Ka Hale Noho Haumāna ʻo
Kahaʻōpūlani Hale
kahaopulani@ksbe.edu
(808) 842-8598, (808) 842-8282, Helu Kelepona Keʻena
(808) 260-6131, Helu Kelepona Lawe Lima
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Mailing Address:
Studentʻs Name
Kahaʻōpūlani Hale
2210 Girls Road
Honolulu, Hi 96817
*Mail is delivered to Hale Kukui and picked up weekdays after 2:30pm. Mail delivered on the weekend and holidays are picked up on the next business day.
Physical Address (deliveries, pick ups, etc):
2186 Aliʻi Road
Building 54
I ka wā ma mua, ka wā ma hope
I ka wā ma mua, ka wā ma hope
The future is found in the past
Kahaʻōpūlani and Paiea
A Secret Beginning
A Secret Beginning
Kamehameha was born on a stormy night at Kokoiki in Kohala, on the island of Hawaiʻi. Exactly when he was born is not known. It may have been in November, for November is the month of rain, thunder and lightning. A bright star with a long tail appeared during Kamehamehaʻs birth...Kamehamehaʻs mother was the young chiefess Keku'iapoiwa. As soon as Kamehameha was born, Keku'iapoiwa wrapped him in kapa and placed him gently in the arms of Nae'ole, a chief of Kohala whom she trusted. "Take my child to my cousin Kaha'ōpulani! Go quickly!"
Kaha'ōpulani was waiting for him in a cave. When Nae'ole arrived she took the baby and laid him on a mat. She covered the child with light fibers of olonā. Then she picked up her own baby girl and rocked her in her arms. The little boy was sleeping soundly.
Kahaʻōpūlani was known for her nurturing nature and fostering the growth of the young Kamehameha; qualities that are inherent in a Kamehameha student’s dorming experience.
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LXIII, Helu 31, Aoao 2. Iulai 31, 1924
ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia
ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia
No task is too big when done together by all
Kumu Laura
Laura Conrath
laconrat@ksbe.edu
Kumu Richelle
Richelle Louis-Charles
rilouis@ksbe.edu
Kumu Pīʻena
ʻIwalani Pīʻena
depiena@ksbe.edu
Ms. Maluo
Lindy Maluo
limaluo@ksbe.du
He pūkoʻa kani ʻāina
He pūkoʻa kani ʻāina
A coral reef that grows into an island
A coral reef that grows into an island
A person beginning in a small way gains steadily until he becomes firmly established
Hoʻomaikaʻi i ka papa 2029!
We will miss you but know you will do great things. I mua🩷
ʻO Hawaiʻi kuʻu kulāiwi
ʻO Hawaiʻi kuʻu kulāiwi
Hawaiʻi is my native land
Hawaiʻi is my native land
Pūpūkahi i holomua
Pūpūkahi i holomua
Unite in order to progress
ʻIke aku, ʻike mai, kōkua aku, kokua mai; pela iho la ka nohona ʻohana
ʻIke aku, ʻike mai, kōkua aku, kokua mai; pela iho la ka nohona ʻohana
Recognize others, be recognized, help others, be helped; such is a family relationship
2029 send off.mp4A Hui Hou Papa 2029
It has become a tradition here at Kahaʻōpūlani Hale to send our 8th graders off with a gesture of aloha and celebration for the end of the year. Huge shout out to Kumu Laura for helping the 7th graders prepare their posters. They turned out great and we are happy to know that the 8th graders will be taking a little bit of us up to Kapiʻolani Nui.
E Ola! Kahaʻōpūlani Hale
We are proud to recognize our E Ola! awardees for the school year 2024-2025
E Ola!- ʻIolana Heaukulani
Mālama- Aaliyah Lagaret
Hoʻomau- Grace Auweloa
Mahalo girls, for exemplifying the qualities of an E Ola! graduate. We are grateful that your ʻohana could come and celebrate you.
Kalo & Kahakai
What better way to end our school year than at a loʻi?! We were happy to go on our last huakaʻi for the year out to Punaluʻu loʻi. We spent the morning in the beautiful valley getting our hands and feet dirty and working the ʻāina. Mahalo nui to the staff from UH Mānoa for hosting us. A special shout out to our ʻohana that joined us for the huakaʻi- Hiʻileiʻs ʻohana and Kalynʻs ʻohana. Mahalo for making the drive to be with us.
After we finished our work at the loʻi, we drove a short ways to Kokololio. The water was cold, clean and refreshing! We are happy that Breaʻs mom got to join us for this portion of our huakaʻi, as well as Hiʻileiʻs ʻohana.
Mahalo nui to the kumu for planning our activities throughout the year!
Sunset on the West Side
One of the requested activities that we wanted to make sure we did before the end of the year was a beach outing until sunset. Thereʻs no better place for that than the west side. We packed up and headed out to Nānākuli and spent the afternoon at Zablan. We had a big group that day as we were there with Naeʻole, Kīnaʻu Hale and Lunalilo. The water was beautiful. We saw turtles, looked for shells and saw geese. Top it off with ʻono food and an ice cream truck and it was just the best day!
IMG_3658.MOVMay Activities
As the end of the year crept in, there were a few activities that the girls wanted to do that we hadnʻt done yet. The top three requested activities were beach, loʻi and Ice Palace. We were able to go to the Ice Palace in early May. The girls had a lot of fun trying to learn to skate. Some did great, some tried really hard and in the end, everyone had a good time. Check out Kaia and Cianna doing the limbo. They almost made it to the end!
We were also invited to a (grades) 7-11 pool party. Mahalo nui to Kumu Paki for organizing this. It was a lot of fun to swim at night and just relax in the water. Mahalo to Kumu Keialohi for getting us ice cream.
Ka lā o nā Lei Aloha
This year we had lots of participation in our May Day program. Alley served as one of the emcees and many of our girls danced the hula, as well as performed with their class. Our Gioia was the representative of pūʻulu ʻohe and was the Kahoʻolawe attendant in the May Day court. The May Day King was fellow boarder, Kalau Cobb- Adams. Hoʻomaikaʻi to all involved with our May Day program
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ʻAha Mele Akahai
What is better than a concert to celebrate the end of the year? A free concert! With the hard work and genius of our amazing PA kumu, they put together ʻAha Mele Akahai. A concert that was for nā pua a Pauahi from nā pua a Pauahi. The PAʻs got alumni musicians to donate their time and talents- our amazing audio and visual tech dudes Kona and Cory, The Issentials and Mauloa Music featuring former boarder and Kamehameha Schools alumni- Keala Alcon. There was so much to do and see, there was even two options for Merrie Monarch screening.
The raffle prizes! The raffle prizes! From handmade palaka blankets to Manaola swag and gift cards to Goodwill, we were on the edge of our seats waiting for the next numbers to be called. Our dorm had two winners- Courtney and Cianna.
We cannot say enough about how amazing this event was- and I didnʻt even mention the food trucks and treats that were there. We are so blessed and grateful that this was put on for us. We canʻt wait for the next one! Cheee hooo
IMG_3080.MOVIMG_3109.MOVIMG_3095.MOVIMG_3107.MOVIMG_3121.MOVIMG_3116.MOVIMG_3132.MOVIMG_3120.MOVIMG_3110.MOVIMG_3108.MOVIMG_3091.MOVTransitions- our visit to Kapiʻolani Nui
April mean itʻs time for dorm visits. Our 8th graders got to tour their new dorm for next year. We met with the kumu and some of the current students of Kapiʻolani Nui as we learned a little about where they would be living next year. The poʻo (student leaders) did a great job taking us on a tour of the dorm and answering the questions we had about moving up to high school.
"There were so many rooms!" - Alana
"The dorm is really big and I like that they have a music room" - Rhysie
"It was pretty. It was really homey. The kumu seemed really laid back." - Kalyn
"The students were very welcoming and honest." - Alley
Kōkua aku, Kōkua mai- give help, receive help
Every dorm takes a month of dishroom kuleana at ʻAkahi. April was our month. With the amount of girls we have, each girl only had to do one week of dish room. It was work, but we were happy to do our part. The uncles who work in ʻAkahi were patient, kind and made the work fun.
He Aliʻi ka ʻĀina, He kauwā ke kanaka. Land is the chief, we are itʻs servants
Every year one of the biggest challenges we face is finding lāʻī, or ti-leaves. Seems silly because there are so many plants on campus, but they are often not accessible. With the help of our awesome operation support staff, we were able to remedy that by planting lāʻī in our own backyard, or courtyard. Uncles Mike, Domi, Rory and Steve came to help us over the course of 5 weeks, on our early release days, to help us prep and plant over 140 lāʻī plants. The girls (and boys from Naeʻole Hale) learned how to plant and were able to place, cover and water each plant. We are so excited to have this kuleana to care for these plants. They will serve us well and we it.
I ka nānā no a ʻike- By observing, one learns
We were able to make our own laulau. The girls came up in shifts to prep the lau, the hā and even the foil. Then they came up and each made a laulau. Mahalo to Kumu P for talking us through the process. As the girls waited in line for their turn on the asssembly line, they were able to watch others make theirs. Although they may have saw it made a few times, there was still hesitation and questions when it was actually their turn to do it. We love that- they were curious and concerned that they were doing it correctly. We packed them up and took them to ʻAkahi to be steamed. Our pans of laulau came back to us on Friday, with our groceries and we all got to eat laulau for dinner on Sunday night. What an awesome hana Hawaiʻi we got to participate in. Mahalo nui to Kumu Kellie from Lunalilo dorm for putting together this fun activity.
He Mele Inoa no Kauikeaouli
We attended the last workshop of the aliʻi hula series put on by Hālau Kūkalaulama, this month. Kumu Sky Gora taught us a kahiko number honoring Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli. We learned a lot about his from this mele that was composed very recently. It was cool to have the composer of this mele in the workshop with us. It was a challenge- 6 verses, but we did it. It was a great experience to prove to ourselves what we can do. Mahalo nui to Kumu Paul from Kaleiopapa dorm who worked with Kumu Layne from Hālau Kūkalaulama to put all of this together. We learned about the aliʻi that our dorms are named for through this hula series and we got to add 6 hula to our bank of hula.
Mālama Huliamahi
We spent some time at Huliamahi on a beautiful Sunday morning. We had the chance to aloha ʻāina by weeding the area and helping take care of the plants. It was a true example of ʻaʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia- no task is too big when done together. Mahalo to our awesome PAʻs for helping us with this activity.
Mele Manaka Season 2025
Itʻs that time of the year when our culture is on display for the world to see! We are excited to watch our classmates- Kalau, dancing with Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala and Ati and Kumu Terri, dancing with Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua and Kumu Keialohi in Hālau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine. We even got to see our favorite, Kumu ʻĀina on TV.
We started with Miss Aloha Hula night- a few girls made the commitment to watch the whole show but we tapped out before the winners were announced. We made it through kahiko night and were mesmerized by the oli, mele, and costumes. We only got to watch the last half of Auana night because we were at the ʻAha Mele Akahai. We had a few stay up through the last performance but they all headed down to bed before the winners were announced.
So proud of all of the participants, their kumu, the musicians. So proud to be Hawaiian.
Huakaʻi i Hawaiʻi Island
While most of the girls went home for Easter weekend, we closed up the dorm and took 17 girls with us to Hawaiʻi Island. It was months in the making. We started planning as far back as August when we gathered the 8th grade Hawaiʻi island girls to see what they would want to do or show other girls that arenʻt from there or have never been there.
We landed on an itinerary and started to lock down the important things- like what we are going to eat. It was a memorable weekend spent building pilina, growing our ʻike kupuna and a very special experience learning about our namesake- Kahaʻōpūlani.
Night one had us going to Kīlauea to visit the area and hoping to catch a glimpse of the spouting lava that had been going on. We got there and there was no exciting show of mana from Tūtū Pele. What we got to experience was even better. The students, led by Gioia, Melia and Skyleigh, offered hoʻokupu in lei and oli. Something happened as they offered their hoʻokupu and it confirmed for us the connection we have to place and culture. I invite you to ask any of the girls who went about their experience.
The next morning we were up early and heading to the northern part of the island. We stopped in Waimea to get breakfast at Hina Raeʻs and got to try some of that viral Dubai chocolate strawberries. We headed to Kohala and it was pouring rain when we got to the statue. We relocated to Pololū and met with the Lim ʻohana who shared the moʻolelo of Kamehamehaʻs birth. What a special experience it was to hear of the role that Kahaʻōpūlani played in the life of Kamehameha. We learned about the traits and characteristics that Kahaʻōpūlani had and can see in the girls who spend their middle school years living in the building named after her. Mahalo nui to Kumu P for setting this up for us.
We booked it straight to the beach and got to spend time with our ʻohana at ʻŌhaiʻula, also known as Spencer Beach Park. We had a potluck lunch and we were so spoiled. We had so much food and it was so so ono. Special mahalo to Kalynʻs ʻohana, McKaelaʻs ʻohana, Ciannaʻs ʻohana, Aaliyahʻs ʻohana, Kaʻiulaniʻs ʻohana, Kumu Cody and Kumu Christina for joining us for lunch. Freshly prepared poke (like the fish was caught on Tuesday), dorito salad, minute stop chicken, spam musubi, chicken katsu, manapua, pasta salad, Texʻs malasadas and other goodies filled two tables. Mahalo also to Haleyʻs mom who, from Kauaʻi, donated drinks for the weekend. We are so blessed!
After cooling off at the beach, we headed back up mauka to Waimea. We were able to meet with Aunty Tootsie and tour her garden and learn about her work as a lei maker. She showed us the area where the coveted akulikuli flowers grow and was able to share with us what a finished lei looks like. 450 flowers to make one stunning lei. After learning about her path to honing her craft, she invited us to gather whatever we wanted from her yard and she taught us how to make a wili style lei. Kawena, who is a former Kahaʻōpūlani lady and Aunty Tootsieʻs granddaughter, helped while we all tried our hand at lei making. It was a process and we learned a lot by going through it. Another example of ma ka hana ka ʻike- in doing there is learning. The girls did really good and I think they even amazed themselves. Not only did she help us learn to lei, she also fed us ono Hawaiian food. So grateful for Aunty Tootsie and her ʻohana for their generous hospitality.
The next morning we could finally get some sleep and we slept in til 8- lol. Breakfast was at Hawaiian Style Cafe and the portions are no joke! After breakfast we headed back to pack up and clean up the hale we stayed at then headed for the beach. We spent a couple of hours at Hauaniʻo, also known as Carlsmith Beach. The cool Hilo water and the warm sun was the perfect combination. While Hilo is known for rain, we were blessed with a beautiful beach day.
Our last stop on our huakaʻi was Mauna Kea. Mahalo NUI to ʻIolanaʻs ʻohana who invited Anakala Kalani Flores and Anakē Hāwane Rios to come and lead us in protocol and talk to us about kuleana. We went from the warmth of Keaukaha to the cold air and rain of Mauna Kea. The girls had a chance to wear their kīhei that they designed earlier in the year and participate in protocol and offer hoʻokupu. We were treated to a live performance from Anakē Hāwane. She sang ʻO Poliʻahu ka wahine kapa hau. It was so powerful. This was yet another opportunity for us to connect to ʻāina and draw from ʻike kupuna.
There are bits and pieces that are not logged here that I encourage you to ask about to anyone who went on the trip. Mahalo nui to our Residential Life program for allowing us to take this trip and have these experiences. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were so grateful to everyone who made it possible.
Jesus lives!
We celebrated Easter a few days before Good Friday and we were treated to a delicious meal. After we ate to our hearts content, they brought the dessert out. We are used to getting yummy desserts at these special dinners, but I donʻt think anyone would have guessed what we actually got. It was a full blown ice cream bar. As each bowl was filled with ice cream and the loads of toppings, it was the literal cherry on top! Mahalo nui loa to FLIK who knows just how to make us smile.
Ma ka hana ka ʻike- in doing there is learning
The weekends are a perfect time for us to plan activities. The best plans, in my opinion, involves food. We had kalo that we defrosted and we brought out our papa kuʻi ʻai and pōhaku kuʻi ʻai and everyone took a turn. Kuʻi kalo is for everyone. We had girls who do this regularly at home and we had girls who never tried it before. Everyone did a great job. We worked in rotations so when the next group came up, they were given instructions from the girls who were working before them. It was very awesome to see the girls observe, ask questions and then just jump right on in. The goal- practice the methods of food preparation our kupuna used. The result- ono paʻi ʻai.
Mahalo to FLIK for the kalo, mahalo to Residential Life for the papa and pōhaku, mahalo to all of the girls who participated. It was a beautiful site.
Mahalo nui to our Approved Visitors!
Imagine what it might be like to not be able to leave the dorm at all, except when the dorm closes for breaks. Imagine not being able to get supplies you forgot you needed, or that your teacher only told you about a few days ago- and thereʻs no mall outing this weekend. What might it be like to be separated from your home by islands (sometimes an ocean away) and not have anyone that is just a short drive away that can come and give you a hug you need. Thatʻs what it might be like without the support from our approved visitors.
On Friday, April 11, we hosted a dinner to honor and thank our approved visitors. The menu was simple but ono- beef stew, rice, mac salad and haupia. We picked their brains to get feedback on how they see their role and they shared advice to students, staff, families and other approved visitors. We played a quick game that led to short table discussions. It was a fun night that we were happy to host to show our gratitude to the other parts of the studentsʻ support system.
We mahalo Kumu Buffy and Kumu Neki for organizing and putting on this event. Whether you were able to join us or not, we celebrated you!
Kahului Wai
On April 9th, we gathered as a Residential Life kaiāulu to participate in friendly hale competion at Kahului Wai. We are always the underdogs but it didnʻt stop us from going out there and giving it our best. The girls were hyped up and kept on task and organized by their captain- Iliana as we participated in the inner tube race, the sweatshirt race, the flip relay, biggest and smallest splash and the always fun over under. We were kept in the loop and entertained by our emcees of the evening- Kamahaʻo and Kaua from Kīnaʻu Hale.
A special hoʻomaikaʻi to McKaela who came in 3rd for the smallest splash- it was a really close race and to Gioia who came in 2nd for the biggest splash!
We didnʻt bring the ihe back to Kahaʻōpūlani but we had a great time and are proud of those who participated- in the water and in the stands.
IMG_2087.MOVIMG_2080.MOVIMG_2086.MOVIMG_2076.MOV3rd Quarter Recap
E kala mai for the gap in posts! The 3rd quarter flew by but there was lots going on. Hereʻs a little recap of what went on.
On March 8, 1975, Hōkūleʻa was launched from Kualoa, Hakipuʻu. On March 8, 2025, 50 years later, Hōkūleʻa was back at Kualoa and we were there to celebrate all that we have learned and all that we have been able to preserve through the efforts of those pioneers. Mahalo nui to Kumu Līlia for setting this up for us. We spent the day at Kualoa listening to stories, watching performances and observing protocols. There were educational booths set up as well as food vendors and food trucks. We were given the opportunity to go out in the water on the waʻa and get a closer look at Hōkūleʻa. The water was beautiful and the girls that went had a great time. Haley and Alana made lei for us to offer as hoʻokupu. We are so proud to be Hawaiian!
The first annual Eat Local Challenge was held at the end of February. Our head chef was Aaliyah and ʻIolana with Kumu Pīʻena and Kumu Richelle guiding them. All of the ingredients were locally sourced and fresh. We made pasta nests, or pūnana. We also made meatballs and two types of bruschetta. Our plates looked beautiful and very tasty. The girls presented well and all in Hawaiian! We didnʻt win but we were so proud of what was presented. Mahalo nui to Keala, Gioia, ʻIolana, Iliana, Mīnei and Aaliyah. It was a good experience for all.
Long live the Hawaiian language! February is Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. In Residential Life, we have a challenge for the month and all of the dorms play. There are different things to do for the challenge- daily task, extra credit and weekly tasks. Everyday the kumu encourage the students to complete the tasks. We are so proud of the students for playing. Because of the efforts of the dorm, we won and the ihe is coming back to Kahaʻōpūlani!
E Ola i ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi! ʻO Pepeluali ka mahina ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Ma Residential Life, he hoʻokūkū kā mākou no ka mahina a pāʻani nā hale noho haumāna a pau. He mau haʻawina o ka hoʻokūkū- he hana o ka lā, he hana keu, he hana o ka pule. Inā lā a pau, paipai nā kumu e nā haumāna e hoʻopau i nā haʻawina. Haʻaheo mākou i nā haumāna no ka pāʻani ʻana. Ma o ka hoʻāʻo ʻana o ka hale, ua lanakila mākou a e hoʻi ana ka ihe i Kahaʻōpūlani!
This year marked the 100th anniversary of the Hoʻolauleʻa. It looked different this year because we were not able to have it on campus but it was a nice experience at Bishop Museum. We were very happy to see our neighbor island booths- Molokaʻi, Kauaʻi and West Hawaiʻi. We enjoyed beautiful performances by the student groups as well as awesome local entertainers. Ono food, a beautiful sunny day and lots of good energy in the air. I mua!
To honor Charles Reed Bishop and the aliʻi that are at Mauna Ala, we went to visit the site and were able to tour the grounds. Mahalo to Kumu Doni who shared moʻolelo with us about the artifacts that were there. Did you know there is an anchor to the side of Pauahiʻs tomb? Did you know that there is significance to the number of trees that are planted there? How about the number of panes of glass there is in the stained glass in the chapel? We got to learn all of these cool facts. Kumu Doni was a gracious hostess who shared her kindness and extended an open invitation for us to come back and visit anytime.
We continued attending the Aliʻi Hula Series put on by Hālau Kūkalaulama. This quarter we learned a dance for Lunalilo and ʻIolani. We look forward to the last two coming in the 4th quarter- Kaleiopapa and Paiea.
We spent the day at Bishop Hall with our PA kumu learning different crafts. There was a clay flower station, eyelash lei making, leaf printing greeting cards.
There werenʻt too many girls in for the long weekend in January but we had a great time! We went to Queen Emmaʻs Summer Palace and on Sunday we spent the afternoon at Hunānaniho and stayed until sunset. This is all of us- Residential Life gang, that were in that weekend.
One of the classes that grow our passions is Papa Oli me Hula. We have several girls in that class and we see how dedicated they are to perpetuating hula and moʻolelo. We have been able to see the girls perform at various events like the Hoʻolauleʻa and even at Kamaʻāina Sunday at ʻIolani Palace. So proud of the girls!
3rd quarter sports kept the girls busy and out of the hale. We had Haley and ʻOli Nei in wrestling. ʻEhu and Gioia are playing water polo. Mīnei, Layla and Hine are out on the golf course. Grace, Keʻala, Courtney, Kalei and Skyleigh were on the track and field team. Kalei is the discus and shotput inter champion. Courtney is the triple jump champion. Out on the softball field we had Nawai, Kaia, Anolani, Alana, Khayzli and Rielle. They were undefeated and are the ILH inter champs. Starting in third quarter and carrying into 4th are our judo girls- Haley, Alley and now that softball is done, Alana.
Hoʻomaikaʻi to all of our student athletes!
Hauʻoli Lā Hānau to our 3rd quarter birthday girls! Mahalo nui to Kumu Richelle and her hui kūlia for putting together an awesome birthday dinner. Each birthday girl got their very own glam squad who made them a special crown, got them all made up and came up with exciting moʻolelo to share. It all came out so good and we hope the girls felt special.
Each member of the glam squad was given a balloon. In one of the balloons there was a prize. The girl whoʻs balloon had the prize could choose to keep the prize for herself or gift it to the person on the glam squad who worked the hardest.
We ended the celebration with delicious brownies! Happy birthday girls.
Happy December!
We had a quick 19 days of December- it was full and fulfilling!
We finished up our holiday shopping at Pearlridge and Ka Makana Aliʻi. Might not have been a coincidence but we had our Financial Literacy lessons in late November and early December.
Mahalo nui to Kumu Richelle for planning our dorm outing to Moana 2! Taking 54 students (boys and girls) was a task but it was cool to see students figure out how to share and split costs for the snacks. Our bus driver, Uncle Mike, took us around the block to check out the Honolulu Hale Christmas lights on our way to the movie and on the way back to campus.
Mahalo to Kumu Līlia for setting up our 2nd annual Christmas service at Helumoa. We had a lot of fun helping with the Santa picture taking. We directed them to the photo booth, guarded their belongings, packaging photos, getting babies and children to smile and passing out cookies. We helped to prep the cookies in the hale by adding a business card to the cookies before handing them out.
We are grateful for the ʻohana that were able to join us for our pāʻina Kalikimaka this past Sunday. We enjoyed the ʻono food, games and cookie decorating. ʻOno Hawaiian food was for dinner. We took a break to do our Christmas decorating presentation to the judges.
Kahaʻōpūlani presents the 12 days of Christmas. Mahalo nui to Kumu Richelle and our resident artist, Kumu Laura for helping transform our hale to represent a familiar Christmas tune. The girls did a great job helping out and especially for the presentation. Mahalo nui to the "kupuna" for guiding our judges through our presentation and to the girls who shared.
Mahalo nui to Kumu Pīʻena and her hui kūlia for planning our 2nd quarter birthday dinner celebration. Blind karaoke, the jan ken po food challenge and donut on a string was fun and funny! Hauʻoli lā hānau to the 14 2nd quarer babies.
We got ourselves ready for Founderʻs Day and made sure we were in compliance with the dress code for this special day where we honor the birth of Princess Pauahi. It was the last thing we did, while packing for the break and getting the dorm ready to be checked off.
It was a full 19 days and now weʻre on break!
Aliʻi Hula Series- Pauahi
We attended our third workshop in this series. The focus this month was on our founder, Ke Aliʻi Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Kumu Hula Kehau Enos and her alakaʻi spent the morning with us at the Pauahi Administration Building, lānai conference area.
The mele was He Mele He Inoa Nou e Pauahi. We shared what we knew about Pauahi. Kumu Kehau expressed to us that without words there would be no hula so we went over all of the verses before learning the dance. She explained why we used to motions we did and what it meant. This mele was about Pauahi- about her name and about who she was.
The girls did a great job and we hope to be able to use this hula when we go to Mauna Ala as a hoʻokupu. Mahalo nui loa e Kumu Kehau for sharing your ʻike and your talents with us.
Pauahi Christmas Dinner
December is a time for thanksgiving and we showed our gratitude for the birth of our Princess, Bernice Pauahi Bishop and for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
We had a special dinner to honor both of them. Poʻo kula, Dr. Chun, co-hosted our dinner with Kumu Noe and ʻaha kukui. We got to take pictures with Santa and there was a cool photo booth that we could print out and take back with us. We were gifted a beautiful blue scarf as a makana from Santa. We had wonderful Hawaiian and Christmas music by the group, Keʻolu. Our amazing FLIK staff made a yummy dinner- prime rib, shrimp alfredo, mashed potatoes and everyoneʻs favorite, Caesar salad. What a great way to kick off the Christmas season!
Sports Girls
2nd quarter brought a new set of student athletes from Kahaʻōpūlani Hale. Hoʻomaikaʻi to the girls for being able to balance their academics, their dorm kuleana and their sport requirements. I mua!
Soccer- Kaʻiulani, Anolani, Courtney
Basketball- Hine, Brea
Swimming- Gioia, ʻEhu
Wrestling- ʻOli Nei, Haley
Club Volleyball- Kalei, Iliana
Tennis- Rielle, Alana, Kamalei, Iliana, Rayn, Hiʻilei, Layla
ʻOhana Sports Day
We challenged the ʻohana to come and play with us. We organized basketball, volleyball and pickleball. We made teams of Kahaʻōpūlani Hale and Naeʻole Hale students and we are grateful to our PA kumu and our dorm kumu for helping us keep it honest by being our refs. Mahalo nui to Kumu Ethan and Kumu Pīʻena for cheffing up our dinner.
Biggest mahalo goes to Anolaniʻs ʻohana and CJʻs ʻohana for joining us. We had a lot of fun playing in the gym and hanging out. We actually lost track of the pickleball tournament but everyone had a great time. We played a game of knock out or gotcha. Mahalo again to everyone for coming out, participating and being a part of this fun event.
Huakaʻi i Koʻolauloa- Punaluʻu
On Veteranʻs Day weekend, we took advantage of the three days off and headed out. While majority of the girls were able to fly home for the weekend, the handful that stayed packed up and detached from campus.
Punaluʻu Hale, Laʻiopua, was our home for the weekend. We got settled and headed to Hanohano Huliamahi to do some work at the loʻi there. We headed back to the hale to get ready for the main event- an afternoon and evening at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We were able to tour the villages, learn games, eat yummy food and enjoy the night show.
On Sunday, we went to Kokololio to swim but it was raining so we dindʻt stay long. But hey, a day in the water is always a good day. We headed back to the hale to play cards and just hang out. The food this weekend was top tier. We had a poke bowl bar, spaghetti and lots of snacks!
Monday we packed up and headed back to campus. It was a memorable weekend and we were so happy to be off campus and out in the country for the weekend!
Aliʻi Hula Workshop Series- Liholiho
We attended our second hula workshop put on by Hālau Kūkalaulama. Kumu Manai Kalua shared a mele about Liholiho, Kamehameha II. It was different from our last hula workshop. This hula noho challenged our bodies and out minds. I am so proud of the girls for what they were able to learn and do in just 2 short hours.
We did record the hula, but I promised the girls I wouldnʻt post it. It was just for us to watch when we practice. Later that evening, some of the girls were asking for the recording and were practicing out on the courts. It is so beautiful to see our girls hula- in some we can see their passion for our culture in the way they dance, for some we see the respect they have for the art as they are being pushed out of their comfort zone and for some we appreciate that effort and attention they gave to Kumu.
We mahalo Kumu Paul from ʻIolani dorm and Kumu Layne from Hālāu Kūkalaulama for this opportunity. We started our punch cards! If we get 5 punches, we get a prize. 2 down, 3 to go!
KA trick or treat.mp4Halloween at Kahaʻōpūlani
We had such a festive weekend in honor of Halloween, we thought that would be it for this year. However, on the day of Halloween, Kumu Līlia really wanted to have the girls trick or treat. After dinner we invited the girls to put their costume back on and come to the office for some treats. A handful of girls came by our office with their bags.
Trick or Treat!
Haunted Hale 2024
Halloween didnʻt stop at the Spooktacular. On Saturday night we went up to Kaleiopapa for the Haunted Hale. Students planned for weeks the different rooms and themes and costumes to host all of the Residential Life students. We were the 2nd group to go in and while we were waiting in line we could hear the screams! It made us nervous and anxious, but we werenʻt in line for too long.
Making our way through the hallway, it was exciting, scary and exhilarating. We are so proud of Raegan and Mīnei who were part of the scare crew! Mahalo nui to our awesome PA kumu who took this from concept to creation. We had a blast! Then were yummy Halloween themed snacks. The ʻAha Kukui hui had fun games for us in the lounge. Shout out to Alana for helping with the bowling game.
Spooktacular 2024
Halloween festivities was a weekend long event! Our middle school campus was transformed into Hogwarts. Poʻo kula, Dr. Chun welcomed us into the space as Professor Dumbledore. As you passed his booth, the first stop was our booth- Hogsmeade. Kumu Laura and the girls spent a lot of time cutting, painting and putting together the many pieces that were created to transform paper, cardboard, scissors and tape into a magical space.
Kalama dining hall was open for everyone to come and eat dinner while watching Harry Potter on the big screen.
All of the booths we amazingly decorated and lots of goodies were passed out. The girls had a lot of fun dressing up and trick or treating. We mahalo everyone who came out to set up a booth, bring treats and candy and fun activities so we could have a Halloween!
Lonoikamakahiki!
Residential life took over the middle school field for our makahiki games. It was the first time using our kīhei and we carried our banner proudly as we went from station to station. Kahaʻōpūlani girls might not have the best aim or be the strongest pōhaku rollers, but put us in a race or on the line for hukihiki- itʻs a different story.
We are very proud of all of the girls who competed this year. A huge shout out to our runners and our hukihuki team. Courtney placed first in our kūkini poko and our relay team- Courtney, Anolani, ʻEhu and Brea for taking first. Our hukihuki team- Gioia, Haley, Kaiulani, Grace, Tailer, ʻEhu, Skyleigh, ʻOli Nei, Dailee and Raegan, did an amazing job. We lost in the finals to Paiea but what a show of strength from our middle school girls. Kalei did fantastic in haka moa. She beat out high school girls and lost in the semi finals. Grace did excellent in uma as well.
We had such a great time at this years makahiki games. The ihe didnʻt come home with us, this time, but we did beat out the other 9/10 girl dorms.
Mahalo nui to the girls who submitted photos, especially to Gianni who captured so many good moments from today.
haka moa kalei.MOVuma.MOVrelay.MOV
Back To School 2024
We loved hosting you all at our Back to School event. Mahalo nui for your time and sacrifices to be here with us. We hope you enjoyed your time here and got a little bit of an insight of what the girls days look like. We, and especially they, have worked hard to adjust to Residential Life at Kamehameha and we are so very proud of their progress. We got lots more learning to go but with your help and support, we know that this year will continue to produce success and growth.
Country Line Dancing
We didnʻt really know what we signed up for, but after a day at the beach, we had a few hours to rest before we headed to Kalama to participate in Country Line Dancing.
We walked in to see kupuna on the stage in their boots, some with glitter, doing the cha-cha and the Charleston. We jumped in line and followed along. These kupuna knew how to boogie!
They taught us a few steps and put them all together to fun songs and off we went. Mahalo nui to Kumu Sandy and the PA hui for this fun event. The girls were resistant to go at first but they all walked away saying they had so much fun. We love to provide new opportunities for them, the girls were good sports and are glad they enjoyed themselves. Yeehaw!
line dancing.MOVBeach Outing- Kokololio
We packed up early on Saturday morning to head out to Koʻolauloa for a beach day. We set up for the day at Kokololio beach park. The day started with all hands on deck to set up our tents and tables and to find that perfect spot to claim. After our safety brief, we were all invited to participate in kapu kai. We learned a little about kapu kai at our hālāwai on Wednesday. A good amount. of girls took what they learned and participated. We hope that this becomes a regular practice for them to use when they need to.
The waves were fun, the sun was out (for the most part) and although the park was full, the beach was relatively empty. We had the whole shoreline to ourselves. Some of us swam until we shriviled up and some of us took a break from the water to play on the field.
We packed up and got on the bus to head back to campus with a little more color in our cheeks and hopefully a little less stress in our minds.
Kīhei Making
For the past month, we have been working on our kīhei. We learned what kīhei are, why they are important and how they are used. We then explored the different patterns and images that are used on a kīhei. Each haumāna was challenged to create their own pattern, their own design, that represents who they are. They were given popsicle sticks and foam to make stamps and then print on their kīhei.
We are blown away at the creativity and connection that the girls have demonstrated in their kīhei making. We cannot wait to share this with you all and be able to wear them at our upcoming makahiki event.
Aliʻi Hula Series
In collaboration with Hālau Kūkalaulama, we participated in a hula workshop this past month. Prior to the workshop, we learned a little bit about Kapuāiwa and who he was in relation to Pauahi. We also were able to locate where that building is on campus and what that building is used for. Fun fact- Kumu Richelle used to live in that dorm for many years.
We were taught by Kumu Hula Leinaāʻala Medeiros (KSK ʻ87) who used to live in Kapuāiwa dorm. We started with some basics and she taught us the steps we would be using for the hula. In no time, we were learning the mele- Hanauma Bay.
We shocked ourselves as we were able to learn the whole song, all 5 verses, in just under 2 hours! It was such a fun morning doing hula and reconnecting with another part of our culture. We will not be posting a video of us doing the hula but hopefully we can do it live for you all one day soon.
Tennis, anyone?
We had the privilege of attending a free tennis workshop here on campus. Coach Chanon, one of the tennis coaches, hosted a workshop that taught us a few basic steps and swings. By the end of the workshop, we were able to have somewhat of a rally and even though it wasnʻt too pretty, it was a lot of fun.
Mahalo nui to Kumu Paul from ʻIolani dorm for putting this together. We canʻt wait for the next one
E Hoʻomākaukau!
Mahalo nui to Kumu Kayla and the fabulous PA hui for helping us prepare for our upcoming hoʻokūkū makahiki. We spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon practicing the different games that we will be participating in come the end of October. We will have one more practice session before the big event. Kahaʻōpūlani will be a strong competitor for the ihe!
Hallelujah!
On Sundays we attend Bishop Memorial Chapel. We sing, read scripture, listen to Kahu share manaʻo. One of our favorite parts of chapel service is the praise band. This band is comprised of students who want to share their talents to lift the name of God. We want to recognize Raegan who is on her second year in the band.
praise band raegan.MOV
Life in the Dorm
We have had a busy month and got lots done. Here are a few highlights.
Friday Night Lights at Kūnuiakea had the Warriors playing Punahou. The stands were packed but we got seats near the band and the cheerleaders, where all the action is. It was a good game and the Warriors came up on top!
We ventured up to the high school courts and played dodgeball. Mahalo to Kalei and her hui from ʻAha Kukui for putting on this fun event.
We also celebrated the birthdays of the girls born in July, August and September in our first birthday dinner. Mahalo nui to Kumu Līlia and her hui kūlia for planning the fun just dance and karaoke activity. Happy happy birthday!
E huli ka lima i lalo
We got up early on Saturday morning to take a short bus ride down to Niuhelewai loʻi. If you donʻt know where it is, you might miss it. Itʻs part of a public park, right behind Mexico restaurant and across of Helenaʻs. We were greated by Uncle Robert Silva who has been caring for this space for a while now. He took us on a tour and showed us all of the plants that are being grown there. Some of them we would just pass by because they look like weeds, but theyʻre actually medicinal. After getting to see the space and learning a little bit of the history of this sacred area, we split up and got to work. We had a small group doing dry land work and the majority of us were in the loʻi and in the pond. There was lots to do and the girls did a great job jumping in and helping out. If you ask some of the girls, they might say that their favorite part of the huakaʻi was playing with the dogs. It was a community work day so some people who came brought their dogs. This made some of the girls miss their dogs at home and definitely filled their cup. The time went by rather quickly and before you knew it, it was time for lunch. We were treated to kulolo and kalo with some lūʻau stew. We hope to come back to this place often as it is literally right down the road. Mahalo nui to Kumu Pīʻena for coordinating this huakaʻi for us and providing an opportunity for us to work with the ʻāina right here in Kapālama.
It was a very hot day so we did an impromptu outing to Shimazuʻs to get some shave ice. Only a few of the girls wanted to go, others decided a shower and Door Dash was how they wanted to unwind.
Mahalo nui to Brea for these awesome action shots!
I mua Lady Warriors!
We shut down our hale on Friday to attend the Blue and White game at Kekuhaupiʻo. The girls made signs for Kalei, Iliana, ʻEhu and Courtney to show our support. It was a really fun game to watch and both sides did amazing. There could only be one winner in the scorebook. Kalei and her Inter Blue team took it, 2 sets to 1. We are so proud of the girls, they did so well. I mua, lady warriors of Kahaʻōpūlani Hale!
IMG_4455.MOVIMG_4490.MOVIMG_4489.MOVIMG_4483.MOVIMG_4479.MOVPoʻo Kula New Student Dinner
The new students to Kamehameha and Residential Life were invited to have dinner at Dr. Chunʻs house. We got to meet Dr. Chun, introduce ourselves and share one word that described the first few weeks of school. Kumu Monte McComber was the guest speaker and he spoke about Pauahi and how she attened a boarding school, similar to us. He shared her path to the (would be) throne and how she chose to serve her people in a different way. We are all benefactors of her choices and actions that started way back when she was a student.
There was beautiful music provided by two lovely aunties who played Hawaiian music, local music and even some old school music. We ended the night singing along to and dancing to ALOHA.
Dr. Chun shared a message with us at Convocation that morning and his manaʻo that evening was a continuation of that- taking advantage of all the opportunties that are afforded us as Kamehameha students.
We were gifted some swag and got temporary tattoos, a lanyard, some stickers and a hat! Mahalo nui to Dr. Chun for hosting us and to our FLIK staff for the ʻono food and ice cream bar.
Mahalo to Hāweo, Grace, Kemp, London, Gioia, Alana and Kumu Pīʻena for making lei so we could present it as a makana to show our appreciation. The girls did a great job with oli mahalo as well to thank everyone involved for a great dinner.
IMG_4255.MOVIMG_4256.MOVIMG_4257.MOVGirls got candies from Walmart (or their rooms) and we made a delicious candy salad. A sweet treat to round out our Saturday!
IMG_4175.MOVSaturday Shopping
We traveled to the moku o ʻEwa to Mānana, also known at Pearl City to do some shopping. We started at Walmart for the essentials, then headed across the street for food (Cherry on Top for the win) and walked a little ways to our last stop at Pearl Highlands.
The girls got to practice budgeting, time management and team work as they walked around to the different shopping areas. They did a good job communicating when they were going to be late and reorganized groups when they needed to.
We will continue to work with the girls on budgeting as we saw some of their hauls! Everything was a necessity, apparently. Looking forward to exploring more of Oʻahu and the different shopping options available. Next up, Kahala Mall.
Friday Night Fun
The PAs brought the fun to Kahaʻōpūlani last weekend. Kumu Kilinahe busted out the board games, Kumu Neki opened up Keawe Gym and Kumu Landon came to do some baking. The girls had lots of fun doing these activities and we appreciate our awesome PA kumu for planning these activities for us.
IMG_4154.MOVAloha Games 2024
Who doesnʻt love a little friendly competition? We had an early dinner then headed to Kūnuiakea to participate in this yearʻs Aloha Games festivities. The girls were eager to sign up and we appreciated their spirit! We had a lot of fun and although we didnʻt bring the ihe to Kahaʻōpūlani, we are so proud of our team. This was an amazing first big event for our Residential Life kaiāulu. Mahalo nui to Kumu Kona, our new Poʻo Kumu, for organizing our Aloha Games!
Fun Activities
In the first two weeks of living on campus, there was lots for us to do. Our awesome PA Kumu invited us to Naeʻole Hale for a karaoke night, we went to cheer on the Warriors as they faced Leilehua, our 8th graders got to spend one last day at the beach before the school year started and we were introduced to cool things on campus like the Papa Shop.
Our first off campus outing was to Windward Mall. We were able to pick up necessities at Target and also the important necessities like food!
Hale Happenings
As we figure out our new norms in our dorm, there are a few things that have become fast favorites- food and courts.
Another year, another batch of slime!
day 1 reaction.mp4Welcome to Kahaʻōpūlani for school year 2024-2025!
We opened our doors on August 4th to 45 ʻohana. Move in was a little different this year as both classes checked in on the same day but hopefully that allowed for everyone to see and get to know each other. We know that there was a lot of information shared that day but we hope that you were able to leave feeling confident in your decision to join the Kamehameha Schools Residential Life ʻohana.
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