Kapolei High School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 History
2 Curriculum
3 Faculty
4 Community
5 Student Activities
6 References

[edit] History

Kapolei High School, a brand new facility located in Kapolei, Hawaii on the Island of Oahu, opened its doors on July 24, 2000 only to 375 freshmen. In the 2006-2007 school year, Kapolei High School has over 2,300 students in grades 9-12. The school serves nearby communities including Kapolei, Makakilo, Honokai Hale and Kalaeloa. It's mascot is the Hurricane, and the school colors are teal,black and silver. Kapolei High School helps the community by providing students, families, educators and business partners a collaborative learning environment.

[edit] Curriculum

Kapolei High School offers a curriculum that challenges students academically and provides them with a foundation in which to base their future goals. Working under the guidelines of Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution and the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards II, classes, integrated teams and academies have been developed. Through these offerings KHS has created a climate conducive to teaching and learning. Essential knowledge is attained through innovative projects that integrate skills so real life connections can be established and maintained. Engaged in their own learning, Kapolei High School students are tailored with a course schedule filled with academic rigor and technology. Through their four years, they will have taken a variety of courses that will compose a career launching pad, personalized to meet the individual interests and needs of each student. It is in hopes that this process of authentic learning will serve as a gateway to multiple options and future success in the years beyond high school.

In 9th and 10th grades students work on team projects, complete core academic classes, and begin exploring career fields. At the end of 10th grade, they choose an academy in which to focus their learning:

Business Academy
Graphic Arts Academy
Health Careers Academy
Human Services Academy
Industrial Tech Academy
Learning Center for Applied Technology (LCAT)
Professional Sciences Academy
Visual Arts Academy

The purpose for the academies is not to train students for specific careers (though they do gain useful career-related knowledge and skills), but to provide a context for learning that empowers them to acquire academic content and apply it to real world issues.

[edit] Faculty

As of 2007, Kapolei High School is directed by principal Alvin Nagasako, the goal of the faculty is to ensure Kapolei High School as an exciting and dynamic student-centered learning environment at the heart of the community. It is with this vision that the administrators, teachers, faculty, and staff have united creating the motto "one team". It is through dedicated teamwork that good instructional practice and learning throughout all levels of the school community is achieved.

[edit] Community

Kapolei High School builds community through partnerships that support learning, parent engagement, and service learning.

Volunteers from local businesses and organizations serve as mentors and advisers for students and teachers. They participate in assessing students' performance on projects; applying real-world standards to evaluate students' content mastery, workplace skills, and activities.

Parents are the foundation of students' lives. At Kapolei High School they believe the more parents that are involved in their children's education, the greater success students will have. They open their doors for parents to serve as mentors and project advisers, and invite parents to events where their children's work is assessed and celebrated. In addition, services are available for parents interested in enhancing their own learning through partnership with the Adult Community School.

Kapolei High School emphasizes projects that make a positive impact and contribution to our community and environmental needs.

The combination of these three strategies creates connections between adults and young people that break the traditional roles of "teacher" and "student." Kapolei High School strives to create opportunities for students, families, teachers, and community partners to learn from each other by sharing their unique expertise. Our role is not only to enhance the skills and knowledge of our students, but also to do so in a way that expands their vision of the world beyond the school walls.

[edit] Student Activities

The Student Activities Program complements classroom instruction by providing learning experiences which meet individual needs and develop citizenship skills and positive attitudes in less formal settings. The goal is to provide experiences which will enable each individual to learn and think and act intelligently in achieving maximum, self-fulfillment and in preserving and contributing to the strength of his or her school, community, state, nation, and world.

Clubs are categorized into one of the three areas that operate within the framework of the schools' student activities program. They are:

Service Clubs: School organized clubs that perform school and community service as the major segment of their program.
Academic or Subject related clubs: Clubs formed to further interests in a curricular field.
Special Interest: Clubs which students form to futher their interest in a non-curricular area.

All clubs at Kapolei High School, regardless of their designation, are required to participate in community service during the school year.