KILAUEA — Some of the fourth-grade students at Kilauea Elementary School enjoyed a 10.5-foot sandwich and all the trimmings for lunch, Monday. The sandwich was part of the prizes earned by Kilauea School fourth-grade classes led by Heather Devin and
KILAUEA — Some of the fourth-grade students at Kilauea Elementary School enjoyed a 10.5-foot sandwich and all the trimmings for lunch, Monday.
The sandwich was part of the prizes earned by Kilauea School fourth-grade classes led by Heather Devin and Heather Cornell in the county Department of Water’s annual Water Conservation Contest.
Faith Shiramizu, the DOW’s community relations officer, said the contest was held in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Fix-a-Leak Week, March 14-18.
“All Department of Education fourth-graders island-wide were invited and encouraged to participate in this contest,” said Joy Buccat, of the DOW community relations office. “Our goal was to build awareness of conserving water, our most precious natural resource, by planting the seeds of knowledge in the minds of our most valuable resource, our children.”
For their efforts, the Kilauea School fourth-grade classes earned a $500 cash award, a lunch from Subway (the contest’s co-sponsor), and a variety of other prizes. Each student was awarded a prize package containing a water kit, a certificate, a low-flow kitchen aerator, an activity book on water and conservation measures as well as a low-flow showerhead.
“More importantly was the na‘auao, or knowledge, the children received and teaching them to live in lokahi in this place we call home,” Buccat said. “The hope was they would learn the deeper meaning of the old Hawaiian proverb: “Uwe ka lani, ola ka honua — when the heavens weep, the earth lives.”
The proverb was reinforced Monday when Steven Fontanta, the manager of Subway, Lihu‘e, and Shiramizu helped the students lay out and craft the 10.5-foot sandwich for lunch as the school was blessed with several bouts of rain from the lingering weather front which generated flood warnings and watches throughout the weekend.
“I’m just so proud of these students,” said Sherry Scott, Kilauea School principal, who joined the students in crafting the giant sandwich. “They were able to take the contest packet and apply it to their lessons.”
Heather Cornell said after receiving the packet from Scott, she collaborated with Heather Devin, another fourth-grade teacher, and they got their students involved.
“We sent out a letter and turned finding leaks into homework for the kids,” Cornell said. “In addition to the contest being an incentive, we incorporated the lessons into the curriculum based on our learning standards of helping the students teach their parents about conservation.”
Several of the students came back after discovering leaks within their homes, Cornell said, adding that she herself discovered a leak at her home.
“This made the kids feel so empowered,” Cornell said. “They are actively participating in conserving one of our natural resources.”
During the contest, teachers were asked to do a lesson on “A Day in the Life of a Drop” which covered key concepts such as watershed, water uses, drinking water sources, water efficiency, and wastewater, Buccat said.
“Once students are able to make the connection between the source of water and the ways their water habits affect the environment and human health, they start to cherish water and learn how to reduce their impacts and will engage their family members to do the same,” Buccat said. “Each child was asked to share the information with their families during the Spring Break and encouraged to take a pledge to filter out bad water habits.”
Shiramizu said she and Buccat are already planning for the next contest.
In addition to this contest for fourth- grade students, the DOW also hosts the annual Project WET, a hands-on, inter-active water education project for fifth-grade students on the island.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
