Ka Malu o Kaimana Hila

I’d like to extend greetings and welcome you all as we "barrel in" on this new school year together. The endless summer will transition to the exciting fall and we are ready to make this our best year ever! I'm sure you are all eagerly awaiting news about your child's homeroom teacher. Teachers will be emailing you starting the week of August 1st. If you do not receive an email from your child's teacher by 8:00 am Friday, August 4th, you can call the office at 808-971-6900.

I invite your family involvement throughout this school year. It is through your participation that our school has been able to evolve into the special, mindful place it is…and your continued support is critical as we continue our efforts to provide the very best for our children. We’d like to take this opportunity to invite all our family members to get involved and join us in our quest to learn and grow together.

Our goal is to infuse the Habits of the Mind into our curriculum, our behavior, and our lives while continuing to excel academically. Like a big wave surfer would say, let's charge straight into the waves of mindfulness!

We look forward to a wonderful year together and thank you all for sharing your children with us!

Mr. Ryan Kusuda, Principal

Our Parent Handbook is located at:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mA9DBoP3pGD5CW-ua100QJgnZoFuy18CevBCaBGWj1U/edit?usp=sharing

Please take the time to read through this very important document that contains our general school policies and procedures.

School Hours

School begins at 8:00am and ends at 2:15pm every day except for Wednesday when school ends at 1:30pm.

Tardiness
Students are expected to be in their classrooms by 8:00am. Any child reporting to class after 8:05am is considered tardy and should report directly to the front office for a tardy slip.

Absences
Absences are considered either excused or unexcused.

Phone calls will be made to parents if a student’s absence has not been reported to the school.

An example of an excused absence is when a student is absent from school because of illness or other valid reasons including medical or dental reasons (with verifiable note provided by a doctor or dentist), funerals, family court hearing, or religious holy days.

Examples of unexcused absences include family vacations, non-HIDOE sporting events, and personal business.

For any absence, both excused or unexcused, please call the front office at 808-971-6900 or email attendance@waikikischool.org. Be sure to include the date, time, and reason for the pending absence.

When a child reaches 3 unexcused absences, an attendance letter will be generated and sent home to families.

When a child reaches 6 unexcused absences, a second unexcused absence letter will be generated and a phone call from either the school counselor or administration will take place.

A child is considered chronically absent when he or she reaches 15 absences (cumulative excused and unexcused). At this threshold, a face-to-face meeting will be scheduled with school administration and may include involvement of the school social worker.

Homework assignments for absent students may be arranged by calling the school in the morning before 8:30am. The office will notify your child’s teacher and the homework assignments will be available for pick up after school in the office.

Because the Department of Education no longer recognizes family trips as an excused absence, teachers are not required to provide homework. Please check with the teacher prior to the trip to see if homework can be made available.

Stay Home When Sick

People who do not feel well or have any symptoms of illness should stay home. If someone comes to school with symptoms of illness or develops symptoms of illness at school, they will be sent home depending on symptom severity. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19 should follow the DOH Isolation and Exposure Guidance for K-12 Schools.

Stay Up to Date on Vaccinations

Staying up to date on routine vaccinations is essential to prevent illness from many different infections.

To read the document in-full, please visit HIDOE COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidance for School Year 2023-24

Schools are still Mandated Reporters of COVID-19

Please email attendance@waikikischool.org or call the front office at 808-971-6900 if your child tests positive for COVID-19.

When someone tests positive for COVID-19, schools are not required to notify staff and parent(s) / legal guardian(s) of students. Positive cases are publicly reported online. You can click on the link or scan the QR code to see COVID-19 cases.

If you plan on walking your child to school in the morning, please be sure to park off-campus. Our front lot is reserved for the school staff.

Any parent looking to eat breakfast with their keiki will have to park off campus.

Use of this drop-off area for vehicles will start at 7:15 am for students eating breakfast. Cars attempting to drop off students prior to this time will be asked to leave. The only exception is for students enrolled in Early Morning Care.

No students are allowed on campus except the cafeteria till the 7:45 am bell. Any students coming to campus between 7:15 and 7:45 (Grades K-5) will be directed to the cafeteria or a designated area near the cafeteria.

All cars using the FRONT LOT for drop-off and pick-up will have to exit onto Monsarrat Avenue by turning RIGHT.

Watch this video that further explains the use of the front lot for drop-off and pick-up.

This lot will open at 7:45 am for students in Grades 3-5 drop-off. Do not attempt to enter this zone by either turning left from Monsarrat Avenue or driving straight across on Leahi Avenue from the Kapahulu neighborhood. Please enter this area by turning left onto Paki Avenue from Monsarrat Avenue. Proceed to drive down Paki and then turn left onto Noela Street and then another left onto Leahi Avenue. This will allow cars to turn right into the Leahi Avenue drop-off and pick-up areas.

The school day ENDS at 2:15 pm (M, Tu, Th, F) and 1:30 pm (Wed.) for K - 5th grades. Students will be released at the end of the school day when the bell rings.

For students in Grades K-2, the designated pick up spot is our FRONT LOT.

For students in Grades 3-5, the designated pick up spot is our BACK LOT.

Placards with student names will be distributed on the first day of school. Please make sure to display on your car's dashboard.

If you are a family with multiple siblings at Waikiki, please note that:

- Upper El. Siblings (ie. Student A in 3rd Grade AND Student B in 5th Grade) should go to the BACK Pick-Up Location

- All other sibling situations (ex. Kinder, 1st, & 5th Grade), pick-up is in the FRONT LOT.

After you pick-up your child, we ask families to head off campus. Our A+ program AND after-school programs utilize the campus after school.

Please plan accordingly, coming early is not always the best option, as we will be doing airport style pickup in our front lot. We cannot have the traffic backing up onto Leahi Avenue. If your child is NOT out when you come through the line, you will be asked to loop back around. Keep in mind if you have multiple children to pick up, that it may make more sense to give them more time and arrive slightly later.

For A+ families, coming to pick up your child during the 2:15-2:45 pm window is also not recommended, as parking on campus is not available. All A+ students need to be physically signed out at the A+ desk in the cafeteria.

It is important for families to talk with their children to remind them to come straight down to pick-up when the bell rings. It takes the average 1st/2nd grader 2-3 minutes to make their way down to the front pick-up.

Parents can come onto campus (and are encouraged to) 5 minutes before the end of day to meet their child(ren). Parents just need to park off campus. If picking your child(ren) up via walk up, please make sure your child(ren) know where to meet you daily. Otherwise students will be sent to their designated areas.

There are three filtered water bottle filling stations currently on campus. One filling station is located in the cafeteria dining room near the door fronting the parking lot. Please send your child to school every day with a clean water bottle with their name written somewhere to help with lost & found.

August 7 - Students first Day of School

August 18 - Statehood Day (No School)

August 29 - Picture Taking

September 4 - Labor Day (No School)

September 6 - Open House (Grades 1-3)

September 22 - Professional Collaboration Day (No School for Students)

October 9-13 - Fall Break (No School)

Email: ryan@waikikischool.org
Website: waikikischool.org
Location: 3710 Leahi Avenue, Honolulu, HI, USA
Phone: (808) 971-6900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaikikiSchool
Twitter: @WaikikiSchool