Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

Registration is now open for the Kaukau 4 Keiki Summer Meal Box Program, which provides keiki with nutritious meal boxes filled with groceries to prepare seven days of breakfast and lunch for one child. Boxes include shelf-stable fruits and vegetables, proteins, starches, milk, fresh produce, bread and more.

Happy National Speech-Language Pathologists Day! Mahalo to all of our school SLPs for helping students build communication skills and confidence every day, both in and out of the classroom. Meet Sharon Nichols, a Speech-Language Pathologist based at Enchanted Lake Elementary School, who found her passion for supporting students through a second career in speech-language pathology. #HIPublicSchoolsProud

Graduation season is officially underway! 🎓 We’re kicking off the Class of 2026 celebrations with James B. Castle High School and couldn’t be more proud of our seniors as they prepare to cross the stage and begin their next chapter. Congratulations, Knights! We can’t wait to celebrate students across Hawai‘i in the weeks ahead. 🌟

“Through Kapa‘a High’s Early College Program, I have been able to take credits through dual enrollment and learn from real professors on campus. I’ve created interpersonal relationships with my professors that have helped exponentially whenever I’m in a pinch while studying or confused about coursework,” writes Kapa’a High School senior Marc Binonwangan in a Student Voice column for Ho’oha’aheo. Read Marc’s full column: https://lnkd.in/gVATbkyW

✨ Our latest issue of Hoʻohaʻaheo is out! Read about free summer meals for keiki, the start of Class of 2026 graduation ceremonies, a Kapa’a High School student voice column on earning a college degree before his high school diploma and more! https://lnks.gd/3/3VHVnx6 📷 Ho’oha’aheo Photo of the Week: Members of the Highlands Intermediate Student Council visited Pearl City Highlands Elementary School once a week for nine weeks this spring for their annual Reading Buddies program. Started in 2015, the program pairs 42 eighth grade students with small groups of 4-5 second graders to encourage literacy and foster a love of reading. The Reading Buddies Program is a meaningful experience for students from both schools. While the eighth graders help their “little buddies” build confidence and feel included, they also strengthen their own leadership skills through hands-on experiences in facilitation, public speaking and mentorship. Throughout the program, students led icebreakers, organized energizers and formed connections with their younger buddies. Pictured above, students from both schools gathered on April 28 at Pearl City Highlands Elementary to celebrate the final day of the program for this school year. Photo credit: Eric White / Highlands Intermediate School

57,607 LEGO® bricks later, Yusuke Yamana, Kahuku High & Intermediate tech coordinator, displays his master builder skills creating “My Own Creations” (MOC) showcased at Bishop Museum’s Aloha Bricks ‘26: Stories of Hawaiʻi exhibit. His MOC work suspends reality as the Hōkūleʻa, Iolani Palace and even the museum’s own Hawaiian Hall come to life. In the Aloha Bricks Middle School Mosaic Gallery, 50 middle/intermediate schools from across the state celebrated school spirit by building large-scale, two-dimensional logos of their school. The exhibit runs until Oct. 11. To see more of Yusuke’s and the middle schools’ builds click here: https://lnkd.in/dmZv9adR

Congratulations to this year’s Project SEARCH graduates from ʻAiea, Radford, Mililani and Waialua High! Project SEARCH gives students with developmental disabilities the chance to gain real-world job experience, build confidence and prepare for life after high school. This year’s graduates, based at Kaiser Permanente's Moanalua Medical Center, show that when students are given meaningful opportunities and strong support systems, they can thrive in competitive work environments. The celebration continues in two weeks when more Project SEARCH graduates will be completing internships at Disney's Aulani Resort & Spa and the Pali Momi Medical Center.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education announced that 74 public schools will offer free summer meals to children ages 18 and younger, starting June 9 through July 17. Meals are available Monday through Friday through the USDA’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program. Children do not need to be enrolled in a public school to participate. For a list of participating schools, visit https://lnkd.in/geu8pqfa

Three finalist teams from Hawai‘i Island alternative learning programs competed in the 4th Annual Kalo Challenge, the culminating event of a yearlong journey exploring the history, cultivation and cultural significance of kalo. 🌱 In addition to growing their own kalo, developing original recipes and cooking on-site, students presented their dishes in a blind tasting for judges and shared presentations on their learning journeys and the knowledge gained through hands-on experiences in and beyond the lo‘i. Congratulations to Kohala High School and its Naʻau ʻŌiwi alternative learning program for taking home the top honor once again! 👏

Two new menu items are bringing familiar local flavors to school cafeterias. Tofu poke features tofu mixed with green onions and onions, tossed in a sauce of shoyu, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Poi is currently featured as a key ingredient in the new kalo yogurt bowl parfait. For lunch, schools are serving poi alongside their kalua pork and cabbage and kalua pork sandwich menu items, with additional menu pairings in development for the upcoming school year.