Awards 2015-2016

awards night
Quanterrious

Student Council leaders stand ready to recognize outstanding students, including seventh and eighth graders who earned a 4.0 Grade Point Averages all seven quarters.

Congratulations to Quanterrious Griffin who won first place in the Hibiscus Half Marathon - 14 and Under Age Group. Quanterrious ran the race in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 57 seconds.

STATE HISTORY DAY RESULTS

Moving on to National History Day competition in Maryland are:

    • Second Place Junior Division Performance. 7th grade. Kealani Lui-Kwan. Project Title: Senator Daniel Akaka: Leading the Way for the Apology Resolution and Akaka Bill

  • Third Place Junior Division Website. 8th grade. Carissa Mayo and Liv-Annika Solberg Stevenson. Project Title: One of Marine Conservationist's Greatest Leaders

  • Also qualified for national competition with their Junior Division Website. 8th grade. Kelci Hooker and Jessie Kinsler. Project Title: Alfred Nobel: The Road to the Nobel Prize

Three of our students received special awards from different organizations. The students and awards are:

    • Chloe Kopasz. 8th grade. Johanna I. Wurst Award for outstanding projects focusing on textiles or fashion.

  • Macy Carroll. 7th grade. Hawaii Association of School Librarians Award for excellence in historical research using primary documents and Hawaii Nikkei History Editorial Board Award for outstanding use of primary sources in a history day project.

  • Kealani Lui-Kwan. 7th grade. Hawaii Heritage Center Award for outstanding projects in local or ethnic history and Hawaii Nikkei History Editorial Board Award for outstanding use of primary sources in a history day project.

Sam Cadotte: Communication Enhancement Via Wearable Technology

  • First Place over all for the category of Computer Sciences

  • Monetary Award from Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineering

  • Monetary Award from University of Hawaii Manoa Information and Computer Science

  • Monetary Award from Emergency Amateur Radio Club

  • Nomination to compete in the Broadcom National Competition

  • Participant Award

Ben Weiss: Increasing Wind Velocity Using a Fibonacci Curve and Turbulence Reduction Device

  • First Place Honorable Mention overall for Junior Research Projects

  • First Place overall for the category of Physics and Astronomy

  • Nomination to compete in the Broadcom National Competition

  • Monetary Award from American Public Works Association

  • Participant Award

Phoebe Ikeda: Feed Your Dog

  • Participant Award

Tyler Goo: Multi-Cane

  • Participant Award​​​​​​​​​​

Kailua Intermediate School 8th grade students, Thomas Nitta, aBen Weiss, and RJ Uyehara , created a video that took top honors, winning in the Forest Health in Hawaii category - Middle School Division at the 2015 Olelo Hawaii Youth Xchange video competition.

In addition to a trophy and certificates, the students won a Sony digital camera that will be used for the Digital Media class. The video was created as a project for Ms. Sara Romfo's Digital Media Action Period class.

Castle Foundation Grant - May 14, 2015

This year the band decided to apply for the Castle Foundation Grant, a youth-driven leadership project. This endeavor has taken the entire school year, as it had three phases, each led by the band's student officers.

1. Brainstorming, the application process, grant writing & acceptance.

2. Recruiting and executing 500 hours of community service.

3. Documenting the final report by scripting and producing a YouTube video.

The final outcomes: an appreciation for native Hawaiian plants vs invasive species in the Windward community, strengthened friendships, and the feeling of success in accomplishing their goals and raising $5,000 for the KIS Band program.

Congratulations! And thank you to all the band's supporters.

Congratulations! The following faculty members were nominated and selected for recognition by their peers at KIS.

Teacher of the Year: Mr. Matt Billingsley

Staff Member of the Year: Ms. Faye Irvine

Service Award: Dr. Hughes

Team of the Year: PE Department - Ms. Cookson, Mr. Hamada, Ms. Machado, Mr. Yoshioka

history day

Pictured from left to right: Kealani Lui-Kwan, Kelci Hooker, Carissa Mayo, Liv-Annika Solberg Stevenson, Jessie Kinsler. Mrs. Ringuette and Ms. Kutsunai are their teachers.

STATE SCIENCE FAIR RESULTS

state science fair
Sam
olelo
band project

The KIS band students cleaned up Kawainui Marsh and earned a $5,000 grant from the Castle Foundation.

wow
Mr. Billingsley

Teacher of the Year: Mr. Matt Billingsley

Faye Irvine
pe

Ms. Irvine

Staff Member of the Year

Pictured Left to Right: Ms. Machado, Mr. Yoshioka, Mr. Hamada and Dr. Hughes

Service Award: Dr. Hughes

Team of the Year: PE Department - Ms. Cookson (not in photo) , Mr. Hamada, Ms. Machado, Mr. Yoshioka

poster

Illustrated by Nicholas Pujalet, Grade 7,

1st Place, Grades 5-8, Sew a Lei Poster Contest

award
bella

From left to right: Isabella Hartline, Mayor Kirk Caldwell of the City and County of Honolulu, Nicholas Pujalet, and their teacher Ms. Karen Kutsunai.

Congratulations to Nick Pujalet and Isabella Hartline (3rd place) for their award-winning posters in the 2015 Mayor's Memorial Day Poster Contest. They were invited to an awards ceremony at Honolulu Hale on Friday, May 8, 2015 at 10:00am.

Isabella Hartline's poster

NOAA award
leah

Congratulations to Jacqueline Le (7th), a 2015 NOAA Keep the Sea Free of Debris art contest winner! This year, the national contest received more than 600 entries from kindergarten to 8th-grade students with incredible visual messages for solutions to ocean pollution. All thirteen winners of the 2015 art contest will be featured in the 2016 NOAA Marine Debris Calendar to help raise awareness on the harmful impacts marine debris has on our oceans year-round. Thank you to all of our students who participated in this year's contest!

See all the winning art at http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/educate-others/2015-art-contest-winners.

Eighth grader Leah Mills won 1st place in the national 13 Novice Class for BMX racing. Leah, the national champion is sponsored by Hyper BodyArmor.

88th LEI DAY CELEBRATION YOUTH HAWAIIAN LEI CONTEST

Sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City and County of Honolulu on Friday, May 1, 2015 – Queen Kapi‘olani Park. Congratulations to seventh grader Chloe Hepfnerwho took third place (white ribbon) in the Class IV 13-17 years age division for her lei.

Lei style: wili. (Wili: Plant materials are placed on a backing of lau kī, lauhala, dried banana fiber or other suitable material and wound with fiber or thread around the plant material and backing.)

Plant/materials used: Baby's breath, bougainvillea, clerodendrum (bleeding heart), davallia fern, shrimp plant (white), statice, wax flower, trachillium.

Congratulations to Grace Nastase, Thatcher Fernandez, and Sean Aoki for their splendid showing in the Board of Water Supply's 2015 Water Conservation Week Poster and Poetry Contest!

Sean Aoki - 1st place winner

Thatcher Fernandez - 4th place winner.

Grace Nastase - Honorable Mention in the 7th-8th grade category!

The three students, who composed poems incorporating literary devices such as theme, imagery, and alliteration, were honored in front of teachers, parents, and city and county and government officials this month. Their respective poems will be placed on exhibit at Honolulu Hale's Lane Gallery, Kapolei Hale Courtyard, Kahala Mall, Windward Mall, and the BWS Public Service Building Lobby. Mrs. Ebisuya is their ELA teacher.

chloe's lei

Chloe Hepfner

Award winners

Grace Nastase, Thatcher Fernandez,

and Sean Aoki

ensemble
band

Solo and Ensemble

Several students participated in the O'ahu Band Directors Association Solo and Ensemble Festival. All participants from KIS earned a score of superior or excellent. Congratulations to Cody Tanaka (flute solo; Maya Arakaki, Caleb Jones, Jordyn Tanaka, and Joel Himphayvanh (percusison quartet), and Liv Annika Solberg-Stevenson, Nohea Espejo, and Ariane Seltmann (flute trio)!

Select Band

Maya Arakaki and Cody Tanaka were chosen by audition for the O'ahu Band Directors Association Middle School Select Band. They'll be performing with some of the best middle school band students from across the island in a concert on Sunday, February 15.

video
HD

Kailua Intermediate School seventh graders, Andres Alcantara, Maizie Distad, Sakura Simmons, and Jhordyne-Georlyn Felipe created a video which has won 2nd place in the Group Category of Windward District's 2nd annual "Be Pono — Be in School" video contest. All are from Ms. Romfo's Digital Media Action Period class.

Windward District History Day Participants

Feb. 28, 2015

History Day Award Page

KIS VIDEO - 2nd Place, Group Category

Be Pono-Be In School" Video Contest Awards

District Science Fair Results

Windward Oahu District Science and Engineeering Fair held on February 13-14 at Windward Community College.

Sam Cadotte: First place winner for Junior Research Project Division, Broad Com - Masters Awardee, Best in Category: Computer Science; moving on to the state Science Fair, March 22-24

Benjamin Weiss - Third place winner for Junior Research Project Division, Rotary Award, Best in Category: Physics and Astronomy, moving on to the state Science Fair, March 22-24

Tyler Goo - Broad Com - Best in Category: Engineering, Honorable Mention for Junior Research Project Division, moving on to the state Science Fair, March 22-24

Phoebe Ikeda - Broad Com, Honorable Mention for Junior Research Project Division, moving on to the state Science Fair, March 22-24

weiss

Benjamin Weiss

Sam Cadotte
Tyler

Sam Cadotte won 1st Place - Broad Com Masters Best in Category, Computer Science.

Tyler Goo

ikeda
Mr. Unten

Phoebe Ikeda discusses her project with speaking with

Chancellor Doug Dykstra.

Congratulations! Vice Principal Mr. Wess Unten graduated from the University of Hawaii with a Masters in Educational Leadership.

Dr. Delong
Dr. Howard

Kailua Intermediate principal Lisa DeLong recently met the requirements for an Ed.D., or Doctor of Education degree in Professional Educational Practice, from the University of Hawaii. She was part of a three-year cohort of school leaders from across the state that studied together. She completed course work and, for her dissertation topic, explored data teams as a strategy to improve teacher practice and impact student learning. A lifelong learner, she encourages students to not only attain a four-year college degree, but also consider earning advanced degrees. Her degree will be conferred in August.

There's a doctor in the house! Congratulations Dr. Marcia Dolavah Howard, or Dr. Cia for short. She recently defended her dissertation, "Challenges Related to Cultural Differences Experienced by Special Education Teachers from the Continental United States with Students in Hawai'i" and earned a PhD in Education, Exceptionalities Specialization.