Ua Ritte, left, works with students as they lift rocks onto a platform for the presentation of ho'okupu at the Keawanui Fishpond
Maunaloa Consolidation Task Force visits Kualapuu today; recommendation for possible closing of school expected next year
Today is another furlough Friday with all Department of Education schools in Hawaii closed for the day. On the first furlough Friday on October 23, the community organization Pu No’eau offered a day of environmental education at the Molokai campus of Maui Community College.
For today, Walter Ritte’s Hawaiian Learning Center at the Keawanui fishpond will be open to all students. According to Ritte, the HLC will provide free learning days on all furlough Fridays. Cultural and land stewardship lessons will be taught at the fishpond at 12 miles east.
The students will learn about traditional ahupua’a land management and how the things you do mauka affects the shoreline, reefs and ocean. Students will also be introduced to life forms found in traditional fishponds as well as the invasive limu, which are in Molokai fishponds. Math and science will become hands on lessons as the students learn how animals stay alive and help in recording fishpond data.
Interested parents can call 558-0111 or 658-0406 for more information.
In other educational news, the newly formed Maunaloa Consolidation Task Force will be making a site visit today at Kualapuu Elementary School. Task force meetings are planned at Maunaloa School on January 26 and a final task force meeting will be February 16 at Maunaloa to consider whether or not the West End school needs to be closed. A recommendation on Maunaloa is not expected to be filed until next year with the superintendent for the Department of Education.
Filed under: Schools
Great idea. I know that FF’s are tough for working parents. But no need to let the learning stop!