3944 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816

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

We have had two children in this school. They both have had varying experiences based on their teachers. There seems to be a lot of turnover both in the administration (principal, vice principals) and in teachers.My daughters were lucky to both have a compassionate, but skilled teacher who really left an impression on them. One had her as a third grade teacher and one as a second grade teacher. She incorporated mindfulness into the school day and made sure different children received the work they needed. She shared that the philosophy of the school was that homework should be “minimalistic and purposeful”. I appreciated this very much, however, not all the teachers were on this same band wagon. We love the Specials teachers and appreciate that this school values these subjects. We wish they could keep good teachers around. Currently, there is an interim principal as the last one left after only three years. The one before was there about tbe same amount of time, I believe.

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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