HIKI NŌ 408 Welcome to a special edition of HIKI NŌ.

My name is Crystal Cebedo, and I’m proud to be a HIKI NŌ student.

In fact, I participated in The Nation’s First Statewide Student News Network at two schools; Waianae Intermediate, and now, Waianae High School’s Searider Productions.

Although all HIKI NŌ stories are conceived, written, reported, shot, and edited by students, one of the most rewarding aspects of HIKI NŌ has been the guidance and inspiration we’ve received from our teachers.

Tonight, we’ll hear from seven teachers about their experiences working with students in the creation of seven exceptional stories from this season of HIKI NŌ.

Our first story comes from Punahou High School in Honolulu.

Here’s their HIKI NŌ teacher, Andrew Ryan.

The name of the story is Hawaii’s Youngest Beekeeper, and the story is about a Punahou student who is a beekeeper and supposedly, he is the youngest one in Hawaii.

My students were inspired by his passion for beekeeping, and it was a great opportunity to explore a student’s interest outside of the classroom.

Alayna Kobayashi, I think, showed that she really gets the process now.

I think in previous stories, we’ve had to go through a couple re-edits and really work on the story, but this time, she really demonstrated that she gets it, and she did a really great job.

Now here’s the story, Hawaii’s Youngest Beekeeper.

Dakota Miller, a freshman at Punahou School, spends his time caring for over thirty thousand bees, making him the youngest beekeeper in Hawaii.

A few years ago in 2009, we met this guy at a farmers’ market.

His name was Howard McGinnis, and he offered to take us out beekeeping.

And we went out to his hives, and he showed us how to bee keep, and after a few times of going out with him to his hives, he then offered us a hive in our backyard, and we said, Sure, we’ll take one.

And that’s basically how we got started.

One of the benefits of beekeeping is, of course, the honey.

You can often find Dakota and his father, Keith Miller, working side-by-side harvesting their honey.

To collect the honey, first we have to take the super off the hive.

Then we take the frames out, take the cappings off the frames, which is the wax over the honey, and spin out all of the honey.

And then, we drain it out into a bucket and filter it, and then we put it in bottles.

And we put the frames back on the hives, for the bees to build more honey on.

Most of the time, we just sell it to family and friends, but once a year, we normally sell it at the Honey Festival, which for the past few years has been at Senator Fong’s Plantation.

Dakota is concerned for Hawaii’s dwindling bee population, as a significant reason why he invests so much time and effort into caring for these bees.

I’m concerned about the bee population in Hawaii, ‘cause probably about ninety percent of the wild beehives in Hawaii have been killed off by either the varroa mite or the small hive beetle, and that’s not good for the environment or crops.

Bees pollinate almost two-thirds of our food crops, and a lot of other plants that make up the forest.

We’re propagating bees by making more beehives and helping put more bees in our area, ‘cause they can fly up to five miles in any direction from the hive, so that’s a lot of bees to go around.

When the bees need more space in their hive, they swarm and move to a new location with a new queen.

Sometimes, people don’t want beehives in their house, they call an exterminator ‘cause they think the bees are gonna attack them.

So what we do is, we come in and we save the bees, and give them a new home in a safe place.

Beekeeping makes me feel happy, and I’m pretty proud of being the youngest beekeeper in Hawaii, ‘cause it’s an interesting thing, and it’s fun to bee keep, and watch how your hives change and watching the bees grow.

Although maintaining the hives requires work and dedication, for Dakota, protecting Hawaii’s bees and helping to preserve their place in our ecosystem is his sweet reward.

This is Alayna Kobayashi from Punahou School, for HIKI NŌ.

Our next story was created by students at Waipahu High School in Central Oahu under the guidance of HIKI NŌ teacher, Johann Montero.

The name of the story that we’ve done over at Waipahu High School is China Adoption.

And it’s basically about Freeman and Sue Cheung.

They are also teachers at Waipahu High School, and this was their story of adopting Malia from China.

Telling such a complicated story was a challenge, basically, ‘cause looking through the rough cuts and working with our producer, we didn’t know where that story went, how it was gonna end.

So, we did a lot of rewriting and re- editing.

What my students learned was, absolutely teamwork, listening to new ideas, taking criticism positively.

So here’s our story, China Adoption.

Did you know, since 1999, over 66,000 Chinese children have been adopted by U.S. families?

This is Malia.

Malia is one of these children.

She was born in China, where she was left at this homeless shelter in Guiyang.

This is Sue and Freeman Cheung.

They both teach here at Waipahu High School.

The Cheungs had taken the steps in adopting Malia in August 2011.

Yeah, we decided to adopt from China because, you know, we couldn’t have children on our own.

We thought it was just gonna be year process.

Because both of us were born in Hong Kong, they said, Okay, we’re gonna put you on an expedited list.

So, we went through the process, and there was a lot of paperwork involved.

And we made the applications, and it was a long drawn process.

The adoption process took longer than expected.

But after waiting a year, and year and a half, still no news.

After two years, no news.

Three years, no news.

And then finally, we thought that, Hey, maybe we should just stop the process, because it was just taking too long, and they couldn’t tell us how long more.

But all of a sudden, they got that special call.

China didn’t get the memo about our terminating the process.

And somehow, they still assigned a child to us, and I was just completely shocked.

So, we said, Really?

I mean, our jaws just dropped, it was just a surprise.

In August 2011, Mr. and Mrs. Cheung traveled to China to meet their baby, Malia, and brought her back officially to their home in September.

It was very nerve-wracking.

Both of us was really—I mean, we have seen her video before, we kinda know she looks like.

But being able to meet with her and touch her, and hold her for the first time is really exciting.

Malia is considered to be one of the lucky ones.

In China, there’s tens of thousands of orphaned children, and especially girls.

Because of the one child per family policy in China, they have been executed for the last couple of years.

If the first baby happens to be a female, a lot of them, although they love their baby, but you know, they have to give it up.

You know, a girl cannot inherit the family name, and that’s the reason why a lot of girls are being abandoned.

Today, Malia lives happily with the Cheungs and her new sister, Pikake, who is also adopted.

If you wanted to adopt internationally, the reward is just tremendous.

When you do get a child assigned to you, it’s just a life-changing kind of thing.

This is Karen Cayme reporting from Waipahu High School, for HIKI NŌ.

Next up is a story from a school I’m very familiar with; Waianae High School, where I attend ninth grade.

Here’s a very cool HIKI NŌ teacher, John Allen, to tell us all about it.

The name of the story is Race To the Top, and it was a story in which we followed a student who would be adversely affected by the new academic initiatives along the Waianae Coast.

Basically, we just followed a student home who had a lot of responsibility at home.

And it wasn’t really clear at first what that kind of responsibility was, but as soon as we started diving deeper into the responsibility she had, you know, it became a really deep story.

It’s always best to feature a person to give a face to the issue, and to really represent what’s happening.

Any time we do a HIKI NŌ story, it’s always a learning experience.

One, learning about the subject matter, and two, just learning about the production and learning about themselves.

So, here’s the story; it’s called Race To the Top.

What do you want to play with [INDISTINCT]?

Making others happy is what it’s all about for Daisy Agae.

[CHUCKLE] Her little brothers couldn’t agree more.

As a sophomore at Waianae High School, time is of the essence for Daisy.

Did anybody wash clothes yet?

From being the mom of the house, cooking, cleaning, and washing everyone’s clothes, Daisy has barely any time for herself.

My daily routine is that I wake up at seven, and then I feed my brother.

And I have to make sure that my brother is ready to get to school at eight, eight-fifteen.

After school, I come home, cook food, and then I stay up all night to do my homework.

Although her mother lives at home, a fall that left her barely able to walk forced Daisy to take control of the household duties.

It all started when I was twelve, because that’s when my little brother was born, and that’s when my mom fell, like a major fall, and she could hardly walk.

[INDISTINCT] Oh, yeah.

Her brother Samson was born with physical complications that makes it hard for him to eat and breathe on his own.

With all the responsibilities at home, Daisy finds it hard to change her attitude towards school.

My grades are kind of low, ‘cause of all this.

My grades are like Ds or Cs.

It’s an all too familiar story at Waianae High School in the Leeward Complex.

With dropping HST scores, it lets the DOE that schools here need help.

So in May 2010, the State applied and secured the Race To the Top Grant.

It’s a federal initiative for schools or states, or schools part of different states, to make improvements.

Race To the Top is a $75 million grant that will be split among the Nanakuli Complex, Waianae Complex, and the Kau Complex on the Big Island.

These schools are receiving this extra support in means of funding extra programs at the school campuses, where we are now able to offer tutoring, additional courses for students.

For this year, we will be extending the learning time.

For Daisy, this means she gets more time to hang around in school, in hopes of cleaning up her grades.

It’s been pretty challenging, because trying to balance out how to do your homework, plus cook dinner and make sure that your brothers and sisters go to sleep on time.

Yes, it is tough to balance, but she knows that it will be the only way to truly help I’m gonna go into the Army.

I’m gonna let my family move in with me, so I can take care and go to work.

The steady balance between home and school will remain uncertain, but if the extra hour does help to improve school data, it will not only make Daisy happy, but also the rest of the schools in the zone.

This is Dezalynn Tiell from Waianae High School, reporting for HIKI NŌ.

Our next story comes from H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui.

Here’s their HIKI NŌ teacher, Trisha Roy.

The name of the story that we produced is called The Beth Arnoult Paralympian Story.

And it was about one of our math teachers at Baldwin High School who was a paralympian at the Beijing Olympics.

We did not have any one to do a HIKI NŌ story, and so, I kinda presented it to my freshman English class.

And I had three freshman boys who volunteered to do this, and these three boys literally had to learn about everything within a couple of days.

We were very impressed in how fast they picked things up, and they were just so in tune with learning.

And you know, they’re kinda like sponges, they were sponges and they just kinda soaked up everything.

I think the students learned from making the story about collaborating with each other.

They also learned about how to tell a compelling story.

And here is our Paralympian story from Maui.

[CHUCKLE] All right; I’m gonna serve to you, Derek.

You ready?

I personally believe that each one of us have a purpose in life.

And when I was playing wheelchair tennis competitively, I knew that that was my purpose of where I was supposed to be.

I became injured in 1991 after riding an ATV four-wheeler.

I’ve been injured twenty-one years, and I was twenty-five when I got injured.

So, I have actually been injured almost as long as I was walking.

It was really, really difficult to deal with the transition, and to accept being in a wheelchair.

To be honest, the day after my accident, I never thought I was not gonna be able to walk again.

I worked on walking with my braces for three years, before I finally realized that I can get around and be much more independent in my wheelchair.

I actually started playing tennis after my injury.

I was watching the U.S. Open on TV, and so, I was all excited to go out and check it out.

To be selected to be on the U.S. team for the Paralympics was quite a challenge.

You had to travel a lot, you had to go to a lot of tournaments, and you had to get your ranking to a certain level.

And I was one of two women that represented the United States of America.

I went in seventeenth in the world, and I came out in the top eight in the quarter finals.

So that was a pretty exciting grand finale of my tennis career professionally.

Mayor Arakawa actually dedicated a day to me, and it was called Beth Arnoult Day, because of my success in wheelchair tennis.

It’s part of my identity, and to be honest, I can’t even imagine walking.

It’s part of who I am.

This next story was created by students at Ka Waihona o ka Naauao Public Charter School in West Oahu under the guidance of HIKI NŌ teacher, Calvin Nakano.

The name of the story is Uncle George, and it’s a story about a man, a Hawaiian man who had a gift, and a gift of standup paddling.

We actually chose the story when I went standup paddling to hear about this guy, Uncle George, and he did it for free.

So, I thought I’d experience it, but I said, Hey, this would be a great story for my students.

Because they can see a Hawaiian man, and I’m working with Hawaiian students at a Hawaiian charter school, and how he is able to give away something for free, living like a Hawaiian man or giving away his aloha spirit, this gift of standup paddling.

The HIKI NŌ experience is that the standards are very high.

[CHUCKLE] So, I think what they learned was perseverance.

Here’s our story, Uncle George.

Following in the wake of the original Ambassador of Aloha, Duke Kahanamoku, Uncle George Kalilikane joins a select group of distinguished Hawaiians who have made global waves.

Arriving at Pokai Bay before the sun peers over the Waianae Mountain Range, Uncle George begins another inspirational day of spreading the aloha spirit.

Having lost over thirty pounds in three months, Uncle George credits standup paddling with not just the obvious health benefits, but perhaps more importantly, it opened his eyes to do the idea of sharing his passion for standup paddling by teaching others to do it, for free.

We met Uncle George a few years ago, and we actually thought he was selling surfboards.

Two and a half years into this endeavor he now calls The Bay of Dreams, Uncle George has shared his boards with over twenty-eight hundred people from around the world.

I started paddling because I needed a way to lose weight.

Basically, I was an overweight Hawaiian that had some issues with my health.

And because I grew up in the water, I wanted to get back to surfing waves, but at my size at almost three hundred pounds, I didn’t think I could get a board that I could actually surf the regular way.

Not only did Uncle George paddle away the pounds, but he also felt guided by a new current with a more purposeful direction.

Well, after I lost the weight and started surfing with smaller boards, the enjoyment level went up.

But also, I was feeling blessed by just the opportunity to lose weight on the water.

And I thought that was a gift that God gave me personally, and it extended my life, so therefore, I use that gift to introduce standup paddling to other people by giving away standup lessons.

The only thing he ever asks for in return … a sticker from the visitor’s hometown.

Yeah, what I’ve done is, I have put together business cards with my mailing address.

And what happens is, I give them a card so that when they get home, wherever home is, they can actually send me back a sticker that I put on the front of my trailer.

So on the front of my trailer, I got stickers from all over the world.

And it’s kinda cool to say that, you know, somebody from that area came to Pokai Bay, which is out in Waianae, and through that process, the organization called Bay of Dreams was able to bless them with standup lessons.

Uncle George himself sums it up best when describing the adventure that his life has now become.

Building dreams, one stroke at a time.

Yeah?

This is Keahi Manoi-Hyde from Ka Waihona o ka Naauao, reporting for HIKI NŌ.

Next up is a story from the school where I began my HIKI NŌ, Waianae Intermediate.

Here’s their HIKI NŌ teacher, Luane Higuchi.

The name of the story is called Adapted PE, and it’s basically a story about our physical education program at Waianae Intermediate School for our special needs students.

What I really like about it is, these special ed kids, they’re really excited when they see that we’re doing stories about them.

And I think they also learn that they do have a voice, you know, and if they tell their stories right, then they have a lot of positive things that they can share with the rest of the State about their own school.

So, here’s the story Adapted PE.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION] Basketball, soccer, working out on exercise equipment, and walking are forms of exercise which require physical fitness and coordination.

But what happens when you have disabilities which affect participation in sports?

At Waianae Intermediate School, students suffering from the most severe disabilities are able to participate in a program known as Adapted PE.

Adapted PE is a physical education class for students who have special needs.

We play basketball and kickball.

And we go to the fitness room and exercise, and lift up weights.

If it wasn’t for the Adapted PE class, probably my students would have a more difficult time adapting to a regular PE class.

They have different disabilities that hinder their progress, and we in this class just help them to succeed in any kind of physical activity that they enjoy.

Why is there a need for these students to have a separate PE class?

When I was born, my mom thought I wouldn’t make it.

So, the doctor put this shunt in my head to keep the fluid from my head.

Like in Dan’s case; if he was to get hit in the head by a basketball, or if he was to fall and hurt his head, then it could present a life-threatening situation.

A lot of my students, they have some type of physical disability.

There’s one that his chest was crushed as a baby, so he has some heart problems, so he can’t overexert himself.

And that’s the same with all the students as well.

We have several students who experience seizures to some degree, and it can be a moderate seizure, it can be a life-threatening seizure, so we always have to keep an eye out for that.

Although the students like PE, they also want to feel accepted by their peers.

They have the same expectations, they look forward to having new and better relationships with other students as well as other adults on campus, and also, they look forward to having the regular ups and downs that other students have.

One of the components of the Adapted PE class is peer tutoring.

In this class, we have typically developing peers that act as peer tutors.

And I think because we have those students in here, it makes it more fun, it makes it more typical, you know, just like a regular PE class.

We view them as students who are in need of patience and guidance to help them become more physically able, so they can be more successful and more fit.

Having the Adapted PE class allows these special needs students to have the same opportunities as other students.

It gives them a chance to exercise while interacting with their peers.

This is Lorraine Char reporting from Waianae High Intermediate School, for HIKI NŌ.

For our final story this evening, we travel to the Valley Isle for a story from Maui High School created under the watchful eye of teacher, Clint Gima.

Because they were under a deadline, they asked all their teachers for a story.

So, when they talked to the band director, he came up with the idea of doing a story on Tally.

When they really got into the story, I think what inspired them was the subject or the character, and Tally, I think, really inspired them to continue and work hard on the story.

Telling it in a way where you don’t really feel sorry for Tally; in fact, I think Tally comes off as being a positive role model.

I think that was the biggest success for them.

They learned how to write better, how to tell a good story, and how to get better shots.

And now, here’s our story, Back In Line.

[INDISTINCT] I collect souvenir pennies, I like baking, I like pets, and I like to take care of children.

Fifteen-year-old Maui High School sophomore Tally Nakamura, shines and smiles in laughter.

But playing her saxophone is indeed what makes her heart sing.

[SAXOPHONE] Being only a sophomore and a section leader, Tally maintains her tempo with her sense of humor.

Some people think I’m a band geek, but I don’t think I’m a band geek.

But I love band.

[CHUCKLE] She’s a pain in the butt.

[INDISTINCT] Artistic … happy most of the time … very talented, very lazy.

Did I say happy?

Oh, that’s hard!

The pain is something Tally is too familiar with.

When I found out I had scoliosis, I often cried a lot about the thought that I would have to quit band.

Tally is not the only one facing a hard turn.

It worries us in the sense that how … is it gonna affect the rest of her life.

Is it gonna limit her capabilities?

Is she gonna live with pain?

You know, it concerns everybody.

But Tally’s love for music is what motivates her to march out of bed every morning.

Oh!

When I wake up, sometimes the pain, it hurts so much, I just don’t want to get out of bed.

But I’m forced to, ‘cause I have to go to school, and go to band rehearsal.

[CHUCKLE] As a leader, she feels a sense of responsibility to the team.

It’s very important that if I’m not there, there would be an empty spot on the field.

Tally’s spot in the show may not be the only thing creating misalignment.

With a thirty-seven- degree curve, she suffers from a moderate to severe type of scoliosis.

This one’s even higher than this one.

The pain is more like an ache, because it pushes all my muscles to one spot.

Tally’s back takes a beating with the long and strenuous practices.

But it’s the performances that relieve her pain.

After the halftime whistle, my heart starts pumping, and then the drum solo starts.

And then, all of the nervousness just goes away, and I just perform.

I don’t really think about the pain in my back.

Oh, wait, no, no, no.

I’m right there.

My doctor said that if my back doesn’t get better by April, I would have to quit band.

To help reposition her back, Tally remains disciplined and conditions frequently.

My spine is getting better, because I do yoga, and go on the gravity inverter to stretch my spine out.

It’s sore!

By keeping her rhythm, Tally will continue to reach for a full recovery.

This is Racieli Andrada from Maui High School, for HIKI NŌ.

Hey!

[CHUCKLE] Seven inspiring stories resulting from collaborations between seven inspiring teachers and their students.

That’s what HIKI NŌ is all about, and what you’ve seen tonight is only the tip of the iceberg.

Dozens of such collaborations are going on as we speak.

Be sure to tune in next week for more examples of how Hawaii’s students and their teachers HIKI NŌ, can do.