By Christine Tanimoto

It had been a rough day at school emotionally for my son and I was hearing all about it in the car ride home after school. After an argument with a friend at recess, he was explaining to me that he trudged up to the courtyard to meet Mrs. Okano, Hanahauʻoli School’s beloved art teacher. She noticed he was upset, gave him a hug, and checked in with him while the class was getting ready to go. Then with one more hug she reassured him, "It's going to be okay....remember how you feel when you do art? You're going to feel much better in a little bit." 

"And you know what, mom? I actually did! You know how it's just calming when you are drawing or painting? And then I had music class right after that so by the end I was feeling more like myself again." That's when it occurred to me; Hanahauʻoli School’s specialist classes, in addition to their amazing content and curriculum, are teaching our kids lifelong coping skills. 

Art, Hawaiian Culture, Mandarin, Music, Library, Physical Education, Physical World Lab (sometimes called “Shop”), Collaborative Studio and Social Emotional Learning are all considered “special subjects'' at Hanahau’oli School. While called special subjects, they are in fact, part of the core curriculum and there are lead teachers for each of these distinct areas of study. Special subject teachers may collaborate with classroom teachers to integrate the unique elements of their special subject area into the school’s concept-based thematic units of instruction. The concepts, processes, and skills from each special subject discipline become a foundation for creative, self-expression and connection-making as children study the classroom units. In addition, each special subject has its own stand-alone program with particular learning experiences and traditions that children look forward to as a part of the school’s eight-year experience. 

In the words of each special subject teacher at Hanahauʻoli, here is a snapshot of each of the special subject programs at the school: 

Art

Artists make art about things that matter to them. All children are artists, and the Hanahau‘oli art room is the child’s studio. It is a safe space where children feel confident and free enough to inquire, explore, enjoy, and express themselves through the process of art, as every child can! The art room is also designed as a structured environment with clear expectations for self-directed learning. The curriculum is comprehensive and learner-directed. Students are connected to diverse art opportunities and exposed to a range of media through clear and creative introductions, and then have choices to develop skills, play, explore, discover, inquire, and reflect. Students learn to persevere through challenges and the unknown, and to trust themselves while gaining an understanding of the artistic process. Through their own intentional choices they develop independence, and through reflection gain a deeper sense of themselves. They engage deeply with their learning because the work’s purpose aligns with their values and interests. The art teacher is dedicated to making art-learning fun, exciting, challenging, and achievable, and to making connections with the community and the world. – Lauren Okano, Hanahau‘oli School Art Teacher

Hawaiian Culture

The purpose of the Hawaiian culture program is to ensure that all students have an understanding of Hawaiian culture. They learn to appreciate, participate, respect, use Hawaiian knowledge, and feel confident in participating and contributing to Hawaiian cultural activities. The Hawaiian culture program facilitates the teaching of Hawaiian culture in grades JK-6th through its work with teachers as they make connections through their units of study and prepare for culturally significant events on campus like Makahiki. – Blair Sataraka, Hanahau‘oli Hawaiian Culture Teacher

Mandarin

At Hanahauʻoli we believe that the child develops as a unique individual, with a deep sense of groundedness, demonstrated by a respect and responsibility to self and others, within a diverse, multilingual, and global society. One component of this is gaining an understanding of how to learn a new language for the purpose of communication, connection, and identifying oneʻs place in society. The Mandarin program supports and enriches Mandarin communication skills and proficiency, awareness of the interconnected nature of language and culture, and classroom experiences in linguistically and developmentally appropriate ways. – Kimberly Funasaki, Hanahau‘oli School Mandarin Teacher

Music

Music is a part of everyone and everything. It should be a shared experience among all living beings and is an integral part of Hanahauʻoli School. At Hanahauʻoli, all students participate in music as part of the core curriculum. Throughout a spiraling Junior Kindergarten through 6th Grade curriculum, each child works at their own pace to develop their individual skills and talents while balancing creativity and expression. Through making music, Hanahauʻoli students develop empathy skills, learn how to collaborate, listen, solve problems, have self-control and self-discipline as they become leaders within a close-knit community. Each child connects to music in their own way as they learn to appreciate and develop a life-long relationship with music.– Leah Abbe Bloem, Hanahau‘oli School Music Teacher

Library

A diverse democracy depends on a well-read, empathetic & informed citizenry who uses information ethically and responsibly. As a part of the library program at Hanahauʻoli, students will understand themselves as a reader; articulating the types of books they enjoy and seek out, and using books as an independent tool to build reading skills. Students will become independent library users, able to navigate any library space with confidence. Students will also develop critical, information, digital and media literacy skills in order to both demonstrate and extend their learning.– Gabby Holt, Hanahau‘oli School Librarian

Physical Education

Hanahauʻoli's Physical Education program is designed to provide children of all abilities and interests with a foundation of movement experiences that will support living an active and healthy lifestyle. This program is designed for every child from the physically gifted to the physically challenged, serving all children from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 6. Physical Education provides students the opportunity to learn how to learn through guided discovery; which is the process of discovering and exploring new and different movement challenges in the physical domain of space, time, force, and flow. Movement has been described as a child's first form of communication. Through Physical Education, children are provided opportunities to develop fundamental movement skills necessary for motor and kinesthetic development in order to move effectively and efficiently in daily activities be it at work, play, or leisure.– Jewel Toyama, Hanahau‘oli School Physical Education Teacher

Collaborative Studio

While resembling a “makerspace,” the Collaborative Studio (CS) not only focuses on making but doing so with others. The CS is another place where children and teachers can come to ‘play.’ All are welcome to create on their own or collaborate with friends as they work. This space on the Hanahau`oli School campus offers exploration using the Design Process (Define, Imagine, Prototype, Test, Improve, and Communicate). Children have access to a variety of choices, for example, coding, 3D design, photography, stop motion, laser printing, sewing, and idea box. During the school day, students come to the CS in small groups and engage in guided, structured projects/explorations integrated with their classroom unit of study. Children are free to work in this space as they wish during the Afterschool Camp Program as well as Open Studio time during the school day. Learning is a social process and the CS leverages the power of building upon others’ ideas, experimenting and reflecting together, and feeling pride in creating something that didn’t exist before.  – Rebecca Eldredge, Hanahauʻoli School Collaborative Studio Coordinator & Auxiliary Programs Liaison

Physical World Lab

Throughout one's lifetime, novel challenges present themselves and individuals are faced with situations that could be seen either as obstacles or as opportunities. Based on past experiences, or lack thereof, some individuals might feel overwhelmed and unable to approach a task. However, if experience is directly related to the new task, the familiarity can lead to confidence in how one approaches accomplishing one's goals. Also, and perhaps more importantly, success dealing with the unfamiliar in the past can lead to a heightened level of confidence and can alleviate the fear and hesitation that might stifle others faced with this new challenge. Therefore, in Physical World Lab (PWL) the goal is to present novel challenges to students that will not only teach them skills today, but might also lead to self-confident learners, willing and excited to try unfamiliar things, with the belief that they are capable of learning how to do anything and with a sense of joy gained from the process. The PWL program is designed to help instill in students an appreciation for craftsmanship and a confidence in using hand tools safely and properly. – Mark Miyamoto, Hanahau‘oli School Physical World Lab Teacher

Social Emotional Learning

In addition to the integration of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into all learning environments, explicit SEL instruction takes place in classrooms from Kukunaokalā through 6th Grade during regularly scheduled times with the School Counselor. As a trained expressive arts therapist, the Hanahau‘oli School Counselor designs arts-based and other experiential processes to have students explore a variety of topics, including effective communication, feelings identification, and social problem-solving. Even a simple (and fun!) social game can lead to students’ further reflecting on what specific elements of their interactions contribute to positive cohesion within their home groups. – John Kim, Hanahau‘oli School Counselor

All children visit special subject classes as a part of their regular school day. They are intentionally introduced to potential lifelong hobbies that they can use to help them regulate their emotions, now and as they grow. Kids get a sampling of practices that we adults use to cope with rough days, reset bad moods, and clear our heads. They experience these coping skills firsthand, in the context of their present lives. Singing or playing an instrument, learning a language that connects us to other people in a new way, running, rock climbing, or group sports, and reading (or writing) a good book are some of the ways adults recenter and cope when needed. At Hanahauʻoli, experiences like these are offered to children in classes like Music, Mandarin, PE, and visits to the library. Creating in Art, Physical World Lab, and Collaborative Studio, might look different on any given day and in each of those classes, but can include ceramics, wood work, and sewing. The children sample each of these and might pick up a skill they return to when they need to reset. As both a parent and teacher at the school, I have seen how connecting to our place in Hawaii–through working in our mala or garden, song, and hula in Mea Hawaii–serves as an especially important outlet for adults and children alike.

I am so grateful that my own children and the children I teach have the opportunity to practice so many different methods to help them balance and regulate their emotions after a bad day. The school as a whole truly values the arts and diverse subjects, and each of the special subject teachers are masters of their field. As I reflect on the unique role of special subjects at the school, I find it interesting that every single day as a teacher, I get to see first hand how much the children look forward to heading off to our specialists. I observe them having fun and growing in new ways. However, it took my son's experience of finding calm to help me appreciate and recognize the lifelong hobbies, skills, and ways of being that the special subjects offer to children. What a special experience for the children to have the opportunity to practice being different versions of themselves in each of these unique settings. I now recognize that our specialist classes allow children different ways to energize, relax, or calm, to focus their mind or broaden it, to adjust their feelings and their mindset and reset as needed. In addition to sharing their craft, specialist teachers help our children practice different ways of coping with and enjoying life. What an amazing gift! 

Maybe I'm late to the party with this insight on specialist classes, but after hearing how my child was able to turn his day and mood around because of them, I've never been more grateful.

ABOUT THE Contributor:

Christine Tanimoto is a K-1 early childhood educator at Hanahauʻoli School where she has served in various capacities since 2015. Born and raised in Mānoa, Chris has her bachelor’s degree in Family Resources and Masters degrees in Education in Teaching and Private School Leadership. A proud mom of two children currently attending Hanahauʻoli School, Chris loves adventuring with her family through exploring their island home, traveling, and making everyday activities something joyful.