Lynda Paishon, right, with her daughter Nicole Paishon, assistant principal of Holy Family Catholic Academy, with whom she danced the hula at the school’s May Day program on May 3.
Special to the Hawaii Catholic Herald
For more than 30 years, Lynda Paishon has shared her love of music and hula with the students of Holy Family Catholic Academy in Honolulu. A member of the school’s third graduating class, Paishon has seen Holy Family through the eyes of a student, parent and faculty member.
Paishon began as the after-school hula teacher in 1988 and then became the K-8 music teacher in 1997 developing the Hawaiian Music Appreciation Program where students learn the art of the ukulele and appreciation of the Hawaiian culture. She is the visionary behind the school’s annual Winter Musical and May Day Program where her love of teaching music is shown through the smiling faces and voices of each student.
Paishon was the first-ever May Day Queen on the Royal Court for Holy Family Catholic Academy’s first May Day program 55 years ago. She returned to the stage this year to dance again for the entire student body, and hundreds of family and friends at the school’s annual May Day performance on May 3. The crowd went wild and gave Paishon a standing ovation at the end of her beautiful and heartfelt performance.
After 22 years of teaching at Holy Family and 30 years of being a hula instructor, Paishon is retiring this June to enjoy being a grandmother to her three grandsons.
The school thanks Lynda for her dedicated years of service in making God’s goodness known. She has been a true inspiration to the students on how to be good stewards of their time and talents through music and arts.
