Creativity Abounds at Parker School’s Annual Art Start Program
Parker School students experienced first hand what it is like to live as an artist for a day.   The annual program Art Start gives students the opportunity to learn from local artists in various disciplines and this year took on a new direction by celebrating and reflecting the multi-arts approach reflected within Parker School’s Fine Arts Department.   In addition to the visual artists that have been the traditional foundation of Art Start, the program integrated literary, performing and media arts as well. Full story - photos  (West Hawaii Today - March 10, 2010)

Kahiau, Parker School's auction gala to raise money for financial aid, raised over $135,000.
Mahalo to all of the sponsors, donors, volunteers and participants who made kahiau our 5th Annual fundraising gala for financial aid and scholarships a huge success! For a list of sponsors and donors and donors, please click here.

Parker Expansion Approved - Leeward Commission OK's growth - with caveats
by Erin Miller, West Hawaii Today, February 27, 2010
Community groups met for months to work out an agreement regarding Parker School's expansion request, which went before the Leeward Planning Commission on Friday. But despite overwhelming testimony from participants, community group representatives and Parker School employees that the agreement represented a consensus, planning commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a use permit amendment that did not incorporate the agreement. Click here to read more.

Kid Pan Alley Residency and Concert with Paul Reisler
Parker School welcomed Paul Reisler on February 16 - 18. Paul worked with the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. Each grade wrote their own song culminating in a concert on February 18th. Click here to see a slideshow of Paul Reisler at Parker School.

Congratulations to Zen Michael Kuriyama
Congratulations to Zen Michael Kuriyama placing 2nd at the Shakespeare Recitation State Competition. Zen, who represented Parker School on Oahu two years ago in the Poetry Out Loud, prevailed with a monologue from Twelfth Night, performing Duke Orsino. (West Hawaii Today - March 3, 2010)

Congratulations to Corey Patton
Congratulations to Corey Patton who won Parker School's Poetry Out Loud Competition. Corey triumphed over eleven other hopefuls with the poem “Sympathy,” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. He will fly to Oahu on February 28 to compete at the State level; the winner of that contest will compete in Washington D.C. (West Hawaii Today - March 3, 2010)

Parker School Seventh Grade Goes Medieval
After studying the medieval period in history class with Mrs. Sturges, Parker School seventh graders reenacted their own medieval feast.  Complete with food and drink the feast lacked nothing except plates, knives and forks.  In keeping with historic accuracy the students devoured their meal of fowl from the air, fish from the sea and swine from the land served on trenchers of square of homemade bread, gingerbread cookies were the sweet treat at the end of the meal.  In keeping with the theme, senior students acted as servers to the noble seventh grade banquet attendees. (North Hawaii News, December 24, 2009) Full Story-Photos

Parker Middle School students present scientific experiments
Parker Middle School students participated in the annual science fair, demonstrating their knowledge of science.  Students in grades 6-8 presented their projects and explained to visiting parents, teachers, students and friends their hypothesis, prediction and outcome of the issue they investigated.  Twenty exhibits were selected for display at the W. M. Keck Observatory where volunteer judges selected 6 projects to advance to the Hilo district science fair in February.  Parker School representatives will be Kelly Kennedy in the 6th grade, Blake Aholele, Michael Note, and Davy Ragland in the 7th grade and 8th graders Carra Bowes, and Grant Nair. Full Story-Photos

Winter World Traditions Come to Life at Parker School
In preparation of the holiday season Parker School students in grades K-5 celebrated Winter World Traditions.  Each year the lower school students learn how children in 6 different countries celebrate winter.  This year our students "traveled" to Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, Great Britain and the Netherlands.  While spending the morning traveling the globe, students participated in many hands on activities reflective of each country's customs. Full Story-Photos

Parker School announces Richard Smart Scholar Program for the 2010-2011 school year
Parker School is pleased to announce the availability of three Richard Smart Scholar grants for the 2010-2011 school year. Each grant of $8,500 will be awarded to an incoming or current Parker School student entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2010. These grants will be given to students exhibiting exceptional academic potential on the basis of both need and merit. The Richard Smart Scholar program is a renewable grant awarded to students in their freshman year and renewed each year of their high school career based upon acceptable academic performance.(West Hawaii Today, December 16, 2009) Full Story

Parker School honors students
Parker School congratulates the students who made the Headmaster's List and Honor Roll during the third trimester of the 2008-2009 school year.  Students on the Headmaster's List earned GPA's of 3.67 or higher.  Honor Roll students earned GPA's of 3.5 or higher. (North Hawaii News, December 17, 2009) Full Story

Tarnas nominated for leaders program
Parker School Sophomore, Jesse Tarnas was nominated to participate in the National Young Leaders Conference in WASHINGTON, D.C. by Parker School faculty member Gillian Culff. This fall he will be among outstanding high school students from across the United States chosen to participate in a unique leadership development conference in our nation’s capital. During the six-day program, the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC) will provide scholars with the opportunity to interact with a variety of personnel who operate within the three branches of government, the news media and the international community. To complement the schedule of special meetings and briefings, students will participate in a number of leadership skill-building activities and simulations. In one role-play activity titled "If I Were President", students act as the president and Cabinet members responding to an international crisis. Students also participate in "Testing the Constitution", in which they examine actual Supreme Court cases. The Conference culminates with the Model Congress, in which scholars assume the roles of U.S. Representatives and debate, amend and vote on proposed mock legislation. (West Hawaii Today, November 11, 2009)

Parker School Participates in the Blue Line Project
The International Day of Climate Change was marked by a blue line on October 24 by Parker School students in Kawaihae Harbor.  The Blue Line Project is a collaborative effort organized by 350.org, Blue Planet Foundation and the Sierra Club of Hawaii.  The project raises awareness of the impact of climate change and is highlighted by a line that marks the potential extent of flooding with a 1 meter sea level rise. (West Hawaii Today, November 4, 2009)  Full Story-Photos

Parker School Celebrates National Make-a-Difference Day
Friday, October 23rd, Parker School celebrated National Make a Difference Day, coordinated by the Student Council.  This year students worked with faculty supervision at sites throughout  Waimea, most of them within walking distance of the school. Sites included the Parker School, Trail and Greenways, Kanu, St. James Church, North Hawaii Hospice, Tutu’s House, Mala’ai Garden, Annunciation Church, New Hope Gym, and the Waimea Nature Park. (North Hawaii News, November 5, 2009 -West Hawaii Today, November 11, 2009) Full Story-Photos

School garden renovated
When the students at Parker’s Lower School Campus were in need of help renovating their garden, Goodfellow Bros., Inc. answered the call with a $5,000 grant and the use of earthmoving equipment to make the renovation. Full Story-Photo (West Hawaii Today, October 28, 2009)

Parker celebrates Arts Awareness Month
In celebration of October as Arts Awareness Month, the Parker School Theatre will host the following programs: Parker School Dramatique's presentation "The Odyssey" at 7p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday; The Blue Line Project on Saturday and the Classical Indian Music Circle of Hawaii at 7 p.m. Monday. For more information, call the Parker School Theatre box office at 885-7933, ext. 128. (West Hawaii Today, Ocober 21, 2009)

Parker School's debate team tops in state
Earlier this month, the 27-member Parker School Debate Team headed to Oahu for the Hawai'i Speech League Non-Qualifying Tournament held at La Jardin Academy. Of 12 schools participating, Parker School finished on top in the tournament with 55 favorable ballots and went undefeated in four of six categories. The Sweepstakes trophy for highest percent of wins was awarded to Iolani School. Full Story-Photo (West Hawaii Today, October 15, 2009 - North Hawaii News, October 15, 2009)

Parker students named AP scholars
Seven students at Parker School have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams in 2009. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the 1.6 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams. At Parker School: Two students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. These students are Rowan Hale and Edward “Kimo” Hon.  Five students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars are Lindsey Appleton, Tadashi Kamitake, Evan Lam, Chris Langevin and Jenny Sanford. (West Hawaii Today, September 30, 2009)

10th Annual George Heneghan fun run results
The results of the 10th Annual George Heneghan Fun Run are in. Mahalo to all participants and volunteers who came out on September 27th to support Bulls' Athletics. race results

Parker School celebrates Peace Day
Parker School students celebrate Peace Day by painting a mural on an empty storefront in Waimea town. The top of the mural has the words, "It starts with one" painted across it. Inside of the mural, the students painted Benjamin Franklin's words, "There never was a good war or a bad peace." View Story on ireport.com

Educating the Millennial Learner Parker School Technology Upgrade Grant
Parker School has been awarded a $25,000 technology upgrade grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. This grant will support the integration of technological upgrades throughout the K-12 classrooms and will enable Parker School to maintain a competitive college-preparatory program for its students. Upgrades will include; desktops, laptops, interactive whiteboards, a server and software. This generous grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will allow Parker School to maintain a challenging learning environment and meet our immediate technological needs. We are grateful for this support and the benefits it will provide our students, faculty, and community. (September 21, 2009)

Parker welcomes new board members
Parker School welcomes four new members-at-large to their 14 person Board of Directors for the 2009-2010 school year. The new Directors will serve for a 3 year term, joining Chair Elizabeth Armandroff, Vice Presidents James Clifford, Ph.D, Kenneth Fischer, O.D. and Saundra Gulley, Secretary Susan Armour, and Directors Patrick Fitzgerald, Jon Gerdsen, Lois Gregg, M.D., Tom Mignanelli and Anne Miranda. Full Story (West Hawaii Today, August 5, 2009)

Parker School receives HMSA Kaimana and Scholarship Award
Parker School recently placed first and is awarded $1,500 as the 2009 Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) Division II Kaimana Award winner. (West Hawaii Today, July 29, 2009) Full Story - Photo

For more Parker School news stories, please click here to go to the archive page.