Tag Archives: Hawaiian Teachers

Annual song competition honors beloved Hawaii educator George Alanson Andrus

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There are times when a particularly special educator inspires students long after he or she no longer walks this earth. One of these educators is George Alanson Andrus, a beloved music teacher who taught in the Hawaiian islands during the early part of the 20th century. Even though he lived a century ago, George became the inspiration for a singing competition that still takes place annually at Hawaii’s Kamehameha School. The Kamehameha School is a privately-funded high school originally founded to provide quality education for Native Hawaiian students. Many consider the institution to be one of the most prestigious schools in the Hawaiian islands.

When George suddenly collapsed and died on May 26, 1921, the principal and faculty of the school wanted to honor the popular teacher. To do so, they hastily organized an impromptu choral competition between the classes that very same day. They held that first competition in the dark on the steps of the campus’s Bishop Museum, illuminated only by the headlights of automobiles aimed at the contestants. The following year, the Kamehameha School for Girls staged their first annual song contest.

In the early days of the contest, each class sang the school’s alma mater, Sons of Hawaii, followed by a Hawaiian composition, and culminating with an original song in Hawaiian composed by members of the class. In 1968, the competition was televised for the first time, live, with a simulcast on radio. Today, the event is still highly anticipated, and, like the very first competition, many of the song selections are still delivered a cappella.

To learn more about the Kamehameha Schools, visit their website at www.ksbe.edu. To view a performance at the 2024 competition, view this four-minute YouTube video below.

Hawaii’s SPEDucator Project: “You are exactly who our students need!”

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Every dedicated, hardworking educator knows how difficult the job of teaching is, and sometimes we may feel like, no matter how hard we try to make a positive difference in the lives of our students, we are not good enough. This happens not only to many Special Education teachers, but to many regular education teachers, too. Well, here is a video created by the Hawaii’s SPEDucator Project especially for Special Education teachers that offers a message for every educator:  “You are exactly who our students need!” View the video below.

The is SPEDucator Project comprised of Special Education teachers working with the Hawaii State Department of Education. These teachers were selected by educational leaders for their passion, ingenuity, and excellence in the field of special education. Participants advocate for resources and training to better serve Special Education students, parents, and communities. Click on this link to learn more about the SPEDucator Project.

Educators caught by Lahaina wildfires have lost homes, classrooms

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Educators all over the country have undoubtedly heard of the calamitous wildfire that has befallen the community of Lahaina in Hawaii. The fast-moving fire has leveled nearly the entire town, killing more than 100 people and forcing thousands to flee without a possession to their name. When these survivors were finally able to return to their community, they found themselves homeless.

Preliminary counts indicate that more than 50 Maui educators have either lost their homes entirely, or their homes suffered so much damage that they are uninhabitable. And that’s not all. Since the fires destroyed King Kamehameha III Elementary School was also leveled, at least 15 of these teachers have lost their classrooms as well.

According to the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), some of these teachers and their families have been offered temporary shelter with family members, friends, or colleagues living in unaffected areas. Fortunately, a few of these educators have already set up GoFundMe, GiveSendGo, or Venmo accounts to help raise money to meet their most pressing immediate needs and get themselves and their households back on their feet. To see a partial list of these accounts compiled by HSTA, click on this link to their Maui Wildfires Donations webpage.

Remember that the counts of those educators that have been affected by the devastating wildfires do not include other school employees, such as education assistants, cafeteria workers, custodians, and administrators. And don’t forget the kids and their parents! They all need a great deal of assistance, too! This can be done through a donation to the Aloha United Way Maui Fire Relief Fund. Your tax-deductible donations will go directly to Maui United Way to support Maui victims.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the large numbers of people and the extent of the need. I’m sure every little bit of help you can offer will be very much appreciated.

 

Beloved music teacher George Andrus inspires Hawaiian singing competition

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There are times when a particularly special educator inspires students long after he or she no longer walks this earth. One of was George Alanson Andrus, a beloved music teacher who taught in the Hawaiian islands during the early part of the 20th century. Even though he lived a century ago, George became the inspiration for a singing competition that still takes place annually at Hawaii’s Kamehameha School. The Kamehameha School is a privately-funded high school originally founded to provide quality education for Native Hawaiian students. Many consider the institution to be one of the most prestigious schools in the Hawaiian islands.

When George suddenly collapsed and died on May 26, 1921, the principal and faculty of the school wanted to honor the popular teacher. To do so, they hastily organized an impromptu choral competition between the classes that very same day. They held that first competition in the dark on the steps of the campus’s Bishop Museum, illuminated only by the headlights of automobiles aimed at the contestants. The following year, the Kamehameha School for Girls staged their first annual song contest.

In the early days of the contest, each class sang the school’s alma mater, “Sons of Hawaii,” followed by a Hawaiian composition, and culminating with an original song in Hawaiian composed by members of the class. In 1968, the competition was televised for the first time, live, with a simulcast on radio. Today, the event is still highly anticipated, and, like the very first competition, many of the song selections are still delivered a cappella.

To view a performance from this year’s song competition, watch the YouTube video below. To learn more about the Kamehameha Schools, visit their website at www.ksbe.edu.

Native Hawaiian educator Lucy Puniwai Blaisdell, served as First Lady of Honolulu

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Long-time educator and Native Hawaiian Lucy Puniwai Blaisdell served as First Lady of Honolulu during the term of her husband, Neal Blaisdell, pictured with her here in 1956. Photo Credit: Honolulu Advertiser

Many accomplished educators have also gained notoriety in the public eye. One of these was Lucy Puniwai Blaisdell, who once served as the First Lady of Honolulu while her husband was the city’s mayor.

Lucy was born on August 16, 1903, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Helen Kahanuulani Meek, was a Native Hawaiian, and her father, Charles Thurston, was a descendent of an American Revolutionary War soldier named Robert Thurston.

After Lucy’s high school graduation from Punahou School, she continued her education first at the Territorial Normal School and then at Colorado College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1926. That same year she married her childhood sweetheart, Neal Blaisdell, also of Native Hawaiian heritage. After their marriage, Neal accepted a position as football coach at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and Lucy accepted her first teaching position in Rochester, New York. Over the course of that year, she enrolled at Columbia University, where she earned her Master’s degree.

In the summer of 1927, Lucy and Neal returned to their home state of Hawaii. Upon her return, she accepted a position at her alma mater, the Territorial Normal School. In 1937, she returned to Rochester, New York, where for one year she taught social studies on a teacher exchange assignment. During the many years she taught in Hawaii she taught in schools in Honolulu schools, including Washington Intermediate, Liliuokalani, Stevenson, President William McKinley High School, Kaimuki High School, and Kaimuki Intermediate. The distinguished educator concluded her 36-year career when she retired from the profession in 1963.

When Neal was elected mayor of Honolulu in 1955, Lucy became the city’s First Lady. She served in this capacity until he retired from office in 1969. During these years, Lucy steadfastly declined opportunities to make public speeches, but she did work tirelessly for his campaign. Once he was elected, she continued to decline public speaking opportunities, but happily served as his hostess at formal and casual gatherings. Even though she was still teaching, after she had put in a full day at school she would attend social and political events with her husband in the evenings.

Lucy Puniwai Blaisdell passed away on December 16, 1986, at the age of 86. She is buried alongside her husband a Oahu Cemetery in Honolulu.