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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, March 6, 2008

New principal spots 'pockets of greatness'

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Na'alehu Elementary & Intermediate School students participate in a science project on Newton's laws of gravity.

Na'alehu Elementary & Intermediate School photo

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Where: P.O. Box 170 Na'alehu, Hawai'i District

Grade span: Kindergarten through seventh grade

Enrollment: 410 students, at capacity

Race/ethnicity enrollment: Part Hawaiian, 36 percent; other, 25 percent; Filipino, 11 percent; white, 9 percent; Hawaiian, 7 percent; Japanese, Mexican, Korean, Portuguese and African-American, 12 percent

Free and reduced-price lunch eligible: 72 percent

Special-education students: 15 percent

Computers on campus: A total of 50 computers campuswide

Principal: Teddy Burgess, for two months

School nickname: Honus

School colors: Green and yellow

What are you most proud of? "Having come to a school in the middle of the year, I think I am most proud of the energy I feel coming from our teachers in moving in a positive direction with our students," said Teddy Burgess, Na'alehu Elementary & Intermediate School principal. "We have implemented systems that can only improve the quality of education we offer our students and in turn improve their educational outcomes."

What is your biggest challenge? "I believe implementing our America's Choice program is a real challenge, but I have already seen pockets of greatness around our campus," Burgess said. "The other challenge that goes with this is really helping our students to believe in themselves, believe that they can learn and succeed at school."

Special events: Student Council and Boys and Girls clubs. The challenge of enabling students to join sports leagues and other groups is the isolation of the school, which causes lengthy travel time to get to athletic events.

History: Na'alehu was built in 1928. It has an attendance area extending from Manuka Park to Hilea. The area, known for its mountainous, rugged terrain and lush green valleys, is at the foot of Mauna Loa.

Web address: http://naalehuel.k12.hi.us

Phone: 808-939-2413