Our Schools • Highlands Intermediate
25 Book Campaign rewards prolific readers
By Adrienne Ancheta
Advertiser Staff Writer
When uniforms are a daily part of life, the chance to wear "regular" clothes can be enough incentive to read five or six books each quarter.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Reading a certain number of books earns students at Highlands Intermediate School the privilege of not wearing uniforms at the school's quarterly dance. The quota, which varies by quarter, is part of Highlands' 25 Book Campaign that sets a goal for students to read 25 books or more each year.
Matthew Latsun reads his essay aloud in class at summer school at Highlands Intermediate School in Pearl City. Principal Jane Himeda says she is especially proud of Highlands Intermediate's "good learning environment" involving students, teachers and parents.
"These days, you have to bribe them with anything," Principal Jane Himeda said with a smile.
The campaign began two years ago with the first bribe of Dave's ice cream.
Students who read 25 or more books by the year's end also are given a concert. The first concert was by Na Leo Pilimehana and the last by Jake Shimabukuro. The campaign seems to work, with more books read this year than last.
Highlands' campaign supports its use of the America's Choice program, which was implemented in January 1999. The program is a standards-based school reform model with an emphasis on language arts. As part of the program, teachers stay with a class for two or three years.
• What are you most proud of? "It's a good learning environment," Himeda said. Himeda attributes this to a combination of factors, including the safe campus that has resulted from requiring uniforms since 1998; use of the America's Choice program; teaming students and teachers; and parent involvement.
• Best-kept secret: As the only school without a Title 1 designation in the costly America's Choice program, Highlands has had to pay for the reforms on its own, said Himeda. In the first two years, $100,000 grants were awarded to the school, but help from legislators has kept the program going. The area legislators helped allocate $300,000 to the school for last year and this year.
• Everybody at our school knows: Auntie Lani, a campus security aide who enforces school rules, including those concerning uniforms. "She's strict, but that's what the kids like," Himeda said. "It's consistent, so no matter who you are, you're going to get busted."
• Our biggest challenge: With the Department of Education's standards of achievement, convincing the students they need to meet these standards to receive a diploma has been the most difficult.
"At this age, which is the hardest age to work on, it's really hard to impress on them how standards affect their lives even after high school."
• What we need: The school has been able to meet its financial needs but has been short on time for administrators and teachers to complete their work.
• Projects: Student government at Highlands constantly searches for ways to encourage students to participate in community service. It has organized campaigns to help terminally ill Highlands students and participated in events benefiting the Ronald McDonald House.
• Special events: In August, Highlands Intermediate kicks off its reading campaign with 40 guest readers. The readers usually are prominent community members such as legislators, police officers, principals from nearby schools, former students or teachers, church groups or business people. Other more widely known individuals such as Frank DeLima also participated in reading to a class for a half-hour.
• • •
Highlands Intermediate at a glance
• Where: 1460 Ho'olaule'a St., Pearl City.
• Phone: 453-6480
• Web address: www.highlands.k12.hi.us
• Principal: Jane Himeda, 12 years.
• School nickname: Trojans
• School colors: Purple and white
• Enrollment: 1,100
• History: Built on a slope in 1959, the school struggled with erosion problems and classroom floodings until 10 years ago, when a new drainage system and retaining walls were constructed.
• Special programs/classes: Highlands' band has been well-known and respected locally and nationally for decades. Under the leadership of director Boniface Leong, who retired in June after 36 years of teaching, the band has played in Wa-shington, Vienna, Paris and London. "I don't think anybody in Hawai'i will say their intermediate band is better than ours," Himeda said.
• Computers: The school has a computer resource class in the library, keyboarding class with computers and as many as three or four computers in some classrooms. The school's goal is to install at least four in each room.
To get your school profiled, contact education editor Dan Woods by phone at 525-5441 or by e-mail, dwoods@honoluluadvertiser.com
