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< All Candidates Ashlee Hufalar Secretrary ⭐ PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES: Do you have ideas regarding how to provide development opportunities to students (i.e. college fairs, scholarships, and campus policies to promote clubs and student involvement)? If so, explain: I personally believe that more chances for experimental education would provide students with development opportunities by allowing them to engage in hands on, real world learning experiences. Through experimental education, students are able to learn beyond the traditional classroom lecturing style. This is implemented through lab experiments, school trips, building projects, and even clubs like Robotics. I think that more opportunities like this would enhance the engagement and understanding of certain subjects, and it could also make learning the material more enjoyable because individuals would be actively involved instead of just sitting down and taking notes. Of course, experimental education varies and there are many different ways to integrate it, but in a lot of situations it does help to both practice and improve skills. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? The school events I consider important are club fairs, spirit week, and social events such as prom and sport tournaments. Starting off, club fairs are typically in the beginning of the year and it is used to promote clubs and provide students with an idea of what each club has to offer. I think that this event is really important, especially for new students who want to get involved in clubs but are unsure on how to get started or which clubs would interest them. There are so many opportunities clubs have to offer, and club fairs allow students to get more informed on those opportunities. Spirit week is another event I deem as important because it brings everyone together and it encourages students to express themselves. Dressing up for spirit week allows individuals to showcase who they are and it also builds bonds through things like similar outfits, dress up idea exchanges, etc. Lastly, sport tournaments and prom are also great events that connect students. With social events such as those, everyone is able to gather, socialize, and connect through shared experiences. PARKING: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make on the parking and car policy? I am aware that our current parking lot experiences a lot of traffic due to people getting dropped off and picked up while students are simultaneously parking or trying to get out. In order to handle this, I would try to talk with administration to get security that can help manage the flow of traffic and ensure the overall safety of students. Also, if possible, I would like to pave the dirt lot into parking stalls in order to make things more organized, however I do know that project would be pricey. ENVIRONMENT: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make to the appearance, cleanliness, or safety on campus? I believe that the cleanliness, appearance, and safety of our campus is essential and something to be maintained and monitored. One specific area that needs improvement is the overall sanitation of our school bathrooms. While we are provided with the essentials such as toilet paper and soap, a lot of the bathrooms are generally just not clean. I would like to advocate for some remodels to be done as well as regular cleaning of the bathrooms so that students feel comfortable in a well maintained area. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? Our current phone policy is mainly up to the teachers and staff; some teachers allow you to have your phone during class, while others do not. During class when there is work to be done, I believe that phones should not be used. While some students are able to avoid their phone and complete their work, in most cases phones can become a big distraction. However, there are some special cases where I do think a student should be able to use their phone in class. For example, if there is an emergency and they need to contact someone or if the class is more of a make up day and the student has completed all of their work. Of course though, it really depends on the teacher and the class, and the expectations the teachers have for their students. I for sure do believe though that students should have the freedom to use their phones outside of class, as it is important for communication purposes. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? I know there are a lot of mixed opinions regarding the school lunches. I feel that students should be able to express their thoughts on the servings and food provided. I know that several other council candidates have mentioned a feedback system, and I think that would be great! However, I do think that it is important we all work together--students and staff--to figure out what works best for the benefit of everyone. The school has to ensure there are servings for everyone, and it is important that whatever changes are made are practical for the entire school community. Previous Next

< All Candidates Jaelyn Galasinao Secretary 🟢 PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES: Do you have ideas regarding how to provide development opportunities to students (i.e. college fairs, scholarships, and campus policies to promote clubs and student involvement)? If so, explain: Ideas I have for development opportunities are inviting college recruiters to our school to provide opportunities for all who wish to pursue an education after college. If not, surveys could be sent out that would give students the chance to speak up about what type of guest speakers they would like to speak out to. As for student involvement, clubs and students could collaborate to work on policies the campus has. If I were to be elected secretary, I would help plan the dates for these opportunities. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? Events I think anyone would deem important are cultural related events that tie into the schools history. Other important events would include club fairs and spirit week. I believe these are important for student engagement and the most effortless to comply with. Student engagement is important because it shows the school spirit which allows a sense of belonging to the community. PARKING: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make on the parking and car policy? I would want to emphasize a more organized parking situation in the dirt area parking as we all know traffic gets annoying especially after school. This would improve the spacing situation and the safety of the students. ENVIRONMENT: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make to the appearance, cleanliness, or safety on campus? As stated before, an organized parking area in the dirt lot would make the entrance of the school appear cleaner. This would also provide more safety for students that walk before and after school. If I were elected to be secretary, I would collaborate with the president to help make this happen. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? If I am elected secretary, I would not make major changes to phone policy. Allowing students to utilize their devices during breaks is freeing after coming out of a classroom. However, if it becomes a problem in the classroom during learning hours, there would be adjustments to this policy depending on each teacher's class. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? Because school lunches are relatively the same for all schools in Lahaina, I would work with the president and other necessary student council or ASB members to speak up about this with Maui County officials. Funding, communication and collaboration make up a large portion if this issue were to be addressed. Nevertheless, improving the quality of school lunches would benefit every student by giving them healthier options and nourishing them with the needed food components. Previous Next

< Back Kids in the Cafe Copy link “a relaxing place to be” Jean Martin Alternado May 8, 2024 at 9:44:24 PM Education Previous Article Next Article As I walked through the double doors leading to the LHS cafeteria, I saw at least 20 to 30 students inside. Many of them were spending that time playing games or doing things not related to school. It led me to worry about our education. Everyone's goal is to graduate high school and succeed in life, but how will we do that if we aren’t learning anything or getting the knowledge we need? Most people assume that a student’s absence will affect their grade; does a teacher’s absence have the same effect? Ms. Heinlein, a Vice Principal at Lahainaluna, determines which classes are in the cafeteria and which get a substitute. She says that anywhere from 60 to 75 students are in the cafeteria on any given day of the week. On rare occasions, 9 or more classes (135-180 students) may be there. Some students choose not to show up to the cafe at all. They can be found scattered around campus. A 2021 study conducted by researchers Hansen and Quintero shows that the absence of a teacher will reduce student’s knowledge in the related subject by at least 3%. Sofia Nebrida, a current senior at Lahainaluna High School, agrees. For her, the absence of a teacher affects students' ability to learn and develop skills because “We use the time in class for instructions and to work on things we need to improve on. Without the time with a teacher in a classroom, we will slowly lose what we learned.” Researcher Marie-Antonette Bone notes that the students who participate in class with an in-person teacher "more likely to remember a greater portion of the information" and to improve their critical and higher level thinking skills. Ms. Liza Buchter, a teacher at Lahainaluna, agrees that it is beneficial to be in a classroom because “There are too many distractions in a cafeteria.” She added that “[students] aren’t equipped with the right technology to learn. It is a bigger place compared to a classroom causing distractions. Also, the mix of other teachers and classes is making it very hard for students to focus.” Once students are in the cafe, they “revert to chit-chat and cause noise. It’s hard for a teacher to bring their class management and their student’s attention. Nothing gets accomplished when we’re in the cafe.” Ms. Buchter worries about student behavior and doesn't usually see students engaged in learning. Instead, they often watch videos or play games. She said that she often encourages people to become substitutes so that fewer students end up in the cafe. Not everyone thinks that the cafeteria is bad for learning. A few students say that being in the cafeteria benefits them because it provides a study hall in a familiar space. Azana Tolbert, a sophomore student at Lahainaluna, states that students in the cafeteria “get to learn at their own pace, and they get to catch up on work that they are also missing from classes. It’s a relaxing place to be and an efficient place to get work done.” Kamalani Kaili, a sophomore, says that she will do her work in the cafe, but “it depends on the class I have. I don't do the work they post on Google Classroom when I'm in the cafe. I use it as time to myself because it's the only time I get most often.” On whether or not doing the work affected the way she learned, Kaili said that it didn’t: “Time in the cafe is just a little break.” There is support for this idea. According to The Education Resources Information Center , students are more likely to get work done when around an environment they’re comfortable in. Students are more likely to have fewer behavioral issues if they are in a comfortable place. They may perform better in spaces where they do not feel as much pressure to perform. In the cafe, students are more relaxed and some are hard at work. They don’t seem pressured, just sitting silently and learning at their own pace. Many students there use their peers for help, while some goof off. We know that students grow smarter and more skilled in life when we are taught hands-on with peers and teachers to guide them. Many of us as students don't see the importance of this topic, but it is really something we should all take into consideration. Jean Martin Alternado is a contributor to Ka Lama Hawai'i and was a junior at the time he wrote this.

< All Candidates Mina Nagasako Secretrary ⭐ PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES: Do you have ideas regarding how to provide development opportunities to students (i.e. college fairs, scholarships, and campus policies to promote clubs and student involvement)? If so, explain: I think some opportunities to develop the students could be more promotion of clubs. I know we have one club fair but I think there should be more involvement in advertising them. I think it would help with student engagement. When kids feel like they belong somewhere, they gain confidence and I think by promoting our clubs we can increase that. We could do it by informing pookela teachers to tell the students in pookela. Some teachers don't watch the announcements and some kids don't take the time to read flyers so I think it would be effective for either pookela teachers to announce it or maybe even have club leaders go to pookelas. Or, maybe even have a club assembly where they can demonstrate what they do in the club. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? Some school events I would deem important if I was elected into council would be grade assemblies. I think they help with grade bonding and it's a good way to recognize students. I think we could take it even farther to work as a grade to plan things together, not just with the council. We could ask for ideas then make plans as a grade. This could help with academic aspects, environmental aspects, and social aspects. PARKING: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make on the parking and car policy? A change I would want to make on the car policy is the way that students are dropped off. I dont think students should be dropped off while people are simultaneously trying to get in and out of their spot. Maybe the students could get dropped off on the tree loop right under student parking. ENVIRONMENT: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make to the appearance, cleanliness, or safety on campus? I want to make our campus being clean a more positive thing. Most people are too lazy to throw their trash away. Especially during lunch time. I was thinking maybe occasionally we could do lunch time competitions and students for each grade would have all of lunch to fill up a trash can and the grade who cleaned up the most would be the winners for the day. It would be difficult to have a reward system but its just an idea in the process. By making things a competition, I feel like it gets people motivated to take action. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? I think our phone policy is good but I think teachers need to make more of an effort to say something if it does bother them. I like the fact that teachers usually hold their students accountable and if they weren't paying attention, then that's their fault. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? I am not sure how I would do this but I would definitely allow for student feedback and probably working with the lunch staff or whoever controls our school lunches to see what improvements could be made. I think that the proportions of our lunch are uneven sometimes, I'm a pretty small person and even I think there isn't enough food all the time. So I would try to make an effort to hear new ideas as well as take action to working with staff to fixing the problems students may have. Previous Next

< All Candidates Grayson Guzman Challenger PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES: Do you have ideas regarding how to provide development opportunities to students (i.e. college fairs, scholarships, and campus policies to promote clubs and student involvement)? If so, explain: Yes, I have ideas regarding how to provide development opportunities to students. One idea I have is to spread awareness using social media. I notice that most students don’t use/check their email very often, with students most of the time being on social media. We could post on our instagram story mentioning opportunities available. Another idea I have to create a healthy habit of checking emails. Some teachers do not put the morning broadcast on so students miss out on information given. We can encourage students to check their emails to find out about things to know. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? School events that I deem important are activities garnering student participation like homecoming and class/school assemblies. I deem these events important as homecoming important because it is an event that increase school spirit and introduce to the freshman what to expect at school. Also, for the assemblies we have, it helps to raise our spirit as well. PARKING: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make on the parking and car policy? The changes I would want to make on the parking and car policy are to have regular maintenance on the parking with lines being repainted. Also, I heard from students to change where the regular student drop off is, having a separate area for it. Lastly, we should better enforce payed parking to student drivers, finding a way to increase parking and decrease traffic. ENVIRONMENT: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make to the appearance, cleanliness, or safety on campus? Changes I want to make to the appearance, cleanliness, and safety on campus are for the bathrooms and water fountains on campus. Regarding the bathrooms, they are unsanitary and need a remodel. For the water fountains, I have heard several students and staff alike say they don’t feel safe drinking from the water fountains and would like them cleaned. The pipes are old, which need regular maintenance, changing of filters, and cleaning done to encourage students to feel safe drinking from it. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? I would change our phone policy with letting teachers and their department set their own rules for their classroom. I think this would be the best policy to implement with teachers having their own rules and expectations for their students. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? Things I would do to improve the quality of student lunches are to work with our whole council to improve our school lunches. School lunches are not only a matter for our grade level but everyone on campus. Previous Next

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