PUNAHOUSCHOOLCOMMUNICATIONSSTYLEGUIDE
ForusebyPunahouSchoolEmployeesandVolunteers
The Punahou School Communications office uses the “Associated Press Stylebook” as its primary style reference and refers to the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary [www.m-w.com]. In general, AP Style discourages overuse of capitalization.
ALUMNINAMES/YEARS
● InPunahouBulletinClassNotes:
○ Boldalumninamesandclassyears,notmarriednames:
■ CherylCambra’99Prather
■ Richard’52andSusanWall’52Ludewig
■ RichardLudewig’52,husbandofSusanWall’52Ludewig…
■ Boldonlywhenbothfirstandlastnamesareused:NoelehuaLyons’91 ArchambaultattendedtheReunion.Noedancedforherclassmates.
● Classyearsgoafterfullhyphenatednames.KrissyIzumi-Nitao’84
● Classof’52(not‘52)
● ’76ers(not76’ers)
● Foralumniyearsoftheearly1900s:usethefull4-digityearonceaclassexists(beginningwith kindergarten)inthe2000swiththesamelasttwo-digits AreferencetoEvelynMedcalfwho graduatedin1927wouldbeEvelynMedcalf(1927)Owens Theyearisenclosedinparenthesis whenintext;withinachartorlisting,theyeariswithoutparenthesis
● Alwaysalphabetizebymarriedname(notmaiden)
● PresidentMikeLatham’86andReverendJenniferLatham(forformalinvitationsornotes)
o Example:PresidentMikeLatham’86andReverendJenniferLathamrequestthepleasure ofyourcompanytocelebrateyourgenerosity
ATHLETICTITLES/TEAMS
● Teamlevels,genderandteamsarelowercase:girlsvarsitybasketball
● JV(notJuniorVarsity)
● Gendercarriesnopossessive(ex:girlsvarsitybasketball)
BOOKandPUBLICATIONTITLES
● Booktitlesincopyareplacedinquotes:“DreamsFromMyFather”
● Booktitlesinareviewheadlinearebolded,noquotes(e.g.,DreamsFromMyFatherbyBarack Obama)
● Booktitlesinnonreviewheadlinesareplacedinsinglequotes:‘DreamsFromMyFather’hits best-sellerlist.
● Usequotationmarksaroundtitlesofbooks,movies,TVshows,plays,CDs
● Magazine/newspapertitlesare not placedinquotes Uppercasetitlesofmagazinesand newspapers
BULLETINPROFILESANDMEMORIALS
● DonorandAlumniProfile:UseAPStylefornamereferences:fullnameonfirstreference,then lastnameonsubsequentreference (Exception:Ifthedonorisdeceased,usefirstname)
BUSINESSTITLES
● APStylegenerallyuseslowercaseforbusinesstitlesunlessitisdirectlyprecedingtheperson’s namewithoutacommabetweenthetitleandname
● Examples:
Correct:DirectorofCommunicationsRobertGelber’92
Correct:RobertGelber’92,directorofcommunications
Incorrect:RobertGelber’92,DirectorofCommunications
CAPTIONS
● Ifthecaptionisacompletesentence,placeaperiodattheend.
● IDsgofromlefttoright;thenfromfronttoback,e.g.,firstrow,secondrow(or“backrow”if onlytworows).
● Capitalize“From”in“Fromleft:”andalwaysplaceacolonafter“Fromleft:”
● Aftertheinitial“Fromleft”mention,itisnotnecessarytorepeat“Fromleft”againifthereis morethanonerow.(e.g.Fromleft,firstrow:/Secondrow:)
● Agesshouldbesetoffbycommas,notparenthesis
● Usetheword“center,”insteadof“middle”torefertosomeone’slocationinaphoto
COMMAS
● APStyledoesnotutilizetheOxfordorserialcomma.PleaseseeAPStyleinstructionsbelow.
● INASERIES:Usecommastoseparateelementsinaseries,butdonotputacommabeforethe conjunctioninmostsimpleseries:Theflagisred,whiteandblue.HewouldnominateTom,Dick, HarryorJeannette.Shegoestoschool,playsleaguesoccerandtakesprivatedancelessons.
● Includeafinalcommainasimpleseriesifomittingitcouldmakethemeaningunclear.The governorconvenedhismosttrustedadvisers,economistOliviaSchneiderandpollingexpert CarltonTorres (IfSchneiderandTorresarehismosttrustedadvisers,don’tusethefinalcomma) Thegovernorconvenedhismosttrustedadvisers,economistOliviaSchneider,andpollingexpert CarltonTorres (IfthegovernorisconveningunidentifiedadvisersplusSchneiderandTorres,the finalcommaisneeded)
● Putacommabeforetheconcludingconjunctioninaseriesifanintegralelementoftheseries requiresaconjunction:Ihadorangejuice,toast,andhamandeggsforbreakfast
● Useacommaalsobeforetheconcludingconjunctioninacomplexseriesofphrases:Themain pointstoconsiderarewhethertheathletesareskillfulenoughtocompete,whethertheyhavethe staminatoendurethetraining,andwhethertheyhavethepropermentalattitude
HYPHENATION
Thefollowingwordsrequireahyphen:
● campus-wide
● Carnival-goer(s)
● Kick-Off(asinReunionKick-Off)
● night-bloomingcereus
● well-being
Thefollowingwordsdonotrequireahyphen:
● 3D
● communityserviceproject(nohyphenasanadjective,butokayifneededforclarity)
● crosscountry(asnameofsport,nohyphen)
● cyberbully
● globaleducationprogram(nohyphenasanadjective,butokayifneededforclarity)
● email(note-mail)
● homepage
● online(noton-line)
● printout
● schoolwide
● nonprofit
● pickup(noun,adj),pickup(verb);
● EXCEPTIONtoAPStyle:dropoff(noun,adj),dropoff(verb)
● login(noun),login(verb)
● sign-up(noun,adj),signup(verb)
● check-in(noun,adj),checkin(v)
● highschoolstudent
● highschooler
NUMBERS
● Timeformat
○ Nooninsteadof12p.m.
■ Ineventinvitations:9a.m.–noon;Noon–1p.m.
■ Inasentence:“Iwillmeetyouatnoon.”
○ 4p.m.insteadof4:00p.m.(no“00”sacrosstheboard);4a.m.–4p.m.;8–10a.m.
● Telephonenumbers:useperiods,nothyphens:808.944.0000
● Useendash(–)withspacestoindicaterangeinnumbers.(grades4–7)
● Nocapfortheword“grades”(unlessindicatingtitle:Grade6AdministrativeDeanKipKuhn)
● No 1(not #1)
● Usenumbersforgrades10andabove:10thgrade Spelloutforfirstthroughninthgrades:fourth grade,fifthgrader
● Usenumberswhenreferringtoage:A5-year-oldboy,buttheboyis5yearsold Theboy,5,hasa sister,10 Theraceisfor3-year-olds Thewomanisinher30s 30-something,but Thirty-somethingtostartasentence
MARKS: ’vs‘
● Apostropheandbeforeclassyear= ’
○ Classof’22;CherylCambra’99Prather;Buff’nBlue
○ Onamac:shift+optionkey+]
● ‘Okina=‘
○ Hawai‘i;O‘ahu;‘ohana;Hawai‘i’s
○ Exception:names/titlesthatdon’tincludethe‘okinaintheirusage–e.g.,OahuCountry Club,OahuCollegeBand,HawaiiKai
○ Onamac:optionkey+]
● Kahakō
○ Kūpaʻa,Mānoa,Lū‘au,NāWāhinePā‘anioPunahou
○ Onamac:optionkey+vowel
PFAANDPACCOMMUNICATIONS
Whencommunicatingonbehalfofparentvolunteergroups,pleaseincludeclassyearsoftheirchildrenas notedbelow:
● CherylCambra’99PratherP’31,’33
○ CherylisanalumnaintheClassof1999andhertwochildrenareintheClassof2031 and2033
● ScottOsborn’94P’23,’27
○ ScottisanalumnusintheClassof1994andhisdaughterisintheClassof2023
● RainaFujitaniP’26
○ Rainaisnotanalumna,andherdaughterisintheClassof2026
● NOTES:
○ Thereisnospacebetweenthe“P”whichrepresentsthattheyareaparent,andthechild’s ClassYear
○ ListonlyPunahoustudents(currentandgraduated)
○ Liststudentsfromoldesttoyoungest
○ Separatemultiplestudentclassyearswithaspaceandcomma
STATES
● Intext,spelloutstatenames.
● HawaiianIslands;Hawai‘iIsland;stateofHawai‘i;islandsofHawai‘i.
● WhenreferringtotheislandsofHawai‘i,include‘okina.
○ O‘ahu
○ Hawai‘iIsland(notBigIsland)
○ Moloka‘i
○ Lana‘i
○ Ni‘ihau
○ Kaho‘olawe
UPPERCASE
● Academy(butlowercasefreshman,sophomore,juniorandsenior)
● Academydepartmentsarecapped:ArtDepartment,butnotwhendescribingfaculty “TheArt Department’snewchairsaid ”“ saidsocialstudiesfacultySallyBrown”**Notethatin “Advancementteam,”teamislowercase
● AlumniWeek
● Carnival(Punahoueventisu.c.)
● Capstone(lowercase"s")
● CaseMiddleSchool(otherwiseuse“middleschool”asin“Theprogramfocusesonmiddle schoolstudents.”)
● Classof1945(Whenyearisnotused,butreferstospecificclassyears,useuppercase.“Isyour ClassworkingaCarnivalshift?”).SeniorClass,JuniorClass,etc.Notethatthisisnotcapitalized whenreferringgenerallytoclasses:ThereunionclassesgatheredforLū‘au.
● ClassGift
● Flaming“P”(putpunctuationoutsideofdoublequotationmarks,ex.“P”!Flaming“P”.)
● JuniorSchool
● Kick-Off(asinReunionKick-Off)
● Lū‘au(Punahoueventisu.c.)
● Notes(whenreferringtotheClassNotes)
● Programsarecapped:Chapelprogram,PeerCounseling,etc.
● Reunion(Punahoueventisuc)
● theSchool:capitalizeSchoolwhen“theSchool”isbeingusedinplaceof“Punahou”
● Note:semestersarenotuppercase ex:thefallsemester,inthespringof2021
URLSANDLINKS
Inprint,alwaysitalicizethefollowing:
● Webaddresses: punahou edu
● Emailaddresses: cprather@punahou edu
● Bitlylinks
WORDSANDPHRASESCOMMONLYUSED
APStyleisgenerallyfollowedwithafewexceptions.Usethefollowingwordsandphrasesasnoted; otherwise,refertoAPStylebook:
● 20XXAlumniWeek(WhenreferencingspecificAlumniWeeks,addtheyearfirst.e.g.,2022 AlumniWeek),unlessitbeginsasentence.
● advisor(insteadofadviser)
● Archives(notArchive;PunahouArchivesorPunahouDigitalArchives)
● BoardofTrusteesorBoardwhenreferringtoPunahouBoardofTrustees;trustees;trustee
● Buff’nBlue(butinasentence:Theycheeredonthebuff’nblueatthefootballgame.)
● continentalU.S.,notmainland;exceptionistokeep“mainland”inClassNotesandquotes
● ellipsis(...)APstyle:ingeneral,treatanellipsisasathree-letterword,constructedwith threeperiodsandtwospaces,asshownhere.
● GatesScienceWorkshopNOTGatesFamilyScienceWorkshop
● kindergartners(notkindergarteners,no“e”)
o uselowercaseinallinstances:ex)Inkindergarten ex)Ouroutdooreducation programisforstudentsinkindergarten–grade12
● LilyPond(KaPunahouisthepreferredterm)
● malasada
● NāWāhinePā‘anioPunahou
● “O”inLife
● OahuCollege(no‘okina)
● OahuCollegeBand(no‘okina)
● O‘ahu-a(updatedbyRG7/10/24) [previously “O‘ahu a ” (not “O‘ahu wa”) Confirmed by Communications in Summer 2020]
● OmidyarKindergarten-Grade1Neighborhood(onlyifunclearwhatitisreferringto), otherwiseOmidyarK–1Neighborhood
● PE(noperiodsforphysicaleducationabbreviation)
● Pu‘uomānoa(notPu‘uomānoa)
● SonsofOahu(no‘okinainOahu)
● Teriburger(twowords,nothamburgerwhenreferencingtheCarnivalitem)
● TheClarenceT.C.ChingFoundation(capTinThe)
● theClarenceT.C.ChingPUEOProgramatPunahouSchool
● “theatre”whenreferringtoaschooldepartment:“MusicalTheatre.”
● ’Ulupalakua
● U.S.(exceptinaheadline)andUSA
● Webex,notWebEx
● website,webcam,webcastandwebmaster
● Winged“O”
● canceled(not“cancelled”)
● carlinevs autoline(carlineispreferred)
● campus’s(APstyle-SINGULARCOMMONNOUNSENDINGINS:Add’s:thevirus’s reach)
PUNAHOUANNIVERSARYYEARS
● The2025–2026schoolyearisthe185thanniversaryofPunahouSchool Reference