KEKAHA — Kekaha School Principal Marilyn Asahi has been going online more often lately to keep morale up and information flowing for her staff, students and teachers during the pandemic.
Born on Kaua‘i and raised in Hanapepe, Asahi has been principal of the school for four years, and said these days she’s constantly assessing the emotional well-being of her staff and community. She keeps everyone connected through themed faculty Zoom meetings as well as text messages.
“Many of my staff are also parents, so they are juggling multiple roles. It does help that through our grab-and-go plus additional food distribution, our school community has the social interaction as well as their food needs being met,” said Asahi.
She continued: “We are currently working on summer-school-type options as well as planning for the reopening in fall, while closing out this school year. Right now is an extremely stressful time, but we are adjusting as well as can to this new normal. It has helped me to have a sense of purpose and be able to go to work as an essential worker.”
She’s also working on future projects, like the Kekaha Community Internet Cafe, which would be a physical place to connect to the internet and to study for community members and students attending Kekaha, Waimea Canyon Middle and Waimea High schools. It would also be a place to access project-based learning materials and parent and community activities and resources in the evenings and on weekends.
“It is my vision to design an inspiring space and to continue to assess community resources that will enhance our students’ 21st-century skills,” said Asahi. “Rethinking the design and use of our library into a learning center for our students, staff and community is a step in the direction of what we envision for our school as being the hub of the community.”
She’s also recently started a Twitter account, and has Facebook, Instagram and Class Dojo accounts.
“I believe our commitment to communication through social media, School Messenger, morning announcements is the change that has contributed to the success of the school,” said Asahi.
As she grew through her Kaua‘i childhood, Asahi attended Waimea High for two years before heading to Mid-Pacific Institute on O‘ahu in 1978. After graduating from MPI, she headed to Colorado State University and earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology in 1982. She then attended the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and earned her master’s degree in education administration. Before moving back to Kaua‘i, Asahi was an assistant principal and teacher in Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado for 10 years.
Prior to working at Kekaha School, she was a teacher of multiple subjects at Kapa‘a High and Kaua‘i High for two years. She was also the biology teacher at Kaua‘i High School for five years. Asahi was also vice principal at Waimea High and Kapa‘a High for 11 years. She was also the interim principal at Kapa‘a Elementary School for one year.
She said since taking the principal position at Kekaha School in July 2016, she’s been embraced by the Kaua‘i Westside community.
“I really feel like I belong and have found a home. I finally found that strong sense of community that I saw and longed for since high school,” said Asahi.
Asahi’s greatest inspiration and personal teacher is her mother, Tamiko Tanaka Asahi, also a teacher, who taught at ‘Ele‘ele School for 37 years, and also taught at Waimea Canyon and Kekaha schools.
“She was also my fifth-grade teacher. She understood how to differentiate instruction and use formative assessment even before those terms were coined,” said Asahi.
“Growing up, I always remembered the hours and hours of work she would give to her students and school. As a student in her grade-five class, she had a way to make the most mundane subjects so interesting. Today, we call it ‘real-life connections’ and ‘hands-on learning.’”
Asahi has taken some of that inspiration to weave her own teaching motto — “What’s best for the kids.” And that phrase is emblazoned on a banner at Kekaha School.
“I love that my faculty and staff live it. I love their spontaneity, flexibility and commitment to our students,” said Asahi. “In the past year, I have seen so many staff members mature and rise up to the challenge. The culture of the school has changed, and I call it the ‘Power of we is greater than me.’ It’s an all-about-we attitude instead of an all-about-me attitude.”
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Stephanie Shinno, features and community reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
Nice article on a person doing what she loves, CARING for peole.
Principal Marilyn Asahi is quite impressive. Kekaha school is lucky to have her. She is always looking for better ways to improve teaching and allowing students to move forward. She is a gift to the community who keeps on giving through the students.
Thank you for highlighting an educational leader who works hard and values her staff, students, and community through her actions. The Internet cafe with resources sounds like a wonderful, and much needed, resource!