By Staff Reports
(Wahiawa)—With the recent start of the school year and true to its mission to work with the community, Kamalani Academy continues its long tradition to involve local businesses for services/supplies and equipment.
Kamalani Academy recently awarded local, family-owned business The Embroidery Gift Shop in Aiea, a contract to service all school uniform needs for the school year 2020-2021.
With a “keep it local” mentality and eager to help small and medium-size businesses, Kamalani Academy Principal Amanda Fung explained the public charter school’s philosophy to lift others in the community.
“Our school is very lucky to have a supportive community. In that same sense of aloha and mālama, we support other local partners and consistently work with them to keep our money within our island,” Fung explained.
For Verna Rapez, owner of The Embroidery Gift Shop, the partnership with Kamalani Academy represents a great opportunity in uncertain economic times caused by the pandemic.
Family-owned and operated for over 30 years, The Embroidery Gift Shop is composed of a mother/daughter team, along with their loyal, dedicated, and well-experienced staff, who offer quality computerized embroidery service & personalized products. They also offer custom-designed digitizing, and cater to businesses, schools, clubs, & organizations.
“Working with Kamalani Academy has been a very positive experience and we are grateful that they keep their business locally to help smaller shops like ours,” Rapez said.
With an unwavering commitment and an always-present sense of kuleana towards locality, Fung said that Kamalani Academy will continue to partner with local businesses to create alliances that can be mutually beneficial.
“Kamalani’s vision is ‘To create a space where children become leaders, prepared for a Twenty-First Century we cannot even imagine.’ I believe working with the community is part of that process.”
ABOUT KAMALANI ACADEMY
Kamalani is a Na Mea Hawaii Arts Integration public charter school. As a public school, we are tuition-free, funded by taxpayers. We serve students in Grades K-8. Our students must meet the same academic standards as all other Hawaii public school students. Kamalani is open to all students.
Kamalani is located at 1403 California Avenue, Wahiawa, in the building previously occupied by Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School.
Our arts integration curriculum uses the arts (drama, dance, music, etc.) to teach the traditional academic subjects of math, reading, science, and social studies. A student need not have any particular artistic talent to attend Kamalani. We believe that all students can learn to enjoy the arts, while enhancing their learning of academics. Our curriculum is modeled after the highly successful arts integration program at Pomaika`i Elementary on Maui and the Five Star, accredited Doral Academy Schools in Nevada.
Kamalani’s Hawaiian focus is an important part of who we are. Our students learn Hawaiian language, dance, music, and culture. Our arts integration approach lends itself well to this. Kamalani students visit and study the sacred Kūkaniloko Birthing Stones. They learn to be stewards of the aina at the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens and in the Ahupua`a of Kaukonahua. It is our plan for Kamalani to take part in restoring Wahiawa’s ancient sandalwood forests.
The need behind the Kamalani Academy Vision is well described by the eminent educator Dr. Linda Darling Hammond of Stanford University: