HAIS_Annual_Report 2009 by Hawaii Association of Independent Schools

ANNUAL REPORT of the Executive Director and the Associate Director

To the Members of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools

June 2009

2008-2009 HIGHLIGHTS July

HAIS and WASC convene in Burlingame, California, for their annual meeting.

September

HAIS admission directors hold two admission fairs on Oahu. HONOLULU Magazine publishes the sixth annual Hawaii Guide to Private Schools, with the sponsorship of Bank of Hawaii. 77 school heads, department heads, administrative assistants and secretaries participate in the Breakthrough Coach seminar “How to Work Less, Play More, and Still Get the Job Done in a Normal School Week.” The Maui Independent Schools Organization convenes its annual Professional Development Day.

October

HAIS, in conjunction with ‘Olelo and the Hawaii Educational Networking Consortium, awards grants to 60 K-12 public and private schools statewide for the development or expansion of their digital media programs. HAIS and the Hawaii Community Foundation work cooperatively to design and develop the Schools of the Future Program. 49 schools attend the first Schools of the Future Conference. HAIS sponsors the first K-12 Honolulu Admission Fair at Kapiolani Community College. 675 parents and family members attend this large-scale fair and breakout sessions. HAIS hosts the NAIS Commission on Accreditation at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.

November

47 school leaders and their spouses, representing 26 member schools, attend the Annual HAIS Leadership Retreat. Featured presenter Dr. James Astman, headmaster of Oakwood School in California, focuses on the topic “Teachers as Healers.”

January

HAIS convenes 21 accreditation visits: eleven full self-study visits, seven mid-term visits, one two-day visit, one initial visit, and one substantive change visit. The HAIS Accreditation Task Force attends the WASC Winter Commission meeting in San Diego, California, to join NAIS President Pat Bassett in his presentation to the WASC Commission and to convene a meeting of the CAIS/HAIS Task Force on Accreditation.

February

HAIS administrators and faculty members gather in Chicago for the NAIS Annual Conference. HAIS hosts its third annual reception for member school conferees, celebrating Val and Cynthia Iwashita upon the completion of Val’s three-year term as chair of the NAIS board of directors.

April

In partnership with NAIS, HAIS convenes its first ever multi-island event, held at Punahou School and broadcasted to Kamehameha Schools’ Hawaii and Maui campuses. Pat Bassett, NAIS president, is featured as the event’s keynote speaker.

May

HAIS convenes its Annual Recognition Dinner at Mid-Pacific Institute and honors Nancy Barry (Ho‘ala School), Patti Jenks (Assets Schools), Felicity Johnson (Hualalai Academy), Jen Sagaio (Island Pacific Academy), and Mollie Sperry (Academy of the Pacific).

June

Cohort III of the HAIS and UH Master’s Degree Program in Private School Leadership, comprised of 29 emerging leaders, begins its final summer semester. HAIS launches its Statewide Summer Advocacy Campaign, featuring radio announcements which highlight the value of private school education. The radio ads run for two weeks (and for another two weeks in July), and encourage parents to apply for enrollment in the 2009-2010 school year. 1

MEMBERSHIP The Association membership for the 2008-2009 school year was as follows: Full Members:

Provisional Members: 1 Associate Members:

Affiliate Members:

Total Members:

100

ACCREDITATION AND LICENSING (SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT) Volunteer Leadership for the HAIS Accreditation Program Bob Peters (Hanahau‘oli School) and Linda Reser (‘Iolani School) continued to serve as HAIS delegates to the Accrediting Commission for Schools at WASC. Joe Rice (Mid-Pacific Institute) served as chair of the HAIS Secondary Commission, and Bob Peters served as chair of the HAIS Elementary Commission. Robert Witt served as chair of the NAIS Commission on Accreditation and also served as a member of the NAIS Board of Directors. Roberta Bishop and Cynthia Jordan continued to serve as staff for the HAIS school improvement and evaluation programs. Accreditation Visits in 2009 This year, HAIS convened 21 accreditation visits: eleven full self-study visits, seven mid-term visits, one two-day visit, one initial visit, and one substantive change visit. 44 HAIS volunteers served on accreditation visiting committees, along with 18 people from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE), and five others from the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA). Three of the visiting committee chairs were from the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), while eight accreditation team members came from California, one from Massachusetts, and one from Washington. Partners at CAIS, WCEA, AWSNA and AMS CAIS, WCEA, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), the American Montessori Society (AMS), and others continue to be our accreditation partners and fully recognize the integrity of our protocols and processes. Two joint visits were convened with WCEA this year. The CAIS/HAIS Accreditation Task Force began its work to jointly review and revise the CAIS and HAIS accreditation protocol. Three meetings of the task force were convened over the course of the year. Western Association of Schools and Colleges In July 2008, HAIS attended the annual WASC/CAIS/HAIS meeting at the WASC office in Burlingame, California. The HAIS Task Force on Accreditation also attended the January 2009 WASC Commission meeting in San Diego, California, to join NAIS President Pat Bassett in his presentation to the commission concerning NAIS’s work on accreditation and data-informed decision-making in independent schools. Licensing and Criminal History Record Check Program Unaccredited private schools in Hawaii are, for the most part, participants in our licensing program, which is implemented under the auspices of the Hawaii Council of Private Schools (HCPS). Mark Sugimoto (Hanalani Schools) continued to serve as chair of the HCPS Board of Directors, and Edna Hussey (Mid-Pacific Institute) continued on as vice chair. Roberta Bishop remained HCPS executive director, and Myrna Medeiros remained the organization’s secretary/treasurer. 15 licensing visits were conducted by HCPS this year. The Criminal History Record Check Program, operated out of the HAIS office, is another important activity of HCPS. This year, in collaboration with the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center for the State of Hawaii, 767 background checks were conducted on new school employees at HAIS member schools. 2

ADVOCACY 2009 Legislative Session Each year, the activity of the State Legislature serves as both a representation and a reflection of the current interests and concerns of Hawaii residents. During the 2009 session, primary amongst these were the present economic situation, which greatly influenced the type of legislation that was considered and approved by state representatives. As anticipated, these financial concerns resulted in fewer bills and resolutions which dealt with the appropriation of funds; however, a secondary result was a higher-than-usual number of non-fiscal measures which focused on the revision or establishment of various state rules and regulations. Both of these outcomes impacted HAIS and directed the focus of its legislative activity this session. In the past, the majority of the association’s time at the State Capitol has been spent advocating for member schools’ special purpose revenue bond (SPRB) bills, but this year, none of our schools were interested in introducing SPRB legislation. In spite of this, however, the association was kept busier than ever with advocating on behalf of both its membership and the broader Hawaii education community, working in collaboration with the Hawaii Council of Private Schools, the Early Learning Council, the charter school community (in particular, Kamehameha Schools and the Charter School Review Panel), the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Ho‘okako‘o Corporation, the Hawaii Department of Education, and others. To illustrate this point, over the course of the 2009 session, HAIS tracked 48 bills and resolutions and provided testimony on 23 of these measures; comparatively, 24 bills and resolutions were followed and 17 testified on last session, four of which were the SPRB bills of HAIS member schools. In addition, many “rules and regulations” measures were introduced which had the potential to affect HAIS schools, so the association concentrated its efforts on “defending the kingdom” and protecting the interests and rights of its membership. For this reason, while in most years the association’s legislative achievements are measured in numbers of bills and resolutions passed and enacted into law, this session, many of our successes were instead bills that did not survive through to the end of the legislative process. Accomplishments include the following: Senate Bill 1329 and House Bill 395 – Relating to Early Learning These companion bills were designed to clarify and support the work of the Early Learning Council (ELC), which was established last session by Act 14 as a result of the work of the Act 259 Early Learning Task Force. SB 1329 was the vehicle for changes to the provisions of the early learning system, authorizing designees for all ELC members and changing the name of the Keiki First Steps Trust Fund to the Early Learning Trust Fund. It was also revised to include language from Senate Bill 1278 – Relating to Education, which proposed changes to the Department of Education’s junior kindergarten/ kindergarten program, so that the development of a plan to address the needs of junior kindergarteners would become a part of the Council’s task to develop and administer a statewide early learning system. HAIS was in strong support of this measure, which, at the time this report went to print, has been enrolled to the governor for enactment and is awaiting signature or veto. HB 395 was the vehicle for changes to the rules governing the monies in the Early Learning Trust Fund, and would have allowed the remainder of last year’s allocation to lapse at the end of the current fiscal year and remain available for use by the ELC, rather than be transferred into the State’s general fund for other purposes. Unfortunately, this bill was deferred and will not be enacted; however, funds have been allocated for the ELC in the Department of Education’s budget, which will provide the Council with the means to support its administrative costs and hire an executive director next year.

House Bill 1742 – Relating to Taxation This bill proposed to repeal the general excise tax exemption for nonprofit organizations (excepting those with a religious purpose), which would have subjected all of their revenues and investment income – such as tuition and interest earned by endowments, in the case of nonprofit schools – to the GET. HAIS was in strong opposition to this measure, which it voiced along with many of its member institutions and other nonprofit organizations and associations from across all fields. This bill was deferred by the House Finance Committee and not enacted. Senate Concurrent Resolution 150 and House Bill 87 – Relating to Education Resolutions, unlike bills, do not have the force of law; rather, they are formal recommendations or requests made by the Legislature. SCR 150 urges the State Superintendent of Education to establish and facilitate a Special Education Private School Task Force – which would include an HAIS representative – to advise the DOE on policies and procedures related to the oversight and monitoring of students educated at private schools or facilities at public expense. In addition, it stipulates that the task force will submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Legislature prior to the beginning of the 2011 session, and will then cease to exist at the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year. This resolution has been approved by the Legislature and adopted. It is important to note that SCR 150 was created to replace HB 87, which would have legislated a broadening of the DOE’s rights to oversee and monitor the education of special needs students who have been placed at private schools and institutions by the State. HAIS was strongly opposed to this measure and was able to successfully advocate for its deferral, ensuring that HB 87 will not be enacted; however, the association gave its support for the related resolution, as it provides both the DOE with a forum to address its concerns and HAIS with an opportunity to collaborate with the DOE and other institutions involved in educating students with special needs in reviewing and suggesting improvements to current DOE policies and procedures. Other 2009 Legislative Measures of Note Senate Bill 384 – Relating to Education This measure was to require that all public, charter and private schools ensure that traffic safety measures are in place and operational prior to the opening of a newly constructed school. In an effort to avoid burdening schools with the time-consuming and costly responsibility of ensuring compliance with traffic safety regulations, HAIS opposed this bill in favor of making a determination about schools’ traffic safety oversight duties with the Department of Transportation on a case-by-case basis. This bill was deferred and will not be enacted. Senate Bill 1096 – Relating to Technology Workforce and Development This bill was to appropriate funds for programs related to the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and math) and kindergarten through twelfth grade creative media education programs, including the Hawaii Schools Digital Media Grant Program, which HAIS helps to administer and of which many of our members are recipients. HAIS supported this measure, but it was not passed by its conference committee and will not be enacted. House Bill 176, House Bill 800, and Senate Bill 146 – Relating to School Buses These bills were to require school buses imported into or currently in use in Hawaii to be equipped and/or retrofitted with lap and shoulder belts. These measures also called for the DOE to adopt rules that would require the use of school bus seatbelts and regulate student conduct on school buses. All three of these bills were deferred and will not be enacted.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Breakthrough Coach Seminar The Breakthrough Coach seminar, “How to Work Less, Play More & Still Get the Job Done in a Normal School Week,” led by Malachi Pancoast, was held at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki on September 18 and 19, 2008. This event was a huge success, with the 77 school heads, department heads, administrative assistants and secretaries participating in this engaging and instructive program. Attendees learned about strategies to free themselves from paperwork, dramatically decrease their workloads, and spend their time instead on things like being in the classroom. The event was informative, fun, and very well received by participants. HAIS & HIDA Fall Symposium On Saturday, October 25, 2008, HAIS partnered with the Hawaii Branch of The International Dyslexia Association (HIDA) to host the HAIS Fall Symposium, which featured Dr. Maryanne Wolf. 200 administrators, teachers, and parents gathered at the Japanese Cultural Center to participate in this event focusing on the topic “The Evolving Reading Brain in a Digital World.” Conferees were intrigued by Dr. Wolf’s animated discourse concerning the “reading brain,” and benefitted from the implications made for the teaching and learning of every child, especially those with dyslexia who, according to Dr.Wolf, have both “reading difficulties and singular gifts.” Heads’ & Trustees’ Conference The HAIS Heads’ & Trustees’ Conference, featuring Peter Cobb, was held on Thursday, October 30, 2008, at the Ala Moana Hotel. Mr. Cobb spoke to the 84 attendees about the current economic impact on schools and encouraged administrators to think creatively about the design and delivery of education. In addition, he discussed the importance of shaping teaching and learning and aligning schools’ missions and programs with what students will need to know and be able to do in the 21st century in order to lead meaningful and purposeful lives. Fall Leadership Retreat The Annual HAIS Leadership Retreat was convened on November 20 and 21, 2008, at the Ihilani Resort, with 47 school leaders and their spouses from 26 participating schools in attendance. The highlight of the Retreat was the four sessions with featured presenter Dr. James Astman, headmaster of Oakwood School in California, which focused on “Teachers as Healers.” Illustrated convincingly by videotapes of students at his school over the past 30 years, as well as his own experience teaching child and adolescent development to third-year Psychiatry residents at the UCLA Medical School, Dr. Astman led attendees in an exploration of central questions related to schools’ missions: How do school leaders understand and assess the nature of the relationships between teachers and students? When problems arise, how can they intervene supportively and honestly? What does attachment theory suggest about the nature of effective leadership and about the process of repair when trouble arises in the school “family”? What constitutes “healing” in a school setting? The retreat included a report from CAIS executive director Jim McManus, with particularly interesting news concerning the approach California schools are taking to remedy the emerging influences of the economic crisis. HAIS president Dan White (Island Pacific Academy) led an after-dinner discussion with Cynthia Winans-Burns (Montessori School of Maui), Walter Kirimitsu (Saint Louis School), and Jim Scott (Punahou School) on the economy and their leadership strategies. NAIS & HAIS April 4 Conference The NAIS and HAIS Conference “Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Times” was convened on Saturday, April 4, 2009, with 154 participants from 32 schools in attendance. Highlights of the conference were presentations by NAIS president Pat Bassett, NAIS vice president of school information service Mark Mitchell, and NAIS West Coast regional director Heather Rogers. This was HAIS’s first ever multi-island program, during which speakers presented at Punahou School and were then broadcast to Kamehameha Schools’ Hawaii and Maui campuses.

HAIS & UH Master’s Degree Program in Private School Leadership HAIS and the Educational Foundations Department of the College of Education of the University of Hawaii at Manoa jointly operate a master’s degree program through the Outreach College which focuses on educational leadership in the unique setting of the private school. The program is designed to meet the needs of leaders and aspiring leaders in independent schools, be they administrators, teachers or other types of educators. The program curriculum blends research-based knowledge with the wisdom of experienced private school leaders. We are excited to announce that Cohort III, 29 members strong, will graduate in July 2009. Cohort III Members Elizabeth Alencastre, Sacred Hearts Academy Rene Anderson-Vorfeld, Montessori School of Maui Harolyn Ka‘oi Arakaki-Pedro, Maryknoll School William Best, Punahou School Allison Buchik, Hawaii Baptist Academy Beverly Crum, Hanahau‘oli School Nichole Hamai Sakai, Assets School Taryn Horner, Judge Memorial Catholic High School Sylvia Hussey, Kamehameha Schools Troy Kamiya, Maryknoll School Derrick Kang, Mid-Pacific Institute Patricia Kosasa, Assets School Emily Kalehua Lima-Simeona, Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama Campus Kris Maeda, Hongwanji Mission School Rie Mizumura, Maryknoll School

Nolan Namba, Hawaii Baptist Academy Patrick O'Leary, Hawaii Preparatory Academy Paris Priore-Kim, Punahou School Steve Ross, Hanahau‘oli School Adam Ruderman, The Bishop's School Christina Simpson, Maryknoll School Melanie Soares, ‘Iolani School Jane Stevens, Punahou School Suzy Travis, Assets School Rick Tune, Punahou School Christopher Watson, Punahou School Kurt Palani Williams, Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama Campus Erik Yamamoto, ‘Iolani School Dawn Yonamine, Holy Nativity School

SPECIAL PROGRAMS HAIS Reception at NAIS – Chicago On February 25, 2009, the third annual HAIS Reception at the NAIS Conference was held in Chicago. This gathering of 75 people allowed new and returning NAIS conferees to make the most of their experience by introducing them to the conference and to fellow HAIS attendees. Val and Cynthia Iwashita were celebrated as guests of honor as Val completed his three-year term as chair of the Board of Directors for NAIS. Annual Recognition Dinner This end-of-the-academic-year dinner, hosted by Joe and Florence Rice at Mid-Pacific Institute, acknowledged the invaluable contributions of various individuals to HAIS. Special recognition went to retiring educators and those moving away from Hawaii: Nancy Barry of Ho‘ala School, Patti Jenks of Assets School, Felicity Johnson of Hualalai Academy, Jen Sagaio of Island Pacific Academy, and Mollie Sperry of Academy of the Pacific. Others recognized at the event were the HAIS constituency group chairs, the Early Learning Council leadership team, the HAIS Doctoral Program leadership team, the Schools of the Future leadership team, and Dan White, outgoing HAIS president, who will end his two-year term in June 2009.

SCHOOLS OF THE FUTURE In January 2008, HAIS and the Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) began exploring the ramifications of the changing global climate on educational practices in Hawaii’s private schools. As a result of this discussion, the two organizations teamed together to launch the Schools of the Future Program (SOTF), a five-year capacity-building initiative focused on encouraging and mobilizing independent schools to more effectively utilize advanced technology to support student-centered and project-based learning relevant to the 21st century. This program is designed to assist participating schools in assessing their existing learning platforms, envisioning new learning environments, and implementing a specific plan or project to actualize that vision. Throughout the spring and summer of 2008, HAIS collaborated with HCF to develop this innovative new initiative, which launched in August 2008. The first annual SOTF conference was then convened on October 22, 2008, featuring speakers Tony Wagner of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Anthony Salcito of Microsoft, and Don Zundel of Apple. At this all-day event, teams of administrators, teachers, and students were challenged with ideas espousing 21st century teaching and learning and were then provided with the opportunity to assess their own practices and needs and envision how they could become a school of the future. Of the 49 schools that attended the conference, 19 applied to become SOTF participants during the first application round in December 2008, followed by another 24 during the second round in April 2009. The following 20 schools, including two collaborative projects, have been selected and will be engaged with the initiative through 2014. • • • • • • • •

Academy of the Pacific Assets School Hanahau‘oli School Hanalani Schools Hualalai Academy, Inc. Hongwanji Mission School Iolani School Island Pacific Academy

• • • • • • • •

Kauai Pacific School Le Jardin Academy Maui Preparatory Academy Mid-Pacific Institute Montessori Hale O Keiki Inc. Sacred Hearts Academy Seabury Hall St. Joseph School in Hilo

•

St. John the Baptist School and St. Anthony School in Honolulu (collaborative project entitled, “Kalihi No Ka Oi”) • St. John Vianney School and St. Anthony School in Kailua (collaborative project entitled, Kailua Catholic Community of Learners”) During the design and development stages, HAIS worked to determine the optimal support structure for schools during their five-year transformation process. The resulting model includes the formation of Communities of Learners (CoL) among participating schools, the use of a website (www.futureschools.ning.com) for communication and resource sharing among all HAIS schools (both those funded by SOTF and those that are not), an annual study tour, and an annual conference. In addition, HAIS will be separately funding video documentation of schools to capture their development processes and to share projects online with the entire HAIS community. High Tech High Luncheon On March 23, 2009, HAIS hosted a luncheon featuring Ben Daley, chief operating officer for the High Tech High Charter Management Organization and former teacher and director of High Tech High. During this meeting, Mr. Daley shared with attendees the history and philosophy of High Tech High, giving insight into a school model which incorporates interdisciplinary teaching, project-based learning and a focus on 21st century skills. Luncheon attendees included the heads of the eight schools selected during the first SOTF application round; DOE and BOE members, including Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto; higher education members from Chaminade University and the University of Hawaii; charter school representatives; and business and community members. The event was an opportunity for the broader Hawaii education community to learn about High Tech High, and for SOTF participants, who will be visiting the school’s campus in San Diego during the fall of 2009. Hawaii Education Technology Conference and Expo On March 24, 2009, HAIS partnered with the DOE and Technology News Bytes to host the Hawaii Education Technology Conference and Expo. Ben Daley of High Tech High was featured as a keynote speaker and HAIS SOTF team member Mark Hines held a standing-room only workshop. 7

Project Leadership SOTF thrives on a co-leadership model designed to maximize collaboration between the Hawaii Community Foundation --Chris van Bergeijk, Pi’ikea Miller, and Rhea Abenojar-- and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools--Robert Witt, Kelsey Matsu, Phil Bossert (Orientech), Mark Hines (Mid-Pacific Institute), and Diana Oshiro (Myron B. Thompson Academy). Lisa Leong will join the team on July 1, 2009.

STUDENT PROGRAMS Hawaii Schools Digital Media (HSDM) Initiative HAIS, in conjunction with ‘Olelo and the Hawaii Educational Networking Consortium (HENC), awarded 60 grants to Hawaii’s emerging K-12 video producers. These grants, which range from $500 to $2,500 and are awarded annually, allow public and private schools statewide to develop or expand their digital media programs and facilities and to create original, school-based and student-produced videos which are aired on channel 56. HAIS Awardees • Christian Academy • Clearview Christian Girls School • Hawaii Baptist Academy • Hawaii Preparatory Academy • Hawaiian Mission Academy • Hongwanji Mission School • Hualalai Academy • ‘Iolani School • Island Pacific Academy • Kula Elementary at Na Kamalei (now known as Kauai Pacific Academy)

• • • • • • • • • • •

La Pietra - Hawaii School for Girls Lanakila Baptist High School Le Jardin Academy Maryknoll High School Mid-Pacific Institute Montessori School of Maui Punahou School Sacred Hearts Academy St. Andrew's Priory School St. Anthony Jr./Sr. High School St. Francis School

PAUAHI KEIKI SCHOLARS PROGRAM Since its launch on October 1, 2007, both HAIS member schools and a significant number of Hawaii’s families have benefitted from the Pauahi Keiki Scholars Program. This scholarship program, which is operated and funded by Kamehameha Schools, has dramatically improved the level of access that students of Native Hawaiian descent have to a private school education, increasing the economic and ethnic diversity of the student bodies at our schools and providing families that were not previously able to exercise choice in the matter of their child’s education with the means and opportunity to send their child to one of 74 participating private schools (up from 61 schools last year) across Hawaii. In 2009-2010, two cohorts will be served by the program and Kamehameha Schools will award $1.7 million in private school scholarships to 340 children: $600,000 to 125 kindergarten applicants and $1.1 million to 215 first grade applicants.

CONSTITUENCY GROUPS Admission Directors The admission directors convened six meetings this year, hosted by the following admission directors at their respective schools: • Tim Kaneshiro and Kathy Lee, Hawaii Baptist Academy • Pua Fernandez and Pono Ma‘a, Kamehameha Schools – Kapalama Campus • Teddi Yagi, Hongwanji Mission Schools • Lori Carlos, Maryknoll School • Betsy Hata, Punahou School • Kelly Goheen, Holy Nativity School Kelly Monaco (‘Iolani School) provided the leadership for the Admission Directors Group, and was assisted by co-chair Lori Carlos (Maryknoll School). In October 2008, HAIS sponsored the first Honolulu Private School Admission Fair (Preschool-Grade 12) at Kapiolani Community College. The event was an overwhelming success, surpassing all expectations with an estimated attendance of 675 people. Kelly Monaco, Lori Carlos, and Sandy Robinson (La Pietra – Hawaii School for Girls) planned and organized the fair. The breakout session on preschool/kindergarten admissions was led by Carol Takamine (Hanahau‘oli School) and Ella Browning (Mid-Pacific Institute), while Lori Carlos, Kathy Lee (Hawaii Baptist Academy), Mike Hu and Betsy Hata (Punahou School) were presenters for the session on financial assistance, and Sam Kong Kee (Saint Louis School) led the session on middle/high school admissions. These standing-room only informational sessions were extremely popular, and parents expressed their sincere appreciation for being able to learn more about the admissions processes of our schools. Volunteer student guides from Damien Memorial School, Sacred Hearts Academy and Saint Francis School were also on-hand to help guide attendees across the Kapiolani Community College campus. Another first was an HAIS-sponsored admission fair on the Windward side of Oahu, held at Ko‘olau Ballrooms in September 2008. The annual Leeward Fair was also held in September at Pearl Country Club. As in past years, all of the HAIS admissions fairs were very successful, with parents once again expressing their gratitude for having representatives from so many schools available in a single location. In September 2008, HAIS continued its collaboration with HONOLULU Magazine to publish the annual Private School Guide (PSG). Thousands of copies of the PSG were distributed throughout the school year to interested parents, attendees of our fall HAIS Admissions Fairs, and preschools, pediatricians, libraries and realty offices throughout Hawaii. Business Officers HAIS business officers participated in the review and revision of the HAIS accreditation manual. Meetings this year were hosted by: • Darlene Blakeney, Hanahau‘oli School • John Field, Punahou School After many years of exceptional leadership, Brian Chang resigned as chair, and the Business Officers Group welcomed new chair Darlene Blakeney at the group’s May 2008 meeting.

Council of Advancement Officers The Council of Advancement Officers (CAO) was chaired by Jane Heimerdinger, ‘Iolani School’s director of institutional advancement. This year, the CAO organized a roundtable discussion “Looking Up and Reaching Out in a Down Economy” with facilitator Alan Tang of Olomana Marketing. Discussion topics included planned giving and fundraising events. The CAO was also involved in the NAIS & HAIS Conference on April 4, 2009, and participated in a breakout session featuring NAIS president Pat Bassett. Student Activities Group Kirk Uejio, director of student activities at ‘Iolani School, and Bill Wheeler, director of student activities and government at Mid-Pacific Institute, served as co-chairs of the Student Activities Group. This group continued to communicate and collaborate by email via the group’s HAIS listserv, with a focus on sharing contacts and recommendations about vendors and program ideas. Summer School Directors Jon Koshiba, summer school director at Punahou School, chaired the Summer School Directors Group. The group was very active on the listserv this spring as they collaborated to refer families that they could not accommodate in their own summer programs to other member schools with summer school openings. Technology Coordinators The Technology Coordinators Group is chaired by Rebecca Eldredge, technology coordinator at Hanahau‘oli School. Over the course of the 2008-09 school year, the group met three times at several different schools. This allowed the group to visit a variety of campuses and tour the technology facilities at their colleagues’ schools. This year, the group’s meetings were hosted by: • Anna Davenport, Hanalani Schools • Julia Ringgold, Holy Nativity School • Lynne Horiuchi, Kamehameha Schools – Kapalama Campus At these meetings, technology vendors such as It’s All About Kids gave presentations about some of the latest education-related software and school- and student-friendly hardware, and Jeff Bloom, of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Workforce Development Program Office at the University of Hawaii, attended one of the group’s meetings to discuss the State’s STEM initiatives. As in the past, meetings were also used as opportunities for members to get to know and network with their counterparts at other HAIS schools, sharing ideas and information about the technology-related projects underway at on their respective campuses. Members continued to utilize the group’s HAIS listserv as a forum for technology-related questions and the sharing of useful technology resources and information; in addition, during the fall of 2008, a Ning was established to facilitate further discussion amongst group members. Next year, to further encourage participation in the group’s quarterly meetings and to address this year’s declining attendance, the technology coordinators plan to use videoconferencing as a means to enable members from across Oahu and the state to join in remotely.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS Val Iwashita (Iolani School) completed a three-year term as chair of the board at NAIS. Bob Peters (Hanahau‘oli School) is co-chair of the State of Hawaii Early Learning Council (ELC). Jim Scott (Punahou School) is chairman of the Board for the Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB). Mark Sugimoto (Hanalani Schools) is the HAIS delegate to the Council on American Private Education (CAPE). Bob Peters (Hanahau‘oli School) and Linda Reser (‘Iolani School) serve as the HAIS delegates to the Accrediting Commission for Schools at WASC. Robert Witt, HAIS executive director, serves as a member of the NAIS Board of Directors; the Ho‘okako‘o Corporation Board of Directors, which is responsible for governing several public conversion charter schools that are recipients of assistance from Kamehameha Schools; the Advisory Committee to the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; the Advisory Committee of the Hawaii Education Policy Center; the NAIS Commission on Accreditation, which he chairs; and he co-edits with Don Young (UH Manoa, College of Education) the monthly editorials published by the Voices of Educators in the Honolulu Advertiser. Robert is also president of the Hawaiian Educational Council (HEC), the education nonprofit organization with which HAIS continues to share its office and staff. Among its many activities, HEC most notably convenes the annual Hawaii Executive Conference and manages the Hawaii Change Leadership Project (which will become the independent enterprise “Academy 21” in July 2009), a leadership development initiative implemented in collaboration with the Harvard Change Leadership Group and with funding from the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and Kamehameha Schools.

HAIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dan White (Island Pacific Academy) will be ending his term as president of the HAIS Board of Directors in June 2009. On July 1, 2009, Joe Rice (Mid-Pacific Institute) will begin his two-year term as HAIS president, while Sandy Theunick (St. Andrew’s Priory School) will begin her term as HAIS vice president. TRANSITIONS Academy of the Pacific – Mollie Sperry, succeeded by Dorothy Douthit Assets School – Patti Jenks, succeeded by Susan Travis Haleakala Waldorf School – Jocelyn Romero Demirbag (interim chair), appointed chair of school Ho‘ala School – Nancy Barry, succeeded by Linda Turnbull Hualalai Academy – Felicity Johnson, succeeded by Kate Mulligan Island Pacific Academy – Jenn Sagaio, succeeded by Phavana Silva Mid-Pacific Institute – Rich Schaffer, succeeded by Grace Cruz (interim high school principal)

HAIS STAFF HAIS is pleased to have welcomed two new members to our staff this year: Kelsey Matsu and Erin Tyrell. Kelsey graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in Government, and from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with master’s degrees in Business Administration and Education. Prior to HAIS, she worked for the Hawaii DOE as an intermediate school counselor and, more recently, for Osaka Gakuin University in Japan as a lecturer. Kelsey joined HAIS in September 2008 as the Schools of the Future project manager and has also been providing video documentation and creating video narratives for the Schools of the Future Program. Erin is a recent graduate of Chaminade University, and joined HAIS in September 2008 as assistant director of programs and receptionist. The rest of the HAIS staff continued to serve the association in their previous roles: Roberta Bishop as associate director and chief operating officer, as well as director of accreditation; Jennifer Higaki as policy director and grants administrator; Cynthia Jordan as director of communications; Lisa Leong as director of programs; and Myrna Medeiros as financial officer. In addition, Jenna Ishii continued to guide our participation in the Hawaii Educational Networking Consortium (HENC), producing 12 shows for ‘Olelo. This year, the association will be undergoing its own transition as Jennifer departs from HAIS staff to pursue a master’s degree in International Education at Oxford University. We are proud of Jennifer’s accomplishments these past three years as an advocate for our member schools at the State Legislature, and also of her work with the Hawaii Change Leadership Project via our sister organization, the Hawaiian Educational Council. Although she will be leaving HAIS this summer, we are very pleased that she will be continuing to work in the field of education.

Robert M. Witt Executive Director Roberta Bishop Associate Director June 2009