interested in the montessori school in maui (Kihei, Pukalani: credit, houses)

[jahkie]

This is my first ever thread- so please pardon my gaffs. We're heading to Oahu, the Big Island and then maui for a total of 5 weeks in march and april. My husband and I and our 3 children 13, 10, & 4 have always lived in the midwest- from chicago originally and now on a big farm in southwest michigan for the past 12 years. Since my husband can work from anywhere in the world we've decided now would be a great time to make our move. One of the biggest draws for us is the MOMI school in makawao. Our kids are in a great montessori in MI and we would like to continue sending them to a montessori. Can anyone give me some insider details on life for kids and familes in maui? Info on the MOMI school?what about towns and neighborhoods. Right now I drive an hour roundtrip to get the kids to school, but its worth it. what's up with makawao and Pukalani? Or is kihei a better pick. Where we live in Michigan is very much a resort area, with many stores and restaurants that close down after the holidays- and reopen in the spring for the tourists. I don't have many preconcieved notions of maui and I understand that a move is not an extended vacation- which is not what I'm looking for. Whenever we do travel some of my favorite things to do are 1) Go grocery shopping and 2) find a laundrymat. Thanks, and any and all advice is appreciated.

[whynot?]

I live on Maui, but I don't have any kids in school. I can, however, get you started a little on Makawao/Pukalani v. Kihei while posters with school advice warm up their keyboards. Makawao and Pukalani are "upcountry" towns, both very small, and at 1,600 feet elevation, a good bit cooler than coastal Kihei. Kihei is both a resort area and home to a substanial number of full-time residents. It has lots of high rises and commerce (and great beaches!), but also a fair number of single family homes.

Makawao is Maui's "cowboy town," and looks very much like a set for a western, with low-slung wood and concrete buildings along a T-shaped downtown and houses strewn about the hills nearby. Pukalani is a little more diffuse as a town, but has "brand" drug and grocery stores where people from Makawao often shop. Some of the best private schools on the island are in this general area.

The daily commute from Kihei to Makawao for school might seem simple enough. GoogleMaps says 19.5 miles and 36 minutes, the prevailing speed limit on most of Maui being 45 MPH. There is, however a lot of cross-island commuting, and traffic is more of a factor than many people (new residents or tourists) anticipate.

So, depending upon your preference for extending your country existence v. moving to an outright beach resort area, you've pretty much picked both ends of the spectrum. The area near Makawao called Haiku is also nice, with good North Shore views and plenty of housing.

I'm sure you'll get lots more information and advice soon.

[DBM]

Jahkie --

Maui currently has two Montessori schools: a new school in Kihei named Montessori Hale o Keiki (translation: Montessori House of Children) (about 3 years old), and an older, more established one near Makawao named Montessori of Maui. Based on your questions and references, it appears that you are thinking primarily about MOMI (the Makawao schol).

I don't know much about the Kihei school, but our son, age 4, goes to MOMI and loves it. The setting is idyllic, with buildings situated among trees around a central yard/play area. The school is very "green," -- the kids spend time in the garden almost every day, learn to recycle or compost pretty much everything, and their lunches must be in reusable containers. From what I can tell, classrooms vary as to how closely they follow a "pure" Montessori approach. I imagine that's the case pretty much everywhere.

Whynot? has addressed some of the main differences between Kihei and Makawao/Pukalani. My two cents would be that it is a longer commute than you would want to do on a regular basis and that Kihei is just plain hot. Until tourism really got going in the 70s and 80s, most of Kihei was considered undesirable scrubland. Now there are neighborhoods, stores, landscaping and resorts -- but it's still hot and dry. Makawao and Pukalani, in contrast, are noticeably cooler (but still warm -- many, if not most, houses are without central heating because they don't need it). Personally, it's not a close call; I prefer Upcountry, but each to his or her own.

Good luck!

[jahkie]

Thanks to both of you for your thoughtful replies. DBM- I have been in contact with the MOMI school and we are very exited about coming to visit in april. We've heard great things about this montessori and the families who attend. It sounds a lot like the montessori school my children attend here in MI www.brookviewschool.org . Our family is leaning toward moving upcountry for the same reasons you listed. Kihea just sounds a bit too strip-mally for me. Any info you have on the neighborhoods- the good, the bad and the ugly would be great and any and all info on what the MOMI school is like from a parents point of view would be especially appreciated. And hey- way to go choosing a montessori ed. for your little guy! I have a middle schooler son and an upper el daughter who have been montessorians from day one and I can't even tell you how cool its been.
Thanks from Three Oaks!

[denge938]

Does anyone know anything about the Montessori schools on the Big Island? We are moving there in May, and I was thinking of sending my son to one next fall. He just turned 5 in January.

[MontessoriMauiMom]

I just want to make a correction to one of the posts above. Montessori Hale O Keiki in Kihei was established in 1991 -24 years running. It is also an accredited Montessori school which is important. The sad truth is that anyone can open up a school and call it Montessori. For a person not completely familiar with Montessori education it can be difficult to tell how well a school implements the philosophy. One way to know is to ask if the school is accredited. Being accredited means that a trained and certified Montessori evaluator has observed the school to ensure that they are operating within the highest of Montessori philosophical and educational standards. My 3 children have attended since age 3 and will continue till 8th grade. My decision to choose MHOK is that it's accredited a school and it is smaller than MOMI. It's a boutique school- smaller class size, no room for bullying or issues to fester. It has a great community feeling as well.