I went to Ma'e Ma'e from 3rd to 6th grade a long, long, long time ago. Back then there was a huge…read moresubmarine shaped gymnasium in the field behind the temple but that has been removed some time ago. Family Fun Night (In May, annually) included such games as fishing and you could buy a piece of sugar cane to gnaw one for $0.25. My daughter now attends Ma'e Ma'e and Family Fun Night is a much bigger deal. This year there were rides, giant bouncy castle things, and a climbing wall. As far as how the school is now, my daughter is only in Kindergarden so I will update my review as time goes on but so far the teachers are all caring and helpful.

Many of the main office ladies are super nice and helpful, and they're my favorite thing about the…read moreschool. Unfortunately, my daughter's experience wasn't so great. She had Mrs. Namba and came home crying a lot, saying that she made her feel dumb in front of the class. I've heard similar things from other parents. Maybe she thinks she's helping kids toughen up, but all that's happened is that my daughter now cries about going to school, and her self esteem is now even lower than it already was.

During the summer we sent out 3 GE's and Nuuanu Elementary School was the first to respond saying…read morethat my daughter was accepted. We went to tour the school and fell in love with it. Plush green grass everywhere. Their campus is so beautiful it looks like a University campus. The first day was just an orientation for 2 hours, to let the parents know what they can expect. It was very informational. Even the principal spoke at this orientation. That was when I knew we chose the perfect school for my daughter. As all parents know, the transition from preschool to Kindergarten can be very trying. But this school makes it so easy. The teachers here are amazing. My daughter's teacher leaves notes in her homework folder to let us know how she's doing. My daughter had a rough start, so we had a meeting with her teacher and the counselor. They basically told us what we already knew, but they also gave us pointers. The staff here is wonderful and amazing. They also have a PTA which has a lot of activities throughout the year. There is a strong parent participation within the PTA. If you're looking for a school that will not let your child slide within the cracks, this is the school.

Nuuanu Elementary is tucked deep in Nuuanu valley, with mountains as your back drop which is…read moreabsolutely breathtaking. It is a very clean school. This is a Blue Ribbon School and they have met annual requirements every year. All staff are friendly and helpful. PTA is very involved. The school has fun activities planned for the kids and their families almost every month. The children seem well educated and wholesome. It's almost like a private school.

This review is for their summer school only…read more I LOVE this summer school for my kids, especially at the early elementary school age. They are smaller so it's easier for children who don't go here normally to adapt (and not get lost). The school is very organized and the children get name tags with their classes listed so the adults can help them get to their classes in the beginning of the year. They offer a variety of classes that are a nice blend of academics and fun and really have the kids engaged. My son just enjoyed his summer here and raved about it daily! He even wanted to be dropped off early! They have a very nice open house towards the end of summer school to be able to see what your child has been doing. The teachers do a great job of showing what the children have been learning and it's amazing how much they do over the course of the weeks. There are 2 morning classes, a midday care (lunch optional and separate) and 1 afternoon class ending at 2pm. Alternatively they have a care that lasts through midday through all afternoon (I think till 5:30ish?). So there are good alternatives depending on what your needs are. Summer classes run roughly $500 each with midday care a separate price. I believe the afternoon care is a different price as well. Ample information on their website and what I love is that you can register at the same time as the children who attend the school. FANTASTIC!

I have fond memories of visiting this school as a parent and parent of alum. The school's culture…read moreemphasizes exactly what "hanahauoli" means...Happy Work. They encourage students to love learning and doing. They encourage teamwork. They foster community by all of their school traditions. They encourage parents to accept their children's individual uniqueness and strengths. Each student I have met has such strong self esteem and a happy demeanor. I thought the former Headmaster who has since retired was amazing. He knew and greeted each child every day. What a blessing to attend this school or their annual Children's Fair.

I am a Kauluwela Tiger Cub alumnus from 1987 to 1994…read more I attended Kauluwela Elementary for Kindergarten in 1987 and 1988. I transfered to Liholiho Elementary for first grade in 1988 and 1989. After I watched the Moonwalker film at Liholiho and at family gatherings, my older sibling recorded me beatboxing one of the songs from the film. I flunked first grade at Liholiho, and then I transferred back to Kauluwela in 1989 to 1990 for first grade. Though I was born and raised in Honolulu, English is my second language. I attended Kauluwela Elementary from first grade through fifth grade from 1989 to 1994. For our class of 1994, my classmates and I practiced break dancing and we called our bboy or bgirl "six step" the "skittles." We collected and traded baseball cards, Marvel cards, and comic books. Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Mister Rogers Neighborhood was played during class. Recess, we played kick ball. The boys and I, we played as though we were the Super Mario Brothers, Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kongs, and the rest of the Nintendo characters on the open field. We also played, collected, traded POGs. My Kauluwela Elementary classmate Ruben nicknamed me "Superman" during our P.E. class. From the years that went on through high school and beyond, Ruben continued to call out to me, "hey Superman!" It was at Kauluwela Elementary that I honed how to read my letters, numbers, write, spell, journal, draw, and I self-published my comic books. Mrs. Honda was my first grade teacher. I recalled when we sang a song from The Land Before Time for our goodbye song when Mrs. Honda retired when I was a second grader. Our principal was Mrs. Lee. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Zane. I stitched together a crown for a stitching activity. I think in second or third grade, I went into a program where I learned English as a second language called SLEP. Mrs. Lee, another Mrs. Lee, not the principal, was my SLEP teacher at Building A, the building behind the stage. Building A is no longer in existence, I think due to many years of termite damage. I used to walk up those stairs of building A and they creaked. I used to stand on that stage a lot. During SLEP I was into publishing and creating scripts and I then made them into comic books with illustrations and talking word bubbles. Even the SLEP program ran out of scratch paper for me to continue publishing scripts and comic books. It was also through that time, I created my own comic book character I named Gecko Man. I think I attended the SLEP from 1990 to 1993. I think it was midway through SLEP program in the fourth grade that I transitioned out of that program. At third grade, I discovered that I liked mathematics and that I was pretty good with it. My teacher was Mrs. Oura (Asami). I do recall that my teachers praised me during math lessons. Fourth grade teacher was Mrs. Morikawa, I really liked our computer class with the huge Apple Mac computers with floppy disks that no longer are made today. I used to digitally draw on the Apple Mac computers for fun with the mouse. At this time, I did not even own an actual computer and I did not have home Internet as that was not as accessible in that era that I recall. I do recall trying to play an ukulele and ipu at this grade too. My drawing of a dragon for the Hawaii Youth Theatre Play "Everyone Knows What A Dragon Looks Like" was published in my fourth grade, 1992 to 1993 Kauluwela Elementary School Yearbook. Fifth grade Mrs. Yoza, I stayed in class during recess and lunch recess to catch up on school work. Reading and comprehending what I read was a challenge for me. I did not give up. I think it was around this time that my art of Mario and Luigi of the Super Mario Brothers, Link of the Legend of Zelda was selected to be showcased at the Honolulu Museum of Art, back then known as the Academy of Arts. I think it was fifth grade that my clay sculpture of a brown bear was also on display at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Today, I love to read, and I read daily for enjoyment. I also love to write. I also help students throughout the state of Hawaii with mathematics. I also go around schools, speak at conferences, and the world beatboxing. I have not forgotten where I came from, I am a Kauluwela Elementary Tiger Cub alumnus! Many of my good and fond memories come from Kauluwela Elementary. In recent years I've been invited to revisit Kauluwela Elementary to perform for their back to school assemblies as an alumni guest. From my Kauluwela Elementary years from 1989 to 1994, I do recall Kauluwela alumni make periodic visits and what kind of impact that was for me. It's great to reunite with Mrs. Oura, Mrs. Zane, and Mrs. Kaneshiro! It's also great to meet principal Mr. Uemae and vice principal Mrs. Kim! -Jason Tom

Well this school brings back so much joy to every child or grownup cause they went to this school…read moreand there children went to this school , and now there grandkids are going to this school now and , it's so much different now then back then. Well my two kids went to this school and they graduated from this school . And they went on to Middle school , then they went to high school and one of my child graduated from high school, and my last child is in high school now he is a junior in high school .!! Oh ya I want to say thank you to mrs Lee G . Cause she was the best princable when my child was going to this school and the teachers that my kids had and so fourth. So be it . It's a nice school and to have your kids go there .

It's definitely been a very long time since I've last attended the school, visited it or even lived…read morein the neighborhood. Nevertheless, I was a student here in the mid-80s until the early 90s, from kindergarten until 6th grade. Although I was an extreme bookworm back then (and therefore quite susceptible to being bullied by both male and female classmates), what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I still have a few good memories of the place. Notable areas / events include: the library viewing room, the Pauoa Fun Fair, two separate playground for recess (separated by grades), Halloween contest, challenge class (for the smart kids), P.E. swimming at Booth Park pool (across the street), 2nd grade with Ms. Young, frozen juice cups after cafeteria duty, the science fair, Chinese jump rope at recess and the very big tree located at the rear of the bigger recess playground. I don't know about now, but back then Pauoa was a small school in which everyone knew everyone else. I don't think it's ever been highly-rated, but it managed OK and did what it could for its students.

A private school which uses the traditions of Buddhist teachings in its curriculum. The curriculum…read moreis not as rigorous as what we're used to in California, and the disciplinary methods are a little unconventional but every child is different and this might work for your child(ren). Student/teacher ratio is pretty low which allows more attention towards the students. They have a wonderful program which allows kids to have breakfast with their parents before classes in the morning. Breakfasts are really cheap -- your basic local breakfast stuff: eggs, bacon/spam/Portuguese sausage, rice, cereal etc -- but it allows you to spend time with your kids before you rush off to work. Some of the teachers are inexperienced as they do hire new graduates to join their staff. My only gripe with this place is that they did not challenge the kids enough. My child was there for only half a year but there wasn't much homework and the curriculum was really more towards playing than learning. After we moved back to California, my child had a hard time keeping up at the new school where the curriculum was so much more rigid and intense. Strangely, Hongwanji is a private school and my child is now attending a public school. I had expected more from a private school!

I went to school here many many years ago. So I can't comment on the current curriculum or anything…read morerecent. But what I learned here was social interaction, community, religion, sports, and music. Because of Hongwanji and the YBA, I was a JPO, cub scout, boy scout, basketball player, and volleyball player. I learned how to serve lunch, clean up, and be a part of a team. I learned how to swim and 'jump rope for heart.' I learned how to budget my allowance by buying either the fried noodles or the Star Wars cards. I was a part of the 40K relay team and we were awarded the youngest team. I marched in a competition. I went to Disneyland. I got in to a lot of trouble but it was the teachers who cared about everyone that kept me from being an outright delinquent. Thank you Mr. Date, Mrs. Kimura, Shannon's Mom, and Mrs. Endo. They also stimulated my love of reading. And last but not least, the Hongwanji cookbooks are my most used especially when I'm ono for some comfort food. I learned how to cook because of these Hongwanji cookbook. Back then it really was a village raising each and every child.

Ive attened both hba and public schools throughout my life and from my personal experience hba is…read morejust a public school with a punahou/iolani price tag. There is clearly no selection process when admitting students as seen throughout their behavior's and actions. Teachers bombard you with homework everyday that doesnt help learning especially when it takes away from your sleep. Finally Christianity is pushed in your face constantly when its clear over 75% of the student base dont have any of the basic "morals" supposedly a Christian would follow. I could go on and on about favoritism towards certain students from the staff and administration, neglect towards issues between students, and more the list goes on and on. There is a lot that needs to be fixed at Hawaii Baptist Academy and its showing with the enrollment rates being at a all time low.

I have two kids in the elementary school, so I have seen the JK-5 grades. I can't say enough about…read morethe school. They both love their teachers and I have been amazed at the types of projects and activities the teachers create. I have a master's in education, and I see cutting edge best practices frequently. At the same time, I see HBA's commitment to the whole child--building character and social-emotional skills. Several of my daughters' classmates have parents who went to HBA K-12, and after their own experience, they wouldn't send their kids anywhere else. Now I see why. It has been a game changer for our girls, and it is truly a God-send to our family.

My niece just loved it! The kindergarten teachers are just…read moreso experienced and kind! Learning pace for each students is individualized. Kids learn Hawaiian and Spanish during regular school and can attend Japanese afterschool at the community center with BUS Service! It's private school experience with $0 tuition!

A wonderful school and nurturing environment for our children. The smaller sized campus allows all…read moreteachers, including the principal, to get to know the students on a more personal basis. My younger son had some difficulty transitioning to Kindergarten during this pandemic year, but his teachers, counselors and principal worked together to help him adjust and I am very grateful for their support. Morning traffic can sometimes be heavy through the residential area, but I feel most schools have similar situations. We were fortunate to get in through the GE and have been happy with our choice.

I have kids at Royal School I though highly of the school few years ago when my older son was…read moreattending. His teachers were very passionate and the results on each quarter were very evident. My boy keep raving about the teachers and was very excited to got to school. Now things had changed, its been at list a couple of years that I've been noticing a change. My kids are not as motivated to go to school as before and they kept talking about this principal that she embarrass them in the cafeteria by forcing them to finish their food if they have left overs. I teach my kids not to over eat and doesn't mean there is food that we have to eat, if they are done they are done. Doing opposite of that causes OBs. At the pick up area she would approach my kids and in front of everyone waiting to be picked up she announce that my kids is meal are on the negative. Agin my older girl comes home crying. On the movie night everyone carrying their small coolers and walking to campus she would pick my wife and kids out of the crowd and tell them no selling. What is that suppose to mean?? I feel she discriminating and verbalized to the Principal and to her over the phone and in person. And now writing and continue to do so until I see a change, I know she is doing it to others, Ive seen other parents come to school to talk to her or look for her and from what I saw I could tell she did something again. She talks soft and slow but she clearly looks at other people as if they are lower and less then her, For School Vice Principal that is a Big No No, not anywhere at the School!! This is a cancer that needs to be handled as it is directly, negatively, impacts the Kids Growth and Development, especially at their age. Today there was another incident happened where Vice Principal again called my wife telling her that my 5 year old son punched another kids stomach and he went to Emergency room. And she said that my son admitted, Im like What??!! you interrogate my 5 year old boy with out my consent or have us there first? I called the principal and she was clueless about it, she said she'll call me back in few minutes. When the principal called me back she said she talk to the Vice Principal and she said she hadn't to talk to My son yet she is waiting for the Mom to show up? Ok now who is telling the truth here? Anyway my wife arrived and met with both Principal and Vice principal then we found out that going to the emergency and the incident at the school is 2 separate things and weren't at all related to each other and water ever happened at school didn't cause the emergency room visit. So now I'm even more concern what this Vice Principal is Capable of or should I say Incapable of.

I have a 1st grader and a 4th grader, including relatives who are also in 3rd and 2nd grade. They…read moreare all loving school and really enjoy the different activities that are offered here. Royal School is a blue ribbon school and their curriculum has helped my 1st grader read in no time! Highly recommend it if you live within the area.

We enjoyed their Noelani Kids Fair this year…read more There were a good amount of food vendors including boba and shave ice. A large amount of local vendors selling crafts, clothing, and other holiday goodies. They had four bounce houses and a bunch of games and prices for the kids. I was thoroughly impressed and great value for a day of fun for my son. We got the fun pass for unlimited bouncer play and 15 scrips for $25. Next year we will buy the presale for $20. The scrips are normally $1 per scrip. The schools fried noodles was awesome, that included geeen onions, kamaboko, bean sprouts, carrots, spam, and Portuguese sausage. My son and his cousins ran from bouncer to bouncer, to games, to all over the fields with their prizes. We'll definitely be back next year.

this is where Obama went to elementary school. Drove by very cool. They will not allow you to go…read moreinside.