Welcome to our Waimea Middle School May Day Hō‘ike 2026 Website! Enjoy videos, photos and a short story written by a valued community member. 

Mahalo for your support of our students and school!

The Journey to May Day 2026

It’s May 22 and the District Park Gym parking lot is full. The entry road, which is lined with overflow, spills out onto Ala`ohia, once a corridor rich with the sweet fragrance of the `ohia. The Waimea winds are playful, nudging the clouds like waves on the ocean. Kamakani whispers with the chants of ancient warriors, Manaua sprinkles her blessing and many hands carry lei. We enter the gym to the mele Hawai`i of Kumu Nani Lim-Yap, Asia Lim-Yap and Kapono Lopes. The May Day 2026 celebrations begin. 

The program begins with ancient tradition to honor the May Day court. The Queen and King and their island representatives solemnly enter and take their places. The first hula is the privilege of the queen and she steps out onto the center of the floor to dance Hi`ilawe, a love story of Mahiki Lalo and Waipio. She is soon joined by her mom and two generations dance a timeless love story. 

The ho`ike was the culmination of a year of experiences where Hawaiian mana`o was woven with science curriculum to create a nest of learning. This deep celebration of culture and community began last fall when faculty began reflecting on “A sense of Place, Sense of Belonging”, this year’s learning focus. To have a sense of belonging they reasoned, learners need to have a sense of place. With this mana`o, faculty and students took a deep exploratory dive into their physical and cultural environments.

The spirit of Aloha propelled the teaching staff and the community cultural practitioners to plunge ahead when their Kumu ‘Ike Hawai`i, Cerise Mundon, retired. Like the warriors of old, faculty, cultural practitioners and community members came together in the spirit of unity.  Zoe Kosmas, our fabulous garden teacher, stepped up as our coordinator and Micah Kamohoali’i and Halau na Kipu`upu`u helped with all the grade level performances, said Naui Murphy, 8th grade science teacher.

In mapping out the year, each grade level had a particular focus. In discussions we talked about trying to focus on what the kids are learning and how we create this story of sense of place and sense of belonging, said Naui.  

Hawaiian culture is rich with the connections that exist within the natural world. It really became about, let’s further their education. I can bring in science in a Hawaiian way so they can see the comparison of both, so they can see that we’re both talking about the same thing. That what we’re learning in class is the same thing that we’re learning about in Hawaiian class for May Day, explained Micah Kamohoali`i, Master Kumu Hula who composed all the chants and hula for the program.

Initially, Kumu Micah searched for chants that would connect to student explorations, but soon realized he would have to compose them himself. It was a massive effort, but also made the performance an inspired, authentic experience. To facilitate the students ‘sense of place’, a grant was awarded by the National Science Foundation for a field studies teacher. This role was taken on by 7 th grade science teacher Jade Bowman, who organized field studies to provide hands-on research in geology, geography, volcanology, zoology and history.  The entire island became their classroom.

A story of volcanism is constantly unfolding on our island and, Because of all the eruptions and the movements of our island, we wanted to honor Pele in some way, said Naui. For 8 th grade science we focused on the Mauna Loa flows. Micah wove that into the Pele chant where he talked about not only the places near Kilauea and Halema`uma`u, but he talked about Moku‘āweoweo (summit caldera of Mauna Loa), said Naui.  

We are surrounded by pu`u, formed through volcanic processes, that define Waimea’s distinctive geography. The pu`u are also the keepers of the ancient Waimea stories and the birth places of the ali`i. To celebrate this the 8 th grade dancers performed Ka Pali Kapu O Nā Aliʻi O Waimea, which describes the gifts and essences of the pu`u and  tells of the births of the chiefs.  

Fragrant is the maile of La`ela`e

On the sacred cliffs of the chiefs of Waimea

Hoku`ula is wind blown

The trees that bend in

The long-flowing stream from the uplands

The cold waters of Kōhākohau

The deep mists of Keanuiomano

A water pond home of the mo`o, Manaua

There sits the stone of Manaua

Laidened with garlands of the people.

The 8th graders also focused on a key element in Hawai`i: water. In Hawaiian, waiwai is the term for wealth and ‘O wai kou inoa’ (whose your water) is how you ask someone their name. The mo`o and their protective spirits are entwined with water and so their second hula, Mo`olau, lifts up the names of the mo`o of our area. In eighth grade they were learning about the mo`o and the reason behind the guardian spirits of ponds and what does that actually mean culturally? These spirit creatures are the protectors of our water sources and can be very fierce but also willing to help, said Micah.  

The 7 th graders focused on birds and made trips to Kaulanamanu and Hakalau. We got to go to Hakalau overnight. The crew there was tagging birds. The kids helped taking the captured birds out of the nets. It helped them understand how much in jeopardy the birds are. And they got to hold them and release them, said Jade.  

Micah wove the dancers’ experience with nā manu into the 7th grade May Day chant. I composed the Manu Kanahele chant. It has the seven birds and what they look like and the things they eat and an explanation of who they are. Attractive is the red bird. The I`iwi that eats the lehua. The I`iwi has a beautiful sound when it sings. It’s main source of food is the nectar from the lehua. In Hawaiian, if the lehua dies, so will the bird. If our plants die then our birds will go too. Everything is connected. 

As the seventh graders danced to Na Manu O ka Nahele there was strength and grace in their  movements, that told a story of the creatures who share the forest. There was a sense of awe as the audience was invited to enter the world of the native birds. When they were dancing, they felt connected to the song. They knew about the birds and they were immersed in it, observed Jade.  

The 6th grade students focused on pu`u and their history. The chant, `O Ke Kaua Loa relays the story of the battle that happened on Pu`u Hoku`ula, `Ōa`oaka and Pu`uopelu. This battle took place in the mid seventeenth century when warriors from Maui came up to Waimea and positioned themselves on the pu`u. The chant tells of all the warriors arriving from all districts to join in the battle to defend their island and their victory, a feat of united strength.  

The reverberating pahu and powerful chanting filled the entire space, taking us on a time travel journey and reminding us that the spirits of the land and the ancestors are always with us waiting to be called forth.  This was expressed by Principal Janice English in her welcoming comments. Today, our campus feels a little like enchanted ʻāina—where music becomes wind, hula becomes storytelling, and the spirit of aloha moves like moonlight across the mountains of Waimea. For one afternoon, our students step into the circle of tradition and remind us that culture is not something locked in the past; it is living magic carried forward through voice, movement, chant, and connection.

We are surrounded by knowledge and ancient wisdom and no matter how obscured it is, when a space is cleared it will re-emerge, just as native plants appear when conditions are made right. This year at Waimea Middle School, a kipuka was created. Students came to know their place in a deeper sense, giving them tools to navigate their journey, wherever it takes them. 

For us May Day is about telling the stories. We want to continue to tell the stories of our place but also tie it into what our school’s theme is every year, concluded Naui.