Koko Head Elementary School students yesterday gathered around their principal, Cecilia Lum, as school let out for the summer. Lum honored students during the school's Awards Ceremony. She received an award, as well: a National Distinguished Principal Award.

Sixth-grader Maxs Yoon ducked his head in shy delight after receiving a Presidential Award and hug from his teacher Barbara Elm. Photos by Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Principal Cecilia Lum could barely see over her stack when the morning was over.

Public schools around the state released thousands of excited kids this week for summer break. More than 182,000 from kindergarten through 12th grade will be out of school by this afternoon, state officials said.

For those moving on to new schools in the fall, there were tears as well as cheers.

"I'm kind of sad that I'm leaving," said Koko Head sixth-grader Chelsea Miyashiro as she placed candy lei around the necks of her classmates. "I have a couple of friends going to Punahou, and I might not see them much." Along with many in her class, Chelsea will be moving on to Niu Valley Intermediate this fall.

Her grandparents, Helen and Herman Miyashiro, beamed in the background.

"We're really proud of her," Helen Miyashiro said as she clutched a Mauna Loa orchid lei in her hands.

Lum said her 29 sixth-grade students will be moving on to Niu Valley Intermediate, Mid-Pacific Institute, Saint Louis, Kamehameha, Punahou and Damien.

With lei piled above her nose, Lum helped announce the awards for student library helpers, bookworms, Junior Police Officers, and student council. Then she received a surprise: a National Distinguished Principal Award announced by her boss, Kaiser Complex Superintendent Francine Fernandez.

Alison Jaeger, a sixth-grader who received JPO and gold academic achievement awards, looked pensive as she climbed the stage to receive her graduation certificate and a lei from the kindergartner she mentored throughout the year.

Her mother, ESL teacher Jacky Jaeger, snapped photos from the back row. "This morning she was excited, but sad," Jaeger said. "A lot of kids are going on to private schools, and she's worried they'll lose touch. I told her it's a small island, you have to make an effort."

Sixth-grade teacher Lisa Kiakona said a lot of her kids had mixed feelings yesterday. "It's hard, but our students always come back to visit," she said. "It's an honor to see how they've grown."

As a farewell note, kindergarten teacher Margie Davis impressed upon the students the importance of the four Rs — responsibility, respect, resilience and resourcefulness. An example of resourcefulness, she said, is "finding creative ways to stay busy this summer."

For Micah Ganiron, a sixth-grader in Kiakona's class, that means two classes of summer school at Niu Valley Intermediate and summer fun at Koko Head District Park. His only concern about leaving Koko Head Elementary was starting all over at a new school in the fall.

"We're going to be new people there," Micah said. "There's eighth-graders there who might bully us. We're going straight from the top of the school to the bottom."