9-2 news student rfs
Transcript of 9-2 news student rfs
AKA`ULA SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSLETTER
September 2, 2016 September 2 – Bat monitoring with Paul Hosten September 7 – Dual Swim Meet with Molokai Dolphins, 4:30 warm-‐up September 7 – Family Night at the Public Library, 6:30-‐7:30pm September 9 – Lei making class, Kauhale preparation September 10 – Saturday Market September 16 – Hala weaving class, Kauhale preparation
September 19-‐ 22 – Student Conferences
Aka`ula School – Home of the Voyagers!
Island News Preserving Awa
By Kekumu Helm, Sophomore It is a relief knowing my family’s awa line will be carried through many generations. Recently, my father, brother and I planted awa in the mountains on Molokai’s east end, to preserve two varieties that are significant to our family. The first variety is called Isa, and it is a Fijian variety that is very potent. The second variety is a Hawaiian variety called Mahakea, which is milder than Isa, but still very potent. We sent samples of our awa to scientists in Australia to test it for lactone, which is the powder in the root that causes the relaxing and sometimes overwhelming effects. They found large amounts of lactone in both varieties. My family farms both varieties of awa on our forty-‐acre farm, but if something ever happened to the awa and it was destroyed, we would be able to recover the varieties by going to the mountains. For those who may not know, awa is a drink that has calming and relaxing effects. It is made from the awa plant, which grows for several years before the root can be extracted, cleaned, and ground into a liquid form, which is drunk. By planting our awa in the mountains, we will always have Isa and Mahakea for us and others to enjoy.
Hepatitis A Outbreak By Dillon DeCoite, Junior
Watch out! There is a Hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii. As of 9/16 almost 300 people have been infected with Hepatitis A. The source of the outbreak is imported frozen scallops that were served raw at Genki Sushi. They closed one Genki Sushi on Kauai and the majority on Oahu. Hepatitis A can be spread through contaminated food, drinks, or close personal contact. The symptoms include yellow eyes or skin, stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea, fever, diarrhea, and fatigue. Once someone is infected by Hepatitis A, there is no treatment to cure the disease. To prevent getting Hepatitis A, there is a vaccination. Be aware of the Hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii.
Receiving Letters By Kaniela Kaupu
My brother, Kepa, was recently sent to Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge, and we don’t get to see each other physically, so my brother sends us a letter every two weeks. Receiving a letter from him is much appreciated. I send back letters to show my appreciation, and I encourage him to do well and get a good education. I get to see him once in six months, and I’m looking forward to that.
Kalua Pig -‐ Food Review By Kalai Helm, 8th Grade
Do you love pork? Then you’ll love kalua pig! It’s a pile of greasy, hot, shredded pork. Kalua means to be cooked in a pit (imu) with hot stones and covered with banana leaves. There are several ways you can enjoy kalua pig. You can cook it yourself, buy it from the store, or go to a luau. I usually get mine from the store, but it’s not as good as when it’s hot from the imu. The kalua pig from the imu is a whole pig that is killed, cleaned, salted, and then cooked with hot rocks. After cooking, it is pulled out and hands are used to shred the meat. It’s so ono (delicious) that it melts in your mouth. Every person should try kalua
pig out of the imu at least once. I rate it a 10.
Ledge of Prawns By Kamaehu Ward, 7th Grade
It was a stunningly beautiful and calm day on the ocean. We were picking up and dropping people off to clean Aunty Joyce’s yard since she has passed away. At the same time my aunty and uncle were going camping in Pelekunu. We picked people up in Halawa, and after we dropped them off, we headed to Pelekunu to help Aunty Lani and Uncle Mark swim their bags to shore. After the bags were safely on shore, we anchored the boat and helped clear an area for their camp. We cut bamboo to make a structure to cover with a tarp so they wouldn’t get wet in their tent. When we came back from cutting bamboo we jumped in the river. Next to the river was a wall that I climbed. I looked down and saw so many prawns, I couldn’t see anything else. I jumped off the wall, eager to get in the water and shoot prawns. In the water, all I could see were large, medium, and small prawns. They were all staring at me with their beady little eyes and their pinchers waving. The water was literally infested with prawns! When I looked underneath a ledge, there was a prawn nest. I shot thirteen prawns, which wasn’t even close to half the amount of prawns. All in all, I had a great time on the backside of Molokai helping my family and shooting prawns. I hope that we get to go back soon on another stunning day.
Kapu’upo’i By Mamo Kapuni, 6th Grade
On May 1, 2016 my younger, by ten years, brother was born. My reaction to finding out that my mom was pregnant wasn’t as crazy as my reaction to my mom actually having my brother. The day Po’i was born I couldn’t be with my parents on O’ahu, but when I found out that he was here, I cried tears of joy. Po’i weighed a whopping 10.1 pounds, and he looked a lot like my dad and a bit like my mom. We had thought of probably a million names before we actually decided on what to name him. The origin of his first name, Kapu’upo’i, is from the most eastern part of Moloka’i. My dad said that when my brother is older we can take him to Pu’u O Hoku Ranch and go to Kapu’upo’i. His middle name, Kahuluahu’ula, comes from the hulu feather cape that was worn and especially made for Kalaniopu’u. My Grammy Kaui insisted that we name him after the sacred artifact. When Po’i was born, my priorities changed. Watching and taking care of him are my two main priorities now. Po’i is one of the best things to ever happen to me, and I learned to be a big sister quickly. I am very protective and careful, and if anything or anyone harms him, I would completely lose it. Sometimes I can’t eat when I
want to because I need to watch him. I’m so glad that he’ll be more independent soon. Slowly, a connection between Po’i and I developed. He didn’t know who I was at first, but he began to trust me. Sometimes I fall asleep with him, and sometimes Po’i only wants me. Grandpa Tony says I’ve become a big softie. As Po’i grows, his personality develops even more. He’s very alert and observant, and he’s also really friendly. I always say that he’s a nuisance, but he’s pretty chill. Po’i makes amusing faces that crack me up. My mom says that he looks like Jalen and me in a tiny, little body. The addition of Po`i to our family changed the dynamics of our household, but I believe that another adventure has started.
The Mahi
By Kamauliola Pupuhi, 6th Grade The mahi mahi is an extraordinary fish. It is both amazing and delicious. This pelagic fish is found at a depth of up to 85 meters. The color of the fish is magnificent from greens to yellows with a spectacular blue dorsal. Mahi can grow to over seven feet long. The mahi looks like it has a small mouth, but it can eat a five pound fish. I have had lots of experiences catching mahi and they fight hard. While it exhausts my arms, the best part is eating it.
Sea Salt By Peyton Gillespie, Grade 8
I carefully licked the salt at the tip of my salt stick, and then quickly spat it out as it began to burn like acid on my tongue. “Not good,” I murmured. “That salt is definitely not good.” A friend of my mom, my mom, and I went to Dixie Beach. When we got there, we realized Nicole and Jaden were there, too. Jaden and I decided to go out on the rocks to explore. While we were hopping from rock to rock, Jaden found half of a large plastic bucket and picked it up. I found a stick with a spoon-‐like tip. After a couple of minutes, we saw salt and without saying a word knew exactly what to do. I would scoop out the salt with my salt stick and taste it. If the salt was wet, it would burn my mouth and if it was dry, it would taste like the freshest salt you can
get, which of course is what it was. There was also muddy, dirty salt. When I scraped off the top layer of salt, underneath would be wet, dry or muddy salt. We found LOADS of salt and filled the bottom of the plastic bucket. We collected salt for hours until our feet were raw from the hot rocks. I really enjoyed collecting salt with Jaden. It felt like a science experiment.
Island Hopping By Malie Davis-‐Mendija, Freshman
My trip back to Molokai from Kauai, was supposed to be easy and fast, but everything went downhill once I got to Maui. When I reached Maui my flight was canceled. The agents put me on a flight going to Oahu. It was already boarded and a full flight, and the seat number they gave me was taken. All the other seats were taken, too. I had to get off that plane and get onto another plane. Once I got to Oahu I had to rush over to catch the plane to Molokai. My ticket said 6:00 P.M., and it was already 7:00 P.M. I freaked out and asked the agent if the plane had left, but thank goodness, it was also delayed. I got to Molokai safely, but my bags were not transported with me, and I had to return the next day to pick them up.
East End Fruit Hunt
By Kahuhu Linker Meyers Moss, 8th Grade Over the weekend I went to the east end with my grandma. I picked poha, a small, but tart fruit in Halawa Valley. As I scaled the mountain I also picked a few rosie apples, a small yellow apple-‐like fruit that complements the next fruit I picked, mountain apples. Mountain apples have a red or white fruit that is not very sweet; however when you eat the rosie apples and mountain apples together they are like cookies and milk. As I scrambled down the mountain I picked a few lilikoi hanging from a Java plum tree. Lilikoi are a yellow fruit with a tough outer skin and a lot of edible seeds. With fruit in tow my grandma and I went down to the river. As I wandered around I saw and cut down a bunch of bananas. Putting my catch in the car trunk, I noticed how exhausted I was, so my grandma and I slowly cruised home with our fresh fruit basket.
On the Roof By Hina Chow, Grade 8th
Some people climb a chart to be the best. I climb a ladder, and then I’m on the top of the world. As I walk to the top of my roof I’m able to look at the flying birds overhead. I pause, feeling warmth of the sun and the blowing wind. I stretch upwards to the sky. I’m free. I’m free from the chains that bind me to the ground. My roof is my getaway. When I’m up there, I feel like I can fly.
Lawnmower
By Kamaka Adams, 8th Grade You might not have thought a 13 year old would be excited about a lawnmower, but I am. It’s orange and grey and it’s a riding mower. It has three buttons on the right side and the power button. You have to enter a code (Sorry, not telling you!) to start it. One of the buttons turns red when the grass is low, while another turn on the front lights. It can go super fast or super slow. Finally, there is a button that raises or lowers the blades. “Ooooh~! I love it!!” I squealed the first time I rode it.
Campus News U.S History
By Sydni Pawn, Senior I didn’t know U.S history could be so interesting. Aka`ula students are learning about U.S history from a book called, We the People, the Citizens and the Constitution. The first lessons in the book talked about the three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial. Another lesson explained why governments are needed and important. One of my favorite lessons so far was about power. The lesson was about constitutional governments and how they’re designed to protect the people from abuse of government power. George Mason, an American patriot who participated in the American Revolution, the Constitutional Convention, and who was influential in penning the Bill of Rights, said something that stuck with me throughout the lesson, “From the nature of man, we may be sure that those who have power in their hands… will always, when they can… increase it.” That quote was said years ago, and is still true today. I’m glad we’re having this class this year, and I can’t wait for the next lesson.
Choward Mints By Jalen Kalama, Freshman
I love Choward’s Violet Mints. Charles Howard created the Choward’s Violet Mints in the early 1930s. The violet mints were Howard’s first product. He wanted to create a unique and different flavored candy. He created C. Howard Company Inc. in New York. He took his product to the streets of Manhattan and sold it on street corners to build a name for himself and his brand. After the success of the Violet Mints, Howard created Choward’s scented gum. That was also a success. Howard had a popular company on his hands. He expanded to lemon mints, spearmints, peppermints, and tropical guava over the years, growing his company even more. Before his death, Howard gave his company to a valued employee named Elizabeth Juhase. Juhase and her nephews have been running the business ever since. Choward’s Mints hasn’t slowed down in recent years. I’m probably the one keeping them in business! Choward’s Violet Mints are one of my favorite candies, and that is what inspired me to write this article.
Frog Dissection By Mykal Kahinu, 7th grade
Today I completed the first stage of our frog dissection. Our job was to skin a frog! This was the first time I skinned a frog. We left the skin around the feet and head. The frog we are dissecting is the leopard frog, also known as Rana pipiens. On Wednesday we took a look at the inner organs. We cut the stomach and juices came out. The frog’s stomach had some kind of white goo inside. The smell from the frog was strong and made me lightheaded. Dissecting the Rana Pipens was exciting.
Swimming Class
By Paije Pawn, 6th Grade I jump in the water, take a couple of strokes and breathe hard. I push back my hardest so I can get there in time, trying for the big finish, hoping to be first. Looking at my arms as they work, I tell myself, “Every stroke counts. Never give up.” As I get to the finish, I have a smile on my face. Feeling happy I did it. Even though it was just practice, I feel like I am ready for our swim meet. I know if I work hard at practice, I’ll do well. By the end of practice I was tired.
Beyond Our Shores Isla One Shoe
By Isla James, Freshman “Everybody get in the car!” Steve, our guide, shouted in his Setswana accent. It was 12:00 A.M. and everyone stands straight up in their sleeping bags. I’m sure my mind wasn’t the only one racing with questions and complaints. I struggle to get my second shoe on, but I don’t want to be the last one left in the tent, so I drop it. I can hear Miss Lukonen and Aunty Claire running around outside. I hop on my shoed foot into the Rover. I’m the last one in, and we’re off. About ten minutes into the drive, we haven’t seen or heard the lions that were supposedly right near the camp. I decide to tell everyone, “I think I only have one shoe on.” I guess my new nickname isn’t that bad.
Africa By Skylar Kuahuia, Freshman
A place of wonder, Welcoming of people, A dark continent lit up, A proud roar of a pride of lions,
Thumping of incoming elephants,
An awkward stare of honey badgers,
Leopards disguised by nature,
A wild baobab, Beautiful Africa
NASA Collecting Asteroid
By Nathan Leer, Senior The objective of the NASA OSIRIS-‐Rex mission is to launch a probe to visit the asteroid 101955 Bennu and collect rocks. The probe will launch on September 8, 2016 and travel 1.2 billion miles. It will arrive in 2019 and begin a six month mapping and collecting operation before departing in 2021 and returning to Earth in 2023. The mission will reveal ingredients and organic molecules, and it might show how life on Earth came to be. It will inform companies how to mine asteroids in the future. By 2135 the asteroid will come closer to Earth than the moon. The asteroid has a 1 in 2700 chance of hitting Earth. Scientists don’t know if it will hit Earth, but this mission should prove if it would.
Earth Like Planet
By Nathan Leer, 12th Grade NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope discovered an Earth-‐like planet called Kepler-‐186f or Earth 2.0. The planet seems to have a habitable zone and is stable enough to hold liquid water. Kepler-‐186f appears to have a rocky surface with the same gravity as Earth. Kepler-‐186f is ten percent wider than Earth and is five hundred light-‐years away. The planet circles a star classed as an M Dwarf star. Kepler-‐186f has four companion planets. It will take years to understand the planet and retrieve more data, but it will be interesting to see what else they learn about the planet.
Asian Giant Hornet By Geovanni Kaapuni, Freshman
The Japanese, or Asian, giant hornet is a killer that originates in Japan. One encounter with its quarter inch stinger can inject venom so nasty that it dissolves human skin like sulfuric acid. The adult working hornets can be two inches long with the queen growing up to three inches long. They are the largest hornet species in the world, and they are so large that they are often mistaken for humming birds. They can fly up to 30 miles per hour, which is similar to small birds. They like to feed on pollinators like wasps, butterflies, but their favorite food is honeybee larva and honey. This killer hornet usually builds its nest in the ground. They rarely build hives that hang from tree limbs because the size of the hive is so large. These killer hornets have started to migrate to other countries. It doesn’t take much to provoke them. Just step into their territory, and you become public enemy number one.
Origami By Gemini Carman, Senior
Origami is the art of folding paper into an object. It was originally called Orikata, which means folded shape. Origami was invented in China around 105 A.D., and later was introduced to Japan by monks. Traditionally, origami only used a piece of square paper with no necessary cutting. Japanese legend says if you fold one thousand cranes, you will be granted a wish. It’s a beautiful art that is practiced to this day.
Death From Above David Onofrio, Junior
In the country of Norway a storm passed through on the 26th of August. When the storm reached the southern part of Norway, it passed a mountain plateau that’s called Hardangervidda, where herds of reindeer were grazing. The storm discharged a huge amount of electricity, which killed more than three hundred reindeer instantly. About three hundred more reindeer were eventually put down due to injuries caused by the storm. The reindeer deaths most likely happened when they huddled together, a survival technique used by many species of animals to keep warm or to stay safe. The climate was another factor in the deaths because the mountain plateau was wet, and lightning is able to travel through water. This specific location is a tourist attraction for hiking or sightseeing. Fortunately for humans, that day was not the best time for sightseeing and no people were hurt.
Grandma’s Short Walk
By Madison Trenner, 8th Grade A hoodie filled with giant Ponderosa pinecones bounced to the stride of my walk. My parents, my brother, and I went back to Oregon to visit family, and while we were there my grandparents took us, along with our aunty and uncle, to a place called Camp Sherman. My grandma Ruth had an idea. Instead of driving to the store, we would go on a short walk. On the walk I picked up huge pinecones that we don’t usually find in Hawaii. I put them in the hood of my jacket and slowly it filled up. I saw a chipmunk stuffing his mouth, like I was stuffing my jacket with ponderosa pinecones. The chipmunk’s cheeks where so huge I thought they were going to explode. I found dandelion seeds that where the size of my hand. I tried to blow them off, but it was hard. Our feet were tired by the time we were “just about there”. Grandma’s “short” walk ended up being seven or eight miles all together, but we had many memorable adventures along the way.
Seals
By Alaijah Pastrana, 8th Grade Pinnipeds are fin-‐footed or flippered, aquatic mammals, and they are found all over the world. There are 33 known species of pinnipeds, and 19 are seals. Researchers believe that there were many more species, but they died out in the past. Depending on the species, seals can be quite different in size. The largest ones can be about 16 feet long with the smallest of them being about four feet long. One of the most common types of seals is the gray seal. In the world of seals, males are bulls, females are cows, and offspring are pups. When female seals give birth they usually take care of their pups until they’re ready to feed on their own. There is still a great deal of field research to be done about these amazing animals.