November 19th, 2021

E Komo Mai

Aloha all,

As part of an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, LJA recently debuted a collection of organizational values. Among these values are the ideas that as a learning community, we innovate for positive change and actively nurture relationships. As local and global citizens, we actively engage our community and partners through shared learning, sustained social and environmental stewardship, and innovation with intention.

“Hana i kahi hopena maika'i – make a positive impact.”

LJA’s mission is not only to equip students to achieve individual excellence academically, but to develop sound character as well. Our Impact programs, spearheaded by the Office of Experiential Education, are at the heart of this goal. While classroom learning may be segregated by division, Impact is universal, transcending traditional age and campus boundaries. With the launch of this newsletter, we hope to share some of the valuable work our students and faculty have been engaging in to make a positive impact on our community, highlighting experiences that showcase who we are as a learning community.

If you have any questions about our Impact programs, please feel free to contact our Dean of Experiential Education and Community Partnerships, Christina Hoe, at christina.hoe@lejardinacademy.org.

Mahalo for your continued support!

David Hays, Experiential Education Intern, Class of 2022

Kawainui Corner

At LJA, we are incredibly lucky to be situated directly adjacent to Kawainui (“the great water”), the largest remaining wetland in Hawai'i. This affords us a unique opportunity for sustained environmental stewardship of these invaluable lands, which are officially designated as “of international importance” by the UN-commissioned Ramsar Convention. LJA has partnered with the Wild Communities Foundation for over a decade in order to offer LJA’s outdoor education and environmental stewardship program, Wild Kids. Currently, the Wild Kids advisors and student leaders oversee several long-term impact projects within Kawainui. The primary sites for these projects are at Kahanaiki, Nā Pōhaku, and Hāmākua.

Kahanaiki

LJA has been granted a right-of-use permit from the Hawai'i Division of Forestry and Wildlife to take care of Kahanaiki, the land directly across the road from our main campus. The various Impact projects at Kahanaiki are being coordinated by Malia Staab and Mitchell Hashimoto, current students of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in the Natural Resources & Environmental Management program, along with Ka'ai Sempio, LJA’s Hawaiian Cultural Consultant. Notably, Mitchell is an alumnus of LJA, having graduated from our school in 2016, and is committed to helping future generations connect to the natural environment surrounding our campus. Malia and Mitchell focus on the development and maintenance of the natural resources at the Kahanaiki site, while Kumu Ka'ai provides insights and guidance through the lens of Hawaiian culture. Kumu Ka'ai has had a tremendous impact on students’ sense of kuleana, emphasizing that kuleana is not simply about responsibility. Rather, kuleana is based on the idea that you have a right to something and therefore a responsibility. Kumu Ka'ai has worked hard to help our students realize that they have a right to be at Kahanaiki — it is their backyard, in a sense — and as such, they have a profound responsibility to take care of it.

LJA high school students and kindergartners team up to remove invasive Guinea grass (*Megathyrsus maximus*) from Kahanaiki.

In addition to the site coordination, we have faculty and student leaders from the high school who help guide efforts at Kahanaiki. Wild Kids faculty advisors Suzanne Canevari and Mike Nakashima bring students to the site twice a week. They are accompanied by senior leaders Anika Boyden, Maile Goldcamp, Joshua Allen, Aya Lewis, and Kaia De Los Reyes. Three of these seniors (Anika, Maile, and Kaia) serve on the Wild Kids Stewardship Council, dedicating hours of their time to local stewardship initiatives each week and working hard to cultivate a multi-age community of leaders.

At Kahanaiki, a variety of projects are underway. 6th and 7th graders have been working with Kumu Ka'ai and Malia Staab to replace invasive plants with native flora, committing to long-term engagement at the site with the support of our middle school science teachers. High school students have also helped with these efforts, in addition to tackling food insecurity through an agroforestry project. Recently, the “Food Dudes,” a group of 9th graders, planted avocado, banana, sweet potato, and papaya, and in the near future they also plan to plant lychee and tomato, among other edible foods! Under the guidance of Kumu Ka'ai, kindergarten and 3rd grade students are participating in Makahiki games with members of the Wild Kids Keiki Team. Additionally, lower school students from each grade level visit Kahanaiki regularly to help with all of these efforts to restore the site’s native flora and develop its future food production capacity. Each of these projects exemplifies the divisional collaboration between LJA’s lower, middle, and high school students that our impact projects facilitate. To further engage in shared learning and amplify our collective impact, in 2022 we will be inviting our partners at Kailua High School and Kalaheo High School to join us at Kahanaiki, as well.

LJA students are growing 'uala (sweet potato) and other food plants at Kahanaiki as part of an ongoing agroforestry project.

Nā Pōhaku

At the Nā Pōhaku o Hauwahine cultural site just minutes from our main campus, LJA is currently undertaking an effort to restore the native loko i'a, or fishpond. Under the direction of Wild Kids faculty advisor Joel Saito, Impact Mentor Ossian Nichols (LJA class of 2017), and 'Ahahui Mālama I Ka Lōkahi president Lehuakona Isaacs, a group of 18 high school students visits Nā Pōhaku every Thursday to conduct this admirable work. Additionally, all 9th grade students engaged in a full day of restoration efforts at Nā Pōhaku on October 26th.

Two student leaders with the Nā Pōhaku impact project, Marcus Webster (class of 2022) and Hanalei Agamaite (class of 2023), have been going to the site since their respective freshmen years of high school. For their sustained commitment and deep level of engagement, Marcus, Hanalei, and Ossian recently received special recognitions from 'Ahahui Mālama I Ka Lōkahi, the community-based nonprofit that has been granted curatorship of Nā Pōhaku by the state.

'Ahahui president Lehuakona Isaacs shares traditional stories and history of the land at Nā Pōhaku with LJA students.

Hāmākua

In partnership with Healthy Climate Communities and Hawaii State Representative Lisa Marten, a team of eight high school interns dedicates time each week to support native plant restoration efforts at the Hāmākua Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary. The area serves as a habitat for several critically endangered and endemic birds, making these students’ efforts all the more valuable. High school senior Juliana Rhee — a member of the Wild Kids Stewardship Council — leads this Impact project.

Featured Impact Project: FOOD DRIVE – DONATE NOW!

LJA high school students spread the word about the ongoing Food Drive.

In conjunction with the Hawaii Food Bank, LJA students are currently organizing a food drive, and they need your help. The deadline for drop-offs is Monday morning; please leave any and all donations of non-perishable foods (cans, pasta, rice, etc.) in one of the designated collection boxes at the lower school loop, middle school drop-off area, or high school.

This effort in the high school is led by freshman Jonathan Ellman and his team of “Food Dudes” (also known as the “Hunger Helpers”), a group of students passionate about making sure we take care of everyone in our community. Jon has rallied his friends around the cause, but needs the community’s help to donate. It’s not too late — bring food in on Monday morning!

Jon and the Food Dudes are working with senior leaders Maile Goldcamp, Kaia De Los Reyes, and Joshua Allen (who also lead sustainable agriculture efforts at the Kahanaiki impact project) as part of a broader effort to address the UN’s second sustainable development goal, zero hunger. The lower school effort is being led by faculty member Wendy Sprague, who has been coordinating the food drive at LJA for many years.

FeAtured Impact Leader: Avery Filer, Community Impact Program Coordinator

Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Avery Filer is LJA’s Community Impact Program Coordinator. Growing up, Avery spent summers hiking and camping in the Appalachian Mountains and backpacking all over the world with his parents and brother. After graduating from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a degree in anthropology in 2017, Avery spent two years traveling (and eating) his way around Southeast Asia, with stops working as an English teacher in Thailand and Vietnam. He moved to Hawai'i in the winter of 2019, joining us at LJA at the start of this school year.

A true believer in the value of mentorship and its impact on young people, Avery has brought his passion for photography to LJA and is leading our high school photography team. He also helps with our after school Wild Kids program, and serves as a mentor on the Wild Kids Stewardship Council. Working closely with the Dean of Experiential Education and Community Partnerships in the Office of Experiential Education, Avery is always happy to field any inquiries you may have about our Impact programs. You can contact him at avery.filer@lejardinacademy.org.