PUHI — The assembly at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Friday was labeled “Lead Like Duke” after the school had viewed the film “Waterman,” which documents Duke Kahanamoku’s legacy of changing the community and the world through his swimming and water safety initiatives.
“All year long, we have been promoting our students to ‘Lead Like Duke,’” said Taharaa Stein, a CKMS vice principal. “At this third quarter assembly, we’ll be honoring and highlighting all of the student groups and courses where students are leading our school and changing our community for the better.”
One of those groups is Team Unify, a group that includes students from Hanapepe to Kilauea, that recently held its Color Run at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School (CKMS) campus. Team Unify is also an elective students can choose from, said seventh grade counselor Noelani Butcher.
Other honors included the first and second quarter Honor Rolls and Principal’s List.
There were Tamba stickers for all courtesy of Barry Klein, and winners of the Lead Like Duke Advisory Slide Winners earned a special Tamba T-shirt.
The students included Emma Luczon, Elijah Young, Kasara Navor, Braxton Bukoski, Bradley Samson, Chloe Fujimoto, Angela Delos Santos, Zeldrine Kai Achuara, Jayden M-C, Pagiel-Ramirez, Rychelle Puni, Ielu Lopez, Cuewynn Anical, Benson Carter, Michael Ninonwangan, Ryan Constantino, Precious Dikilato, Breanna Kelekoma, Kary Ann Gariola, Phoenix LaRusso, Zachary Corpuz, Paisley Kuhlmann, Avery Domingsel and Jadelyn Corpuz.
CKMS students Asher Bailey, Brooklyn Thomas, Cannon Dela Cruz, Noelani Garcia, Tayvin Kaluahine, Jason Poloi, Julian De Leon, Zaden Sabastian, Angeleque Mendez and Leilyn Cubangbang filled the drum semi-circle with a short “walk the fat dog” before the school-wide audience was broken down to “finish the lyrics” in a students versus teachers showdown.
“We have to build the suspense,” Stein said. “The purpose of this assembly is to honor one of our counselors who is receiving a state level Counselor of the Year award. It’s a secret. Only Jean Morris, the school’s principal, and I know about this.”
Ka‘imi Grample and Suvia Koch of lthe Hawai‘i School Councillors Association flew in from Honolulu to present Noelani Butcher the Counselor of the Year award. The announcement triggered a string of lei presenters, including Dawn Obrien of Choose Love and Heidi Padilla of the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i that established a pantry program at CKMS.
“This is rare,” Koch said. “We hardly fly out because most of the awards are won by O‘ahu people. Having a winner from Kaua‘i is special.”
Bedecked with lei, Butcher said she thought something was up when she saw her family among the throng of students that filled the covered play court.
“I didn’t have my glasses on,” Butcher said. “But when I saw my family, I should’ve figured out something was up.”
The Hawai‘i School Counselor Association is a chapter of the American School Counselor Association with the mission to help serve all school counselors in Hawai‘i by providing networking, professional development, and support for school counselors.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
