 8, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Upper School
November 10, 8:30 to 11:00 am
As a reminder, the 2024-2025 application is now available online to apply any HPA siblings and share with your friends and family. The admissions team will also be out “on the road” in a variety of locations locally and around the world to meet up with prospective students, parents, alumni, and more! We look forward to many good times together as we dive into the new school year. Mahalo for your partnership and enthusiasm for HPA!
Helpful Middle School Contacts & Links
Student Support
- Ms. Rachel Baydo, K-8 School Counselor, rbaydo@hpa.edu
- Mr. Joe Ludes, K-8 Learning Specialist, jludes@hpa.edu
After School Program, Grades 6-8
Mrs. Mele DeMille, Director of After School Programs, mdemille@hpa.edu
Past Email Communications
All past email communications can be accessed by visiting the Middle School Family Resource tile on myHPA and scrolling down to ‘Past Email Communications, 2022-2023’.
myHPA
myHPA is where you can find all the resources related to your child’s learning. Two key resource boards that we would like to draw your attention to are the ‘Middle School Family Resources’, and the ‘Middle School Student Resources’.
myHPA Tutorials
myHPA is your window to your child’s progress in school. Here you will find their schedules, their assignments, their grade books and so much more. Ms. Monello and our IT team have put together a number of tutorials to help you navigate the myHPA parent portal.
Please note this myHPA Middle School Parent Tutorial, which gives you an overview of using myHPA as a window to your child’s learning in real time.
Upper School
From the desk of your Poʻo Kumu (Division Principal), Kaʻai Spencer
Aloha e nā maka o ka ʻupena a ka makani!
To continue on the message that was shared last week about the challenges that are typically experienced in October, I would like to encourage everyone to take a moment to breathe. Inhale four counts, hold four counts, exhale eight counts, hold four counts, and repeat three times. Once finished, remind yourself to be where your feet are and enjoy the moment you are in. Relax your shoulders, smile, and put one foot in front of the other.
Ke aloha nō,
Kaʻai Spencer
Upper School Poʻo Kumu
Schedule
Our Upper School 2023-2024 Daily Schedule will resume as an ʻUla day with in-person instruction on our Upper Campus on Monday, October 30.
We encourage all students and families to access the School Calendar in myHPA for the most up-to-date information. In addition, a list of Key Dates (school opening and closures) can also be located on the Upper School Family Resources tile located in myHPA.
Coming Up
• Monday, October 30 to Friday, November 3: Upper School Spirit Week
• Friday, November 3: Haunted Walk; Upper School
• Saturday, November 4, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm: Fall Ball, Kahilu Town Hall
Student Support
Should your child need additional learning support, we encourage you to reach out to Amanda Aragon, our Upper School Learning Center Coordinator, by emailing aaragon@hpa.edu. In addition, our counselors are ready to assist any student who needs additional support to navigate these unusual and unprecedented times. Please feel free to reach out to the Upper Campus counseling team of Tiffany Freitas at 808-881-4038 or tfreitas@hpa.edu and Steve Furchner at 808-640-4441 or sfurchner@hpa.edu.
Student Life
Upcoming Student Life Events:
- October 30 to November 3: Upper School Spirit Week
- Friday, October 27: Haunted Walk
- Saturday, November 4: Fall Ball, Kahilu Town Hall
Ka Makani Players
The Ka Makani players return to the theater with their upcoming fall musical. Based on the 2001 novel by Amanda Brown and MGM’s 2001 Hollywood film (starring Reese Witherspoon), “Legally Blonde, The Musical” takes us on a comedic and romantic journey as Elle Woods (a UCLA sorority valley girl) follows Warner Huffington III (her ex-boyfriend) to Harvard Law School in hopes of winning him back. While Elle’s initial goal is to win Warner back, she ultimately discovers and highlights the value of integrity, strength, independence, and being true to yourself!
Please note just like the movie, “Legally Blonde, The Musical” is rated PG-13, and may contain content that is not suitable for young audience members. As we are a K-12 school, parental discretion is advised for attendance. Mahalo for your understanding.
Legally Blonde, The Musical comes to HPA this fall at the Gates Performing Arts Center (GPAC) on HPA’s Upper Campus. Admission is free to all students around the island and free for all HPA faculty and staff. General admission for adults is $5. Click here to purchase tickets online via Eventbrite.
Join us Friday, November 10, and Saturday, November 11, at 7:00 pm or Sunday, November 12 at 2:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you!
Ka Makani Travel
Ka Makani Travel, HPA’s student travel program, has two travel opportunities with space available for the 2023-24 school year and recently announced the first of several trips for the 2024-25 school year.
- Spring Break – Expedition to Australia & New Zealand with EF Tours: Enrollment deadline is Wednesday, November 13
- Summer – Splendors of the Mediterranean: Italy & Greece with EF Tours: Enrollment deadline is Monday, February 5, 2024
- Spring Break 2025 Japan: Land of the Rising Sun with EF Tours: Open for enrollment
EF’s Global Citizen Scholarship Fund offers $1000 scholarships. The next deadline to apply is November 15‚ 2023.
Please contact Ka Makani Travel Coordinator Adrienne White (awhite@hpa.edu) for information on registration and eligibility.
HPA Admissions Open House
HPA will be hosting Open House events for all three divisions — Lower, Middle, and Upper School — in the month of November. Please help us spread the word!
Lower School
November 1, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Middle School
November 8, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Upper School
November 10, 8:30 to 11:00 am
As a reminder, the 2024-2025 application is now available online to apply any HPA siblings and share with your friends and family. The admissions team will also be out “on the road” in a variety of locations locally and around the world to meet up with prospective students, parents, alumni, and more! We look forward to many good times together as we dive into the new school year. Mahalo for your partnership and enthusiasm for HPA!
Residential Life
This weekend will be full of Ka Makani pride, as our teams all compete in their various championships! Our residential students were able to get out in record numbers for the girls’ volleyball league semi-finals at home on Thursday night. Tonight, we will be taking as many students as would like to go to support our football team in their league championships against Kamehameha School, and finally, tomorrow our boys and girls cross country teams take on all schools at the cross country league championship race on the HPA campus! Lots of activity, lots of opportunities to support their classmates and friends, and a great lead-in to next week’s Spirit Week!
We look forward to the coming week of HPA pride, Halloween fun, and hopefully a few championship victories!
Thanksgiving Iternaries and Travel Dates for Residential Students
Before booking airfare, please refer to the travel dates on the myHPA calendar
Flight Itineraries due: November 6, 2023, to travel@hpa.edu
Departures: Flights should not depart before 6:00 pm on Tuesday, November 21.
Transportation starts after 3:00 pm on Tuesday, November 21, through Wednesday, November 22.
Arrivals: Transportation from the airport will be all day on Sunday, November 26.
HPA provides free transportation if the student travels on our travel dates. If they do not we will assist in booking a taxi at the family’s expense.
Ka Makani Athletics
Here’s the updated fall athletics schedule and weekly schedule. For those of you who like to plan ahead, here’s a peek at what to expect from our winter athletics schedule! GO KA MAKANI! You can also access the athletics schedule on the myHPA calendar.
BIIF Football Championship Game
Boys Football vs Kamehameha; Friday, October 27 at 6:30 pm
College Counseling
College Visits, October 30 – November 3, 2023
See below for the college visits for the coming week. All visits will take place from 11:45 to 12:15.
Monday, October 30: Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Monday, October 30: Oregon Institute of Technology (Klamath Falls, OR)
Tuesday, October 31: California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Wednesday, November 1: Chaminade University (Honolulu, HI)
Thursday, November 2: University of Hawaii at Hilo, (Hilo, HI)
Friday, November 3: Pacific University (Forest Grove, OR)
Past Email Communications
All past email communications can be accessed by visiting the Upper School Family Resources tile on myHPA and scrolling down to ‘Past Email Communications, 2022-2023’.
myHPA
myHPA is where you can find all the resources related to your child’s learning. Two key resource boards that we would like to draw your attention to are the ‘Upper School Family Resources and the ‘Upper School Student Resources.
All-School
Need to know information for our entire Ka Makani ʻohana.
HPA Today
Bringing Home the Bacon
Prestigious HAM Award celebrates and brings levity to college admissions
Admissions
HPA will be hosting Open House events for all three divisions — Lower, Middle, and Upper School — in the month of November. Please help us spread the word!
Lower School
November 1, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Middle School
November 8, 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Upper School
November 10, 8:30 to 11:00 am
As a reminder, the 2024-2025 application is now available online to apply any HPA siblings and share with your friends and family. The admissions team will also be out “on the road” in a variety of locations locally and around the world to meet up with prospective students, parents, alumni, and more! We look forward to many good times together as we dive into the new school year. Mahalo for your partnership and enthusiasm for HPA!
Advancement & Alumni
Alu Mai 2023
Thanks to your outstanding generosity in support of Financial Aid and your aloha for HPA, Alu Mai 2023 is SOLD OUT! We are over the rainbow!
Financial Aid at HPA is a proud tradition. We are humbled and grateful to continue to honor Anna Lindsey Perry-Fiske’s legacy by helping to make HPA accessible to keiki throughout our community. Your generous hearts make it possible every day.
We look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday, November 18, for this festive evening for Financial Aid!
Me ke aloha,
The HPA Advancement Office
P.S. For those of you who won’t make it this year, you will be missed! We hope to see you next year, and in the meantime — you can join in by making a gift in support of Financial Aid during this season of giving and gratitude. E Alu Mai!
Health & Wellness
With Halloween just around the corner, here are a few safety tips to keep your keiki and the whole ʻohana safe from the Traffic Inury Research Foundation:
- Carry glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stickers on costumes and bags, and wear light colors to help kids see and be seen by drivers.
- Join kids for trick-or-treating, particularly for those under 12 years of age.
- Slow down and be alert! Kids are excited on Halloween and may dart into the street.
- Turn on headlights early in the day to spot kids from further away.
Remind kids to cross the street at corners or crosswalks. - When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.
- Choose face paint over masks when possible. Masks can limit children’s vision.
- Check your children’s candy to ensure it hasn’t been altered and is in the original packaging. Avoid home-made-treats.
Illness Report: We are seeing positive cases of COVID-19, influenza, and strep throat in our community. Please monitor yourself for symptoms of illness, stay home if you don’t feel well, and let the infirmary on your campus know if you’ll be absent. After any illness, students must be fever-free, without the use of fever-reducing medications, for at least 24 hours before they can return to school. Students who are absent for more than five days are required to bring a note from their health care provider clearing them for return. Please refer to your respective division’s handbook for more information on our illness policy.
*Please reach out for specific return instructions if you’re positive for COVID-19.
Lower School Handbook
Upper School Handbook
COVID-19 Policies & Information
HPA COVID-19 Policy, 2023-2024
COVID-19 Decision Tree.
Ulumau & Ulu Mālama Gardens of HPA
Join us in the garden! We have planned several upcoming community workdays to learn and grow together. All are welcome, please use this link to sign up or email wquayle@hpa.edu or lprutrow@hpa.edu with any questions.
ʻOhana Association
Haunted Walk and Trunk-or-Treat: Friday, November 3 *new date*
Following the spectacular win from our Ka Makani football team this past Saturday, the Upper School has moved its Haunted Walk from Friday, October 27, to Friday, November 3, to allow our students to attend the BIIF Championship game. As the ʻOhana Association hosts a Trunk-or-Treat following the Haunted Walk, this has also been moved to Friday, November 3, 2023.
The Upper School Student Council will be hosting a Haunted Walk for grades 9-12, followed by an ʻOhana Association sponsored Trunk-or-Treat. The ʻOhana Association We would like to invite Upper School parents to sign up to host a vehicle for this Trunk-or-Treat event, which begins after the Haunted Walk. Space is limited, if you’d like to participate, please sign up here. The Trunk-or-Treat starts at 7:00 pm and the times and locations are listed on the SignupGenius page. We can’t wait to see what creative and spooky experiences you can create with your vehicles for our upper school students!
Village Campus Trick-or-Treat Halloween March
The HPA ʻOhana Association is proud to present the Village Campus Trick-or-Treat Halloween March, on Tuesday, October 31, from 2:30 to 3:00 pm.
At the Halloween Trick-or-Treat March, our K-5 students will be invited to put their costumes on and trick-or-treat in the 6th-8th grade classrooms. Middle School students will decorate their classroom doors ahead of time and hand out small goodies with the ʻOhana Association. Middle School students will have their own costume contest and also enjoy some treats!
Please send a Halloween costume to school with your keiki on Tuesday, October 31. Lower School and Middle School dismissal will be at its regularly scheduled time that day.
Need a keiki Halloween costume? Have extra costumes?
Bring your cleaned and gently used costumes to school this week. There will be a collection bin near the Village Campus office for drop-off. Costumes for donations should come on a hanger or clear package with sizes clearly marked. Then, come find a new-to-you costume at the Rocktober! Costume Tent after school on Friday, October 20. You do not need to have donated a costume to pick up a new one!
Please note the Trick-or-Treat Halloween March will be held in lieu of Trunk-or-Treat this year. The ʻOhana Association and school leaders have worked together to plan the Halloween Trick-or-Treat March in response to the need for a smaller-scale and streamlined event that supports school programming and focuses our efforts on Rocktober! (Friday, October 20) and the upcoming Harvest Fete (Friday, November 10) events.
Mahalo to our fantastic 5th-grade and Middle School ʻohana for planning this special Halloween March event.
If you have any questions please email ohana@hpa.edu.
Wā Pilina ʻOhana Series
The ʻOhana Association proudly presents Wā Pilina ʻOhana Series, a thoughtfully curated series of gatherings for HPA families who want a deeper understanding of place and connection to culture. The events will be guided by Kumu Kūwalu Anakalea and local kūpuna, and has been organized by HPA Lower School parent Kolby Akumu Moser.
We will be inviting kūpuna and cultural practitioners to HPA to talk about this incredible place we get to call home, host hands-on workshops such as lei-making, and guide huaka’i (trips) such as visiting Manaua and a family work day at Ulumau Puanui. The series is designed for HPA families to keep up with the cultural learnings of our keiki.
What is Wā Pilina and why is that the name of this series?
The word pilina means association, relationship, and connection. Wā refers to a period of time. HPA started the Lower School Wā Pilina program two years ago in order to have intentional time and space for Lower Schoolers to connect with others under the umbrella of, and in connection to, mālama kaiāulu. Lower School students meet across grade levels to connect with and learn from one another. From Enrichment Day to art shows and Makahiki games to reading times — Wā Pilina opportunities have expanded through the three divisions, as well as across specialty areas.
Our new Wā Pilina ʻOhana Series aligns school and ʻOhana Association practices with intentionality. We hope you will join us!
Isaacs Art Center
Isaacs Art Center is free and open to the public, Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Saturdays by appointment. Gallery works for sale may also be viewed on our website. Be sure to also visit our Instagram and Facebook pages for highlights from ongoing exhibitions. Sales from gallery artwork have supported the HPA Financial Aid program since its opening in 2004.
Safety Protocols
Campus Access
During this time, campus access is limited to current students, employees, essential contractors, and approved guests — all of whom have completed a daily thermal/symptom check and a screening questionnaire. Guests to campus will have had their hosting faculty or staff member fill out the appropriate form and will have received permission from their supervisor.
Should a student’s family member need a meeting with a faculty, staff, or administrative team member, kindly contact them so that they can apply to have you come to campus. From that point, security team members will be alerted to your appointment date and time and let you onto campus.
At the Upper School, please do not park and walk onto campus without an appointment. Similarly, at the Village Campus, kindly call or email for an appointment so that arrangements can be made. Mahalo for your understanding and respect for this process.
If you See Something, Say Something
We ask all families to join HPA in keeping our campus safe. While on the HPA campus, if you see anything out of the ordinary, we ask that you please report it to the school or local authorities immediately. This will help us maintain the safest campus for our students.
• Imminent threat to life or property: call 911 immediately and email Mark Noetzel at mnoetzel@hpa.edu
• Anything out of the ordinary: email Mark Noetzel at mnoetzel@hpa.edu
CrisisGo for Parents
It is important that all families are set up with CrisisGo, HPA’s school emergency communication tool. To set up a CrisisGo SMS/Email subscription, please click on this invitation link and complete the form by adding your name, email, and cell number (this is an important step if you would like to receive an SMS message) and click on the Subscribe button. Should an emergency occur, you will be alerted by email and SMS messaging. You can also locate these instructions by logging into myHPA, clicking on the resource tab, and selecting the CrisisGo Safe2SpeakUp tile.
Safe2SPeakUp for Middle and Upper Students
Similarly, Middle and Upper School students received instructions during orientation on how to upload the Safe2SpeakUp app. This is a companion app to CrisisGo. It will allow the school to alert students of emergencies that happen on or off campus and enable students to communicate with us about their safety status. They can also use the app to alert the school about any behaviors they are concerned about. Students can also locate instructions on setting up Safe2SpeakUp in myHPA, and they were also emailed the video shown at orientation which walks them through the process of uploading the app and registering, step-by-step.
All students can also submit an Online Bully/Harassment report by clicking on this link, which can also be located on the CrisisGo Safe2SpeakUp tile on myHPA.
myHPA Resource Boards
Past HPA communications and other important information can be found on myHPA. We are continuing to make updates to our student and parent resource boards, so please be sure to visit them regularly.