Our kids were homeschooled up until January this year, when we decided to put them into Ho'ala…read moreSchool in Wahiawa, HI. They are a private school (only K-8th), but I have found that their tuition is lower compared to others on the island. They also give a military discount. As someone who has worked in education, I was very skeptical about the school. But our kids have been happy- they want to be in school, and that means everything to me. They are a microschool, so they combine classes (which is what I was mainly skeptical of). But I have seen that the kids all work well together, and the teachers are super organized in helping students at their level. So, if you are considering transitioning from homeschool to a traditional school (or just wanting a school that focuses on the whole child) - consider Ho'ala.

Adorable little school that has been amazing for our girls!…read more Though Hoala doesn't look like much on the outside, the inside is full of color and character! The teachers truly care about their students, and our daughters have flourished! I'm SO happy we decided to try Hoala when we PCSed here!

This is not for the waipahu campus but for the Ewa Beach (Elementary campus)…read more It's our son's first year with HTA as a kindergartner and we are at the end of the year so we definitely experience the whole school year with HTA. I want to start off with how happy we are that our son attends HTA. It was a great choice and big win. We have older children who go to multiple schools and HTA by far has won us over. The atmosphere and the attention that our son received in school is by far the greatest. The one on one with the student and teacher ratio works out great our kindergartener has excelled in so many ways. He's about to move on to first grade and he already can read books and tell time not only digital time but the wall clock which I remember only learning in the 3rd grade back in the day. He is also able to identify the currency (worth of each coin and what each coin is called) We do noticed a BIG difference in our son's confidence level and not being afraid to speak up and present his animal research to his fellow classmates. The teachers and staff are all so supportive and they are always so kind. They know every child just about by name which is great because they can identify each child's presence which is valuable and also for safety reasons. They also address any concerns or issues right away with the child and parents/ guardians. HTA has great staff who is able to provide support to the children and parents/ guardians. We are thankful that we are able to join our son on his class Field Studies. It is a true blessing to be able to have this experience to be able to understand what our child is learning on a daily basis. They have weekly agendas which keeps us organized and on schedule. We hope you enjoyed our first year experience review with HTA. Having a kind and supportive team makes a GREAT difference! So be nice to the staff members they deserve the Best!!

do not recommend the teachers yell at kids with special needs don't go teachers make fun of kids…read moreand gosip about kids falling and make fun of speail need kids. don't go

Mahalo Punahou School for hosting tonight's ILH cheer competition…read more Congratulations to all the participating schools, cheer squads, and supporters. Excellent win for Iolani taking all 3 divisions in first place: intermediate, JV and varsity. Love the comraderie of the audience sitting side by side with families of competing schools. The coolest thing was while waiting for the tallying of each school's points, the cheerleaders were in good spirits dancing on the floor to the music. So much aloha encompassed the gym. Smiles, hugs, leis of all kinds and roses being handed out to teammates and friends. A wonderful spectacle to witness and enjoy.

Disclaimer: this is a review of the tennis facility. I have played and coached many matches at this…read moreschool and it has a very impressive tennis complex. In the years since I was competing, they renovated the office/viewing area to include an upper deck. There are 6 courts with lights on the lower side and up a steep road there are 3 more courts. There is also a bleacher area to watch some of the matches from. Parking can be tricky and the one-way setup of the lot is difficult. If you pass an area, you have to go all the way out of the campus and back around the hill to get back on property. If you see a spot, even if it's not that close, take it! Weather is also an issue since it's in Manoa so we sometimes have rain delays/cancelled matches. Yesterday we almost had to postpone but luckily the weather held up enough to finish the match!

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.

Honest Review: Mauka Lani Elementary is by far one of the WORST schools I have experienced (saying…read moreas I am well experienced to other schools). There are other 1 star reviews that I highly agree with.. MOST if not almost all of the staff is rude and not friendly, which is odd because you'd expect an elementary school staff to be more friendly/ bubbly rather than aggressive and demanding. It is one thing for a bad day, but their management/ community is a serious issue. This school needs to have a better and stronger staff, environment, and overall quality. As far as that goes, I highly recon better enforcements and policies.

There's a lot I like about this middle school, but there's a lot to be desired as well. I'll try…read moreto cover all bases in this review. They successfully integrate 7th graders from seven (I think) complex area elementary schools, then feed the 8th graders into Pearl City High School. With only two years at Highlands, students don't have long to make an indelible mark on teachers, the campus, and the culture of the school. The Principal, Amy Martinson, has been there for nearly 10-years and has a firm understanding of who the teachers are, what their strengths are, and where the opportunities lay. This works for Highlands, but can also work against it in typical long-tenured principal scenarios. Ms. Martinson, however, seems to embrace change, ensuring smartboards for most classrooms, iPads for most teachers, aquaponics gardens, and robotics teams. STEM related emphasis will win me over all the time. The campus is in mostly good condition. I'm confident it's an uphill battle when you're dealing with a bunch of 7th and 8th graders (mostly, the boys) who believe they've got newfound freedoms because the parents aren't on the campus as much as elementary school. This is why you'll find periodic graffitti, trash, dirty bathrooms, and messy bulletin boards. That said, the school makes a pretty honorable attempt at cleaning up after the kids. I don't have the good fortune of knowing most of the teachers, unlike my experience at my kids' elementary school. The teachers I do know/did meet seem to be first class. I'm especially fond of my son's science, math, and English teachers (Ms. Lin, Mr. Yamashita, and Ms. Mumau, respectively). They treat my son with respect, but have high expectations for him and grade him accordingly. That's all I can ask for. If anything, either he really is that smart, or they're not giving him enough homework. Somehow, he's always telling me, 'no homework.' Hmmm, suspicious. When something bad happens on campus, the school has been good about sending letters to parents in a timely manner. There have been a few examples, so I won't bore you with the details. However, my son came home last week and told me there were nine (9) fights at school that day (something about 'National Fight Day'), yet we didn't get anything from the school. That concerns me. The great news is my son tells me he never feels intimidated, or bullied on campus. For the most part, he says he really enjoys attending the school, that's a big relief on my part! Situated up on the hills of Pearl City, on Honolaulea Street, it's got lots of traffic surrounding the campus in the morning drop-off hour (7:00am to 8:00am). After that, it's awesome sauce picking kids up. The PTA leaves much to be desired (even though I'm on the board, I'm not impressed), but the School Community Council has great depth and experience in helping the school. This helps the principal in a big way. All-in-all, I'm happy with Pearl Highlands Middle School (but could be happier)!