Learning to Be Healthy

Everyone enjoyed the Kuakini Health Center Open House on Thursday. All the hospital departments had colorful displays and the Kuakini staff kept the children engaged with interactive activities. Mrs. Cora Lee and our 4th grade buddies enjoyed the walking tour with us and were equally impressed with the hospital tour. Mahalo to the mothers of  Cody, Sydney, Mari, and Karli  who chaperoned our tour. They were so patient and took great care of the students.

Thank you for attending the Matsuri program on Friday morning.  Your children gave a thrilling performance. It's amazing how they could remember all those Japanese songs!!!!

Don't forget...

• Please return all HMS Library books.
• Monday, May 2nd - Swimming Showoffs at Poolside, 10:10-10:40
• Wednesday, May 11 - Tikki Tikki Tembo play in the Social Hall
• Friday, May 13 -  Honolulu Zoo Field Trip

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Kuakini Hale Pulama Mau video

This is a short clip of the Kindergarten class warming the hearts of the elders at Kuakini Hale Pulama Mau last month. The audience was so thrilled to listen to these energetic youngsters singing a few Japanese songs.


Untitled from Wendy Lee on Vimeo.

Earth Protector

We have started a new Math topic about time and money. Besides identifying the penny, nickel, and dime,  and their value, they'll count groups of the same coins. You can also support development of your child's money skills by asking them to practice counting up with a single type of coin, then start mixing coins as s/he is quite proficient at counting up by 5's, 10's, etc.

They'll also be learning to sequence events and tell time to the hour. You could  use clocks around the house to practice telling time. See who can be the first to spot a clock that shows the exact hour, such as 5:00, 6:00, etc.

The children enjoyed the Easter treats shared by numerous class members.  Mahalo for your generosity.   Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

Reminders:
Monday, April 25th - Return green Long's recyclable bags
Thursday, April 28th - Kuakini Health Center Walking Field Trip. Wear HMS t-shirts and sport shoes.
Friday, April 29th - Matsuri Program in the Social Hall at 8:30am. Wear special Kindergarten (blue) t-shirts.
Monday, May 2nd - Swimming Showoffs -Poolside at 10:10am.
Library Books - Please return any  library books found in your home as soon as possible.


Watch  this video of "Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse" performed  to celebrate Earth Day.

Untitled from Wendy Lee on Vimeo.

Great Things Happening

On Tuesday we connected with our Skype pals in Massachusetts.  Mrs. Poulin's students are such an attentive group and so articulate.  They taught our  class the 'Chicken Dance' and everyone had so much fun !!! Our Mainland friends shared what they enjoyed in school.  Responses included: writing books, arts and crafts, and of course their teacher, Mrs. Poulin. Our K-1 students exchanged with their favorite part of school. I suppose since we enjoy warm weather year round, a few students insisted recess was the best part of the day.  Math activities and free write were also included as fun and exciting. Mimi sang  'Shitakiri Suzume'  (The Old Lady and the Sparrow) and the class sang a Hawaiian number 'E Ku`u Keiki (The Alphabet Song). Plans are to Skype once more before school ends in late May.

Many messages regarding how we can continue to make planet Earth a beautiful place has been posted on the Pindax message board. (Please refer to the Blog entry dated April 12th)  If you or your child wish to post additional notes, we would continue sharing and learning together.

If there are any HMS Library books on your bookshelves at home, kindly return them.  Mrs. Okamura is on the lookout for missing books. The Library will be closing in a few weeks.

Everyone enjoys our Monday swimming classes.  To conclude the 9 weeks swimming portion of P.E., a 'Swimming Showoff' has been scheduled for Monday, May 2nd from 10:10-10:40.  You are invited to watch from the sidelines and take advantage of these Kodak moments.

Karli and Keikiokekai has added a post to the Teddy Bear blog.  Click here to view her pictures and comments.

Easter is around the corner so the keiki used Voicethread to share their stories.

Earth Day Messages

Earth Day, which began on April 22, 1970 is a day to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. Our class has been discussing how we can protect our environment on a daily basis. Since we all enjoy reading comments from our friends, Pindax was the perfect answer for an online message board. This particular board allows readers to post notes, others can view them and repond.
Please read the initial post from me. Your child can click on 'post new note' from the toolbar on the left column, type in a response and post it to the board. All posts will be moderated by me before it is displayed.
Let's share and broaden our understanding of how to protect our environment!

Spring is Here!

The HMS Fair held in March was a success. Arigato for all your hard work and time spent manning the 'Leaping Lily Pad Ping Pong Toss' game.  The proceeds will be used for classroom expenses.

The Mathletics trial period ends on Monday, April 11th. All the children have raved about this web-based learning program. Seeing their scores as well as their classmates scores  had given them the incentive and determination to put forth more effort and complete the activities online.

I understand many families find it easier to eat out frequently, rather than cooking.  Therefore, it may have been a challenge to find   recipes for our May project. But, mahalo for generously contributing those ono appetizer, main dish, and dessert recipes.

Despite the threat of heavy showers, the Field Day turned out to be a huge success. The children couldn't get enough of the shave ice, bouncers,  and relay games.  But the best game was against the parents in 'Picking up the Litter'. The two games were really close with the two teams, parents  and  the Kindergarteners winning one game apiece.

Reminders:
Monday, April 11 - Pictures/ pictures with payment/full payment is due
Monday, April 11 - Script for 'Caps for Sale' need to be returned. Practice the lines with your child.

My Favorite Things

Mahalo nui loa to the Nagamine, Sanchez, Ogomori, and Kondo families who  purchased books from the School Book Fair to share with the K-1 students. Your generosity was greatly appreciated by  our K-1 keiki and for the future Kindergarteners.

The online Mathletics program has been well received with positive comments by  many students. Although this is a 2 week trial for our students, your child can login to this website to perform exercises with fun visuals and continuous feedback. We have one more week left for those who haven't tried it yet.

This program was developed to augment the traditional math education. There  are over 3 million students registered worldwide. It is a safe, useful tool for your child to improve their mathematics skills.

Reminders:

• Tuesday, April 5 - Buddha Day Service. Kindly dress your child appropriately for Temple.
• Thursday, April 7 - HMS  Field Day at Magic Island. Bring your child to school by 7:45am.  Mr. Paule plans to reserve a humongous tree for us so we'll have a picnic spot. Be on the lookout for him at Magic Island near the Bounce House.
• Friday, April 8 - Buddha Day. No School.
• Monday, April 11 - Payment for school photographs due.
• Monday, April 11 - Encourage your child to practice their parts for the 'Caps for Sale' play and return the script by this date.

My Favorite Things - slideshows