Our Schools | Academy of the Pacific
All 140 students have chance to shine at hillside campus
| • | Academy of the Pacific at a glance |
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
A few years ago, a new student arrived at Academy of the Pacific.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
She had been hospitalized for depression after years of poor performance in school and had been accused of laziness by her teachers and family.
Academy of the Pacific students Andrew Takai and Eriko Matsumoto participate in a chess tournament, with schoolmate Kanako Kojima carefully following their moves. All of the school's students, including some who had difficulty on other campuses, have gone on to college.
But when the dean of students at Academy of the Pacific tested her reading levels, the schools discovered that the teenager was reading on a fifth-grade level. She couldn't understand her textbooks.
By the time she graduated, she had taken eight Advanced Placement classes, led the student council as president and won a full scholarship to college.
At Academy of the Pacific, nobody falls through the cracks.
With just 140 students and an average class size of 10, this lush 4-acre campus gives all students a chance to shine.
The academy specializes in helping students who have had difficulty in other schools. Many of its students are exceptionally gifted athletes, musicians and artists who needed an outlet for their talents. All are pushed academically, to the extent that 100 percent attend college after graduation.
"Our mission is to work with the students who are not thriving in other large public or private schools," said Dorothy Douthit, head of school at Academy of the Pacific. "They may not like all of the rules and the regulations that come with having a large campus. They are unique. They don't like to be ordinary — that's a big thing around here."
Students at the Academy of the Pacific have just three rules to follow:
1. I will not hurt myself or others.
2. I'll be where I am supposed to be at all times.
3. If the teacher asks me to leave the classroom, I will.
If a student needs to be disciplined, it takes place outside the classroom. Douthit said she came up with that policy after sitting in several classrooms and determining the amount of class time — commonly 20 minutes — that the teachers had to spend on discipline.
"Discipline takes a long time, and it's boring for everyone else," Douthit said.
Each summer, the student, parents, dean of students and Douthit sit down for a meeting to review the past year's performance and talk about goals for the next school year. A unique course schedule is designed for each student. If students don't thrive in a certain class, they will be moved to another setting where they can achieve success.
"A child cannot escape attention here," said Dave Lerps, chief financial officer for Academy of the Pacific. "Even I know almost everyone's name, and I don't even teach."
Academy of the Pacific emphasizes the needs of the individual over the needs of the school, Douthit said. About one in 10 students has lost a parent, while others have fallen behind in traditional schools for other reasons.
"I don't know why we keep building such big schools," Douthit said. "Kids don't do well in them. We need more places where kids who get behind can catch up."
Students respond to the cozy atmosphere. The hillside campus has small cottage-like classrooms in historic buildings.
The site is a former fruit farm that was home to John Mason Young, one of the founders of the University of Hawai'i, and has views of Punchbowl and downtown Honolulu.
"This school is great," said A.J. Taaca, 18, president of the student council and a senior at the school. "The teachers go all out to help you. They make you feel really good. I honestly feel like this is getting me ready for college."
What are you most proud of? "I'm most proud of the way individuals have come here and succeeded," Douthit said. "I'm proud of all of our graduates. When I think of where they were when they came here and where they are when they leave, I am amazed. There are miracles here. When students come here, they're sort of hunched over and wearing dark clothes. I like to see how long it takes them to hold their head high."
Best-kept secret: "That we're so good," Douthit said. "Charles Toguchi, when he was superintendent of schools, used to call us the best-kept educational secret in Hawai'i." All of the academy's students go onto college, and its graduates include Harvard professors, attorneys, teachers and pilots.
Everyone at our school knows: Everyone else, because the school is so small. Also, everyone knows Douthit, who has been at the school 27 years. She begins each day with an early swim in the Pacific, starts work before 6 a.m. and is a former assistant professor of German at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa. Douthit is also a former commissioner of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the accrediting agency for Hawai'i's universities and schools from kindergarten to Grade 12.
What we need: More computers. The school is trying to raise money for computers in the lab and would like to revamp its technology resources to add video-shooting and editing studios for student newscasts.
Special events: This is the 40th anniversary year for Academy of the Pacific. Several celebration events are scheduled throughout the school year, including a lu'au on campus Feb. 23, which will include events for the entire family, and an Alumni Weekend on May 24-26. Alumni and friends of the school can call 595-6359 for more information.
Academy of the Pacific at a glance
• Where: 913 'Alewa Drive
• Phone: 595-6359
• Web address: www.aop.net
• Head of school: Dorothy B. Douthit, Ph.D.
• School nickname: Dolphins
• School colors: Blue and white
• Enrollment: 140 students in Grades 6-12
• History: Founded in 1961 as Honolulu Junior Academy. Name changed to Academy of the Pacific in 1982.
Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com
