He iki hala au no Keaʻau, ʻaʻohe pōhaku ʻalā e nahā ai.
I am a small hala fruit of Kea‘au, but there is no rock hard enough to smash me.  
Speaks to resilience: though small, one possesses great inner strength. 

Keiki at three KS Preschools campuses in East Hawaiʻi recently engaged in hands-on learning centered on hala, the pandanus tree. In partnership with Liko Nā Pilina, KS Preschools’ ʻOhana Engagement Hui guided hala-themed learning activities at Keaukaha, Keaʻau and Pāhoa preschools. They wove together lessons on science, culture and stewardship. 

Hala is a canoe plant deeply rooted in Hawaiʻi Island’s history and identity. It has a special connection to the east side of Hawaiʻi Island, especially in Puna, an area famed for its abundance of the tree. This legacy is captured in numerous ʻōlelo noʻeau such as Ka makani hali ʻala o Puna. The fragrance-bearing wind of Puna. Puna, Hawai‘i was famed for the fragrance of maile, lehua and hala. It was said that when the wind blew from the land, fishermen could smell the fragrance of these leaves and flowers.  

Moʻolelo further explain hala’s presence, telling of Pele’s canoe becoming entangled in Puna’s hala. In her anger, she scattered the trees across the island, accounting for their wide distribution today.

Keaukaha Preschool Kumu Christie Zimmer and her haumāna learn a mele with hand motions about the life cycles of hala, with Emma Stierhoff of Liko Nā Pilina. Stierhoff reflected: “I think it’s really important that keiki develop relationships with trees all around them. If they leave knowing the name of one plant, I’m happy—because then when they go to the beach they can say, ‘Oh, there is kumu hala that we planted in our class.’ And once they have that relationship, then they care about that tree. It’s more than just some inanimate object they see—it’s a living being that they have a relationship with, and they grow to care more for those other beings.”

Keaukaha Preschool Kumu Christie Zimmer and her haumāna learn a mele with hand motions about the life cycles of hala, with Emma Stierhoff of Liko Nā Pilina. Stierhoff reflected: “I think it’s really important that keiki develop relationships with trees all around them. If they leave knowing the name of one plant, I’m happy—because then when they go to the beach they can say, ‘Oh, there is kumu hala that we planted in our class.’ And once they have that relationship, then they care about that tree. It’s more than just some inanimate object they see—it’s a living being that they have a relationship with, and they grow to care more for those other beings.”

The experience reinforced the rigor of Hawaiian culture-based education as a comprehensive learning approach. Through hala, keiki engaged in science, studying plant lifecycles, growth conditions and observation (kilo). They developed language arts skills by building ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi vocabulary, listening to moʻolelo and communicating observations through discussion and reflection. Mathematics was embedded through comparing size and shape, sequencing life stages and recognizing patterns in weaving. Social studies emerged through ʻike kupuna and understanding kuleana within their kaiāulu.

HCBE learning is hands-on, interdisciplinary, place-based, and developmentally rigorous — grounded in ʻike Hawaiʻi while meeting high academic expectations.

“Keiki will mālama the plants at school, and kilo their growth,” Keaukaha Prechool kumu Christie Zimmer said. “ʻOhana will be able to continue to care for the hala at home or donate them to local reforestation efforts.”

Together, the East Hawaiʻi haumāna planted more than 100 hala seedlings, transforming learning into a living legacy — guided by culture and activating future aloha ʻāina.

Through planting hala at school, painting with hala keys, and practicing weaving skills, keiki deepened their connection to the versatile hala. Keiki also learned about the lifecycle of the plant, the many uses of lauhala and increased their ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi vocabulary.

Through planting hala at school, painting with hala keys, and practicing weaving skills, keiki deepened their connection to the versatile hala. Keiki also learned about the lifecycle of the plant, the many uses of lauhala and increased their ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi vocabulary.

TAGS
ks preschools, hawaiian culture based education, early childhood education, native hawaiian identity

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Kaipuolono Article, Regions, West Hawai’i, East Hawai’i, Themes, Culture, Community, E Ola!, KS Announcements, Newsroom, Preschools, Community Education, KS Kaiāulu, Oiwi Leaders, Preschools

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