To the kids at Koko Head Elementary, who have been parti-cipating in the program since January, the program is a blast. "It's funner than doing math," enthused one fifth-grader after a 40-minute session on Tuesday.

The curriculum is matched to national and state grade-level standards, said Michael Paekukui, 'Ohia Production's educational outreach director.

This is the first time 'Ohia Productions has provided focused instruction at a school, although the group has done shorter residencies at other schools. The program has worked so well that it could branch out to other schools.

Since the public schools will have to focus more on science as part of federal No Child Left Behind Act requirements, the combination of arts and academics gives the program appeal. "We're not only the arts, but we're really heavy science," said Paekukui.

All students will participate in a culminating performance on parents' night, but the curriculum varies by grade level. For instance, while second-graders are learning about the extinction of native birds, fifth-graders are learning about the destruction caused by wild pigs. Kindergartners learn simpler things, such as differentiating between animals that fly, float and swim.

While students in all grades write about what they are learning, sixth-graders have a bigger emphasis on writing, incorporating poetry and themes and creating the scripts and introductions for the performance.

The play lends itself to this kind of instruction, since each song is lively but filled with deeper meaning. Students in fifth grade have a great time pretending to be hungry pigs, but they are also learning the devastating effects one hungry pig can have on a fragile ecosystem. "Using the lyrics for the song, we've taught them the meaning behind the song," Paekukui said.

Fifth-grade teacher Keala Kilcoyne said her students enjoy the classes, which they attend every other Wednesday.

The material they learn in class also will be good preparation when the students begin their studies on the rainforest later this year. Kilcoyne sees ways to align the curriculum with classwork if the program returns next year.

The exposure to music and dance, and opportunities for self-reflection and self-expression are valuable at a time when classroom teachers have to focus more on academic standards than the arts, said Kilcoyne. Since the school offers music only in Hawaiiana class and art in the classroom, rather than a separate art class, the program also gives students the rare opportunity to learn from professionals trained in the arts.

The program has social benefits, as well, Kilcoyne pointed out. "For the shy kids, this has been a really good opportunity for them to come out of their shell," she said. "A lot of the kids who aren't always as involved in the classroom setting get to shine in this kind of environment, so I think it's a good balance."

The program was paid for by the school's parent organization, which raised about $4,000 to provide the instruction for all students.

In addition to working with Koko Head students, 'Ohia is also offering five-day residencies at all Kamehameha preschool sites.

With a staff of three, it would be hard for 'Ohia Productions to do more than two schools at a time, Paekukui said, but he would like to expand. "We'd eventually like to service a lot of schools," he said.