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It has been a while since I was on here and it was regarding my son who is a senior in high school.We are relocating from CA and I wasn't sure if Keaau High was a good match for him since I heard such negative feedback.....School started before we were ready to leave so he went on his own and is staying with his grandparents...(terrifying for a mother)Well, he started school with a open mind and guess what? He loves it! No "stink eye", coming home all beat up, or worse, not getting educated. Quite the opposite. His teachers are giving him extra homework to challenge him and he is quarterback for the football team after new friends asked him to try out!(he has played forever) He has embraced Hawaii as a newborn and I pray that all of us who have misconceptions about this beautiful island will see it through a child's eye!
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Great! Nice to hear happy news. Keep everyone informed.
Mahalo
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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You didn't mention that he was QB material!
Best wishes to you all.
Dan
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wow! great news!
"chaos reigns within.
reflect, repent and reboot.
order shall return."
microsoft error message with haiku poetry
"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
w. james
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I am thrilled for you and your son. I would, however, like to clarify that what you have termed misconceptions is most often personal experience. It does not always go so well for the mainland haole kiddos.
indeed,
I wondered when I read this if the football talent gave him an exception.
I thought of this topic today when a young lad in probably his early teens poured his heart out to me about the horrible experiences he had at Kea'au - and how he thinks Pahoa HS is worse. I might share it on a separate topic. Don't want to bring this one down.
I agree with Greta that there is no call for talking about misconceptions, cakelady. Your son is one of the lucky ones; don't think his experience is typical. Also it makes me uneasy to see the "he started with an open mind" statement. This is not one of those situations where people who get victimized got it because they expected bad things. The young man who talked to me was taken by surprise, and so was his mother, who moved here with plenty of optimism and idealism from what he said. He goes to a charter school now.
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What Does happen Kathy, is the families from the mainland DO have misconceptions that it's automatically going to be a horrible experience if their kids will be attending a public school here.
That doesn't mean bad, sad and unacceptable things don't happen... even every day. But it doesn't ALWAYS happen. And yes, lots of families from the mainland have the misconception that it ALWAYS happens.
My son started at Pahoa high school after us moving here in July of 2008 from Oregon. He LOVEs school and has lots of friends, many which I might add are "haole" and get along fine with the local kids that they hang out with... and life in general.
I'm aware of more than 2 dozen "haoles" attending Pahoa high school that are happy, thriving and have settled in great here.
I've met and made friends with a lot of families that have lived here for generations, through my son and his other "haole" friends and family members.
I think it's unfair to assume that a "haole" is a "lucky" one or few and far between if they aren't tormented at school here.
~ Rachael
~ Rachael
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Amen. Count my freshman son in on that as well. I am surprised at how happy he is and the friends he has made in 3 weeks of school.
