OUR SCHOOLS • WINDWARD NAZARENE ACADEMY
Creative juices flow on 'Winna' campus

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

TOP: Four-year-old Amy Kawatani has her stuffed bear to keep her company during nap time at Windward Nazarene Academy. ABOVE: Eight-year-olds Kiani Ballao, left, and Lie Asham play a hand game during recess on the private-school campus in Kane'ohe. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"We turn away kids because we have no more room," said Carol Steele, the private school's admissions director. "We had 40 applicants for 3-year-olds and we could only take 24. We're plumb full. Schoolwide we can hold only eight more kids."

Students from the preschool-through-eighth-grade academy go on to the bigger private schools including Kamehameha, Iolani, Punahou and Maryknoll, Steele said, because the curriculum emphasizes two ways of learning: hands-on and academics.

For instance, in kindergarten students will spend a week in "space camp." The room is darkened and a lunar space station is constructed. Planets and stars are hung from the ceiling and on the last day of camp, students spend the night at school.

"The biggest goal is to whet their appetite for science and give them a hunger and desire to learn," said Sauni Wright, a kindergarten teacher. "We want to get their creative juices flowing and excited about learning."

The school also stresses spirituality with weekly chapel services and Bible studies, but it steers away from doctrine, sticking to the basic teaching that Jesus died on the cross and He loves everyone, Steele said.

• What are you most proud of? The school's reputation and teachers who are passionate and caring, principal Greg Appleby said.

• Best-kept secret: The school incorporates play and academics at the preschool level to teach children numbers, colors and how to read. The preschoolers also have two computers in their classrooms.

• Our biggest challenge: Space. The school, with 11 classrooms, is unable to meet the demand because of a lack of space. Officials have begun to plan for an expansion that would include adding a high school.

• What we need: Equipment to make the computer lab state-of-the-art, including video capabilities.

• Projects: This weekend the school is installing new television sets and DVD players in each classroom.

• Special events: Fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade students will travel to Washington, D.C., this year.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.