OUR SCHOOLS • JAMES B. CASTLE HIGH
Students laying foundation for new school year

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KANE'OHE — Classes are out for the summer at James B. Castle High School but students are still busy there planning fund-raisers and preparing for a conference for student leaders responsible for coordinating campus activities.

Beth Davidann, of the Castle Medical Center for School Wellness, gives a CPR demonstration at Castle High School. Students can intern at the medical center as part of the school's health occupation program. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

The conference will build relationships that are needed for the schools to function cohesively throughout the year, Yoshimori said.

"It's the critical link to a successful year," she said.

For the first time King students are invited with the hope of creating lasting friendships with students from different school levels, Yoshimori said.

Many of those same students, 43 from Castle and five from King, will also participate in a fund-raising campaign in which they hope to earn $60,000 to improve a courtyard outside the Castle cafeteria, she said. The plan for Castle Mall calls for installing 200 seats, tables and landscaping for student diners because the cafeteria isn't big enough to hold them all. The fund-raising campaign includes a car wash from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the back parking lot of Windward Mall.

About $11,000 was raised at previous fund-raisers, and, with another $35,000, the project could begin this summer, said Castle principal Meredith Maeda.

• What are you most proud of? "I'm most proud of our kids because of the things they're doing, service projects, leadership and performing arts," Maeda said.

Students participating in the Health Occupation Program are interning at Castle Medical Center, learning to do health screening and CPR, he said.

Technology students are rebuilding computers and selling them within the complex. They created a DVD for graduates, recording their graduation and senior highlights. This summer they'll help pull cables through conduits to get the school completely wired.

• Best-kept secret: A partnership with KCCN. The radio station sponsors an 'Ohana Bash for the school, which keeps all proceeds from ticket sales. To create stronger ties with Castle's feeder schools, those schools are invited to participate to raise money for their schools, Maeda said.

Another secret, he said, is that Castle and its feeder schools have initiated a complexwide project to ensure that students learn math in similar ways from elementary to intermediate and high school, he said. Last year the same thing was done with reading.

"One belief we have is everybody is doing a good job but we're not aligning and possibly that's why our kids are not doing as well as they should," he said.

• Everybody at our school knows: Lynn Shinsato and Elise Miura. Miura, a Castle graduate, was interim vice principal last school year and runs the Knights Cafe, where students learn to operate a lunch restaurant, including cooking, serving and planning meals.

Shinsato, curriculum coordinator, is the do-everything person, Maeda said, including coordinating for the Masters In Education & Teaching program, running the school's professional development program and planning the Castle-Elementary Speech Festival.

• Our biggest challenge: Maintaining Knight pride and prodding students to excel. "I don't know what it is but a lot of kids just want to get by. So we're pushing 'it's not OK to just get by,' " Maeda said.

• What we need: Castle Mall improvements, more qualified teachers to fill vacancies, money to operate programs, space — eight teachers are without permanent classrooms — and technology.

• Special events: Aug. 20, Freshman/Sophomore Night; Sept. 4, Senior/Junior Night; Sept. 18, Open House.

To get your school profiled, reach education editor Dan Woods at 525-5441 or dwoods@honoluluadvertiser.com.