By Lisa Kimsey

At a Friday assembly in December, Hanahau‘oli School children were enthusiastically introduced to a brand new Joy of Art experience that would take place in January 2025. The children’s excitement was felt throughout the day as they talked with one another at recess and at lunch, sharing their reactions to the new learning opportunities presented and articulating their preferences of which Joy of Art experience they were most interested in with their friends. That night, children went home and continued to talk with their parents and caregivers about the two days of choice-driven learning they would get to participate in at the start of the new year. Then, over the Winter holidays a team of dedicated progressive educators went to work carefully finalizing the plans for this inaugural program at the school–an initiative that first-and-foremost highlights all of the core tenets of Hanahau‘oli’s progressive education program, but also concurrently supports classroom teachers with the time they need for compiling end of semester assessments and report writing. This blog describes both the purpose and outcomes of the first-ever Joy of Art days at Hanahau‘oli School, demonstrating how thoughtful and creative planning–at both the classroom and schoolwide level–can simultaneously bolster and sustain progressive education teaching and learning.

Responding to Student and Teacher Needs

Each January, Hanahauʻoli teachers spend a large number of hours writing detailed and thoughtful progress reports for each of their students. The Hanahauʻoli Auxiliary team noticed that often meant teachers needed to bring substitutes in to cover classes, which sometimes disrupted the learning process for children. Teachers were stretched thin as they balanced classroom needs and the important work of assessment, documentation and feedback to parents. Rebecca Eldredge, as Liaison to Auxiliary Programs and as a former classroom teacher, knew this need from personal experience and suggested to Head of School Lia Woo that we provide the teachers with a couple extra days for writing and the children with an opportunity for a unique learning experience. Keeping with the tradition of ‘Imi ‘Ike Enrichment Week (see this blog to learn more) created by former Director of Faculty and Curriculum Dr. Mike Travis, the idea was conceptualized to create more opportunities for children to follow their unique passions.

Lia Woo suggested that Hanahauʻoli Schoolʻs Keiki 2 Kūpuna (K2K) program might be enlisted to support both the planning and execution of the two days. K2K is a relatively new group at Hanahauʻoli whose goal is to provide opportunities for our Kūpuna (grandparents and other elders) to participate with the children, thereby enriching the lives of all. K2K’s knowledge of the school and the larger community enabled connections to community organizations that may not have otherwise been established. They also rallied Kūpuna for trip chaperones.

Hanahau‘oli School is grateful to its Auxiliary Program leaders Lisa Kimsey, Rebecca Eldredge, and Leslie Fleming for developing this creative way to engage all students in the unique learning experiences that characterize Hanahau‘oli’s After School Camp’s Clinics and simultaneously provide teachers with dedicated time to write thoughtful progress reports. Likewise, we are proud of the robust home-school connection that our community of Kūpuna helps to perpetuate, and extend mahalo to Keiki 2 Kūpuna leaders Betsy Jencks, Terrina Wong, and Janie Doyle for their support of this initiative. 

The Joy of Art Days

The Joy of Art Days took place on January 15 and 16, 2025 with students in  Kindergarten through Grade 6 embarking on hands-on learning, learning trips, and reflection around one of seven engaging themes:

The Art of Theatrical Performance: A visit to the Kennedy Theatre at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and collaboration with Ohana Arts to explore puppetry and performance of spoken word (poems and stories)

The Art of Voyaging: A trip to the Hōkūlani Imaginarium at Windward Community College to learn about wayfinding and Pacific voyaging stories, and a visit to a voyaging waʻa at Kamehameha Schools

The Art of Food (Farm to Table): A visit to Sun Farms in Hawai‘i Kai to plant and harvest produce, followed by a stop at Roy’s restaurant to understand (and enjoy) food preparation

The Art of Flying: A tour of Hickam Airforce Base to discover military aircraft and explore civilian flight and aviation with our friends at the Hawaiian Airlines training center

The Art of Surf Culture: A visit to Leeward Community College’s Hōʻikeākea Gallery to enjoy “The Swell is Coming,” an exhibition celebrating contemporary Surf Art Culture, including a meet-and-greet with surf artists for inspiration to create mini surfboards

The Art of Volleyball: A collaboration with professional and college volleyball players to enhance skills and play games at Chaminade University and Spike and Serve

The Art of Medicine: A visit from The Hawaii Heart Foundation for students to learn the lifesaving skill of CPR, and a tour of the John A. Burns School of Medicine and the Hawaii Pacific University Nursing Lab to gain insights into the medical profession

To support the developmental needs of our youngest learners in Junior Kindergarten, students remained on campus for their own unique themed experience, the Art of Winter. Retired Hanahau‘oli teacher Mrs. Ostrem created a Winter Wonderland where students had the opportunity to learn about the distinction between a holiday and a season, engage in winter crafts, enjoy winter stories, and prepare winter treats. Learn more about each theme here.

Each of these Joy of Art days followed the regular school schedule. Students gathered in their home groups and started the day with a Flag Ceremony on campus at 8:00 AM. Buses left the campus around 8:30 AM for two-hour learning trips in the community, followed by lunch on campus. On the second day of the program, children returned from lunch to their home groups for sharing and reflection. Kukunaokalā (grades K/1) and Poʻe Ka‘ahele (grades 4/5) were paired with their Reading Buddies, and Kulaiwi (grades 2/3) and 6th Graders were placed in triads to share their experiences and to support one another in written reflections. Children spent about 45 minutes writing or drawing about their experiences. 

Student Choice

Fundamental to progressive education philosophy and pedagogy is the belief that children should have chances to choose learning experiences that they are interested and excited in. As a part of the Joy of Art experience, students were asked to discuss all of the learning options with their parents and caregivers, and together they filled out a form indicating their first, second, and third choice. The leadership team then went to work, doing their best to accommodate student preferences, knowing that it might not be possible to place every student in their first (or even second) choice due to class size and other considerations. Students learned about their placements when they returned to school in January. 

The Impact of Joy of Art Days, Initial Observations and Reflections 

The two days provided children with exciting experiences and introduced them to new people and places, broader perspectives, and fresh ways of learning, thereby expanding their thinking and broadening their understanding of self, others, and the world around them. From their reflections, it’s evident we have future pilots, doctors, nurses, costume designers, chefs, farmers, artists, volleyball players and coaches, and voyagers in the making! New community partnerships were likewise developed with organizations that were impressed with our students and eager to continue learning with Hanahau‘oli School.

Some of the reflections the children had are: 

Isaac M - The Art of Voyaging - I learned how voyagers use the sky to voyage to different islands. The first way is to use the Stars to find the islands by measuring the distance between the stars and the horizon. 

Eastyn T - The Art of Voyaging - I learned all 32 names of the houses that are in the star compass. And I learned the Hawaiian names for North, South, East, and West. 

Link I - The Art of Flight - I learned that sometimes the flight simulator is more expensive than the real airplane. Also, I learned how to "read" the planes, like the C-17, the C means cargo and the 17 means it's the 17th model.

Roman T- The Art of Flight - My favorite part of the trip was when I went in the flight simulator and looked through the screen and the check instantly lined up with the runway.

Eva K - The Art of Theatrical Performance- I learned that in theater you have to exaggerate your movements so that the audience can easily see from far away. 

Magnolia M - The Art of Theatrical Performance - My favorite part was when we got to go into the closet where they keep the costumes. It was so cool. 

Enzo C -  The Art of Food  - I learned that catfish waste creates nitrogen which provides nutrients for the plants. 

Ashley S - The Art of Food - I learned about a new fruit. It hangs. you can grow it on a tree. it smells bad and tastes bad, but it's good for you. 

Sophia Y - The Art of Medicine - My favorite part of the learning trip was seeing the robot patients because they were so realistic and could breathe, talk and blink.

Bella A - The Art of Medicine - I learned that the diastolic blood pressure is 80 and the systolic is 120 in parentheses (120 over 80). I also learned that at HPA they use robot people as real life patients and the robots can even talk to the nurses. 

Mayah Y -  The Art of Medicine - I learned how to use an EpiPen and that plants can be used as medicine. Now I know how to check how fast my heartbeat is.

Lillian I - The Art of Surf Culture- I learned about print art. Print art is when someone sketches on a piece of wood, then carves it out. Then they put ink and print it on a piece of paper. 

Nila S - The Art of Surf Culture- My favorite part was painting my surfboard because I was happy when I was done.

Etta L - The Art of Volleyball - I learned that when you spike you have to flex your wrist and that teamwork and communication is an important part of volleyball. 

Anna J - The Art of Volleyball - I learned how to step before I spike the ball, if you're a righty, then you step right left right left. Lefty is opposite. 

Makani S - This was so much fun - it should be longer. Can we do a whole week? Can we do it again this year? 

One of our teachers wrote: 

I needed a mini brain-break from report writing, and so just started flipping through the photos that Dave (my husband) has posted from Wednesday and Thursday. And now I'm sitting here teary-eyed, feeling emotional and so grateful. The dinner table conversation the past two nights was literally the best we've ever had with both boys sharing and sharing and sharing (actually all three boys; Dave was nodding along and asking clarifying questions for my parents and my benefit, and wide-eyed at how much they both retained… "they listen after all" he commented - ha!) - so much that last night I had to excuse myself 20 minutes after I had finished eating so that I could get back to writing reports! Usually you discover later the things in life that made lasting memories or impacts. Sometimes you can tell as it's happening. I am pretty sure this is one of those times for my family. Thank you so much for all of it.

Final Thoughts, Recommendations for Other Progressive Educators

Following the Joy of Art Days, we held a debriefing session with the planners and leaders of the Learning and Home groups. The overall consensus was that the Joy of Art Days were a tremendous success. Children had a delightful time exploring new interests, and parent chaperones also enjoyed the educational experiences. One parent remarked, “The kids seemed to really enjoy their sessions, and I thought we executed everything exceptionally well.”

The leadership team is eager to replicate this experience in the next school year. We're contemplating whether to introduce new topics or stick with the existing options while further strengthening community relationships. Some members proposed encouraging children to select different learning experiences, while others believed that returning to the same sessions would deepen their understanding of the topics.

It was suggested to extend the program, with one idea being to add a preliminary session, perhaps the day before, to set the stage for the learning. Leaders could share what children can expect to learn and connect it to the theme of “art.” Questions could include: how is flight an art? What similarities exist between learning volleyball and creating art? Another proposal for extending the learning experience was to add an extra day for a more in-depth exploration of the topic, which could potentially include an additional off-campus Learning Trip.

Many Hanahauʻoli Teachers expressed their gratitude for the designated time to write their progress reports. One teacher noted that it was the first time she didn’t feel overwhelmed while balancing report writing, teaching, and family life. Our Directors of Faculty and Curriculum reported that a higher number of reports were completed and submitted early, allowing them to provide more thorough feedback to the teachers.

The large leadership team, along with the remarkable support from the Keiki 2 Kūpuna group, facilitated a smooth planning process. We reached out to various organizations and individuals, and while some original ideas didn’t materialize, persistence and a strong community network led to well-organized and engaging experiences. A key strength of our leadership team is its ability to adapt and consider new ideas until everything aligns perfectly. Two of our Learning Group leaders, the school nurse and the Hawaiian resource teacher, stepped up to ensure that the Art of Medicine and Art of Voyaging groups were both successful and educational by leveraging their community connections.

Similarly, our administrative staff took on extra roles as Home Group Leaders and Learning Trip Leaders, while also covering recess, lunch, and carline duties. The willingness of each community member to assist wherever needed is one of our greatest strengths. The Joy of Art Days would not have been possible without this collective effort.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Kimsey is the Auxiliary Programs Manager for Hanahauʻoli School where she creates enrichment and summer school programs and an after school camp program. Prior to joining the joyful work of Hanahauʻoli, Lisa was School Leader at SEEQS PCS in Honolulu. Lisa is most proud of founding The Movement Center, a non-profit performing arts school with a goal of making performing arts education available to everybody. Lisa, her wife Caryn, and dog JoJo love to go to the beach and enjoy live theater performances.