Traditions

Celebrations and Traditions of Hanahau`oli

What We Learned

as completed by the Kulaiwi Class 2005-06 (multiage 2nd and 3rd graders)

As part of the Social Studies Unit in Kulaiwi, children have the opportunity to research the evolution of the school as we know it today - from its campus to the people to celebrations and traditions. Each child gets to choose which area they want to focus on and uses this unit to learn research skills. The writings that follow are the children's words from the 2005-06 year and reflect what the group studying Celebrations and Traditions learned.

What follows are the children's original words, unedited.

The Bell by Sasha and Allan

The first Hanahau’oli bell was bought in 1914. The bell was bought by Sophie Judd Cooke and her mother in Florence , Italy. The bell was used to call the Cooke children from their play at Molokai Ranch. We have 3 bells here at Hanahau'oli School. The first bell fell off a shelf and when they rang it they heard a thumping sound. Dr. Peters didn't see the bell that we use today being carved. He also said that the bell was not gold but is made out of brass. The original bell was polished by the sixth grade a long time ago. It was their job to keep it polished. The evangelist's names on the bell are in Latin. Their names are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The eagle on the bell is a symbol of Saint John. Dr. Peters received the third bell from someone as a gift. We use the bell to remind us when its flag time, to go to assembly and to end the day. This is our school's oldest tradition. 

Stepping Stones! By, Sarah and Willie

The first stepping stone day was in 1926. The first shop teacher was Mrs. A. A. Wilson who thought of Stepping Stones. Every one from second grade up to 6th grade use to make a stepping stone. But then they changed it to only fifth and sixth graders who took turns every other year. The shop teacher used wood for the frames to make the Stepping Stone, but now they use Styrofoam. Stepping stones are memories for those who came to Hanahauoli. You can do any idea you think of. Here are some tips on making your stepping stone. First, you think of an idea and draw it on paper. Then, you draw it on Styrofoam and then on cement. Your stepping stone takes two days to dry.

All the stepping stones are made by the 6th grade. Mr. Robertson helps them make the Stepping Stones. The 6th grade makes the stepping stones three weeks before their celebration. Stepping stones are shown on May Day.

Birthday Books By Keri

I've learned that the person's name who brought Birthday Books to Hanahau’oli is Mary Ray Pohl Kahanamoku. She was the principal of Hanahau’oli before Dr. Peters. I found out why we do birthday books. It's a way to celebrate a child's birthday and at the same time to give a book to the Hanahau`oli Library. A student gets to choose a book, then they make a fancy bookplate and put it in the book. They share their birthday books at Flag or at an Assembly.

Mary Ray Pohl Kahanamoku got the idea from a DOE school in Kailua when she was principal.

O Joy, Hanahau`oli Children's Fair By Keilen and Aaron

We learned that it was once called Hanahau`oli Festival, the first fair might have been on May 25, 1933 but we're not sure. Pua found an old report that was about the festival that had a date May 25, 1933. There might have been others earlier than that but we're not sure.

The Fair was very different back then because the children did all the work, children made all the crafts they sold at the fairs. Each class did something to help out with the fair including food. The children sold everything they made. That fair in 1933 raised $421.80. The money was raised for the school. Now days our fairs are very different because the parents do most of the work and preparation, we help by working in our class games, we have rides and games and lots more things, we have crafts that children can make at the fair to take home. One thing for sure children still enjoy helping, working and playing at the fair.

Makahiki By Kelly

Makahiki was started in 1932. Before Makahiki Pilgrims then Greek Thanksgiving was celebrated. We do it because the children were studying the ancient Hawaiians. The 3rd graders started the Makahiki celebration. It used to be that the 3rd graders made Kapas and wore them for the first time at Makahiki as well as the 4th and 5th graders but now it's just the 4th graders who make their kapas for the first time and then wear them each year after that even as a 6th grader. The place we celebrate Makahiki at is the school courtyard.

The chicken fight is one of six or seven of the Hawaiian games 6th graders play at Makahiki. Other schools don't do it because they don't have time or they don't study Hawaiians as long of a time as we do. The 6th graders write down what they want to be and they put it in a hat. They pull names out of a hat, that's how they learn what part they are in Makahiki. Mrs. Takamine and the sixth graders are in charge of Makahiki with the help of everyone else in the school. We celebrate it here because it’s our school tradition and we live in Hawaii. Makahiki is a time where the whole school gets together.

The Holiday Program By Cole

In the 1980s they only sing.

They stand in rows while they sing.

They celebrate the Holiday Program because to gather the families together.

They decorate the assembly hall with bamboo.

They have been celebrating the Holiday Program from the start of Hanahau'oli. It was the week before. The first year Miss Palmer was here they had the Christmas carols in kindergarten. They carried candles and wore white cottas. (Now they don't do it any more because it's too dangerous).

Back then in the 1980s they never had instruments or danced. But now we have instruments and we get to dance. It was traditional to send toys instead of receive toys. They usually send toys, clothes and food.

Tree Cutting By Emma

Tree cutting got started because little children at Hanahau`oli used to get their Christmas trees from Territorial Nursery in Makiki Valley, But they stopped doing that. So instead they planted a Norfolk pine tree by the Hanahau'oli court and when it got big enough they cut it down but left part of the trunk so another tree can grow for another Christmas. They soon began growing three more trees for future supply. By 1968 Louisa Palmer wrote in her book, Memories of Hanahau`oli, "Cutting the Hanahau`oli Christmas tree has become an event participated in by the whole school."

The Christmas tree goes in the courtyard because everyone can enjoy seeing it and for the birds.

Our tree cutting tradition brings us all together in the spirit of the holiday season. We sing Christmas carols to celebrate our school community.

Mochi Pounding By Christian

Mochi pounding started over 20 years ago here at Hanahau`oli, with the help and support of the Alan Goto family who had sons at Hanahau`oli. We can all learn about another culture's traditions by being part of an experience like Mochi Tsuki. It was important to Hanahau`oli because we got to teach children about one of the most important traditions of the Japanese culture. It was important to Japanese ancestors because they made special mochi, Kagami mochi, to begin each new year. It is important to Mrs. Inouye because, "I can connect with the tradition of my ancestors and pass the tradition on to the future generations."

Mrs. Inouye and Mrs.Takamine have been teaching here for many years and have been doing Mochi Pounding as long as they have been teaching. Mrs. Takamine does the turning because she has more experience at that job.

Mrs. Inouye organizes the materials and equipment for Mochi Pounding. These are the materials that are needed for Mochi Pounding: Wood burning stove, a pot to heat the water, rice steaming boxes, usu (motar), kine (mallets), mochi rice, kata kuriko, azuki bean paste, and fire wood, and lots of help to make the mochi.

Assemblies By Keilen and Aaron

We have assemblies at Hanahau`oli to bring everyone together, to sing and to share what we learn. Assemblies were 8:00 in the morning in 1918 just as it is now when Dr. Peters rings our school bell to tell us it is time for Assembly each Friday.

We learned that Assemblies were held everyday at Hanahau`oli by 1925 and were held in the Music Room, but not in the same Music Room we have today. The Pavilion was called the Assembly Hall and it was dedicated in 1927. In the beginning of assemblies of the past they sang Jacob's Ladder as they enter the Assembly Hall and at the end of the Assembly they sang the school song, "Oh Hanahau`oli".

Class Picnic By Kyle

We have class picnic to celebrate the end of the year. Class Picnics were started over 25 years ago. We asked Mrs. Molly Wilkinson if she knew when Class Picnics began and she said it was started before she came. No one seems to know exactly when class picnics started. So we don't know exactly when our class picnic tradition began.

The whole school except for sixth grade goes off campus to a class picnic. We usually go to a club or a park. We play games and eat pizza, chips, hamburgers food we have at picnics. It is one more time to be together. It is an important tradition, to let us know that we worked hard.

Oratories By Kaitlin

Oratories started in 1963. But Mrs.Schallenberg believed it was closer to '64 or even early 70's before oratories was an annual event. They use to tell stories and poems now they only tell Greek myths. In 1977 they had two people do oratories for exra credit. Now, the 6th graders get to choose which myth they want to present. They present their myths in the music room and people come in small groups to watch them.

Some of my research is based on information found by past Kulaiwi students.

Olympics By Kaitlin

Olympics started around 1942. Garner Anthony did a long jump in Greek games festival that was part of their Greek unit they were studying. remembers a mythological Greek games project that grew out of studying Greece. He left after the war to the Mainland. We think that Olympics slowly started again around 1947 as part of their study of Greece. They did not have the games on the field they did it by the old 1st and 2nd grade classrooms, where Poe is now. They played Greek games and we still do today. It wasn't a traditional event till after 1950s. Olympics are done by 6th graders only. They break up into Greek cities and make teams to challenge each other.

Graduation By Sid

Graduation started 86 years ago in 1920 at the pavilion. Graduation means that people are ready to move on. They finished their time learning at Hanahau`oli. The leis were made out of paper and now they're made of orange and white ribbon. Graduation didn't start from the begining of the school in 1918 because only two students would be graduating. Graduation started in 1920 when they did a play. We aren't sure if that's how 6th grade play got started and continues till today. The next year 1921 they printed a program for graduation. The graduates got orange and white crepe paper leis they had to make themselves. The plays usually described their learning over the years or what they had been studying. Graduation took place in the pavilion where we stand and where we have graduation today. My research is from Graduation, A Tradition by Keala M. and Rebecca S. January, 2002 and from Memories of Hanahau`oli by Louisa Palmer, 1968.

Slipper Toss By Michael & Emi

We do slipper toss on the last day of school every year to wish every one a good SUMMER! We throw slippers because it's local. In case someone has the same slipper as you and for safety we only throw one slipper. We throw our slippers in the courtyard because it is where our flag is. Dr. Peters invented Slipper Toss. The first Slipper Toss was in the 1990`s.

We also learned from Mrs. Wilkinson that Slipper Toss got started when one student threw a slipper at the flagpole, the teachers and Dr. Peters thought that was dangerous at first. But then Dr. Peters decided that the whole school should throw slippers up at the same time and it would be okay for everyone to do it together. And that's how Slipper Toss came to be. They made a rule to be careful how you throw your slipper. We can only throw our slipper straight up and not at anyone. This is a happy tradition. We like this tradition because I get to throw my slipper and see how far it will go and it is a fun one. The End