Aloha from Okinawa!
I am currently a second grade teacher on a military base in Okinawa, Japan. My roots come from Kohala on the Big Island and Wahiawa, Oahu. Before this teaching assignment I taught at Haleiwa Elementary on the North Shore of Oahu. A wonderful place to be. I miss it a lot.

When I found out that the Hokule’a was coming to Japan it sparked an interest that has since grown immensely. I went to their website and found amazing information that I actually spent hours reading and researching. My Hawaiian pride began to grow along with my connection to my Japanese ancestry.

Throughout my travels I have come to realize that there is no place on earth like Hawaii. It is a very unique place filled with people from all over the world who can live together with much aloha. The weather is nearly perfect, beautiful beaches and the food too ono - could never go on a diet in Hawaii.

I have taken the voyage and information of the Hokule’a and integrated all subjects along with the DoDDs standards into my curriculum. We have touched on timelines, the solar system, explorers, weather, landforms, transportation, solar system, Hawaiian/Japanese/English vocabulary, reading strategies using the weblog, shared writing studying the life of Mau, predicting, journaling, measuring, and integrating all this and more with the use of technology.

The students have come to realize the importance of working together, showing respect, taking on their own responsibilites through the example of the crew. Their horizons have expanded through the use of technology as the world becomes smaller and is at their fingertips. Hopefully, they have been instilled with the love and respect for other cultures and people.

Malama pono

Much aloha,
Gwen Fred
Bob Hope Primary School
Okinawa, Japan