“Aloha” is considered to be one of the most important words in the Hawaiian language. This word is to be felt in the heart and should be verbalized with sincerity.
“Aloha” means hello and goodbye, love and respect, mercy and compassion, kindness and sympathy, grace and charity, sharing and gratitude, understanding and forgiveness, among many other meanings. Aloha forms the basis of Kailua International School’s guiding spirit. Any good action that comes from the heart — no matter how simple or small the deed — is “aloha.”
Kailua children begin their early celebration of the aloha spirit in various ways. They start circle times or whole school assemblies with a “generic” prayer (in Hawaiian and English), usually led by a child chosen at random on the spot. In every school activity and in the pupils’ individual and group actions, aloha instantly becomes a positive reinforcement.
The Kailua children say that they can see the aloha spirit in everything they do; for example, “When my mum and I touch hands before she leaves me at school in the morning — I feel happy,” and “When I come to school early, have fun doing my work, sing, and I do not cry.” Other children say they feel it when they hold hands together on school trips, eat nicely together, apologize for hurting another person’s feelings, greet others, wait politely, share toys and play nicely, clean up after themselves, listen respectfully to others, and offer assistance.
All of these qualities can easily be seen in most schools, and each school may have its own name for the spirit behind such qualities. Regardless of how they are referred to, the Kailua community believe that they are values that fill a child’s school days with joy. Aloha! — ROBERT GOMEZ
