Bishop Larry Silva, after celebrating Mass for Catholic Schools Week at Mary, Star of the Sea Church in Waialae-Kahala, handed out special anniversary awards to three of the parish school’s teachers. Pictured, from left, Sara Harrison, 20 years; Beverly Kanani Estrada, 30 years; Bishop Silva; Sheila Makahanaloa, 40 years; and pastor Blessed Sacrament Father Francisco “Frankie” de los Reyes. (Photo courtesy of Dann Ebina)
By Suzanne Carlos
Special to the Herald
Gov. David Y. Ige issued a commemorative message recognizing Feb. 5 as “Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools.”
Hawaii Catholic institutions are educating close to 9,000 students this school year, from preschool through college. With a long tradition of producing strong citizens, good neighbors and leaders in our communities within our state and beyond, Hawaii Catholic Schools continue to thrive.
Gov. Ige wrote, “Aloha and mahalo to everyone who helped organize the many activities for this celebration. You are taking us in the right direction for the right reasons to build a better life for present and future generations in Hawaii.”
The governor’s signed commemorative message was presented to Bishop Larry Silva by Hawaii Catholic Schools associate superintendent Betsey Gunderson on Feb. 5, after a Mass for Hawaii’s Catholic school educators at Mary, Star of the Sea Church.
Thirty-three Catholic schools in Hawaii provide instruction to 6,726 preschool through grade 12 students. All of them are currently offering in-person/on-campus learning, with some also offering a virtual learning option. A large majority of families have chosen the in-person/on-campus option for their children.
In Hawaii, 1 in 4 private school students receive a Catholic education. Hawaii Catholic schools employ more than 1,050 educators and administrators.
Chaminade University of Honolulu’s current wide enrollment is 2,203 undergraduate and graduate students. All full-time, day undergraduates attend classes in-person on-campus, with the option to attend online. Chaminade offers 23 majors and 28 minors, all designed to provide students with the technical and experiential expertise to succeed in a career. Their small class sizes and 11-to-one student-to-faculty ratio ensure that students receive the one-on-one attention they need to succeed and thrive.
Catholic schools marked Catholic Schools Week earlier this month with Masses, community service projects, fun activities and special initiatives. This year’s theme was “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” Here are some examples of how they celebrated:
Holy Family Catholic Academy and Early Learning Center in Honolulu raised $18,666 for the American Heart Association through the Kids Heart Challenge, a fun event where students learn about body wellness while helping others.
St. Patrick School in Kaimuki hailed Catholic Schools Week with a spelling bee, field day, a wellness program, a snack fundraiser to benefit a religious mission in Fiji, Trivial Pursuit playoffs, and a do-it-yourself ice cream sundae kit for all their students.
St. Michael School, Waialua, celebrated with a read-a-thon where students were challenged to meet reading goals while also raising money for their school. The school also teamed up with Mary, Star of the Sea School to create “Bags of Blessings’ for those in need.
At St. Anthony School in Wailuku, Maui, students had a canned food drive to support the Maui Food Bank, various themed dress-up days, a K-12 prayer service, and the Chaminade Challenge, a virtual Bible trivia game among Marianist schools.
A hallmark of Hawaii Catholic schools is their philosophy of developing the whole child, which includes emotional, physical, spiritual, social and cognitive development. Catholic schools immerse their students in rigorous academics and structure as well as award-winning athletic and extracurricular programs, encouraging young minds to explore the world around them and pursue their passions. To achieve a 21st century learning environment, Hawaii Catholic schools implement innovative strategies and teaching methods while leveraging state-of-the-art technology.
The Hawaii Catholic Schools office works to foster the Catholic identity, networking and collaboration, leadership development, academic excellence and operational vitality of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Honolulu. All Hawaii Catholic schools accept applications and enroll new students year-round, based on space availability. For more information, visit www.CatholicSchoolsHawaii.org or call 203-6761.
Service honors
Here are the Hawaii Catholic school educators honored in 2021 for milestone years of service. The awards, which are normally presented at a single Annual Conference of Catholic Educators Mass, this year were done virtually by each school.
20 years
- Mary Cruzada, Sacred Hearts Academy
- Karen Curry, Damien Memorial School
- Sara Harrison, Mary, Star of the Sea School
- Tammy Lave, St. John Vianney School
- Jack McKeague, St. John Vianney School
- Dan Nagami, Maryknoll School
- Helen Souza, St. Joseph ELC, Maui
- Casey Tamayose, St. Louis School
- Casey Villarmia, Holy Family ELC
- Patricia Wurst, Sacred Hearts School, Lahaina
30 years
- Alicia Cordeiro, St. Joseph ELC, Maui
- Zibeth Hada, St. Catherine School, Kauai
- Beverly Kanani Estrada, Mary, Star of the Sea ELC
- Paulette La’anui, Maryknoll School
- Karen Takeshita, St. Anthony School, Maui
- Dolores Trujillo, St. Philomena ELC
- Ben Valle, Maryknoll School
40 years
- Becky Kotake, Maryknoll School
- Sheila Makahanaloa, Mary, Star of the Sea ELC
- Mary Jane Vannatta, Maryknoll School
