Kapolei Middle School Celebrates 10 Years
Governor Lingle joined Kapolei Middle School students, parents, teachers and staff at a ceremony to commemorate the school's 10th anniversary, during which she praised the school as an example for facing challenges and moving forward.
Governor Lingle speaks with Kapolei Middle School students.
When Kapolei Middle School opened its doors in July 1999, it had 45 teachers serving 900 students.
"Although the school only had chairs and desks, and was without books, science and art supplies; the staff had a belief in each other and in the mission of the middle school," the Governor said, referring to the school's philosophy: Take care of yourself, take care of each other.
She added that the State of Hawai`i should learn from this dedication and "focus on what we are responsible for, instead of what we don't have, so we can carry out our goals."
Today, Kapolei Middle School serves 1,600 students with 100 teachers and utilizes an innovative four-track system to conduct classes. Each of the four tracks include 400 students on a nine-week-on, three-week-off schedule.
