STORIES FROM THE FIELD: CINCO DE MAYO CUP-OF-CHEER AT HONOKA'A
As the unprecedented 2020-2021 School Year comes to a close, we wanted to share some photos from a fun school event with Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School and Honoka‘a Elementary School. While we weren’t there for the whole event, we were able to kick things off with a spin on our usual morning coffee “Cup-of-Cheer.”
School personnel hanging out at the end of our Cup-of-Cheer event with their non-alcoholic margaritas and gifts, waiting for the rest of their Teacher Appreciation Day festivities to begin.
Cup-of-Cheer (and Teacher Appreciation Day) isn’t just for teachers! Custodial and security staff enjoyed the festivities, as well.
Background: Vice Principal Megan Minotti mans the mock margarita station. Foreground: Gift table courtesy of our donors.
While early events stuck to very strict COVID-19 preventive guidelines, we were able to do more elaborate events in the spring semester. Vice Principal Megan Minotti (pictured to the left) was a great partner, spearheading a “Nacho Average” Teacher Appreciation event that went on after Cup-of-Cheer left the taco bar and mock margarita party! She coordinated the administrators and kitchen staff to put on an event for both the High & Intermediate and the Elementary school. After we concluded Cup-of-Cheer, the event continued with just the school ‘ohana sharing, dancing, and playing games.
‘Ono food prepared by kitchen staff thanks to donations from the schools, Hōkūpaʻa, and Costco.
We want to thank all our partners and friends that helped us bring our uplifting Cup-of-Cheer events to the West Hawai‘i Complex Area Public Schools. While we did not make it to every campus, we hope to fix that in the fall!
Mahalo to Office Max, Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, Costco, and Target for your donations of gift cards, office and classroom supplies, face masks, hand sanitizer, fans, stress balls, and wallets!
Sandra Taosaka (Delta Kappa Gamma) stands at the gift table with a sign thanking our sponsors.
Mahalo to Delta Kappa Gamma Rho Chapter and the DOE district SEL team for helping organize and run this and all other Cup-of-Cheers! Reach out to them at https://www.facebook.com/dkg.rho.5 if you’d like to donate or help with future Cup-of-Cheer or other service projects.
And our biggest mahalo goes to the wonderful staff at Honoka‘a Elementary and Honoka’a Intermediate & High for their resilience and adaptability this past year. Keep it up, Dragons!
From left to right: Vice Principal Megan Minotti (Honoka‘a High & Intermediate), Sandra Taosaka (Delta Kappa Gamma), Athletic Director Keith Tolentino (Honoka‘a High & Intermediate), District Resource Teacher Joy Personius (Dept. of Education - West Hawai‘i Complex Area, Delta Kappa Gamma), Vice Principal Tammie Picklesimer (Honoka‘a High & Intermediate), Kamela Souza (Hōkūpaʻa), Principal Rachelle Matsumura (Honoka‘a High & Intermediate).
