OUR SCHOOLS • LA PIETRA SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
School encourages girls to embrace technology

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer

This small campus thinks big.

La Pietra School for Girls sixth-graders, from left, Aisha Akima, Helen Scheleski and Kara Yamada, work on an experiment that tests the effects of exercise on heart rate. All sixth-graders are issued lap-top computers to become comfortable with technology. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

When the 90 percent of students who participate in sports can't gather enough players to create a team, La Pietra links up with other schools to form one. They compete in everything from volleyball to kayaking, golf or water polo.

"We're small," said Nancy White, head of the school. "People assume that means we can't offer a lot, but we have a big-school curriculum."

The school uses a block schedule that gives students and teachers more time in class and allows for more electives. The school year is divided into four terms. Students take four classes at a time and faculty members teach just three classes, which school officials say makes the learning more intensive.

"The teaching block is longer and the teachers have a longer preparation period," White said. "It allows them to teach far more creatively."

Next year La Pietra will offer diplomas with an emphasis in technology if students take at least two technology classes and create an independent project to present at HiTech Quest, the Hawai'i youth technology competition.

The school has made technology a major emphasis over the past several years, and now all sixth-graders are issued laptop computers so they become comfortable with the technology.

"We're trying to encourage more girls to go into technology because that's where the good jobs are and the most opportunities are," said Mike Travis, director of technology. "Women are so underrepresented in those fields."

White said the all-girls environment gives students a chance to shine in technology, leadership and sports without distractions. White, who previously had led co-ed campuses, said even she was surprised by the differences an all-girls school can make.

"There are a lot of pedagogical reasons for having girls' schools and we know that they have a comfort in the learning," she said. "I was blown away by the physical freedom the girls have. You don't have that mirror that another gender brings to campus."

New middle school students are introduced to the campus through a peer mentoring program and a Middle School Camp. The entire sixth, seventh and eighth grades are mentored by 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders.

"We tackle issues like conflict resolution and confidence," said Mahina Eleneki, middle school dean. "The younger girls really look up to the peer leaders. The older girls get a chance to build their leadership skills."

What are you most proud of? White said the girls leave the school confident and know that their creativity is valued. "La Pietra graduates independent, creative young women who have the self-confidence to pursue their interests — from structural engineers, doctors and scientists to arts, teachers and writers."

Best-kept secret? Most people would be surprised to learn that about 40 percent of La Pietra's students receive financial aid. But because students wear uniforms, school officials say it isn't obvious who receives aid and who doesn't. "When you talk to people on the outside they assume it's a rich school," Travis said. But the school's fund-raisers help bring in money to support the financial aid program and keep the student body diverse.

What we need: Like most schools, La Pietra is always looking for charitable gifts and money from fund-raisers to maintain its campus and build up its financial aid program. But with a history that dates to the 1960s, the school hasn't yet developed the kind of powerhouse fund-raising that some other private schools have. "We're a young school and we're all women," White said. "It's just been in the last few years that our alumni association has incorporated. Now we have second-generation alumni."

Special events: The Children's Fair, where La Pietra students organize fair events and activities for young children. The day before the event, 200 special-needs and challenged students from around O'ahu come to the fair for a sneak peek and are paired with a La Pietra student for the day.The Hoopla! fund-raising auction supports the school's financial aid program. The first Friday of the school year is Class Day, when administrators cook for the entire school, and seniors get to spend the night on campus.