KEKAHA — Sometimes the results speak for themselves. Nevertheless, national recognition never hurts. St. Theresa School in Kekaha, kindergarten through eighth grade, was recently awarded the Renaissance Lighthouse program’s national School of Excellence award for dramatic leaps students made when it came
KEKAHA — Sometimes the results speak for themselves.
Nevertheless, national recognition never hurts.
St. Theresa School in Kekaha, kindergarten through eighth grade, was recently awarded the Renaissance Lighthouse program’s national School of Excellence award for dramatic leaps students made when it came to reading comprehension.
How big of improvement?
We’ll let the students explain first.
“Sometimes my mom has to take the book away from me,” said seventh-grade student Maida Koetje.
Seventh grader Jacob Haviland-Olores isn’t far behind. He used the software and laptop-like devices the school invested in to reach a 12th-grade reading level.
“I enjoy reading,” he said. “It takes me away from the problems in my life. It’s peaceful and full of things I’m interested in.”
Since the school year began, the preschool have seen a 56 percent increase in preschool phonics. Early literacy in kindergarten increased 94 percent faster than the national growth rate, with first graders increasing 83 percent faster.
The gains weren’t from out of the blue. There was a trick to the trade. The students in the 80-pupil school ramped up their reading and math skills using accelerated software tools from a program the school implemented three years ago, called Renaissance Lighthouse. The computer-based learning software, coupled with interactive keyboards, encouraged reading and math preparedness by using lessons and practice tests that gauge a student’s level.
The program has also had residual effects on the students’ enthusiasm to read, St. Theresa School principal Mary Jean Buza-Sims said.
The goal, for example, was for the students to read 2,000 books during the 2013-14 school year. The young readers more than doubled the goal, finishing more than 5,000 books.
That devotion has rubbed off in other areas, too.
“Because the culture of reading has turned around at our school, it has positively impacted other subjects,” Buza-Sims said. “It has also impacted reading for our preschoolers.”
The school was awarded last week at a festive after-class gathering. The nearly 30-year old Lighthouse company has only given out a handful of these awards, according to the school’s ceremony announcement. Buza-Sims said their award marked the first in Hawaii and the fifth nationally to be given a School of Excellence award for this program.
The principal, a former St. Theresa pupil, said she is proud of the accomplishment. She gives credit to the school’s teachers, students and the Renaissance Lighthouse Learning Program, which is used in more than a third of the schools nationwide and in more than 60 countries.
Eighth grader Emma Kelekoma took to reading under the program. She said she sees it as a way to expand her vocabulary and escape reality. The added bonus is a substantial increase in her reading abilities.
“I saw my reading start to change in seventh grade,” Kelekoma said. “I went from a sixth grade reading level to a 10th grade level.”
Koetje read more than 100 books during the school year. She sees it as a way to go into a different world and experience new things. But it also represents an avenue to connect with her sister, with whom she doesn’t always see eye-to-eye.
“Sometimes I read to her,” she said.
Buza-Sims said she wasn’t a strong reader in school, and the idea came about as she was looking to add 21st century tools for learning. Local funds and a grant that reduced the $200,000 cost of the Renaissance Lighthouse program by half paved the way.
In addition to reading level improvements, the students, who were presented with the school of excellence award, also shined when it came to math aptitude. In grades three through eight, 84 percent of the students are now at or above the national math benchmarks.
“They mastered the benchmarks in their math facts in flash, doing 60-second testing on their laptop-like devices called NEO’s. Due to this program, next year students will be moving on to algebra two,” Buza-Sims said.
St. Theresa School began celebrating its academic achievement as students prepared for their graduation ceremony today.
Haviland-Olores, who wants to attend the University of Phoenix and study business and management, was impressed with the school’s achievements.
“Everybody has been striving to read and loving it every time they do it,” he said.
