By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Nearly 200 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, board members, and volunteers from Assets School and the Academy of the Pacific (AOP) gathered at the first joint reunion for the two schools at Assets High School’s Academy of the Pacific Campus this past Saturday.
Earlier this month, Assets High School opened for summer school on the former AOP campus in Alewa Heights, which closed its doors in June 2013. Last summer, AOP graciously finalized a merger agreement with Assets School. Assets is the surviving entity of the merger and will uphold the AOP legacy by continuing to provide educational opportunities and services to Hawaii students in need of a non-traditional educational environment. Both AOP and Assets have a long history of serving students who have not been well served in other school settings, through alternative, individual approaches to education.
Photos from the reunion.
“This reunion was a perfect opportunity to introduce Assets alumni to our new high school campus while welcoming AOP alumni back home. In a sense, we are now a blended family; AOP alumni are now part of the Assets family,” commented Paul Singer, Head of Assets School. “The reunion was an invitation to honor the past, celebrate the present, and build the future as one ohana.”
“A big part of honoring this gift of a beautiful new campus is honoring the legacy of AOP, which will live on in our work and our mission. AOP’s greatest legacy is the incredible impact it had on the lives of its alumni. It is important for us to recognize them,” continued Singer.
Photos from the reunion.
“When word came that the Academy of the Pacific was closing, I, like all of the AOP community, was devastated,” said Dorothy Douthit, former Head of AOP and reunion co-chair. “When asked to co-chair this event, I was skeptical and reluctant, but through planning for this event, the members of this committee, a mix of Assets and AOP volunteers have begun the process of developing a strong relationship. I now hold the vision of a caring AOP and Assets community united and thriving.”
“I had a wonderful time seeing old friends and teachers at the reunion. I also love the new campus,” added Isabelle Kernell, Assets Class of 2010. “It was great to share this experience with the AOP alum because both our schools specialized in helping students who didn’t fit in a traditional school setting. It felt like our community bonded by celebrating our differences and honoring the teachers who made such a big impact on our lives. I’m glad that we could share this time and special place.”
Photos from the reunion.
Assets has established the Dorothy Douthit Endowment Fund to honor Douthit’s leadership and dedication to AOP and the entire educational community of Hawaii, by providing tuition assistance to students who are best served in a non-traditional educational environment. To make a gift, visit www.assets-school.net. Gifts made “In honor of Dorothy Douthit” will be allocated to the endowment fund.
Photos from the reunion.
Assets School has been transforming students’ lives since its inception in 1955. The vision of Assets is to create a community in which all children thrive and realize their own potential so that society benefits from their unique talents and abilities. Assets provides premier educational services to gifted and dyslexic children by providing model, integrated learning environments and professional outreach programs. Committed to “learning that transforms lives,” Assets is guided by a mission to sustain a supportive setting for students with learning differences, “that empower these children to find their place as lifelong learners in school and society.” For more information, visit www.assets-school.net.
Photos from the reunion.