Posted on: Thursday, August 31, 2006
Waldorf school struggles with its mystery
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor
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Preschoolers Zia Palmore, left, and Shanti Street set the table for a tea party at Haleakala Waldorf School in Kula, Maui. The school integrates music and art in the teaching of core academic studies.
CHRISTIE WILSON | The Honolulu Advertiser
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AT A GLANCE
Where: 4160 Lower Kula Road, Kula, Maui Phone: (808) 878-2511 Chair of School: Michael Mancini, who was born and reared on Maui, joined the school in July after working for Kamehameha Schools. He led the creation of the East Bay Waldorf High School in the San Francisco Bay Area, and held teaching posts on Maui and in California. He holds a master's degree in education. School color: Green Web address: www.wal dorf maui.com History: Founded as Haleakala School in 1972, with 50 students and four teachers at Wailuku Union Church. Four years later, a lease was obtained from the state for the old Kealahou School grounds, which was closed when Kula Elementary School opened in 1964. The old school buildings were restored by teachers, parents and other supporters. The school won an award in 1991 from the Maui Historical Society for preservation of the old buildings. Enrollment: 243 in preschool through grade 8, with room for 260
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Mancini
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KULA, Maui — Ambitious expansion plans and increased participation in community programs are helping Haleakala Waldorf School shed some of the mystery surrounding the hillside campus and its nearly 100-year-old method that integrates music and art in the teaching of core academic studies.
Chair of School Michael Mancini, who came on board in July, said there are many misconceptions about a Waldorf education, and for years the private Kula school was too busy with internal matters to worry much about promoting itself.
"Because we teach through the arts, some people get the impression that we are an 'artsy' school that doesn't offer strong academics. A big challenge is to debunk these myths and educate the community about our exceptional curriculum and methodology," Mancini said.
That has happened in recent years as energized parents, staff and supporters embarked on an expansion program at the 2-acre campus, Mancini said, and as the idea of an arts-based curriculum began gaining acceptance in the broader education community largely through the Maui Arts & Cultural Center and its art programs for teachers.
In addition to its serene, pastoral setting, Haleakala Waldorf School has other unique qualities that parents find appealing. Teachers move with their students from first through eighth grade, although youngsters also work with teachers specializing in art, music, math, foreign languages, Hawaiian studies and other subjects.
"When many teachers are now pressured to homogenize and standardize more and more, Waldorf teachers ... strive to understand and serve the unique qualities of each individual child," Mancini said.
What are you most proud of? The recent expansion that includes a new preschool program; acquisition and remodeling of a building on an adjacent property to house administrative offices; remodeling of two buildings previously used for faculty housing to expand middle school classroom space to accommodate a music cottage, a science lab, art studio, two foreign language programs, and a resource program for students who need extra help; new terraced gardening beds; and landscaping of an overgrown gulch to establish Waxman Field, an outdoor amphitheater.
Best-kept secret: Haleakala Waldorf School is the first Waldorf School in the nation to receive triple accreditation from the Western Association of Schools & Colleges, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools. The school also said it offers one of the state's most comprehensive Hawaiian studies programs at the elementary school level. All students participate in a year-round program of hula and Hawaiian culture and history.
Everybody at our school knows: "Uncle" Paul Brown, school librarian and former Maui District superintendent for the Department of Education, who has been known to transform into a salty, one-eyed pirate at Halloween.
Our biggest challenge: Overcoming misconceptions about Waldorf Education and Haleakala Waldorf School, in particular.
What we need: More community partnerships to share our mission and values and form strong alliances to serve the children of Maui County.
Special events: Halloween's "Night of Delight," the annual December "Holiday Faire," Lei Day Hula Festival, "Family Games Night" in conjunction with national "TV Turnoff Week."
Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.
