3508 Upper St
Honolulu, HI 96815

Excellent. A+. A little harder coursework than other high schools but with matched student outcomes.

My son just graduated from Waikiki School last summer and now he is studying at a private school in Manoa. We loved Waikiki School - the teachers and principals were exceptional. They are all very passionate about teaching and they truly care for every child in the school. The staffs there know all children by their first names and they greet them when they first walk into the campus. For the kindergarten to second grades, there are at least two to three teachers per class. For kids who need additional help in reading or mathematics, they have specialists who cater to their needs (extra time/ small group learning). Waikiki School is a very inclusive school and I remembered there was a blind girl in my son’s class. She taught her friends how to read braille and all the kids in the school were very kind to her. This inclusiveness is a powerful message that even though there are differences among people, they can still all learn together, get along, and be empathetic toward each other. Each month, the school focuses on a specific habit of mind (e.g., resilience, empathy, thinking flexibility, responsible risk-taking, etc.) and every teacher in the school can thoroughly implement and emphasize those habits in their lesson plans or when they talk to the children. I found the students who come out from this school are very warm and kind. As for fun, the school has a pretty robust PTO and they organize a lot of fun activities throughout the year. They put together a Haunted House night-time experience on Halloween; a snow day experience in winter, and a fun winter shop before the holiday seasons for the children to select some little gifts for their loved ones (all parents donate 3-4 little gifts to the school if they can). The school also offers after-school activities for all grade levels (art, comic drawing, Lego building, ceramic, football, basketball, karate, violin, and foreign language to name a few). My sons always had fun with those classes. Before COVID, my son used to participate in field trips almost once or twice a month. During COVID, the kids still got to participate in activities in the nearby area by foot like the Diamond Head State Park, the Honolulu Zoo, and the Waikiki Aquarium. It is great that this school is so close to all these attractions that the kids enjoy. I m truly grateful that my kids got to spend their time in Waikiki School.

My 2 kids started here this year, after distance learning last year and being shuffled about in country-wide confusion. I could not be more impressed with the 7th grade school counselor, Mr Craig Yamada. He is very communicative via email and takes the initiative to work through challenges with students before they become overwhelming. He knows what kids this age need. He will not push anyone to talk to him more than they may want to and will ask for parental feedback before approaching any issues students are having. I have emailed him questions at 9:30pm, when I’m finished with my day, and he’s gotten right back to me with resources for answers, passwords, phone numbers, or anything I may need. He is like an on-call liaison between parent and school that I’ve never experienced. I have told everyone I know about how amazing this man is— forwarding helpful emails he has sent to educators, telling friends at the DOE, and talking to clients at the mental health practice I run, in hopes of spreading his amazing work around our school systems. If all schools had just one counselor who worked as well as Mr Yamada, I feel that we would have communities of happier teachers and parents working as one.

This school is great, clean, close by.

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