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Mahalo to WMS & WES families who attended

the WES-WMS Emergency Preparedness Talk-Story

Jan. 18, 2018 in the School Cafeteria.

MAHALO to former State Civil Defense Director Ed Teixeira

for coming to help us all to become better informed!

Mahalo, too, to WES staff for yummy from-scratch Blue Zoney light dinner.

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Please look closely at this picture -- do you see what some might consider a ho'ailona? 

This picture was taken Oct. 26, 2017 when our State Sen. Lorraine Inouye brought members of the very important State Senate Ways And Means (WAM) Committee to tour our soon-to-open 9-classroom, $15.89 million STEAM Learning Center - visible in the background.  

Most of these senators were responsible for authorizing the $15.89 million secured in 2013 and 2014, and to their credit, the language of the bill they approved included “furniture, fixtures and appurtenances.”  This confirmed their legislative intent – to outfit the building with 21^st century technology as a complete STEAM Learning Center.  But it hasn’t worked out quite like that, so we need help, both legislatively and from our wider community.  Even if legislators move quickly to address this during the 2018 session, it would be at least September-November of 2018 before public funding would be accessible. 

Thus, responsibility to help fund essential technology is falling on the community.  In a way, this is good.  We are the public middle school of the community, which means that it is our responsibility to prepare a majority of the 6^th-8^th grade children of Waimea for the world and workplace.  We ask the community to support this.

Our children – 70% of whom come from economically challenged families and more than 50% of whom are of Hawaiian ancestry – need and deserve better.

We are hopeful.  If you look closely at this picture, you will see the rainbow reflection in the windows – a ho’ailona of the possibilities this building represents to Waimea’s future.  We welcome your wisdom and help.   

Congratulations WMS - Faculty & Staff! 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF WAIMEA MIDDLE SCHOOL

While there was a school for Waimea children going back to the mid 1800s, Waimea School as we know it today began in 1916 for students in grades K-12.  In the 20th century, it became initially a K-9 school, and then evolved into a K-8 school.  In the year 2000, through faculty, staff and family initiative, the school was split into two schools, and became Waimea Elementary (a P-K-5) and Waimea Middle (a 6th-8th grade) School.  The school celebrated its centennial year in 2016.    

In 2003, the Waimea Middle school community voted to become Hawai’i’s first Public Conversion Charter School (PCCS) under a new law passed by the 2002 State Legislature.  Act 2/2002 was created with the support of many educational visionaries in Hawai’i including Kamehameha Schools and the Hawai’i Business Roundtable, who together sought to nurture student achievement by providing public schools — who were willing to embrace change — with greater local control over curriculum and resources through active collaboration that involves and respects all stakeholders. 

Act 2/2002 created the 501(c)3 not-for-profit Ho’okako’o Corporation, which works in partnership with the Board of Education, the Hawai’i Public Charter School Commission, Kamehameha Schools and others.  Ho’okako’o Corp. serves as our Local School Board.  The State Legislature authorizes per pupil funding for WMS and the DOE is responsible for our facilities though some day-to-day maintenance and repairs – and all utilities, food service and busing -- are funded out of the school’s modest per pupil allocation from the Legislature.     

Upon becoming a public conversion charter school, WMS conducted a comprehensive Systems and Organizational Audit (SOA), which provided a “road map” for developing an Educational Strategic Plan that was formally adopted by the school-community and guided all decisions.  This plan focused on student achievement, family engagement and community involvement.  Our school governance model is one of respectful collaboration involving all stakeholders — teachers, staff, families, students, a Local Advisory Panel and the wider community. 

Beginning in 2011, WMS applied for Accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and after extensive, in-depth collaboration involving all stakeholders, it was awarded a full 6-year Accreditation for 2014-2020.  Accreditation is a commitment to continuous improvement.  This requires Action Planning focused on a set of priorities related to student achievement.   The school underwent a mid-term Accreditation review in the Spring of 2017, and WASC agreed to continue the school’s Accreditation and provided an updated set of Action Plan priorities.  Copies of the 2017 Accreditation review are available including detailed Action Plans. 

Also during 2017, WMS was approved for a new Three-Year Charter Contract by the Hawai’i Public Charter School Commission beginning July 1, 2017 and concluding June 30, 2020.  The contract renewal also involves stringent accountability and continuous commitment to improvement. 

WMS FOUNDATIONAL COMMITMENTS 

• WMS is the public middle school of the community – publicly funded, no tuition, accepts all children and provides extensive supports for all, including Special Education, Migrant Education and English Language Learners (see attached school demographics).
• WMS is committed to collaborative leadership including all stakeholders, as well as family engagement and community involvement. 
• WMS abides by DOE collective bargaining agreements with HSTA, HGEA and UPW.  
• WMS is committed to fiscal and academic accountability:  We conduct annual financial audits and abide by strict procurement, employment and conflict of interest policies.  
• WMS, with Accreditation and Charter renewal, formally embraced a schoolwide Vision and Mission Statement and IKAIR Core Values of 'Ike, Kaizen, Accountability, Integrity and Respect.  

EXPANDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

WMS actively pursues community partnerships both to support “bell-to-bell” teaching and learning, and before- and after-school programs – often including busing and snacks.  Major partners include:

·    Kamehameha Schools’ support for both schoolwide teaching and learning as well as ‘Ike Hawai’i cultural curriculum and programming;

·    The now 12-year alliance with Mala’ai School Garden for hands-on lessons integrating health-wellness and environmental awareness with science and other core curriculum. 

Other partnerships have also funded a full time reading teacher position and reading curriculum and supports, purchase of two school buses and two vans to encourage school attendance and provide curriculum-related field trips while also reducing operational overhead.  Also significantly enriching students’ learning and school engagement are school-day and after-school Robotics, K(Arts), Athletics, extensive one-on-one and small group student mentoring, tutoring and STEM-focused 21^st Century Community Learning Centers classes. 

FACILITATING PARTNERSHIPS: A NOT-FOR-PROFIT LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD

Ho’okako’o Corporation serves as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit to facilitate tax deductible donations and other contributions to the school.  HC does not charge a fee or any other costs for managing grants or donations, and all funds earmarked for WMS are passed through direct to the school. 

WMS students participate in the same academic assessments as do all DOE schools, and students and families are regularly informed about and discuss academic progress.  Aggregated results are published annually via the State’s Strive HI system and are shared with students and families, and are posted on the school’s website and published by local news media. 

WMS students struggle academically.  Many enter 6^th grade below proficiency. Many of the school’s Accreditation Action Plans and Charter renewal commitments specifically address academic progress strategies for low performing students.  Also, teachers are provided with time to meet as teams to review student data to guide instructional decisions and professional development. 

After two intense years of a schoolwide focus on reading, WMS students showed positive growth on the Smarter Balanced English Language Arts/Literacy Assessment for Spring 2017.  Mathematics and Science scores have declined.  Therefore, the transition to STEAM teaching and learning is critical.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

If you have questions or would like to get involved in supporting student learning, please contact:

·         Amy Kendziorski, Principal - (808) 464-9902 or email Amy_Kendziorski@wmpccs.org

·         Patti Cook, Development Director – (808) 937-2833 or email cookshi@aol.com

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AN EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL “SNEAK PEEK” TOUR was provided last week for VIP guests State Senator Lorraine Inouye, State Senator Michelle Kidani and State Representative Cindy Evans into our still-under-construction, $16 million 9-classroom STEAM Building.  The group is seen here inspecting a state-of-the-art science lab with members of both WMS school leadership and members and staff of our local school board, Ho'okako'o Corp.  Pictured (L-R) are Dr. Robert K. Masuda (Ho'okako'o Board Member representing Waimea), Rep. Evans, WMS Principal Amy Kendziorski, Sen. Inouye, Joe Uno (Ho'okako'o Board Chair), Sen. Kidani, Dr. Paul Nakayama (also a Ho'okako'o Board Member representing Waimea), David Gibson (Ho'okako'o's Executive Director), Nancy Barry (a Ho'okako'o Board Member), Pat Rice (long time Waimea teacher, counselor, three-time principal & grant coordinator), and Steven Smith and Jay Matsumoto with WMS tech team.  Mahalo to our visiting public policy makers -- first for securing this "gift" to the children and families of Waimea -- and for your insights and assistance to help us continue moving this project forward to be all that it can be for our students!