High goals reign supreme in middle school's idyllic setting
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
It's hard to imagine a better setting for a school campus than the one at Gov. Samuel Wilder King Intermediate School in Kane'ohe.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
Benches and picnic tables dot the shady green campus. The Ko'olau Mountains loom on one side, the waters of Kane'ohe Bay lap against the shoreline edge of the waterfront campus. An enormous banyan tree fills a circular drive. During the brief morning break, students take advantage of the wide spaces to play frisbee, shoot hoops and relax in the shade.
King Intermediate students Anjali Carsten and Don Omengebar dance to accompaniment by band instructor Larry Trela and students.
"I think we have the best setting of any school in the state," said Principal Cynthia Chun. "You can look at the bay or the mountains, and we have a lot of green. We've got the best view."
Coconut Island is just off shore, visible across the Hawaiian garden started by a former teacher.
King originally was built to be a high school, so the campus is blessed with a large amount of land and extra buildings, such as the gymnasium, maintenance building and large band halls that would be the envy of many intermediate campuses.
Inside the band hall, more than 300 students learn to play instruments and participate in the school's largest extracurricular program. Nearly one-third of all students at King are in the band, where they can learn everything from trumpet to drums.
Address: 46-155 Kamehameha Highway, Kane'ohe Phone: 233-5727 School nickname: The Cobras School colors: Red and gold Principal: Cynthia Chun, a King alumna, has been the principal for 12 years. History: King Intermediate opened in 1964. It was originally built to be a high school, but was never used as one. Enrollment: 960 students SATs: Here's how King Intermediate students fared on the most recent Stanford Achievement Test. Listed is the combined percentage of students scoring average and above average, compared with the national combined average of 77 percent: Eighth-grade reading: 73 percent; math: 81 percent.
The school, which feeds into Castle High School, was accredited last spring by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
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At a glance
In keeping with its high school atmosphere, King Intermediate is host to a College Night each spring. Parents are invited to come learn about topics from how to save for a college education to how a student athlete can reach NCAA eligibility.
Chun and the faculty try to push college as an option for their students, some of whom come from the four public housing projects served by the campus. About 30 percent of students at King are eligible for the federal program providing free or reduced lunches. The school also has about 18 percent special education students through geographic exception applications made to the campus each year.
Maintenance is an issue at King Intermediate. With Windward showers and plenty of salt air blowing in off Kane'ohe Bay, the campus takes a weather beating daily.
"It's always the last priority," Chun said. "One of these days — I don't know if it will happen in my lifetime — I'd love to have the outside of the buildings all painted the same color at the same time."
The school is using some recent electrical upgrades to try to get all the classrooms on closed-circuit TV, so students can watch a campus-produced news show each day.
As part of the school's improvement plan, every classroom has a standards board which teachers use to keep their classrooms on track to meet the standards set by the state Board of Education.
What are you most proud of? Staff efforts to work as a team make Chun swell with pride. Faculty and staff have pulled together to offer students a range of services, such as afternoon tutorial sessions, numerous clubs and interest groups, a large athletics program, school-based behavioral health services, a Hawaiian immersion program and enrichment programs such as National Junior Honor Society, Johns Hopkins Search for Talent, a Science Fair and History Day. Teen Care, a substance abuse prevention and intervention program, is also offered.
Best-kept secret? The quality of the staff. Chun said faculty and staff are committed to the school and the community. They're open to changes and understand the importance of teamwork. Also, many live in the area, which makes them extra committed to the campus.
Everyone at school knows: The Discipline Guideline. It may look strict, but school officials say it is fair and lets students and parents know the consequences of poor behavior up front. Chun said it helps keep the campus safe. "There was a time when this was a pretty rowdy campus," Chun said. "I live in this community. The last thing I wanted to hear from people was, 'Oh, I don't want to send my kids to King Intermediate because they'll get beaten up.' " Since the guideline went into effect several years ago, the campus has seen a dramatic drop in discipline problems.
What we need: Although King Intermediate is among the top 10 O'ahu schools needing repairs and maintenance ($8.4 million worth), Chun said a smaller student-teacher ratio is what would really help. "As we implement middle school concepts such as teaming, it requires a basic number of teachers," she said. But teacher allocation is based on enrollment, which fluctuates each year.
Also, a technology coordinator and standards implementation coordinator would help toward state-wide accountability efforts, she said. Most secondary schools use teachers to meet those needs.
Special events: Besides College Night, King Intermediate has a big holiday band concert and a Back-to-School Day each December when parents are invited to come to class. Also, students can show off their skills in art, Polynesian dance, ukulele and other fine arts such as singing during FAME, the annual Fine Arts Mini Event.
Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
