Kamehameha Schools opened the doors to its new Kikiwelawela Preschool in Heʻeia this spring amid the ongoing pandemic.
After just three months, rising demand for early childhood education is prompting the school to expand — doubling its capacity for keiki on the windward side of Oʻahu this fall.
The new preschool sits on the former site of the now-closed St. Ann’s School in Kāneʻohe.
Andrea Waiaʻu, Hope Poʻokumu or Vice Principal of Kikiwelawela, said demand for early learning spots at Kamehameha Schools’ Heʻeia campus, just up the road, received 171 applications for the 2020–2021 school year.
“Out of those applications, we could only accept 60 keiki. So thatʻs a huge need,” Waiaʻu said. “That shows us there’s a very large need in our community. So when St. Ann’s closed its door, that was a big loss to the community. And Kamehameha saw the need.”
Starting a new preschool amid the pandemic came with its challenges, said Mikala Limpahan, one of Kikiwelawela’s lead teachers.
She said there’s been a strong emphasis on teaching keiki how to malama themselves by wearing masks, washing hands, and so forth.
“They're still able to interact with each other but there are barriers in place for their safety that prevent them from being able to splash in the water table, you know, mash that playdough together,” says Limpahan, “We always teach the keiki, ‘We share aloha, not germs.’”
Waiaʻu said part of what drives demand at any of Kamehameha Schools’ 30 preschools statewide is its model of Hawaiian culture-based education.
“When you think of Kamehameha Schools, you think of that connection to your piko, the connection to the ʻāina, the connection to place, right? And the connection to the lāhui,” Waiaʻu said. “It allows keiki to connect to the past, the present, and who they are as Hawaiians.”
That’s why KS parent and alum Shantelle De Silva chose to enroll her 3-year-old son Kehauariʻi in Kamehameha Preschool Kapālama.
“He has Hawaiian names that speak of where his family is from — Maui and Niʻihau. He has a Tahitian name. His names carry stories of who he is and where he comes from, and that's important for us as a family for him to know that story and then to share that story when he's able to,” De Silva said.
Since opening its doors at Kikiwelawela, Waiaʻu said demand has skyrocketed. With just 90 available seats at Kamehameha Schools’ three campuses in the region, they received more than 250 applications.
“So due to that demand we decided to open up two additional classrooms – doubling our capacity at Kikiwelawela from 40 seats to 80 seats,” Waia’u said. “I think it's important to mention that this is a step in the right direction, but there’s still a greater need for preschool out there.”
