Doors to the annual St. Theresa School Carnival open from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the school’s campus in Kekaha. Live entertainment showcasing the St. Theresa School students will be joined by other local favorite
Doors to the annual St. Theresa School Carnival open from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the school’s campus in Kekaha.
Live entertainment showcasing the St. Theresa School students will be joined by other local favorite groups including the 3T’s on Friday night and the Papa‘a Bay Boys on Saturday night.
“It’s all about the students,” said Mary Jean Buza-Sims, the St. Theresa School principal, in a release. “They need your support.”
Proceeds from this annual event go toward the school’s operational costs.
“Buza-lasadas,” the principal’s homemade malasada delight will be among the food offerings on both nights. The menu will offer plate lunches of local favorites including kalua pork, kiawe chicken, pork-and-peas as well as pronto pups, flying saucers, saimin and an array of hamburger dishes prepared by the Hesapene and Lazaro ‘ohana.
Between enjoying the food, patrons can participate in classic carnival events such as Bingo, or the more contemporary Cake Walk.
“We get people from all over the island to enjoy some Westside hospitality as well as enjoy some unique features like Spin the Wheel, Country Store, Repeat Boutique, Silent Auction and Shirola,” Buza-Sims said. “It is one of the bigger events on the Westside.”
Prizes will be given out on both nights highlighted by the $500 grand prize which will be given out Saturday night.
The carnival is embraced by the community and supported by parents, the St. Theresa Church parishioners, the Filipino Catholic Club and groups from the Holy Cross church, Buza-Sims said.
“Syngenta Seed volunteers will arrive Friday morning to set up the chairs for the weekend,” Buza-Sims said. “Basilio ‘Bunga’ Fuertes and the Waimea High School football team assists with the set up and cooking the kiawe chicken, the Holy Cross groups do the flying saucers and sweet bread.”
St. Theresa School will celebrate it’s 65th aniversary when school opens in September. It is one of only two surviving Catholic schools on Kaua‘i, Buza-Sims said. It is one of four schools within the State with Sisters.
St. Theresa School was recently accredited this year after finishing its first 6-year cycle, she said, the process drawing accolades from the visiting accreditation teams from the Mainland and O‘ahu.
Results of the Terra Nova National Standardized Test scores provide evidence of an educational program at St. Theresa School which renders annual scores well above national scores in reading and math.
Through a grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the school recently acquired three promethean boards and the Technology Committee is currently working to bring in laptop computers and other hardware and software to support a rigorous educational plan to ensure the school’s students capitalize on the technology of the new century, the principal said.
Enrollment is open for Pre-K through the 8th grade and scholarships are available for families.
Call 337-1351 for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
