Ka Leo O Ke Koa
Kaleokekoa.com
The voice of the Warrior
The online student news source of Waiakea High School
Kaleokekoa.com
The online student news source of Waiakea High School
Welcome our newest Vice Principal Mr. Yanagi!
By Emma Kozuma
Warriors, let's give a warm welcome to Mr. Todd Yanagi! Mr. Yanagi, is a Waiakea High alumni and is our newest administrator this year. Last week, we got the privilege to interview him. Let's get to know him!
Many Waiakea High students know Mr. Yanagi as their elementary physical education teacher or vice principal. Mr. Yanagi has worked at several elementary and high schools, including Ka’u High , Pahala Elementary, Waiakea Elementary, Waiakeawaena, and Na’alehu elementary. He says that serving at secondary schools is different compared to elementary schools as the maturity levels of the students are different, and secondary students tend to know their passions more in depth.
He said that returning to Waiakea High School gives him a chance to “give back to his alumni.” He added, “Waiakea High is a place that is home, and I love what Waiakea High does with their academies. It’s also good to see how students have grown from when I taught them in elementary, as they learn their passions.”
Although a long term goal he might consider one day is to serve as an athletic director, he says working as a VP is a great opportunity that he is enjoying every day. He says that the “rich Waiakea tradition, their academy based learning and athletics” are something he wants to be a part of.
We are so excited to have you be part of the Warrior Family Mr. Yanagi!
Photo by Lacey Wong
Welcome our new teachers to Waiakea
(Left to Right)
Daniel Weiss (English), Dennis Ayap (P.E), Curtis Jesse (Chemistry), Stephen North (English), Maika Woods (Entrepreneurship, And P.E), Daysha Tablit (English), Dipa Fields (Math), Tori Hironaga (Math), and Megan Kimura (Art). Please help to welcome our brand new teachers to our Warrior Family!
Alia-Lei Bargamento
President
Jourdyn Morimoto
Treasurer
Kristianna Yumul
Secretary
Jiel Jeon
Vice President
Aloha Freshmen class of 2028!
I am extremely proud to introduce your officers for this year, 2024-25. Vice President will be Jiel Jeon, our Secretary will be Kristianna Yumul, and our Treasurer is Jourdyn Morimoto. I will proudly be your Freshman President!
With me being your Class of 2028 President, I’m fully committed to serving this class and effectively communicating with others like my classmates and Waiakea High faculty. I wish to be treated as a classmate, friend, and/or a companion rather than a President who sees themself on a different level than others. As your president, I am someone who will always hear you out, give you a helping hand, or a shoulder to lean on. Don’t be afraid to reach out to me!
I am looking forward to getting many of you involved in our activities and bringing spirit to the class of 2028. I hope that future opportunities will bring our class closer together and to show spirit and cooperation. When Homecoming arrives on September 30th, we will be able to show the entire Waiakea School how much spirit we have. Let us all have fun this year!
Let’s go, black and gold Panthers!
Alia-Lei Bargamento
Class of 2028 President
By: Paisley Menino
Tomorrow, Friday, August 16th, 2024 will mark our first holiday of the 2024-25 school year, Statehood Day, also known as Admissions Day.
Statehood Day is a state holiday in Hawaii, usually celebrated on the third Friday of August. On August 21, 1959, President Eisenhower signed a proclamation making Hawaii the 50th state.
This holiday is important as it has a wealth of history behind it, as although there was great support to make Hawaii the 50th state, it was a long road for Hawaii residents for many decades, which included the Overthrow of the Kingdom and World War II.
In the most important sense, this day is to commemorate the anniversary of Hawaii’s 1959 admission to the union the 50th state. When Hawaii became a state, that led to the huge growth of tourism as this led to more flights that connected Hawaii and the mainland, which brought in many visitors and helped to create an economy boom. Happy Statehood Day everyone!