HCAP Weekly May 04, 2015

In this week’s issue:

Every Word Counts: Head Start and Legislators Read Together
Students Help Address the Needs of Runaway and Homeless Youth
Leahi District Service Center Invites Community To Come Together
Ewa Pre Plus Head Start Teacher Wins NHSA Teacher Appreciation Week Contest
Hā Initiative Students Learn about Solar Energy
A Big Mahalo and Congratulations to SCSEP Program Participant

Every Word Counts: Head Start and Legislators Read Together

During the month of April 2015, HCAP Head Start invited Oahu’s Legislators to visit Head Start classrooms and participate in a National Head Start Association (NHSA) event called, “Every Word Counts: Head Start and Legislators Read Together.” Legislators were invited to read a book to a Head Start classroom in their district. The Every Word Counts: Head Start and Legislators Read Together is about closing the word gap and teaching children that reading can be fun. Head Start encourages reading not only at school, but also at home. The NHSA invited congress or legislators to go to Head Start classrooms and read a story to the children as part of the Head Start 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Representative Feki Pouha read to the children of Waialua Head Start. He brought two stories, “Llama Llama Misses Mama” and “Tiger Can’t Sleep,” which are his sons’ favorite books. Representative Pouha represents District 47, which includes Waialua, Hale’iwa, Pupukea, Kahuku, La’ie, Hau’ula, Waiahole, Waikane, Sunset Beach, Punalu’u, and Ka’a’awa.

Representative Beth Fukumoto Chang visited the Kipapa Elementary School Head Start classroom and read the book, “The Little Mouse, the Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear” by Audrey Wood. After she read the story, the children sang a song for her. Representative Fukumoto Chang selected the book because her niece loved it when she was in preschool. Representative Beth Fukumoto Chang represents House District 36, which includes Mililani and Mililani Mauka.

Representative Mark Hashem read to the children at Koko Head Head Start. He brought books of his own and let the children choose from his collection. He read “The Color Book,” “How Does a Dinosaur Eat?” and “Where’s Spot.” As he read “The Color Book,” the children had to find something in the classroom as he called out each color. The children enjoyed having Representative Hashem read to them.
Representative Mark Hashem represents House District 18, which includes Hahaione, Kuliouou, Niu Valley, Aina Haina, Waialae, and Kahala.

Representative Henry Aquino from House District 38 read to the August Ahrens Head Start classrooms on April 17, 2015. Representative Aquino read “Ella the Elegant Elephant” and “Thump, Quack, Moo a Wacky Adventure.” The children were very engaged. His son currently attends the August Ahrens preschool. Representative Aquino reads to his son nightly. Representative Henry Aquino represents House District 38, which includes Waipahu.

Students Help Address the Needs of Runaway and Homeless Youth

There are substantial numbers of runaway and homeless youth on the Waianae Coast. Since there is a lack of venues for addressing this issue, many teens have been forced to leave the Westside and live on the streets in Waikiki. Fortunately, this year, two public health students from Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) and George Washington University (GWU) have stepped forward to assist in the development of the Leeward District Service Center’s Second Chances Project, a project designed to address the health and social needs of runaway and homeless teens between the ages of 16 and 21 in Waianae.

Raquel (HPU 2016) and Clarence (GWU 2016) are doing the groundwork for Second Chances as part of their public health practicum, by developing a needs assessment, pulling together community partnerships, fostering a safe environment at the District Service Center, and creating educational workshops based on the needs of the population. “I take student practicums seriously,” says Val Tavai, Senior Community Services Manager at the Leeward District Service Center. “No student wants experience just copying or doing paperwork in an office all day. I try to accommodate them in the best way I can, making sure we match up practicum experience with what they want to learn, because it benefits our clients and the community in the long run.”

Raquel is a 2011 graduate of Waianae High School. She is currently a medical scribe at Castle Medical Center and wants to eventually become a public health nurse practitioner.

Clarence is a graduate of Waipahu High School and the University of Hawaii. He is currently a medical technologist at Wahiawa General Hospital and pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Health at George Washington University.

Leahi District Service Center Invites Community To Come Together

On Wednesday, May 5th, HCAP’s Leahi District Service Center collaborated with Kupu’s CommunityU program to clean and restore the yard around the district office. The Kupu’s CommunityU program works with young adults ages 16 to 24. The program focuses on equipping young adults with experiences, training, and support to positively impact the community.

The day was also a source of education, community building and connecting for district staff, clients and Kupu participants. HCAP’s Head Start classroom from Palolo Elementary School, as well as guest speakers from the community including Dahlia Asuega, Resident Services Manager of Palolo Valley Homes, Stephen Maybir, member of the neighborhood board, and Yoana Amond, advocate for the Micronesian community, stopped by the center to show their appreciation. The members of the community shared their experiences of working and living in Palolo Valley, and spoke about the demographics, unity, and overall culture of Palolo Valley. Thank you Kupu, Head Start, and the community for the continued support!

Ewa Pre Plus Head Start Teacher Wins NHSA Teacher Appreciation Week Contest

Menia, a teacher at Ewa Pre Plus Head Start entered the Teacher Appreciation Week contest with National Head Start Association (NHSA) and won! We are so excited that she was showcased on the NHSA Facebook page. Congratulations and keep up the good work, Menia!

The facebook post says, “In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, NHSA and Teachstone are honoring teachers by showing them doing what they do best: interacting with their students! Congratulations Menia Teasdale on being the first #InteractionsMatter winner! It looks like you (and the children) are having a blast in the dramatic play area! Menia will receive a gift bag full of teacher goodies plus a one-year subscription to the Teachstone Video Library.

Click here to view NHSA’s announcement featuring contest winner Menia.

Hā Initiative Students Learn about Solar Energy

Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program students at the Leeward STEM Exploration Center have been busy learning about the Solar Impulse aircraft that is currently flying around the world without the use of liquid fuel. Students are learning how a solar cell is constructed and how it produces electricity by manufacturing their own solar cell from common inexpensive products such as copper plates, plastic bottles, and salt water.

Alongside the construction of their own cells, they are also learning that the Solar Impulse’s flight is a very historic event. This type of flight has never been attempted before and is a very grueling endeavor that is taxing the limits of human endurance by keeping a pilot in the cockpit for five days on its longest flight leg from Nanjing, China to Hawaii. The Solar Impulse has a top speed of only 50 miles per hour and what takes a normal jetliner seven hours to complete will take roughly 120 hours. The Solar Impulse was scheduled to leave Nanjing in May and is scheduled to land at Kalaeloa airport on Oahu.

A Big Mahalo and Congratulations to SCSEP Program Participant

Kamariah has been with the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) since August 2013. She served as the Program Aide/Secretary at the SCSEP office, greeting all of the program’s applicants and participants. Kamariah enjoyed working with different participants and incoming applicants of different cultures and diverse backgrounds.

Kamariah left SCSEP in March 2015 (due to program term limits), but she continued to come in and volunteer her time during the transition process with the new SCSEP Program Aide, Nancy.

Kamariah found full-time employment as an Assistant Manager for Hawaiiana Management Company, a Property Management Company. She began her new job on May 1, 2015. Congratulations and mahalo for your continued support, Kamariah!