Our Multiage Classroom Names

by Alyssa ’20

Today at assembly, Uncle Blair taught all the new parents and students about our classroom names. He started off with “Kukuna O Ka Lā”. Kukuna means the beams, O Ka Lā means of the sun. Next, he talked about Kulā‘iwi. Kulā‘iwi means Our island home because “‘Iwi” means bones and "Kula" means large flat piece of land. Bones were buried at home in ancient Hawaiian times. So everywhere you go their are bones of our ancestors. In a way, we “stand” on our ancestors’ knowledge. Ali'i bones were hidden. Finally, Uncle Blair ended with Po’e Ka’a Hele. Po’e Ka’a Hele means the people who travel and that’s why Po‘e “travels” a lot. After Po’e Ka‘ahele, we closed with our school song. 

Our Hawaiian classroom names were graciously gifted to us by past parent, Auntie Lilinoe Ka‘ahanui (Nakoa ’03 and Nainoa ’07) when we became a multiage school in 1997. Kukunaokalā is grades K-1 and means “rays of the sun,” Kulā’iwi is grades 2-3 and means “our island home,” (KU- to stand, LA- light, day, sun, ʻIWI- bones of our ancestors - Standing in the light of those who came before; spiritual enlightenment, familial connection as to the reason you exist in any particular space) and Po‘e Ka‘ahele is grades 4-5 and means “the travelers.” JK and 6th Grade retain their grade level names. Mahalo, Auntie Lilinoe!