OUR SCHOOLS • OUR LADY OF SORROWS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Everyone's part of the family at Wahiawa campus
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
Theresa Reaume fell in love with Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School in Wahiawa as soon as she began attending services at the parish church three years ago. She and her husband, who's in the Navy, soon enrolled all three of their children.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Today, Reaume is vice president of the private school's recently formed Parents and Teachers Together program. She sings the praises of the principal, Margaret Yamamoto; the parish priest, the Rev. Clarence "Larry" Fisher, the 10 teachers and small staff. The main appeal is the level of connection between teachers and students at the school, which has an enrollment of less than 90.
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School kindergartner Anthony Colby, right, shows off a project that he made using rubber bands as his classmates and teacher, Kerstin Kaahaaina, look on.
"This is like someplace I'd like to go," Reaume said. "The parents are very involved with their kids here. Everyone knows your name. My daughter's fifth-grade class totals six girls. Their teacher, Mrs. Sprott, knows every one of these kids. It doesn't get much better than that."
Most everyone associated with Our Lady of Sorrows speaks of the closeness at the school. "It's like a family," is a phrase one hears frequently. Indeed. Teacher Jill Sprott went to school at Our Lady of Sorrows. Sprott's cousin, Lisa Gomes, teaches eighth grade. Gomes' younger brother and sister were taught at the school. Gomes' mother, Betty Gomes, is the school secretary.
"The development of moral values is very important here — having to choose between right and wrong and then dealing with the consequences of their actions," said social studies teacher Cheryl Caughorn, who has been with the school since 1992 and whose son, Christopher, went to Our Lady of Sorrows from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The school does not evangelize and welcomes students of any faith. But it puts a strong emphasis on the values and principles of the Catholic church, as well as an emphasis on the basics of reading, English, math, science, social studies, computer literacy, physical education and music. Caughorn took time out to discuss the school while Yamamoto was attending a teachers conference this week.
• What are you most proud of? "The fact that we are family-oriented. We're so small that we know everybody's business, and we take it to heart. So, if someone's in despair we run to their aid. People are always willing to reach out. The reason people keep coming back is because we are close-knit."
• Best-kept secret: "Kids that graduate from our school always come back. They write us, they send us notices about their graduation from college, or their weddings, or their babies being born. You'll be thinking, 'I wonder what ever happened to that kid?' and here they come through the door and it's, 'Look how much you've grown!' It's like a family."
Another secret is that many of the teachers and staff are closet culinary experts, said Caughorn. Everybody has their specialty. One turns out to be a whiz at whipping up mouth-watering desserts, another produces succulent chicken dishes, while another can do miracles with spare ribs. Potluck get-togethers can turn into epicurean feasts.
• Everybody at our school knows: Betty Gomes, school secretary, who has been a familiar presence for 15 years and is prone to passing out free hugs.
"She's the first line of defense," said Caughorn. "Betty is so personable that after you first meet her you walk away thinking you've known her for life. That impression alone is so positive for this school. She just loves people."
• What we need: Newer computers. Classrooms have computers, and they're all connected, but Caughorn said the older computers are so outdated that some are incompatible with the newer ones. Consequently, computer teacher Thalia Woodward is constantly trying to increase the memory on older computers, and she can only upgrade the system in increments.
• Our biggest challenge: To increase enrollment and, according to principal Yamamoto, "the challenge of change," which includes adding progressive curriculum changes and showcasing the school more than in the past.
• Projects and special events: Throughout the year the school is involved in numerous community service oriented projects, such as adopting the long-term skilled nursing facility at Wahiawa General Hospital, holding a Mathathon to raise money for St. Jude's Hospital and working with Habitat for Humanity.
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| At a glance
• Where: 1403 California Ave., Wahiawa • Phone: 621-8951, ext. 222 • Web Address: olshawaii.com • Principal: Margaret Yamamoto, who has been with the school since August. After teaching at Maryknoll for 18 years, Yamamoto was asked to consider being principal at Our Lady of Sorrows last April. Seeing the school for the first time, she said, was "a magical moment. I loved it. I didn't have a second thought about accepting the offer." • School Nickname: OLS Knights • School Colors: Royal blue and white • Enrollment: 89 • History: The school opened in 1962 with classes in grades one through three. Grades four through eight were added in 1967, and kindergarten was added later. • Special programs or classes: The school's afterschool program provides a safe environment for children in grades K-8. Activities, which include structured and free play, creative arts and homework time, are supervised by qualified staff. Snacks are provided. The school's extracurricular activities include yearbook, intramural sports, student council and choir. Coming up: a six-week summer school program focusing on academics, enrichment and afternoon adventure will be launched this year. • Computers: The school's computer lab has a dozen computers, and there are two computers in every classroom. The computers are interconnected. |
