Survey Vital For Castle Complex To Move Forward
Sen. Jill Tokuda
“525,600 minutes. How do you measure, a year in the life?”
If you know what song that line comes from, you may be a perfect community partner for our Castle Performing Arts Center. Regardless, give us five minutes of your time, and we can use it to change lives … including your own.
For the last 18 months, Castle Complex schools have embarked on an ambitious plan to redesign themselves to be community-centered and student-focused. Talking and engaging with students, teachers, parents, administrators, community, business and alumni, the Redesign Initiative has crafted a Castle Complex Pipeline that was P-20 by design with the goal of ensuring that every child is life-ready.
When asked what I wanted to see as part of our Redesign efforts, as an alumna and future Castle Complex parent, I told them it was simple. I want to be able to walk into any classroom in our complex and see that every child is surrounded by adults who care about them and are actively invested in their future.
At a recent Smaller Learning Communities conference, Connie Majka shared with us that a key element of success is ensuring that every child has five adults in their life who care. Sadly, whether in Philadelphia or right here in Kaneohe, not every child has this. Five minutes can change that. Majka is director of learning and innovation for the Philadelphia Academies,
Through its survey, the complex is creating a gateway for the schools to foster meaningful partnerships between teachers and schools and interested businesses, community partners, parents and alumni. (Visit survey-monkey.com/s/CastlePartner sSurvey.)
If you have the time and desire to share your skills and knowledge with our students, this simple five-minute survey will add you to a database of invaluable resources for our teachers in the form of possible internships and mentorships, field trips, training and project-based learning.
Not sure what difference five minutes can make? Fill out the survey and let us show you. As a strong supporter and volunteer with Castle High’s Senior Project Class, it has been a humbling experience for me to witness the powerful impact mentorship has on students when connections are made in the community and the program is guided forward by a dedicated classroom teacher. I have seen it firsthand. Mentorships are one way to make a difference, and whether you check one box on the survey or all of them, the connections made between you and our students have the potential to changes lives.
I’m sure if you counted, there would be more than 525,600 ways to help them succeed. I challenge you to do just one. Log on today and complete the survey.
The redesign initiative is sponsored by the DOE, Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, The Learning Coalition, Hawaii Community Foundation and Pacific American Foundation.
Contact state Sen. Tokuda at 587-7215 or email sentokuda@capitol.hawaii.gov.
