LAHAINA – Happy New Year! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable holiday season with family and friends.

We are off and running at LIS. We are still working on the 2014 -15 bell schedule to meet Act 167’s requirements of 1,650 instructional minutes per week, and also to be in compliance of the teacher’s contract with 1,285 instructional minutes per week. I know this sounds confusing, but our teachers are working together, putting our heads together and coming up with one single schedule we can work with next school year. We are almost there!

Nominations for the sixth grade Math Honors Program and seventh/eighth grade ELA, Math, and Science Honors Programs will be accepted between Jan. 27 and Feb. 10, 2014. The Social Studies teachers decided not to continue an Honors Program in their content area.

Who can nominate students into the Honors Program? Anyone who feels a student is capable of meeting the challenge of advanced curricula. A student may nominate him/herself. Parents, teachers, community members – if you know a student who shows potential to excel and reach levels beyond his/her grade level, please do not hesitate to nominate that individual. You may pick up nomination forms at the school office.

For more information, please call your child’s grade level school counselor for Grade 6 (Kiera Regan) or Grade 7 (Luann Sochor) at 662-3965. Todd Hayase will be next year’s sixth grade counselor. Parents from King Kamehameha III Elementary School and Princess Nahi’ena’ena Elementary School may contact Mr. Hayase with any questions regarding the sixth grade Math Honors Program.

Once the nomination period is closed, nominated students will be assigned numbers in order to conceal their identity. A matrix of five rating scales will be completed and scored. An overall score will be calculated, and students will be placed on a list. The top 25 scorers will be placed in the Honors Program. All others will be on the “wait” list. The scoring is completed by the selection committee. This committee is made up of certificated personnel who do not teach any of the content areas involved. Again, if you have any questions regarding the selection process, please feel free to contact your child’s school counselor.

We are here to educate and serve your children. Remember to check edline.net for current grades and assignments. Check your child’s planner. Call us with concerns at 662-3965. IMUA!