Moving to Oahu with 2 young teens - neighborhood/schools question

[Kathi T.]

Hi everyone,

I'm a staff person at Pacific Buddhist Academy and have been reading this thread with interest. Dr. Vox--thank you for your generous comments about our school!

pansygal--we're presently working on revamping our website so if you'd like more information about our school, please let me know. In short, as Dr. Vox mentioned, Pacific Buddhist Academy is an independent, fully WASC/HAIS accredited college preparatory high school located in Honolulu. Our tuition is $10,000/year. The school values are grounded in Buddhist principles of interdependence, compassion, and inclusion, but applicants are NOT required to be or expected to become Buddhists, as we welcome students of all beliefs and religious backgrounds.

Our average class size is 18:1 and students learn through a process of collaborative, active engagement, critical examination of ideas and reflective self-discovery. You wrote that you have a middle schooler and a high schooler so I'd also like to mention that we are affiliated with the Hongwanji Mission School (PS-grade8), which is located right across Pali Highway from our campus. We have students from all across O'ahu in attendance.

Again, please let me know if you'd like more information about us. Good luck with your future plans!!

Warmly,
Kathi T.

[transambulance]

I personally loathe America's elitist private education establishment, so I apologize for my confrontational tone, and applaud that you haven't automatically given up on public schools. The biggest problem with public education in Hawaii is that there simply isn't enough of it; the school day is too short and days (or weeks!) off are frequent. Basically, the public schools here provide half an education. That's a huge problem for locals who grow up knowing nothing else, and you've already been warned that they will be your kids' peers. However, lots of time off can be an asset to close-knit families with solid academic values. Don't buy the mainland-yuppie hype that you simply must pony up whatever is necessary to send your precious little angels to fancy prep schools and the Ivy League snob factory. If you're prepared to devote the better part of your family's time and budget to your kids' extracurricular education, free public schools are a better choice than Hawaii's parasitic country clubs for the over-sheltered spawn of insecure social climbers. That tuition money would be far, far better spent on private AP classes, non-touristy travel, and college tuition (up through graduate school) at a fairly priced land grant university...

[ohmanon]

Unless things have drastically changed, the educational system (or lack thereof) really is something to give serious consideration to when you've got kids...and we were a very close-knit family living on both Oahu and Kauai. Islandgirlej is correct - it IS a CULTURE thing.

This is purely anecdotal but for my two little nieces, had we not had a couple of really wonderful local adult friends who tried to compensate for some of their negative experiences in the public elementary school on Oahu, I think it would have been even worse. When they returned to the mainland, my sister was called in for a meeting with the 8 yr. old's perplexed teacher who was concerned over her inability to adapt. Her comment was "She's always got her fists up in the air like she's ready to defend herself." Not sure why the 8 yr. old with a happy-go-lucky outgoing personality suffered more than the quiet and studious 7 yr. old but it took that teacher a full year of careful handling to help her readjust. Looking back, even though we tried to make up for it by providing an interesting and exciting life outside of school, I don't think it was enough and maybe unwittingly unfair on our part. We had no idea of the problems they could face. What adults might ignore, kids are not always able to slough off so easily – while we could provide the stability and a semblance of routine, finding social acceptance at school is also pretty monumental at a certain age.

My brother and sister attended public high school in Honolulu with no problems. My brother’s sr. year on Kauai was drastically different - he was beat to a pulp (and I mean seriously) twice while walking home...he was quiet, did not try to “fit” in by speaking pidgin or trying to act “local” and was definitely not a troublemaker. They both eventually made good friends with other mainland transplants and a few locals and left the island with more good memories than bad. Taught them resilience, that’s for sure!

As a young adult not in school, I loved the whole eye-opening adventure. I can remember so clearly making up my mind to go out and find a job but always put a swimming suit in my purse, just in case my plans got circumvented! Ah, life was good. When I finally did start working, I liked it. The local people were mostly very kind to me. Hate to say it but the only 2 jobs where the experience was not good was when my bosses were haole women. Honestly, when I saw how they treated some of their local employees, I could understand their resentment. Anyway, sorry this is so rambling, this was just a little bit of our family's experience. Hawaii certainly opened up a whole new unsheltered world view for me and I would go back tomorrow if I could.

[feebee]

Interesting thread indeed! I am from New Zealand, husband is half Japanese born and raised here. We moved back to Hawaii last year from New Zealand so that our boys could be near their grandparents, plus, New Zealand was just too cold for me! We are well aware of the education situation here...our oldest has just started kindergarten at a charter school. We purposely rented a place close to this school so that he could be 'in district' and so far, he loves it! He was bullied once on the playground, by a haole kid lol. My son is part Japanese but speaks with a bit of an New Zealand accent, but because he has lived in 3 countries, he fits into new situations very easily. Regarding the bugs...I've only ever once seen a cane spider and certainly not in my house. Our rented cottage sits on a big bare dirt yard...and I only see geckos out there. Yes, roaches in the house but no big deal. Never seen centipedes either...bugs were much bigger in Japan, and often in my house. Anyways, I think that if you want to move here, then move here. Nowhere is perfect, but would you want it to be? And whats actually wrong with your kids having some challenges in life? I might put my kids in private school when they are older, but for now, I want them to learn how to get on with all kinds of people. If their educational achievement falls too far, I'll hire a tutor!

[crash55r]

[quote=LoveSummer7;15762124]
I just get my back up when I see people here inquire about moving and then be treated like irresponsible children on these forums for daring to inquire about moving to Hawaii. There are many posters here who seem to honestly want to help... they very kindly answer the questions being asked by mainlanders WITHOUT throwing in a lecture. But others here seem to have nothing better to do than reprimand people. quote]

I couldnt agree with you more. It's a shame that some feel the need to post disgust towards mainlanders moving to Hawaii for better jobs. Much of it is true, but at the same time, seriously people!! This is not the Aloha spirit that I remember before I left to go to college.

Not trying to hijack this thread, but I am a haole (born and raised in HI) that is bringing my haole family back to Hawaii. I remember what I went through as a kamaaina haole and dont wish it upon my children at all.

Good thread...hope it continues.

[melaniej65]

Our home on Oahu isthree years old and we have no issues with spiders, ants or roaches. We DO have a few geckos but they are hardly numerous.

I attended a private school but my boys (one of whom looks VERY Haole) attended Niu Valley middle school, Kaiser H.S. and Leileihua H.S.

My boys were never bullied, called names or hassled by the local kids. Rather any problems they encountered were caused by other Military kids.

It is true that the public schools are substandard but if parents would take the time to enhance the public school education with tutoring and supplemental studies available from the Internet it is more than possible for children to do extremely well on SATs. It all depends upon the time parents and children are willing to invest in their studies.