Lahainaluna ʻOhana,
As we work into the fourth quarter I would first like to thank you on behalf of the entire staff for your support this school year. We’ve had our ups and downs, but one thing that has never wavered is the passion our ʻohana has for our students and traditions. It serves as constant inspiration for just how special Lahainaluna is.
Heading into the last two months of school, we would like to focus our efforts on improving one of our data points that has been trending downward since the beginning of school, daily student attendance. The average percentage of students on campus and in their classes has gone from 90.2% in the first quarter, to 84.5% in quarter two, and to 82.1% in quarter three. Coming to school and being in class has a significant impact on a student’s academic success, and so reversing this trend will be a major emphasis of our faculty and administrative team.
Families can help our efforts by stressing the importance of attendance with their children, and communicating with the school when your child is out. You can report absences by either calling the attendance office at 808-662-4000 x242, or by filling out a form online - Reporting an Absence, or Requesting Permission to Leave Campus.
Tomorrow, March 28, is ACT testing day, an important day for our students to be present and on time! The teachers and kids have all been prepped on what to expect, where to report, and testing rules like “cell phones must be turned off and stowed during testing”. So if you need to reach your child tomorrow, please call the main office. The ACT (Juniors), Pre-ACT (Sophomores and Freshman), and UHMC Fieldtrip (Seniors) are all great opportunities for our students to get information and feedback to help guide their college and career plans. Please remind your student to get a good night’s sleep and be on time and ready to go tomorrow.
The school is hoping our attention to daily attendance rates will result in improved numbers of students at school and in their classes. I know as a community we can work together to make this happen.
Have a great evening,
Richard Carosso