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School Profile

Molokai High School: Our History 

 

Molokaʻi High School (MHS) is deeply intertwined with the history and community of Molokaʻi, particularly the Hawaiian Homestead in Hoʻolehua. Its campus, spanning 27 acres, stands as a testament to the vision of early homesteaders who sought to provide a local education for their children.
 
The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921, spearheaded by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, led to the establishment of the first homestead in Kalamaʻula in 1922, with the project expanding to the Hoʻolehua-Pālāʻau area in 1924-1925. As homesteaders settled in Hoʻolehua, the need for a nearby school became clear. What began as a humble Kualapuʻu schoolhouse evolved, leading to the construction and opening of Hoʻolehua School in 1926. This initial school served grades kindergarten through ninth.
 
Further consolidation occurred in 1929 when the east-end junior high school merged with Hoʻolehua Junior High, forming Molokaʻi Junior High. A significant milestone arrived in 1939 with the establishment of the newly constructed Molokaʻi High and Grammar School. While some sources indicate "Molokai High School opened its doors and graduated its first class in 1939," other historical accounts of "Molokai High Celebrates 75 Years of Memories" imply its official opening year as 1939.
 
MHS proudly carries the colors green and white, and its mascot is the Farmer, a symbolic tribute to the original homesteaders of Hoʻolehua who cultivated the land and built the foundation of their community. This mascot continues to resonate with the island's strong agricultural heritage.
 
MHS Guiding Principles
 

At MHS, our educational approach is firmly rooted in a comprehensive set of guiding documents and principles that shape student learning, staff development, and community engagement.

 

Our Vision and Mission Our Vision and Mission statements, updated in 2012, serve as a dynamic focus for students, teachers, and administrators.

  • Vision: "Molokai High School graduates honor the past, embrace future innovation, and take personal responsibility for delivering excellence".
  • Mission: "expand our horizons while utilizing Molokai’s unique community and resources".

 

These statements succinctly capture the culture of Molokai and aim for students to graduate with life skills, career tools, and competencies for professional and personal success. They are consistently reviewed, appearing in weekly reminders, student handbooks, teacher syllabi, and classroom posters, and are reviewed with students, staff, and parents periodically.

 

The Vision and Mission were fundamental to the creation of The Profile of a Molokai Graduate, a document that guides strategic collaboration along the K-12 education continuum on Molokai. This Profile was developed through extensive input gathered since January 2019 from various stakeholders including students, educators (DOE and non-DOE), parents (including Hawaiian Language Immersion parents), and community members through events, surveys, and social media.

 

The overarching goal of the Profile is for Molokai school graduates to be successful community contributors who help the island's community stand firm in its identity and priorities while thriving in the ever-changing global economy. The Profile outlines specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions for a Molokai Graduate, which include:

  • Aloha ʻĀina
  • Collaboration
  • Communication (Reading, Speaking, Writing)
  • Financial Literacy (e.g., applying for loans, paying taxes)
  • Life Skills (e.g., cooking, cleaning, car maintenance)
  • Perseverance (Determination, Confidence, Grit, Resilience)
  • Problem Solving
  • Responsible (e.g., meeting deadlines, time management, organization)
  • Sense of Identity & Place (Hawaiian Language, Culture, Values, Kuleana)
  • Self-Sufficient & Independent
  • Work Ethic
  •  

The Profile is the foundation for the Personal Transition Plan (PTP) credit that students earn in their senior year, requiring them to earn 12 digital badges demonstrating competence in areas like Career Experience, Financial Literacy, Community Service, and Interview skills over their four years in Advisory.

 

General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) The Hawaii Department of Education's General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) are incorporated with MHS's Vision, Mission, and Nā Hopena Aʻo within The Profile of a Molokai Graduate. The GLOs aim to develop students who are:

  • Self-directed Learners: Responsible for their own learning.
  • Community Contributors: Understand the importance of working together.
  • Complex Thinkers: Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving.
  • Quality Producers: Recognize and produce quality performance and products.
  • Effective Communicators: Communicate effectively.
  • Effective and Ethical Users of Technology: Use a variety of technologies effectively and ethically.

 

Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ: BREATH) Nā Hopena Aʻo, often referred to as HĀ: BREATH, is a framework for Hawaiian cultural learning produced by the Office of Hawaiian Education (OHE). It complements MHS's Vision, Mission, and the GLOs, encouraging students and teachers to be connected and engaged with the culture of Molokai and the greater culture of Hawaiʻi. The HĀ: BREATH framework focuses on:

  • Belonging: He pili wehena ʻole (A relationship that cannot be undone)
  • Responsibility: Ma ka hana ka ʻike, ma ka ʻimi ka loaʻa (In working one learns, through initiative one acquires)
  • Excellence: ʻAʻohe ʻulu e loaʻa i ka pōkole o ka lou (There is no success without preparation)
  • Aloha: E pūʻali (Have the heart of a chief)
  • Total Well-being: Ua ola loko i ke aloha (Love is imperative to one's mental and physical welfare)
  • Hawai‘i: ʻO Hawaiʻi i kuʻu ʻāina kilohana (Hawaii is my prized place)

 

MHS actively implements Nā Hopena Aʻo through school-wide participation in events like Makahiki and the island-wide ʻAha ʻŌpio, a culturally-based youth summit showcasing student work and moʻolelo. Partnerships with local cultural organizations and kupuna further broaden knowledge and connection to Molokai and Hawaii’s unique cultural practices, which teachers then share with students. Students also earn a HĀ digital badge by aligning their work with the components of Nā Hopena Aʻo.