For the pupils at tiny Linapuni Elementary School in Kalihi, even things like a pair of shoes can't be taken for granted.

Just a couple days ago, educational assistant Chris Mico watched as a little boy lent his slippers to a younger friend as they walked across the street, then took them back when they safely reached the school grounds.

"Our kids here are very protective and loving," Mico said.

On the campus tucked away in Kuhio Park Terrace, a low-income housing project, all but two of Linapuni's 219 pupils come from impoverished families. They may not have a lot to give, but "they'll give you help if you need it," Mico said. "They give a lot of hugs."

The school staff gives what it can in return. Principal Helen Wong has a bag full of shoes under a chair in her office, to dole out to kids who need them. Without these shoes, some children would not even be able to attend field trips with their classmates.

At a time when schools across the state are struggling to improve student performance in reading and math, Linapuni this year managed to score well enough in reading and math to escape sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, a feat that eluded two-thirds of public schools across the state.

Linapuni serves pupils only from kindergarten through second grade, plus a handful of preschoolers in special education, so the test that the children took was different from the Hawai'i State Assessment administered in Grades 3 through 8 and 10.

A year ago, the school was disappointed to discover that not one of its pupils met proficiency levels in math. "Last year was a real down year, so we rolled up our sleeves," Wong said. "There was nowhere to go but up."

It worked. Last spring, 16 percent of the pupils met proficiency in math — enough for the school to meet "safe harbor" under the federal law.

The school got even more good news this year, when special-education preschool teacher Colleen Uejo was named the Honolulu District's 2006 Teacher of the Year.

Wong describes Uejo as a master teacher who sets high goals for her pupils and prepares them well for entry into kindergarten. "From the time they enter the class to the time they leave, with every activity they have to be learning something," Wong said.

What are you most proud of? "Making 'adequate yearly progress' based on 2005 test scores" and having Uejo selected 2006 Honolulu District Teacher of the Year, Wong said.

Best-kept secret: "Our faculty and staff are dedicated professionals and committed to leveling the playing field for our students, 99 percent of them falling in the high-risk category," Wong said.

Everybody at our school knows: "Chris Mico, 'Miss Chris,' our Primary School Adjustment Program educational assistant. She has been here for many years, grew up in the Kalihi community and knows the families, how they are related to each other and where they live. She makes home visits almost every day," Wong said.

Our biggest challenge: "Many students enroll in school with limited exposure to the English language plus cultural challenges such as ... no knowledge of school expectations or the American school system such as mandatory attendance and parent involvement. I guess you could call these cultural hurdles that we need to overcome to get the students on the right track to achieving academically. We are challenged to acclimate families to the American culture and to bring students up to par academically in a very short time," Wong said.

What we need: A library and administration building that would free up space in the classroom buildings.

Special events: An annual Spring Fair the day before spring break, which is a fun fair for the children and a "Posiva" with cultural dancing; quarterly awards assemblies that honor students for academic achievement, showing good citizenship, making improvement in work and attitude and perfect attendance for the quarter.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.