Although Punahou had hoped to begin the 2020 – 2021 school year with a return to campus, Hawai‘i experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases in mid-July, which escalated in late summer and early fall, leading to a second stay-home order on O‘ahu. As a result, schools across the State, including Punahou, kicked off the new year with instruction taking place through distance learning.
At both Convocation and in his opening day remarks to faculty and staff, President Mike Latham ’86 reiterated to the Punahou community that the School remains steadfast in its key objective – to educate students for a rapidly changing world – which has become all the more palpable in 2020.
Excerpts from Latham’s opening day speech are available on the following pages.