School board races often look deceptively small. They arrive without the spectacle of national campaigns, attract less media attention, and are frequently reduced to yard signs, brief bios, and a handful of repeated talking points. Yet the decisions attached to those races are rarely small for the people living closest to schools. They shape institutional…
What School Publications Preserve That Websites Alone Cannot
A school is not remembered only through its crest, its mission statement, or a polished admissions page. It is remembered through the stories it chooses to keep in circulation: the graduation issue pulled out years later, the reunion feature that reconnects a class to the present, the faculty tribute that explains why a name still…
What Makes a Sprint Star’s Public Identity Last Beyond the Stopwatch
Track and field has always had a strange relationship with fame. It measures human performance with brutal clarity, yet not every exceptional result becomes a lasting public identity. Plenty of athletes run fast, win major races, and set themselves apart for a season. Far fewer become figures people recognize instantly, search for by name across…
Celebrating the Class of 2009: Reflections on Graduation Day
The commencement ceremony for ‘Iolani School’s Class of 2009 marked both the closing of a cherished chapter and the opening of a new journey in the lives of 237 graduates. Held on June 6 in the heart of campus, the event brought together family, friends, teachers, and supporters to witness this momentous occasion. A Day…
Leadership and Community: Insights from the ‘Iolani Alumni Association
This past summer, I embarked on a Master’s Degree Program in Private School Leadership at the University of Hawai‘i. For six weeks, 24 of us immersed ourselves in scholarly literature, wrote more than a dozen papers, and engaged in deep discussions and reflections about the future of independent schools in Hawai‘i. It was an intense…
Class of 1975 Celebrates 35th “Snake Pit” Reunion
The spirit of the Snake Pit came alive again. Thirty-five years after painting a giant snake on the student center roof, the Class of 1975 returned to ‘Iolani for their 35th reunion. What started as a student cheering section for basketball star Jerry “Snake” Scanlan ’75 had become a legendary symbol of school pride. The…
Webs of Intrigue: Dr. Cheryl Hayashi Inspires Students
When Dr. Cheryl Hayashi ’85 returned to ‘Iolani, classrooms buzzed with curiosity. From kindergarten to twelfth grade, students were captivated by her two-week teaching residency. Suddenly, spiders were no longer pests or mere bugs—they became subjects of fascination and wonder. Hayashi, a spider silk biologist and associate professor of biology at the University of California,…
Gainesville High School (Georgia): History, Traditions, and the Red Elephant Legacy
Public high schools often become far more than educational institutions. In many American towns, they represent continuity, identity, and a shared community experience that extends across generations. Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georgia, is one such institution. For decades, the school has served not only as a place of learning but also as a cultural…
Environmental and STEM-Focused Charter Schools: A Chapter in the Evolution of Public Education
In the early decades of the twenty-first century, public education in the United States entered a period of experimentation and structural change. Alongside traditional district schools, a growing number of charter schools emerged with distinctive missions, governance models, and curricular priorities. Among the most visible of these were schools centered on environmental education and STEM…
Elementary School Communities: How Schools, Families, and Alumni Shape Student Life
In a young child’s life, the elementary school community becomes a foundational world — not just a place for lessons, but a complex network of relationships, routines, and shared goals. When families, schools, and alumni work together, children feel safer, more supported, and better equipped to learn and grow. What Makes a School Community? A…