• Senate President: Jamaica Go, '13
• Senate Vice-President: Alana Laanui, '14
• Secretary of Communication: Anthony Ng, '13
• Secretary of Spirit: Kasey Cachola, '13
• Treasurer: Calvin Chang, '13
• Tresurer's Apprentice: Jacob Burke, '14

Students interested in running for division office should see their respective Division Coordinator for an application.

Currently training for Ironman Canada, Devin Rettke is not like most triathletes; he does not have the pleasure of eating whatever he wants or training as much as he wants. Instead, Devin is required to train while hooked up to wires and looking at numbers. These numbers are not heart rate, cadence or speed, but instead they are his insulin levels. At the age of 9, Devin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Devin is now on a mission to become the youngest diabetic athlete to complete an Ironman! Through this journey, he hopes that he will be able to inspire and encourage teens and kids with diabetes and other health issues to get out and pursue their goals. Devin says, “Any goal is obtainable with hard work and courage.” The Maryknoll School community looks forward to seeing Devin achieve his goals! Visit his website for more information.

Devin's achievements include:
Youngest type 1 diabetic half Ironman Finisher
2010 and 2011 Hawaii Team Time Trial State Champion
2nd Place in age group at the 2009 Xterra 10K World Championships

Congratulations to the 44 Economics students in Mr. Lance Suzuki's classes who represented Maryknoll extremely well at the 2012 Hawaii Council on Economic Education's Economics Challenge! It was held on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at the University of Hawaii-Manoa's Campus Center Ballroom! 

In the David Ricardo (non-AP) Division, students earned 4th place, and the students were Christie Dang, Kylie Ojiri, Stephanie Mau and Gabriel Shimizu (division high scorer).  In the Adam Smith (AP) Division, students earned state runner-up honors for the seventh consecutive year.  The students on this team were  Brandi Chun, Nathan Goo, Hawkins Ko, Davin Nagamine, Flora Wang and Rikuro Fukusato (division high scorer).

On Wednesday, April 4th, the Maryknoll Sisters were officially honored by the House of Representatives with House Resolution 198. The Sisters sat in the House Gallery as they were recognized for their 100 years of serving our community. Maryknoll School and Catholic Charities Hawaii, both upstanding institutions established by the Maryknoll Sisters, were at the state capital to support the Sisters and honor them in their centennial year. The floor presentation was followed by a reception at the state capital, where the Sisters, students, Maryknoll teachers and administrators, and Catholic Charities Hawaii employees mingled with State Representatives. Mahalo to Rep. Della Au Belati's office for organizing the day.

• Business, Finance & Entrepreneur Panel on Wednesday, April 11
• Healthcare Panel on Wednesday, April 18
• Government & Law Panel on Wednesday, April 18
• Engineering & Architecture Panel on Wednesday, April 25

1. Click on the “colleges” tab
2. Under “Upcoming college visits” click on “view all upcoming college visits”
3. Locate the Career Panel you are interested in signing up for then click on “Sign up”
4. Carefully read the information about the Career Panel, then click on “Sign me up”

On Thursday, April 12, students will participate in Maryknoll School’s Annual College and Career Day where they will explore college and career options through a variety of activities such as the NACAC Honolulu National College Fair, on-campus career workshops, panel presentation or community service opportunities.  Read more about the activities planned for each division.

• 9^th grade: Freshmen will engage in a day of self-discovery through small group discussions on their career interests, personal strengths and goals.  They will also learn about the importance of “Personal Branding” and receive an introduction to the job application and interview process. Freshmen are also required to bring their laptopswith them on this day.
• 10^th grade: Sophomores will participate in a CPR/AED Awareness Assembly & Training led by a group of Maryknoll juniors with support from the Hawaii Heart Foundation and AED Institute of America, Inc.  Students will receive hands-on, life-saving training using mannequins and training AEDs and engage in a panel discussion with Health and Human Services Professionals.  
• 11^th grade: Juniors are travelling off-campus to attend the NACAC Honolulu National College Fair at the Hawaii Convention Center.  Afterwards, they will depart in three groups to visit one of the following campuses:  Chaminade University, Hawaii Pacific University (Downtown Campus), or the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 
• 12^th grade: Seniors will donate their time and talents performing community service at various locations around the island as part of their Senior Service Day.  In doing so, students are living Noblesse Oblige and helping to Make God’s Love Visible.  They are also exposed to various cultures, causes, and communities thereby strengthening their cultural competence and global awareness.   These service projects will further promote the development of important life and career skills. 

This is a very busy and exciting day for our students, and we hope that families use this as an opportunity to discuss lessons learned from this day.

Maryknoll School's spring play, “The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is a MUST SEE and is H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.  Hilarious.  This musical, directed by Arts teacher Elitei Tatafu, does a fantastic job of showcasing our student talent. Onstage, these students transform themselves into characters that you will absolutely love.

Guest musical director Jenny Kimura has also worked magic with our already-talented students to create amazing solo and ensemble musical numbers. Students have rehearsed five days a week, every week (except spring break) since the beginning of January, and it shows.  There are three performances this weekend at Central Union Church: 

• Friday, April 13: 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 14: 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, April 15: 4:00 p.m.

Adding to the excitement, there’s improvisation with audience volunteers, which the students pull off skillfully. Also, several of the students play a different character on different nights. So there will be unique elements in each performance and you’ll see a slightly different – but equally fabulous – show if you go more than once!

Tickets are just $5 each for general admission and $2 for students and teachers.  It is the best bargain in town to see a tremendously entertaining show. 

In cooperation with Pam Foster, Founder and Director of AED Institute of America and Hawaii Heart Foundation, Maryknoll students created a new Maryknoll event, the Inaugural CPR/AED Awareness Assembly! Junior class students were CPR/AED certified through the AED Institute of America on March 24.  While other schools do have CPR/AED training programs in place, Maryknoll School is the first school to institute a 100% student-led CPR/AED program. 

All Sophomores participated in a CPR/AED Awareness Assembly and Training led by a group of Maryknoll Juniors with support from the Hawaii Heart Foundation and AED Institute of America, Inc.  Students learned how to perform life-saving skills using mannequins and training AEDs, while interacting with Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Nurses.  Following this assembly, students heard from a panel of Health & Human Services Professionals who are alumni, parents, and friends of Maryknoll.  This experience gave our students life-saving skills and gave them exposure to diverse, accomplished individuals who shed light on their varied college and career paths.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is the focus of senior Brian Kojima's presentation to Maryknoll families, faculty, staff and students on Tuesday, April 17th.  As part of his project, he researched this topic and presented during Senior Project Week in early March.  Brian will discuss the details about this disorder and how it affects children inside and outside of the classroom as well as share his own personal experiences. 

This presenation titled "Helping Children with ADHD" will be very informative and valuable to attend.  It will start at 6 PM and is scheduled on the high school campus in the library which is located on the 2nd floor.  For more information and questions you may email him at kojimab12@maryknollschool.org. 

Congratulations to Maryknoll's Math Team for placing 8th in their final math meet and for an overall 8th place ranking for the school year. Senior Rikuro Fukusato was recognized as one of the top ten individual performers island-wide, receiving the Senior Merit Award, the Oahu Mathematics League highest honor.  A special thank you to team co-captains Rikuro Fukusato, Flora Wang and Joyce Zhang and the Maryknoll Math Department for their outstanding leadership. Best of luck to team members preparing for the State Mathematics Championships on May 5.

Congratulations to Bryce Sadarananda (pictured above with speech team coach Dr. Fran Wong) for placing 3^rd in state for his performance during the state speech tournament.  He and the following students from the speech team competed against 18 private and public schools:

 Brandi Chun and Nathan Goo (Duo)

Justin Higa (Storytelling)

Wesley Kamikawa (Impromptu)

Jordan Yamashita  (Impromptu)

Bryce Sadarananda (Program Reading)

 The Maryknoll team was also one of only four schools to receive the perfect attendance award for the year. 

We look forward to welcoming parents and guests to May Day in the Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium!

 High School May Day
“He Lei Poina’ole: An Unforgettable Lei”
Friday, April 27
Parking: Grade School blacktop only

 One show only at 10:50 am
Parking opens at 10:20 am
Please clear the parking area by 12:45 pm

 *******

 Grade School May Day
“Mele Ailana: Song of the Islands”
Friday, May 4
Entry to gym for ticket holders only
Parking: Grade School blacktop or MCC garage

 Show #1 at 9:00 am
Parking opens at 8:30 am
Please clear the parking area by 10:45 am

 Show #2 at 11:30 am
Parking opens at 11:00 am
Please clear the parking area by 12:45 pm

    To park on the blacktop, please enter the driveway from Alexander Street, makai-bound lane only. There is no left turn into the driveway from the mauka-bound lane on Alexander. There will be no entry to the blacktop parking areas directly from Dole Street or via Halekula Way.

    Please obey instructions from parking attendants and/or sheriffs. Cars will be asked to move if blocking traffic on Alexander before parking opens for each show.
    If the lot is full, please find legal street parking. Please do not block or use parking belonging to homes or condos in the area.
    We highly encourage you to get dropped off on May Day! Passengers can be dropped off in the driveway next to the MCC; drivers can exit onto Dole Street at the fire lane.

    For more information about May Day parking, please call:

    High School        952-7213
    Grade School      952-7112

This year's Sophomore Banquet is being held at the Pacific Beach Hotel from 6:00 - 10:30 PM on Friday, May 4, 2012. Masquerade is the theme, and it is titled "Unmask Your Heart".  Sophomore officers began selling bids on April 16, and the last day to purchase bids were on April 27. The cost is $40 per ticket.

Photo packages can be ordered from Ohana Photo Studios, and the deadline to place orders was April 30.  Any questions regarding pictures can be answered by Ohana Photo Studios via email, info@ohanaphotostudios or calling 748-9917.  For any other questions, email Sophomore Division Coordinator, Mrs. Charlene Martin at charlene.martin@maryknollschool.org or call the front office at 952-7200.

Maryknoll High School student, Christianne Michel ’13, has been accepted into the Advanced Writers Workshop at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. The Writers Workshop at Susquehanna University provides some of the nation's most talented high school writers with the opportunity to work in intensive, small-group workshops headed by nationally recognized authors. The Writers Workshop features workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Class sizes are limited to 15 students to ensure personal attention and individual conferencing.

At Maryknoll High School, students are challenged by our Essential School philosophy, which emphasizes personalization of teaching and learning in the classroom. Students are able to discover their strengths and nurture their passions—and for Christianne, creative writing is at the top of her list.

“I love telling stories! I love being able to use my imagination. And I love words – I’ve been reading since the age of three and writing since the age of eight,” said Christianne. “To me, there’s nothing quite like writing because when you’re a writer, you have the freedom to create your own world.”

The intensive workshop will be held in June at Susquehanna University, where Christianne will have the opportunity to learn from professional writers in a close-knit, personalized environment.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the creative writing professors at Susquehanna University. They are experienced, published writers, and there’s so much I can learn from them,” Christianne said.

Upon graduating from Maryknoll, Christianne intends to pursue a degree in creative writing. When asked about her ultimate dream job, Christianne’s passion and her spirit of Noblesse Oblige shine through:

“I would love to be an author. The books I’ve read have done so much for me. They’ve been more than just a pastime; they’ve taught me life lessons and opened doors that I never knew were there. I want to provide the same experience for the next generation. I know that whether I’m successful or not will depend on many elements, some that I can control and some that I can’t, but I’m determined to do the best I can to make my dream happen. Whatever life I end up living, I know that writing will be a part of it.”

“Ma ka hana ka ‘ike” (by observing one learns), is what the Advanced Hawaiian language students learned. They traveled to Kaua’i from April 23 to April 25 for a class service trip. On Kaua’i, they went to multiple places including Maka’uwahi cave, Waipa, and Anahola. On the first day, the students went to Maka’uwahi cave, which is in Maha’ulepu, Koloa, Kaua’i. They helped restore ancient grounds by taking out invasive species and they also constructed a Hawaiian rock wall. All of this was done with the help of the native Ni’ihau people. It was interesting for the Hawaiian language students to hear the native Hawaiian dialect, which the Ni’ihau people spoke. The amazing aspect of this was that the students conversed with the people. This gave the students an opportunity to practice what they learned in the classroom with the native speakers.

Another Hawaiian proverb that stood out from this trip was “He ali’i ka ‘aina he kaua ke kanaka” (The land is a chief, the people are the workers). Students visited Waipa to work in the lo’i kalo, plant native plants, harvest kalo, see the source of Waipaʻs water, and pounded the kalo into pa’i’ai. This place was special because instead of reading from a book, the class experienced, first hand on how an ahupua’a system worked in ancient times. The question that stood out in their minds was: “How do use what we learned in our modern society?” The students can now answer this question. It began with kalo as its eldest brother; this kalo fed the entire Hawaiian society. Knowing this, the students realized the importance of the land. If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you. It starts off with aloha, if you give aloha, aloha will come back in return…

Students who participated in this trip are:    

Kauilaha’aikekaioniuli’i Chock
Palani DePonte
Cody Maika’i-St. Louis
John Mayer
Christina Rezentes
Alyx Vasconcellos
Kahakuokapunawainoa Wellbrock
Scott Witter

Banners, Edible Arrangements, flowers, apples, kettle corn and a gourmet catered lunch with re-usable glass water bottles from Starbucks courtesy of the PTG were some of the ways teachers were recognized for their hard work and numerous contributions during National Teacher Appreciation Week.  Students and their families also generously donated to Annual Investment in Maryknoll (AIM) campaign in honor of teachers who received special thank-you cards notifying them of the donation.  Families may continue to recognize teachers through donations to AIM until the end of June.  Click here if you would like to make a contribution.

Each day this week, students, faculty and staff viewed some of the most wonderfully diverse and eclectic student short films during Maryknoll’s first Film Fest.  Films were written, directed and featured the theatrical talents of students.  Genres ranged from drama to comedy and horror and cinèma vèritè.  Juniors Emerald Leong, 2012 Kekumano Scholarship recipient, and Christianne Michael, who was recently accepted into the Writers Workshop at Susquehanna University, organized the film fest.  With so much emerging talent at Maryknoll, we look forward to next year’s fest.

Congratulations to the newly elected Division student officers for SY 2012-2013!  Election day was held on Thursday, April 26, 2012.  These students along with the elected Senate officers will take their oath of office on Friday, June 1, 2012 during our Underclassmen Awards Assemly.

Senior Officers – Class of 2013

• President: Joe Mar Lim
• Vice-President: Daryane Domen
• Treasurer: Brandon Lim
• Secretary of Communication: Manny Pascual
• Secretary of Spirit: Kimberlee Speakman

 Junior Officers – Class of 2014

• President: Christopher Pak
• Vice-President: Lauren Aratani
• Treasurer: Xavier Imperial
• Secretary of Communication:  Maya Noguchi
• Secretary of Spirit: Alex Mitchell

 Sophomore Officers – Class of 2015

• President: Travis Baguio
• Vice-President: Sean Choi
• Treasurer: Jacob Shelton
• Secretary of Communication: Erika Wong
• Secretary of Spirit: Ray Pascual

This year's summer reading fiction book is Gary Paulsen's Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, and the non-fiction book is  Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.  The seminar discussions will take place when students return from summer vacation and are scheduled for Friday, August 31st  & Friday, September 7th in advisory. 

Check out the detailed information that is posted on our Summer Reading page, www.maryknollschool.org/summerreading. Books can be purchased from our online bookstore, MBS Direct, or by clicking on this link here.  Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call the front office at 952-7200.

Junior and Kekumano Scholar, Emerald Leong ‘s short film, “It’s Just Business,” was featured on Hawaii Student Digital Showcase, a Hawaii State Department of Education program promoting student produced videos from public and private schools. “It’s Just Business” tells the story of two co-workers competing for a promotion. Emerald produced, directed, edited and co-wrote the 30-minute film which also screened at Maryknoll School’s first film fest in early May. Visit Hawaii Student Digital Showcase for program dates and times.