Students stay dry during dedication
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| With the roof of their old campus sheltering them from rain, Nanaikapono Elementary students yesterday looked toward the site of the new Nanaikapono school.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser |
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer
NANAKULI — One thing was missing from yesterday's rain-soaked dedication of the new Nanaikapono Elementary School — students.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
They were safe and dry five-tenths of a mile away — neatly dressed in their uniform green T-shirts — inside the old Nanaikapono Elementary School at 89-195 Farrington, between the highway and the sea.
Principal Myron Brumaghim, left, Lafoga Tokio, 11, middle, and Kahu Kauila Clark, untie a maile lei during the dedication.
Principal Myron Brumaghim had intended to use the occasion to introduce his students to the spanking new school at 89-153 Mano Ave. by marching all 912 of them across Farrington Highway and over to the new $22 million facility for the first time — a tricky proposition considering Farrington is one of the state's most dangerous roadways under the best of circumstances.
Since the rains of Thursday had come and gone and Nanakuli appeared clear and dry early yesterday morning, Brumaghim had thought the trek to the new school could be done safely.
"We had the police and the Civil Defense department ready to block the road so we could move the children," said Brumaghim, also known as "Mr. B," at 7:30 a.m. "But because it looks like it's going to rain, we're going to cancel that."
By the time the dedication ceremonies got under way at 9 a.m., the driving rain, heavy winds, thunder and lightning had arrived in earnest. Still, about 100 folks braved the inclement conditions to attend the festivities, including local dignitaries, residents and many who had attended or taught at the school.
The new campus was needed because the old building sits on land belonging to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, which cost the Department of Education nearly $500,000 a year to lease. The new campus is on state land.
The school was completed more than a year behind schedule, largely because of the discovery of human bones during an archaeological survey of the site.
And while students won't move to the new campus until next school year, Brumaghim said there's plenty of equipment to be moved and preparations to be made in the meantime.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
One alumnus who showed up for yesterday's ceremonies was Kazuo Ikeda, 92, who was the school's principal from 1956 to 1968. State Rep. Michael Kahikina, D-44th (Honokai Hale, Nanakuli, Ma'ili), told the gathering huddled under the eaves of the administration building that Ikeda had been the person who inspired him to continue on through high school.
Nanaikapono teacher Kalei Ponce worked with her second-grade students yesterday in a portable classroom. Students and teachers are looking forward to starting the next school year at their new campus.
The highlight of the ceremony came when Kahikina broke into a spontaneous rendition of the school song, and was joined at the podium by Kahu Kamaki Kanahele and school secretary Pearl Chai, both of whom had gone to school at Nanaikapono as well.
"On the Island's western border, between mountain, peaks and sea; proudly stands our alma mater; symbol of truth and loyalty," they sang, as a number of the older former students joined in. Chai later said the song had not been part of the school routine for some time.
"It just got forgotten as the years went by," said Chai, who attended Nanaikapono Elementary from 1951 to 1958 and has worked at the school since 1968. But she said the song is being reintroduced to the students who will attend the new facility.
Meanwhile, back at the rustic 1930s-era facility, students studied reading, writing and arithmetic as usual and wondered about where they would soon be headed.
"I know it's not finished, but everybody's getting ready to move over there," said Shayne Serai, one of 17 students in Kalei Ponce's second-grade class.
"It would have been fun to see it," added Danny Tai, 7.
Principal Brumaghim said he would begin making plans for the students to take a field trip to the new school before the school year ends June 10. He also said that the kids would get the cake and ice cream that was to be served as part of the festivities. Still, he was sorry the kids couldn't have seen it yesterday.
"What I wanted to do was have them look at the new campus for the first time," said Brumaghim.
"And, as part of the celebration, we were planning to give the students cake and ice cream along with their lunch. That was the plan — but Mother Nature overruled me, I guess."
Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.
