OUR SCHOOLS • ROYAL SCHOOL
Chief reason for campus pride: caring atmosphere

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer

There's something about Royal School that makes people stay. A long time.

Royal School principal Sandra Ishihara-Shibata allows the YMCA to use the school's cafeteria during the summer months. A family-like environment exists on the campus of O'ahu's oldest school. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

"These teachers don't want to leave," said principal Sandra Ishihara-Shibata, who has been at Royal School for eight years.

Even Ishihara-Shibata has reservations about leaving; she will be the new principal at Kawananakoa Middle School this fall.

"It's hard to leave," she said quietly. "It's so sad."

Maybe it's the school's history: It's the oldest school on O'ahu, founded in 1839 as a school for the children of Hawai'i's ali'i.

Or maybe it's the beautiful campus — a regal administration building was erected three years ago and the campus, with a freeway off-ramp bordering its back yard, is adorned with flower beds and trees.

Ishihara-Shibata says it's all those things, including the school's 430 students, to whom she feels especially close.

"They're accepting of differences in cultures," she said. "That's what we've really worked on with the kids. Everybody learns to care about each other."

The ethnic diversity within the student body is what drives the school to encourage cultural awareness and acceptance.

More than a quarter of the students are Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian. About one-fourth of the students are enrolled in English as a Second Language. The school has seen a big influx of Micronesian immigrants in recent years.

"We're all at Royal School, and that's what connects us," Ishihara-Shibata said. "There's no differences. We are one family."

• What are you most proud of: Ishihara-Shibata said it's her teachers and staff, who have shown a strong commitment to the children's education. "They work so hard, they're really all out there for the kids," she said. "And the staff takes pride in the school and that filters down to the students. They feel good about the school."

• Best-kept secret: There's two. Not too many people know about the school's royal past. Among the school's alumni are Kamehameha V, Queen Emma, King David Kalakaua, Queen Lili'uokalani and Bernice Pauahi.

And the school boasts a 30-member bell choir. The students play bells, sing and even dance hula at various events around town. They traveled to Germany last year and will perform in Disneyland this year.

• Everybody at our school knows: "Mrs. Ilse" the custodian, who has been at the school for more than 20 years. She will be retiring after this school year. "She works so hard," Ishihara-Shibata said. "She really takes pride in keeping the campus beautiful."

• Our biggest challenge: The school has been focusing on reading and writing for the past few years. With the introduction of a reading mastery program, the teachers have noticed improvements in both reading and writing skills. "It's getting the kids to enjoy reading and read at their grade level," Ishihara-Shibata said. "That's basically they're passageway through life."

• What we need: Ishihara-Shibata would like to see more involvement by the parents. With one-fourth of the students considered transient, it's difficult to get long-term commitment by the parents. "It's always a challenge," she said. "We really try hard to welcome everybody."

• Projects: Using a $50,000 grant, the school commissioned sculptor Kim Duffett to create a piece titled "Across the Generations." The sculpture depicts Bernice Pauahi, sitting behind an encyclopedia, her hand reaching outward. On the other side of the book stands a young boy in shorts and a T-shirt, demonstrating the differences in generations. The school raised an additional $20,000 for the piece, which should be completed by the end of the year.

• Special events: This summer the school hosted a free summer reading program for 60 students who needed the additional help. The program, which included lunch, was entirely supported by a federal grant.