Quick Dates

Feb. 2:
McTeacher Night, 4-7 pm

Feb. 5:
FURLOUGH DAY

Feb. 8:
Gr. 2 Field Trip
Gr. 4 & 6 Field Trip
SCC meeting

Feb. 12:
FURLOUGH DAY

Feb. 15:
Presidents' Day HOLIDAY

Feb. 18:
PTO Meeting

Feb. 20:
Radford Complex Speech Festival

Feb. 26:
Free Dress

Ready for School?
Supply list, calendar, map, and more!

Parent Handbook
coming soon

Academic Financial Plans
... plus Quarterly Progress Reports, SCC minutes

HES Curriculum
Brief descriptions of each grade level's curriculum (to be updated)

Dept. of Education
Educational resources, Standards Based reform, Board of Ed info, employment opportunities, links to public schools, etc.

Questions or comments?
Email us.

Thank you to all who came out for McTeacher Night on February 2. Fun was had by many! 17 HES teachers and staff were present and working hard to serve the many families of Hickam Elementary School. Over $1,100 was raised in 3 hours! We will be planning one more McTeacher Night this school year. Keep watching the Echo Newsletter for an update soon. The students were treated with a surprise visit from the Hamburglar.     ~ HES PTO

To ensure that our families are able to access the Echo Newsletter, a mention of its monthly posting will be announced, and our faculty will help in getting the word across via emails and memos. Don't hesitate to let us know how you feel about this..or anything else school-related!

For those who purchased our HES Family Calendar, there is a correction that needs to be noted: Spirit Week events are no longer held in February; they were replaced with the Red Ribbon Week events that are held in October. We apologize for the confusion.

So much has been going on at Hickam Elementary!

• Door decorating by students who understand that being drug-free is the key
• The Air Force Band of the Pacific as they capped our Red Ribbon Week with a rousing concert
• PCNC's annual Pumpkin-Carving Night
• Student Council's October Festival with student-run game booths and plenty of fun costumes
• Grade 3's super-creative Vocabulary Parade
• PTO's Fall Fest, which fell on Friday the 13th this year!

HES and the Air Force Hawaii First Sergeants’ Association collected 648 lbs of school supplies, in which 445 lbs were from HES! The supplies should be reaching the children in Afghanistan in the coming weeks. Thanks to all those who donated school supply items! The children in Afghanistan will be extremely happy. School supplies are very limited there in the region. Again, mahalo to all those who donated items!   ~ HES PTO

Hickam Elementary has modified its school calendar and internal schedule to regain instructional time that will be lost due to the 17 furlough days:

*Professional Development and Waiver Days that fell on Furlough Days will not be rescheduled.
The Spring Program (and its many hours of practice/rehearsal) has been cancelled.
Chorus and Conditioning/Drill practices that were held during the last period will be held after school.
Learning Team Time (when teachers of one grade level per week were able to plan while resource teachers covered their classes) has been reduced.

Below are some educational websites that families may visit while at home on Furlough Fridays.

Starfall
EZschool
Fun Brain
Book Adventure
Sheppard Software
GameGoo Educational Games
Arcademics Skill Builders Games
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
SOAR - Student Online Achievement Resources (military families and classmates)

Achieve3000 (students in Gr. 2-6 have accounts)
TumbleBooks (we are sharing w/another school, ask teacher for username/password)
Rainforest Maths (usernames/passwords coming soon)

PBS Parents (for parents)
Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (list of organizations providing programs for students)

Your children's teachers will be working harder than ever to ensure that your child gets the best education we can provide at Hickam Elementary School. Some grade levels have sent home "Furlough Friday packets" with work for students to do on FFs. Others have come up with lists of enrichment activities and things to do:

Grade 1
Grade 4

Pictures from the Art Night fundraiser are now online, thanks to Mrs. Myers who took most of the photos of the families as they created their projects in the cafeteria and computer lab.

Hickam Elementary teamed up with Original Works to offer unique gifts that are focused on student creativity. Proceeds from this fundraiser will fund projects for the Chorus, Art, PCNC and JPO programs.

Art Night Fundraiser slide show

PTO McTeacher Night was a huge success on September 15th. There were 22 staff members from HES working the 3-hour shift to raise money for the school. Thanks to all who came out and participated! Our total profit was $1,321. Again, thanks to all who came out and supported HES!!!!!

Sincerely,
Chris Purington
PTO President

Hickam Elementary honored those who were lost in 2001 as well as those who defend and serve today with an assembly and parade that led up to the PACAF Headquarters. The Radford HS Color Guard and Band, along with the 15th Security Forces, Fire Department, and Base officials also participated in the event that was coordinated by our fantastic PTO. Students wore alternating grade level colors of red and blue, and showed their pride and enthusiasm as they sang during the assembly and participated in this special occasion.

9/11 Parade slide show

Our students love cheering for their faculty and staff members at our Welcome Assemblies, and our fourth annual event was no exception.

Photos don't really do justice to show how our Hickam adults strutted their stuff...but that's what we've got here, so please check out our faculty and staff as they introduce themselves to our student body!

Welcome Assembly 2009 slide show

Please be aware that all parking has been discontinued on Julian Way. This solves hazards validated by our Base safety experts that present an unacceptible risk for our community, especially during student pick-up and drop-off for Hickam Elementary.

Manzelman Circle will be used for all student pick-up and drop-off. For parents who wish to escort their children to school, short-term parking is available along 8th and 9th Streets.

On May 22, 2009, Hickam Elementary put on another outstanding Spring Program extravaganza! Family and friends were entertained by our talented students who performed to songs from popular movies.

Click to view the 55-picture slide show.

So many things going on at Hickam, with more to come in the final few weeks! Recently we've put on

• an amazing production of Jungle Book,
• another Family Reading Night,
• and participated in the Radford Complex Track Meet.

Fifth graders in H-9 received a Party Pack for reading the most KidBiz 3000 articles and becoming our school's winners!	Students in Grade 4 visited Fort Kamehameha on Hickam Air Force Base and took part in a hands-on archeological dig.

Hickam Elementary held its first ever McTeacher night this week, and it was a smashing success! Lines were out the door throughout the evening, and the place was packed with very patient Hickam families. Thanks go out to our hard-working teachers, and to the families and students (and strangers who happened to stop by) who helped our school earn money for our PTO!

View the slideshow of the McTeacher Night.

Our annual Red Ribbon Week included several events encouraging students to be drug-free. The culminating "Slam the Door on Drugs" had students decking out their classroom doors to cap off the week.

photos submitted by counselors David Murata and Jill Kurisu

View the slideshow of the doors.

Social Studies Night	Winter Assembly

Our last week before Winter Break was an eventful one. On Monday, families learned about different cultures and created holiday crafts at our Holiday Passport-themed Social Studies Night. Some were even yummy! [photos by Jill Kurisu]

Then on Friday at our Winter Assembly, students and staff honored our principal, Mr. Okino, and custodian, Mr. Tavai, who will both be retiring at the end of the month. They were presented with lei, gifts, songs, dance, and even choreographed cheers. We wish them both the best in their retirement!

Our re-scheduled Fall Festival had a great turn-out, despite been postponed due to earlier bad weather. Spaghetti dinners, hot dogs, popcorn, slush floats, ice cream, cotton candy, drinks, oodles of baked goods; as well as tons o' games, a dunking booth, so many things to be purchased, hair to be spray-painted, bodies to be (temporarily) tattooed, and MORE... made the wait worthwhile. Oh, and kids having fun with current and former HES friends was just icing on the not-so-soggy cake.

View the slideshow of the fun event.

Art Night - fundraiser	Math Night - fun and games

Pumpkin Carving - whee!

Hickam Elementary holds many educational and fun events for our families throught the year. Above are pictures taken at our recent Art Night, Math Night, and Annual PCNC Pumpkin Carving.

This year's October Festival fell on Halloween, which made the day even more exciting than usual!

View the slide show of our costumed kiddies.

Our third annual Welcome Back Assembly introduced our faculty and staff to the student body. Preparing for this event does add to the load of our already-busy adults, but the kids love it. Who knows when they'll get another chance to see their teachers and faculty members show off in this way? With all the cheering and hollering, you'd think they were bona fide celebrities!

View the slide show of our first school-wide assembly.

Another school year has come to an end, capped by our annual outdoor Awards Assembly. The rain stopped in time for students, parents, and staff to recognize our Students of the Quarter, JPOs, Art Club, Ukulele Club, Chorus, Track, and other outstanding student groups. The custodial staff was honored for the superb work they do, and our new Hickam t-shirts were modeled on stage. Our graduating 6th graders sang "My Wish" to the audience of classmates and parents, and the entire student body closed the ceremony with our school song.

View our final slide show of the school year.

Two more days until summer vacation!

HES' 4th graders performed several familiar tunes (lyrics replaced with health-related tips) that helped educate us about the importance of eating "healthy and smart". Each student had a line to say and each class had their own musical number, which was capped by a rousing finale involving all four classes. Amazingly, this all came together in the span of eight days, thanks to a collaboration of the Alliance for Drama Education and the Hawaii Medical Service Association.

Watch our talented 4th graders on Vimeo.com!

Our bi-annual Curriculum Fair was the successful result of weeks of hard work by teachers and their students. Displays ranged from animal reports and their super-cute 3-D renderings, to insights on children's dreams for the future (or at least what they would like to be when they grow up); poster boards and creative exhibitions of healthy habits and rainforest habitats, to science projects showcasing their owners' grasp of scientific inquiry. Musical performances and HES sports events were also exhibited and given "virtual tours" by our outstanding Music and PE teachers.

Enjoy our slide show of the event.

Amanda Zubowicz, a student in Mr.Guerrera's 2nd grade class, was awarded First Place in the Board of Water Supply (BWS) Grades 1-2 competition. BWS personnel advised that the judges were impressed with Amanda's poster, especially on the quality of her artwork, the imagery and her ability to creatively convey her water conservation message in keeping with this year's theme, "Makamae Ka Wai (Precious is the water) ... Use it Wisely!" Winning posters will be featured in the 2009 Water Conservation Calendar that will be delivered at the end of the year to all schools.

Her winning poster can also be seen in this month's (May) edition of the Echo parent newsletter.

Hickam Elementary was fortunate to have a crew from the 15th Medical Wing clean our campus last week as they participated in "Polishing the Pearl of the Pacific", a Base clean-up program.

Hickam Elementary families were treated to an amazing hands-on Science Night with Art Kimura and his wife Rene of Future Flight Hawaii on March 4, 2008. Kids and their parents conducted various experiments and even learned intimate details about astronauts and space travel, such as how they eat, go through their daily routines, and even use the bathroom in space. Mr. Kimura kept them engaged for hours as he spoke knowledgeably about past and future space programs, and told us that as we continue space exploration back to the moon and on toward Mars, he might even be looking at the first people who will live there in the future -- the first "Martians"!

50-photo slide show of experiments, rocket launching, and more.

Mrs. Gates, spouse of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; Mrs. Chandler, spouse of General C. "Howie" Chandler, Commander Pacific Air Forces; and Mrs. Roy, spouse of CMSgt James Roy, Pacific Command Senior Enlisted Advisor visited Hickam Elementary School during the SECDEF's recent visit to Hawaii. These visitors received a tour of the campus and visited several classrooms.

[L to R: Mrs. Ortega (PCNC facilitator), Mr. Dean (military liason), Mrs. Roy, Mrs. Gates, Mr. Okino (principal), Mrs. Chandler]

Megan Murray of the Investigations Implementation Center at TERC (Technical Education Research Centers) has been providing professional development for HES teachers this week regarding the 2nd edition of our Investigations Math program.

At our Math Night yesterday, parents had the opportunity to listen to her as she introduced the 2nd edition's goals and guiding principles, and explained more about the program. Families then participated in hands-on Investigations Math activities hosted by our teachers.

Slide show of the fun and informative event [19 photos]

Slam the Door on Drugs (26 photos of decorated doors)
Wear Red Day (12 class photos)

Picnic With Your Child: Great opportunity for parents to lunch with their kiddies! (Coordinated and photographed by Mrs. Kristie Ortega)

American Hero Posters: Student-created posters were delivered to 15th Air Base Wing HQ, Mission Support, Operations, Hawaii Air National Guard, and PACAF HQ in appreciation for all they do.

Fall Festival 2007: A fun time was had by all, with food, game/activity booths, a silent auction, and FUN galore!

October Fest 2007 [52 photos]	Hawaii Opera Theatre [35 photos]

Hickam Elementary students helped to plant native Hawaiian trees at the Aloha 'Aina Park on base. Pictured are Mrs. Lear and her preschool students. Their picture and a brief article is on the Star-Bulletin's website!

Welcome Assembly 2007 [41 photos]	Hickam Air Force Base Tour [38 photos]

The final school-wide assembly of the year showcased just how truly great our students - and teachers! - are. Students of the Quarter, Track, Chorus, JPOs and other outstanding student groups were recognized. The big announcement came when our incredible music and chorus teacher, Tracie Higashi, was presented with the state-wide VFW Appreciation Award.

Farewells were made to the personnel who will be leaving us, but the mood was lightened by a hilarious presentation of the "Three Be"s by our new "In-Stings" boy band!

Photos may be viewed in slide show format [46 photos].

The weather was perfect. The rain had stopped and a cool breeze was blowing as our 6th graders proudly received their graduation certificates and sang their class song, "Keep Holding On", by Avril Lavigne.

Please view the slide show of the ceremony [11 photos].

The students of Hickam Elementary wowed parents and community members as they sang and danced to the hits of Motown during "Hitsville USA: The Sound of America". We even had surprise cameos from our own little Supremes and Four Divas!

Following the Spring Program, special guests and staff were treated to a delicious buffet catered by our own awesome Hickam cafeteria crew.

Please view the slide show [126 photos].

A couple of months ago we had a special visit from Jeannette Kingery who attended Hickam Elementary back in 1941 when it was still called "Hickam Post School". If the year 1941 sounds familiar to you, it should -- she and her family were witnesses to the attack on Pearl Harbor and had to evacuate quickly.

Read her story on our blog.

HES Bedtime Stories [29 photos]	Teddy Bear Round-Up [7 photos]

4th Grade Field trip - Haleiwa Farms [90 photos]

Hickam students increase their fitness levels exercising to the ever-popular "Chicken Fat" song.

Winter concert, dedicated to Masa, our custodian of 16 years.	Deployed Family Night Quicktime   |   Windows Media
Various assemblies and events Quicktime   |   Windows Media	Cafeteria popcorn winners! Quicktime   |   Windows Media

View more pictures, submitted by Msgt. Billie Williams.

... red-handed for Red Ribbon Week [8 photos]	Wacky Hats / Red Ribbon Week [19 photos]
October Fest with games, prizes, and lots of fun! [10 photos]	Hawaii Opera Theatre's performance of "Mikado" [5 photos]

Five grade levels went on field trips today, leaving only Kindergarten and Grade 2 on campus, which was a good thing because it was very soggy today and we wouldn't have had enough long plastic sheets to go around!

This is how some classes kept semi-dry on the way to the cafeteria.

We recently received a report that Hickam Elementary has once again achieved the Federal No Child Left Behind's "Good Standing, Unconditional" status (its highest level) in 2006. We've been in that category since 2003, when NCLB first began, even as testing became more stringent and stakes got progressively higher. We've met AYP (Adequate Yearly Performance) for four consecutive years. This has been achieved by diligent work and long hours on the part of our teachers who continuously strive to challenge our students, improve teaching strategies, and keep up and comply with the ever-changing, rigorous, and often last-minute mandatory demands thrust upon them. Congratulations to both our students and their teachers!

View our and other schools' assessment and accountability information at the DOE's Accountability Resource Center Hawaii's site.

Hickam Elementary's first annual Welcome Assembly was an amazing display of hidden talent on the part of our teachers and staff! Students cheered them on as if they were rock stars. This was a fun way to introduce the terrific HES staff to our student body. Huge thanks to our vice principal, Mrs. Tanouye, our music teacher, Ms. Higashi, and especially our talented and energetic faculty and staff for this great kick-off of the school year!

Hickam Elementary's Curriculum Fair showcased student work and standards achievement. Displays and projects included student-created books, art work, dioramas, various types of writing samples, science experiments, and Powerpoint presentations.

Our motto is "Kuli'a i ki nu'u": "Strive for the highest", and it was evident that our students, under the guiding hand of their teachers, do just that!

Please view the 21-picture slide show of the event.

LinkUp! performance for parents, May 3, 2006	Mr. Okino and 2nd graders planting hibiscus plants, May 1, 2006
Parent Math Night, March 21, 2006	Hawaii Opera Theatre's performance of "Pirates of Penzance", April 17, 2006