OUR SHOOLS • PALOLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Students find ways to return acts of kindness

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

Beset with the challenges of teaching at-risk students, many of whom are immigrants living in subsidized housing, Palolo Elementary School depends on the kindness of others.

Palolo Elementary School fifth-graders recite the Pledge of Allegiance after the flag is raised. Students also sing the National Anthem daily. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Because of budget cuts, the school relies on donations and support from the community from service groups such as the Honolulu and East Honolulu Rotary clubs for school supplies, computers and tutors, as well as grants from foundations. Assistance of any kind, Silberstein tells the students, is never for free.

In the past year the students gave up their seats on the bus to elderly people, offered to carry heavy bags, gave their change to a Salvation Army worker, fed a homeless person and helped their parents with their siblings.

So while the student may be getting help from the community, they are learning the lesson of giving back to the community, Silberstein said.

"Because the majority of the students come from the project area, the perception is they're rude and violent," Silberstein said. "But the truth is our students are humble. They are full of heart.

"They may act tough, but it's a facade to survive."

Organizations help the school by paying for field trips to Bishop Museum, buying spelling books the state Department of Education can't provide and the computers the school needs to teach technology to a diverse student population.

Here, parents don't have the time or the money to buy school supplies or support school fund-raisers, Silberstein said. In the past the school and the Palolo School Association, a parent-teacher group, was lucky to raise $1,000, something many other schools could do in a week.

"But lots of community organizations help us," Silberstein said. "The low socioeconomics and large number of immigrants presents a tremendous challenge."

Each morning the school stresses the importance of patriotism by raising the American flag in the central courtyard. Students stop what they're doing and say the Pledge of Allegiance and then sing the National Anthem. It's just one of the ways that Palolo Elementary tries to teach the concept of respect for others and self, Silberstein said.

It's all part of the process of training students to be lifelong learners.

"When you walk around the campus you'll see bear paws," she said. "Those are there to remind the students to remember to stop and pause and show respect for others and to be safe. The students have responded well."

• What are you most proud of? "We have very little disruptions during class time or behavior problems; it's because of our code of conduct," Silberstein said. "Our vision at school is to create learners today and leaders tomorrow. The students are well-trained in that respect, and that has helped us with the low number of classroom disruptions."

• Everybody at our school knows: Ray Oyama. He's a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel who operates the community computer lab and raises the American flag each morning, Silberstein said. "Rain or shine, Ray raises the flag. He is so dedicated to his country. He knows the history of the flag and is a scout leader. He always recognizes others, but he doesn't get a lot of recognition."

• Our biggest challenge: To bring up student test scores. "We're trying to develop the skills that will open up our students' minds and to develop a proper perspective for education in our diverse ethnic culture," Silberstein said.

• What we need: More time. There's not enough time to meet the federal No Child Left Behind mandate. There's not enough time to bring up test scores before the deadlines. "We've made a lot of changes in our curriculum with new reading programs, but we need time to get it going. There's a lot of challenges. But mostly we need time, personnel and materials and grant writers to help us tap into resources from foundations." The school also needs playground equipment and basketball hoops and nets. The hoops were stolen off the backboards.

• Projects: The school is undergoing a state-paid renovation project that involves painting the entire school the same color. The school also will come into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act with the help of a federal grant to make repairs to the restrooms and add a wheelchair-accessible shower. State lawmakers last year allotted money to build an additional parking lot on the other side of the cafeteria because there's not enough parking on campus, Silberstein said.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.