What happens in the military world is mirrored in microcosm on the school's Salt Lake Boulevard campus.

"The military is closely tied to the school," Fujii said. "We have military tutors who come regularly and provide a positive influence on our students."

Makalapa is serious about making well-rounded students. It applies for and obtains grants to help fill out its curriculum. About seven years ago a grant for Art in Public Places resulted in a piece by artist Jodi Endicott, who designed it to represent what the school's students, parents and teachers believe education is all about. On the school's front lawn is "The Way We learn," a sculpture of a kumu sitting on a pile of books reading to students and a student playing with a puzzle. There also is more art outside the school's library, Fujii said.

Another grant the school obtained was from television's VH1, which gave the school enough money to buy 30 band instruments. Today with the help of cast-offs from Radford High, the school has enough instruments for a 70-piece band and each member is assigned his or her own instrument to take home and practice, he said.

"Students are the future of our community," Fujii said. "We want to give the students as many experiences as possible to provide a balanced learning experience."

• What are you most proud of? "I'm really proud of the students and the teachers," Fujii said. "The teachers work together to provide as much opportunity for learning from technology to one-on-one reading tutorial and small group tutorial. The students take responsibility for their own learning and help one another."

• Best-kept secret: "Our performance arts," Fujii said. "We have an elementary school band. We have a select choral program and after-school hula program.

• Everybody at our school knows: Donald George, who has been with the school nearly three years now. "He's security in the morning, runs the intermural sports program during recess and he's one of our reading tutors."

• Our biggest challenge: "Our high transiency rate affects how we accomplish our No Child Left Behind goals. Almost 70 percent of our students (have parents who) are in the military, so it sometimes can be challenging."

• What we need: A larger cafeteria. "Right now we don't have enough space for our entire school to meet in one place," Fujii said. "Lunch is held in shifts. We use Radford's facilities for schoolwide assemblies."

• Special events: A showcase of the student bands and chorus in May, and a concert in June to honor graduating sixth-graders.