It doesn’t happen every year, graduation ceremonies at Ni‘ihau School in Pu‘uwai. Guest speakers must be flown in via Ni‘ihau Helicopter, and only family members are allowed to take pictures of the festivities. There is much singing and music, and
It doesn’t happen every year, graduation ceremonies at Ni‘ihau School in Pu‘uwai.
Guest speakers must be flown in via Ni‘ihau Helicopter, and only family members are allowed to take pictures of the festivities.
There is much singing and music, and testimony, said Bill Arakaki, the only person in the state who is officially principal of two different schools on two different islands.
He is principal of Waimea High School and Ni‘ihau School, and also one of the few people in the nation serving as a principal of a public school on a private island.
Arakaki recently attended the 2004 commencement at Ni‘ihau School. The last one was two years ago, and there is a Class of 2005 with as many as five seniors, Arakaki said.
“The closeness of the families and the heritage make it special,” Arakaki said of attending graduation at Ni‘ihau School.
During his short address, he congratulated the graduates, and talked about what “a privilege it is to attend (another) Ni‘ihau School graduation.”
The three members of the Class of 2004 at Ni‘ihau School will all attend Kaua‘i Community College in the fall, and are Kyle Kelly, Lindsey Kelly and Melveenella Kahale.
Sherwood Hara, state Board of Education member representing Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, attended and spoke, as did Daniel Hamada, state Department of Education Kaua‘i district superintendent. Clayton Fujie, DOE deputy state superintendent, also made the trip and a short speech.
Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@pulitzer.net.
