Beautiful campus and the site of this year's 2nd Lā Kūʻokoʻa Festival…read more Great host and hostess, lots of food vendors and food trucks.... delicious drinks, educational booths, beautiful crafts and fun games for everyone. The music got you dancing and the Hula Halau's showed off their talent. The weather was nice and the sounds of the ocean made this special event of Lā Kūʻokoʻa Festival as special as its message

Personally had terrible experiences with this school. The…read morestaff was very rude and disrespectful toward me. Im an older sister of 3 siblings who attend this school. When I go to pick them up, I get all the attitude because it's not my mother picking them up (my mom does not live with me, I help my dad by picking up kids when it's his turn with custody). After seeing my siblings after months, My siblings had infected open cuts that the nurse was not aware of and apparently didn't care about because the children didn't come and complain about it. One of them is in preschool. And there was a situation where my brother called me from the office to pick him up. When I arrived about 20 min later (there was traffic on the way to nanakuli), the after school program took the longest time and had difficulty finding him and telling me where he was. They took me to various locations around the school & called around, which had me worried about how they keep track of children after school. We eventually came to realization that someone else had picked him up, about 45 min after I arrived. My siblings also tell me about their disciplinary training. And they included how they have to write their teacher an apology letter when they forget their practice sheet for their recorder (flute type instrument). And how my younger sister in preschool gets kicked out of my 4th grade sister's class by the teacher before school hours because she's just not allowed to be in there before school. Parking is hectic, and the turn to go into the school is barely a turn at all, I think they're trying to build a streetlight for the turn. My siblings are also afraid to go to the basketball courts after school, they still have yet to tell me why. They just don't. I added another star because the security guards are actually very nice. But that is about it. Wish I had better experiences. Unfortunately, trying to get the kids transferred out is my only option at this point.

Cute school. Very welcoming. Being the white mom I am and realizing that white students make up 20%…read moreof the population while hawaiian students make up only 15% is kind of sad since this is Hawaii. I think us white people should pack it up and move to the mainland where we belong. Texas here me and my family come!

Went here for work... located in the 'country' on the North side of Oahu. The school is small but…read morepretty cute and the staff is SUPER FRIENDLY! I mean they're way cool and will 'talk story' with you and make you feel like home with them. The kids are really well behaved and respectful too! It's also a blue ribbon school so that's gotta say something!

Front office team, especially Ms. Sherie, have been pleasant and very willing to assist with any…read morequestions I have. Also Want to thank the team that waits with my daughter after school, I appreciate your interactions with her. Your smiles and greeting when I pick her up always uplifts after a long day at a hectic office. Principal Swan is approachable. I enjoy the jokes he tells the kids during morning assembly. Mrs. Adams' welcoming and personable conversations, her sincere presence and infectious smile are missed. The Essentials teachers are inspiring. Mrs. Catala is great. Facilities are clean and presentable. The kids' garden is beautiful! Love the activities that allow parents and families to interact with each other and with staff (book fair, literacy day, Food truck Fridays, etc.). Thank you for making my kid's 2nd grade year inspiring, FUN and memorable for both of us. You rock!

So my son has only been going here for a few weeks now and we have run into quite a few problems…read morewith the health room lady for some reason she really takes the time out of her day to do things like call everyone on my sons "EMERGENCY" contact to ask why he isn't at school and when me or my husband doesn't answer she leaves passively threatening voice mails saying she's going to contact his commanding officer. She calls multiple times a day even when my son isn't at school so I know there is no type of emergency that she would need to contact me about at this point I'm genuinely curious if I need to take legal action or simply report her but in all honesty I've never ran into such a situation in any school I've dealt with. The school itself is great but that lady is definitely not.

So this new location has been here for a couple years now but I remember when it was straight on…read moreFarrington highway but I visited today with this school because this is where summer fun is being held the kids really enjoy the summer fun here .they say the staff is friendly and they even serve lunch which is convenient because I don't have to pack the lunches LOL every Friday they have a field trip where they go somewhere exciting and the kids talk about it for the whole weekend. The kids have been going to this summer for about 2 years and they really enjoying it. Is located in a residential area and the drive-in is a little strange but I think it works for the safety of the kids.

DO NOT!!! I mean DO NOT send your little ones here!!! This school is horrible!! So as soon as you…read moretry to get into the school, there's a long line of cars when I say long I mean extremely long! Which should be normal for school drop offs, but as you get closer you realize it's because the Staff allows people to park in the drop off lane and walk their kids to class!! Need I remind you it literally has one drop off lane cause they have their school buses in the other empty lane.. Which wouldn't be too bad if there wasn't a drop off line a mile along and I'm not exaggerating! And then you look around and they have like 5 public parking which are filled with the staff parking in them!! Majority I take that back most of their teachers are just normal people who walked in and applied who are NOT CERTIFIED teachers, and got the job!! Or they friend works their so that's how they got in!! And half of which are all on social media doing drugs for the world to see!!! They have zero staff presence when you walk on property!! Absolutely no one actually supervising the kids!! And as I'm leaving I found all the staff members a little ways across the street all smoking!! I mean how is it legal for these teachers who supposedly teaching our next generation that it's okay to smoke!! And further more okay to smoke right across of a school!!

A hidden gem in Waianae, Kamaile Academy is a PK-12 Hawaiian-focused, Arts-integrated public…read moreconversion charter school. Although considered a small school serving approximately 900 students, it is currently the largest charter school in the state of Hawaii. It became a charter back in 2009. Known for it's safe environment and academic rigor, the school prepares its haumana for college through a core foundation of cultural values: kuleana, ho'ihi, na'auao pono, laulima, 'imi'ike, and olakino maika'i. It is with these values that the navigators have learned to persevere, overcome challenges, and journey their way to leading successful futures. Because of the strong ohana that is built, embedded and fostered here, the alumni have returned to carry on the traditions that have since been established. Kamaile Academy, "where learning leads to endless opportunities and infinite worth." (school vision statement).

Makaha Elementary School is located in a residential area. I have not attended the school…read morepersonally. I only go to the school during election years. Residents of Makaha would head on over to the school on primary and general election days. Voting takes place in the cafeteria. Residents are able to read the proposed laws poster that is provided on the wall. There's also a listing of voters names. Find your name then you're in the right place. Find a deceased loved ones name then inform the election worker that the individual had passed away and gone to a better place. Stepping inside the cafeteria there are tables set up with election workers. Head to your last name initial line to show identification card and sign in. Proceed to the designated voting booths. Each voting booths are covered with curtains and a pen is provided for the residents. Done filling out the forms...head on over to the exit door to cast the votes. Slip the forms in the machine and the machine will say "Thank You for Voting". Cafeteria itself was very hot. There were few fans turned on to help cool down residents and the election workers. In order to avoid a hot room on voting days...it's best for residents of Makaha to do early voting at Kapolei Hale or other early voting locations. 173/200

To start, I'd like to say I honestly wouldn't have wanted to grow up at any other school. This…read moreschool was very much run like a family and the teachers were honestly amazing educators. Back when I attended, we had what was called IRA, which was a rotational class every week or every other week where we did art, science, farming, music and hawaiian culture. After Makaha, I went to Kamehameha Schools starting 7th grade and let me tell you... of all the people I've met over the years at Kamehameha, none has ever told me of an elementary school experience like the one I had. Makaha Elementary to me, is honestly one of the most "Hawaiian" cultured schools on the island. In Hawaiian culture class, and throughout our normal homeroom curriculum, we learned about hawaiian values. There was a different value every module and in each module, there was a story that taught the value and had a moral to it. Also in culture class, we made crafts, learned and sang hawaiian songs, chanted, and I believe we even danced hula. I can't tell you how important it is to learn culture at such a young age and to have it taught as a normal part of curriculum and not as a "novelty" like hula might be taught in other schools. We were brought up with a hawaiian mindset and I really think it helped me to be a better person. In addition to culture, sustainability is SO important. To my knowledge, not many other schools teach about farming and sustainability, let alone have their kids actually INVOLVED in it. They didn't just teach us about it from a textbook, we grew up participating in it on Mr. Gigi's farm. Each grade was in charge of a different project on the farm. We planted seeds in the nursery, planted and harvested beans (and fried them into string bean fries mmm), grew and harvested bananas, created and maintained a model of the polynesian triangle, and we even built structures on the farm. We helped to build the woodworking house and we also helped with the gazebo though I think by now it's been completely re-done. If the curriculum was the same in the future, I would send my kids here. There was so much I gained from going to this school that I wouldn't have if i had gone to a more privileged school with affluent students and families. I do not at all regret not getting into Kamehameha in kindergarten. I don't think I was meant to go there, because I was meant to understand the importance of what I learned here so I can encourage it and teach it when I got older. The only reason I did not give Makaha 5 stars is because of the state of some of the facilities at the current moment. It would be amazing if they could get funding for a complete renovation because this school does so much for these west coast kids, more even than other schools. I hope one day that more students and others also see how valuable the education is at Makaha, and that it will afford them better facilities and more programs for the kids.

My daughters have been coming here for 4 years now. They look forward to school every day…read more The small campus is like an extended family. I appreciate how they speak Hawaiian every day in their morning protocol. All the Kumu give a 110%. The principal, Amanda Fung, truly cares about the students and is easy to reach and communicate with. They have after school clubs and my kids have learned how to knit, sew and dance hula. We also love the community events they have like the trunk or treat and spring carnival. We invite our neighbors and family friends to join in on the fun. They also have a great broadcast club where the keiki work with Olelo. I'm very thankful to have this charter school, the only one in central O'ahu, so close to my home. I have four kids and hope my other two can attend when they are in elementary school.

My child has been attending Kamalani Academy for more than a year now and I have to say how…read moregrateful, as a parent, I am to have found this wonderful charter school alternative to Hawaii's Department of Education (DOE). Kamalani has the feel of a private school and their teachers and staff strive to enrich my child's education and development. Led by principal Amanda Fung, the school prides itself on creating opportunities and partnerships in the community designed to benefit our students and staff. Although I live in Kapolei, taking the daily trio to Kamalani Academy it's a small price to pay to make sure my son gets an advantage in his education and his mentality for when he becomes an adult committed to doing good in his community. The pandemic pushed us to explore new education options for a child and we are so grateful to have found this school where individuals work hard to raise up our students in the true spirit of aloha. Mahalo Kamalani Academy and all the staff for everything they have done, where we all continue to work hard for our kids to excel.

People have a lot to say about this school. In consideration to the geographical factors that make…read moreit difficult for residence that live near by and staff controlling traffic flow, i have seen nothing but positivity and happy children. In my Opinion, this is a true community based school. They even have a bench where new students can go to and veteran students will introduce themselves to make new friends. 10+years affiliation with this elementary and I am grateful we live in this district. Staff are attentive and friendly.

My son had an IEP going to this school. So his teachers & counselor knew about his tics (tapping &…read morerandomly saying things/making random sounds) & behavior before hand. We've had multiple meetings. One day after picking him up he had told me about what had happened during school that day. He had told me that the EA teacher had asked him if he wanted to read in front of the class room & he agreed. He told me he was excited that he was asked if he wanted to read in front of the classroom. As he started to read his EA teacher started making sounds loudly & his IEP teacher started banging on the table loudly. While doing this they're laughing & the whole classroom is laughing along. When he asked why they are doing that they said "this is what you do" he was very upset & after that asked to outside to "calm down" as if he shouldn't be upset at what they had done to him. He tired to explain to his counselor that day but felt like he was brushed off & that the counselor agreed with what the teachers had done. After this had happened his VP did leave me a voicemail saying how disappointed she was about how the teachers handle this. I kept my child out of school for a whole month due to he already felt embarrassment, hurt & very confused on why ADULTS would act in this way. They mocked him! Who knows if they will cause him to not want to volunteer to read out loud or go up in front of a classroom again. I had lost trust in these teacher who are suppose to be his support team & who are suppose to make him feel like he is in a safe place ! I've contacted the principal to see if he could change classes or accommodated somehow with another outside IEP teacher but he pretty much said no & that, that IEP teacher is his teacher/on his staff team & that I could think about other options like homeschooling or find another school to put my child in. The only other option was to TRUST in him & have my child mend his relationship with this EA & IEP teacher & the way he said it was with no sympathy at all! He said it in an aggressive tone. He said that the teachers will be receiving some type of consequences but couldn't say what that was exactly because it's confidential. So again during the time that my child was out of school the principal kept saying that we would "find a way" to get him back into school but there really wasn't any changes going to be made. Only two options he gave was to have my child mend his relationship with his teachers or homeschool/transfer him. So as a parent I would not recommend this school. I would not put my trust in the principal there. He only seems to want it his way or pretty much go find a new school when they're at fault. He walks around with a smile but you can see past that when you actually have a conversation with him that it's all for show. Miss Windh who was his IEP teacher was very unprofessional! She & the EA are not fit to be teachers! Especially if you have no patience with children with an IEP. It's unbelievable that she was not fired for her actions & also the EA. They now probably think that they got away with what they did to a child who is only in the 3rd grade. Two adults had to gang up on him to make their egos feel better. I'm so glad I didn't make him go back to that school & took him out. I'm glad I didn't put my TURST back into that principle. MY TRUST IN THEM SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BROKEN IN THE FRIST PLACE. My child didn't deserve to be put in that position at all! They failed him & I hope they don't ever fail another child again!