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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 12:18 p.m., Sunday, August 5, 2007

New Maui elementary school draws rave reviews

By Melissa Tanji
The Maui News

KAHULUI — Maui's newest school, Pomaika'i Elementary, opened to rave reviews by students, parents and staff.

"I love the playground, it's big," said 4th-grader Katelyn McCollor to The Maui News. "The teachers are nice."

"In the back is so wide open. I have a great teacher," said 1st-grader Jenna Okazaki.

"Just super, just great," Principal Rene Yamafuji enthused during the first day of school.

Librarian Jan Yoshizu loves her new library.

"It's big, it's new, all the books are new, with air conditioning."

On a newly opened section of Kamehameha Avenue in a still developing section of Maui Lani, Pomaika'i welcomed more than 300 students from 1st to 5th grade last week, with kindergartners joining the other students tomorrow.

There are three two-story classroom buildings, a cafeteria and an administration/library building. Classrooms, as well as the library, are air conditioned. Hallways are cooled by natural breezes, with skylights allowing natural light.

It was added to the Department of Education inventory to ease crowding at other Central Maui campuses, including Lihikai Elementary, which last year enrolled more than 1,000 students, and Wailuku Elementary, with 875 students in the 2006-07 year. The Pomaika'i district includes Maui Lani and Waikapu.

Yamafuji said enrollment is 327, but the school is designed for 680 to 800 students and could go to a multitrack schedule if enrollment goes beyond 680.

The Department of Education initially estimated opening enrollment at 204 students, but that grew when the school's district boundaries were established.

There are 16 teachers, one librarian, and 18 other staff and coordinators on campus.

"The teachers are as excited as I am about the school," Yamafuji said. "They have been working very hard every day."

"The teachers are so happy to be here," said 3rd-grade teacher Will Stack, who used his musical talents to get his students in tune with the new school's rules.

Stack played his guitar for a song he taught to his students on the rules. Singing helps them understand and learn the rules better than just reading it to them, he said.

"They just love it," he said.

Under Yamafuji's administration, Pomaika'i is an arts integrated school, with music and other art forms used in the core curriculum. It is something Yamafuji brought over from Kula Elementary School, where she previously was principal. Yamafuji says that school achievement and comprehension is greater when arts are added to the core curriculum.

Yoshizu, formerly the librarian at Lihikai Elementary School, said she is happy to have the chance to work on a new campus.

"It's just such an opportunity to open up a brand new library. I couldn't pass that up," she said.

The new library includes rooms for video conferencing and video production. She has a carpeted sitting area for younger students and new computers for the students to use for research.

All of the furniture for students is in place, Yamafuji said, but she is waiting for other furnishings for teachers and staff, including file cabinets, projection screens and audio-visual equipment.

Yoshizu said she needs materials due forms and information to be input into the computer system before books can be borrowed.

"The challenges are we are still waiting for more things to come in," she said.

If everything wasn't in place, parents and grandparents of students didn't notice as they praised the school as they picked up children last week.

Parents Judy and Bob McCollor said they liked Yamafuji's approach to education and chose to enroll daughter Katelyn in the public school from Emmanuel Lutheran School. Bob McCollor called the arts integrated curriculum "a good thing."

He said he had concerns over campus security, but his fears were relieved last week.

"We definitely feel safe here," he said as he picked up his daughter.

"This is beautiful," said Judy McCollor "They bathrooms are so cool," Katelyn added.

The McCollors live at the Island at Maui Lani, making Pomaika'i a perfect fit.

"It's close. It's convenient," Bob McCollor said.

Parent Leilani Ballao, a homeowner in Waikapu Gardens, said she appreciates the convenience and location of the school, although she will need to drive around from Waikapu until a new connection of Kuihaki Drive to the Maui Lani Parkway is completed.

Since Pomaika'i is away from other large campuses such as Maui High, she said she doesn't have to deal with the additional school traffic — as she did when her children were attending Kahului Elementary School.

Stanley Tadakuma, who was picking up granddaughter Jenna Okazaki, called the campus "an amazing place . . very, very, current."

"I think it is a beautiful campus, looks really nice," said Dee Christophersen, picking up granddaughter Brooke Christophersen. "I really like the feel of the campus."

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