Inspiring Discovery and Purpose: Punahou’s Learning Outcomes

Critical Thinking

is a process that objectively analyzes information to make informed decisions.

Collaboration

is the collective effort of multiple individuals to achieve a common goal greater than the contribution of any individual.

Citizenship

is understanding and engaging in the roles and responsibilities of a contributing member of many communities.

Kuleana

is the mindset that acknowledges the unique privileges and inherent responsibilities of self, resulting in pono action.

Creativity

is a dynamic process that uses risk-taking and self-expression to demonstrate ideas in different ways toward a specific purpose or goal.

I hope they see that the world is really complex, and that natural systems are very complicated. There aren’t usually easy straightforward answers to any question that you have.

– Reid Hayes ’09 
Academy Science Faculty

Reid Hayes ’09 has drawn scientific inspiration from ka puna hou, our storied freshwater spring, since his days as a Punahou elementary student in the late 1990s. “I spent a lot of time around it as a kid,” he remembers. “We would climb down the rocks and take the nets out and scoop up the guppies. I would sit by the drain next to the Chapel stairs, just watching the water go over that little weir.”

Now a member of the Punahou Academy science faculty, Hayes created and teaches a Freshwater Ecology course that utilizes the spring as its sole object of study. The class launched during the spring 2024 semester, with development funded in part by the Summer Micro Grant program from the Center for Teaching and Learning at Punahou. Critical thinking – a process that objectively analyzes information to make informed decisions – powers the content of the class. 

This type of academic experience evolved organically. While the School’s namesake freshwater spring has long been a subject of reverence, fascination and play for students of all grade levels, no formal scientific inquiry had been funneled into it – until now. “We started to think about how we could use the spring as an outdoor laboratory to collect and analyze a bunch of data and learn about different ecological functions,” Hayes explains.

The class uses content and methodologies similar to those in units of Biology, Environmental Science, Marine Biology and Aquatic Ecology, all through a freshwater lens. Field work, in the form of regular visits to the spring, is a fundamental part of the class. “Every cycle, unless it’s pouring rain, we’re getting in the water,” he says.

Hayes emphasizes that he wants his students to not only learn facts superficially, but to evaluate them rigorously to arrive at meaningful conclusions. “I’m not just saying ‘can you memorize this and then regurgitate it to me on a test?’ I’m hoping the questions I ask are open-ended enough or are scenarios you haven’t seen before, where you take what you know and then use it in some different way. Not just ‘do I remember what the chemical formula for phosphate is?’ But, ‘if I’m given a scenario of a case study, can I apply what I know about the phosphorus cycle to try to explain what is happening?’”

Critical thinking is also the foundation of every student’s final independent project. In early units, the entire class conducts online research and baseline data collection at the spring. From there, each student formulates a hypothesis about some aspect of the spring’s ecology, additional research is conducted, and final presentations are given to highlight their findings. The academic process has been intellectually challenging.

“I had to rely on critical thinking a lot for the independent project because we chose our own topics and they might have been things that even Mr. Hayes was not a specialist in,” says Atropa Choi ’24, who was in the inaugural class in the spring of 2024. “We had to learn how to gather information through research and that’s all great, but the next step is using that information to come to some sort of conclusion about your data. You need to interpret and discuss what that data might mean in real life.”

The thoughtful research has resulted in several breakthroughs. Choi’s final project revealed the moisture content properties of bottom sediment in different parts of the pond. Another student discovered that the spring’s kalo plants actually release oxygen through their roots into the water. These and other findings by the class provided valuable feedback to the School’s Physical Plant department to help inform possible future improvements to the spring’s ecological health.

With Hayes having channeled a youthful curiosity about ka puna hou into his role today as a science teacher, he now challenges his students to use critical thinking to understand freshwater ecology. “I hope they see that the world is really complex, and that natural systems are very complicated. There aren’t usually easy straightforward answers to any question that you have.” 

He also hopes to cultivate appreciation among his students for the literal fount of knowledge that exists just steps away from their lockers. “Here is something we have on campus that maybe you’ve walked right past for the last 12 years, that perhaps you didn’t think a whole lot about,” he says. “But it’s part of our environment that we have access to, and it’s really important.” 

The Challenger Center Hawai‘i in Kalaeloa was abuzz with excitement on a beautiful afternoon in April – with 25 students in Jan Murakami ’86 Furuta’s fifth-grade class being transported in time to 2061. Their high-stakes mission: locating Comet Halley as it dashes near earth and Mars, and then building and landing a space probe to collect scientific data to shed light about the origins of the universe. 

It was an all-hands-on-deck simulation project, requiring students to continuously monitor the space station’s solar arrays and life support, assess and maintain the health of the crew, run calculations and, ultimately, build a probe to gather samples. But with the class being physically separated into two teams, with some students posted at Earth-based Weinberg Mission Control and the others as astronauts on the Space Station Campbell, the mission ran into turbulence at times. 

Furuta says effective teamwork was the linchpin to making – or breaking – the assignment. “Success is built on whether they learned something about themselves, about their classmates, were they good communicators, were they supportive of one another,” she says. “If they learned those vital skills and how to collaborate with one another, then it was a success.”

Collaboration is one of Punahou’s K – 12 learning outcomes and an essential life skill in overcoming complex challenges that exist beyond the classroom. Rebecca Wagner, junior school assistant principal and dean of faculty and curriculum, says for fifth grade, teachers focus on developing the foundation skills students learned in prior years, such as how to have a conversation, what it means to patiently listen and how to build on another’s idea. The Challenger Center gives students an opportunity to apply those skills in a real-world setting. 

“They learn to anticipate where there are going to be problems or challenges,” Wagner says. “They know they’re going to run into roadblocks. And all of these are real common experiences that we try to create in the classroom, but definitely the Challenger Center is a place where it just feels important to the students and they can see these (situations) played out as if they were really happening.”

The students spent six weeks preparing for their visit to the Challenger Center. They learned about identifying and measuring properties, matter, density, acids and bases, while also honing their listening, written and verbal communication, and teamwork skills.

On the day of the project, students based in the space station were tasked with collecting data and conducting experiments, while students on Earth analyzed the data and provided mission-critical instructions to their peers in outer space. Students switched teams halfway through the mission so they could experience both perspectives. One of the students in Mission Control had a map of how the probe needed to be constructed. She used a headset to walk her counterpart in space through what components had to be pieced together.

She had to carefully observe her partner through a black and white camera, and a light would flash red or green in the space station depending on whether her partner was building the probe correctly. Furuta says some probe parts were faulty on purpose, so the pair had to problem-solve. Students encountered other emergencies, such as when Mission Control told SS Campbell that CO² levels were unacceptable or when a meteorite was found to be radioactive. Despite the alarms and smoke, students remained calm and leaned on one another to replace the necessary air filter and eject the meteorite. 

“This experience just reinforces the fact that we can accomplish something as a team,” Furuta says. “Students can figure things out. They know that they can rely upon their classmates, trust their training and work together to reach a common goal.” Furuta, who has taught fifth grade for seven years, says that she enjoys seeing students mature and recognize that they can be more independent. Wagner adds that she also sees students start to look for and then leverage the strengths they saw their fellow classmates demonstrate at the Challenger Center. 

“I had a kid say, ‘I never thought of myself as a leader of my classmates, but I really enjoyed being our communications officer. And I didn’t have the confidence before but now I know that I can communicate clearly and speak clearly,’” Furuta says. “It’s such an impactful experience that when they step back and reflect on everything they accomplished together, they can identify areas they’ve grown in personally and better appreciate the strengths of their classmates. They just know each other so much better because they’ve gone through this experience together.”

Is climate change real? That is the hefty question that Academy Faculty Taylor Hamilton ’09 poses to his Advanced Statistics class on a windy morning. His PowerPoint presentation projects the ominous cover from Michael Crichton’s best-selling book “State of Fear,” which has been widely referenced by skeptics of climate change to bolster their ideas. “Although the book is technically science fiction, some legislative members invited the author to testify before the U.S. Congress in 2005,” he says. “But with the power of math we can go directly to independent sources of data to formulate our own conclusions.”

Hamilton does not believe in spoon-feeding the answer to his students – instead, he sends them on an intellectual quest. “I had them use their existing knowledge to calculate a confidence interval for paired data,” he says. “They looked at random weather stations across the globe and collected the peak temperature from two different time periods in the 1900’s.” 

Based on the sample confidence interval the students collected, they detected convincing empirical evidence that global warming does indeed exist. The question that quickly began circulating was not whether climate change existed, but rather: what do we do with this information? This is the point in his lesson plans where Hamilton likes to steer the conversation toward the concept of kuleana, or responsibility, which is a key component of Punahou’s Learning Outcomes.

For Hamilton, kuleana means both responsibility and privilege to be in a position to help others. “This project gave students an authentic opportunity to use what they are learning in AP Statistics to make a connection with how our world has already warmed and is continuing to warm,” he says. “Some of the deeper lessons they attained around kuleana is a reminder of how powerful statistics is and how it can be used to inform, or create confusion, about a situation.”

This approach is inspiring students to see math in a different light. “Statistics is a humanistic type of math, as it is often used to help solve real people’s issues,” says Gabbie Nakamatsu ’24. “Using math in this way taught us about empathy, as we really had to place ourselves in these situations in order to understand the math.”

Hamilton likes to create moments that showcase kuleana in both a statistical sense and in life lessons. His class often explores how statisticians have a responsibility to make sure the data they collect is unbiased – and that the data they report are not misleading or angled. He also encourages them to question the data and stats they observe – and not just agree with what is being presented. 

“In terms of life lessons, I talk to the students a lot about empathy and the trait of being kind and helping our community. We may not know the life circumstances that people are going through and it is our responsibility to choose kindness and positivity,” he says. “Showing kindness in small or big ways can really uplift and support others who may be struggling with something in their lives.”

Lessons about kuleana have permeated into Nakamatsu’s mindset. “The biggest way I plan on utilizing what I have learned about kuleana is by coming home to pursue a career in the healthcare field,” she says. “I plan on going to the continental U.S. for schooling, but I know I want to end up back in this special place, and help to take care of the people and places that took such good care of me growing up.” 

For his part, Hamilton will continue challenging his students intellectually with real-world mathematical applications – but also highlighting that we all need to uphold kuleana whenever we can. “It is important to incorporate kuleana into my classes because I am teaching the next generation of leaders,” he says. “As the world continues to evolve at a rapid rate with climate change, AI, war, etc., it is my kuleana to shed light on the importance of supporting one another whenever possible.”

“Yes, and … ” This simple hallmark phrase in improvisational theatre is the key to unlocking creativity. Sixth and seventh graders in Vanessa Manuel-Mazzullo’s improv class quickly learn that improv is much more than fanciful antics on stage – it provides useful lessons for life. “I would love for improv to be more universal,” says Manuel-Mazzullo, K – 8 Theatre Department Chair at Punahou. “I see how it creates fearless thinkers who start to innovate. More than ever, humans have to innovate.”

The class, a requirement for all sixth and seventh graders since 2020, helps students develop creativity by thinking on their feet and building stories collaboratively, which boosts confidence, listening skills, sensitivity and empathy as they learn to read a room. Meeting regularly once or twice a cycle, students in the sixth grade Theatre X and Improv 7 for seventh grade practice improvising in various scenarios under Manuel-Mazzullo’s expert guidance. She’s an accomplished actress herself, whose experience and passion shine in the intimate “Black Box” theater space in the Kosasa Community for Grades 2 – 5.

Creativity – an important tenet in Punahou’s cadre of Learning Outcomes – is at the heart of the class. Manuel-Mazzullo believes teaching creativity has never been more important, especially in the age of AI. “If a machine can do it, then we need to focus on what humans do best, which is generating original ideas and thinking creatively. More so than ever, explicitly teaching creativity is important,” she said. Through improvisation, students learn to think divergently and connect the dots in novel ways, skills invaluable in the modern world.

“The best way to teach creativity is in real-time,” Manuel-Mazzullo highlights. “Taking suggestions from the audience, making up a story on the spot, using listening skills, building on someone else’s ideas, and failing gloriously are at the heart of improv.” This fosters creativity directly, and by having improv as part of the middle school curriculum, students develop these essential skills early on.

Unlike traditional theatre, improv encourages every participant to create something together. “It is the most democratic form of theatre because there are no lead roles,” Manuel-Mazzullo explained. “Everyone can do it and there are no prerequisites.” This fosters a sense of collaboration and teaches the value of teamwork. These skills are highly sought after in today’s workforce. “Creativity is on the decline, yet corporations really need creative and collaborative people to work for them,” she says.

Creating a supportive environment where students feel secure is essential in the class. Foundational skills include trust-building exercises. Early activities involve storytelling using only gestures while a partner provides the voice, highlighting the importance of body language and non-verbal communication. “Improv is a team sport,” Manuel-Mazzullo noted. “Even the shyest kids shine because their team supports them.”

While the improvisational space is limitless – students can create any scenario without props – improvisation is not about doing whatever you want, Manuel-Mazzullo explained. There are specific guardrails set up to honor each other’s ideas without judgment. 

“At 12 and 13 years old, the fear of judgment is always there,” Manuel-Mazzullo said. “Taking improv is like facing your fear head-on.” When students know they are accepted by their peers, they become more confident and willing to take risks. 

In this supportive environment, a sense of play flourishes. “It’s loud in here, it’s joyous,” Manuel-Mazzullo points out. “Once we look at something as play, we’re more productive,” she said, citing Barry Kudrowitz, a noted creativity expert from the University of Minnesota. “We’re in the flow. Play keeps it going.”

The skills gained from improv are transferable to other areas of life and learning. Students report raising their hand more in other classes and taking healthy risks. “Students who are really hard on themselves learn that failure is ok. You recover,” she says. “The challenge is getting out of your own way, and not judging yourself. By focusing on that, students have said they feel free in this class.”

One student who is passionate about improv, Olivia Ascalon ’29, echoed that sentiment, sharing that the class helped her become more confident. “Every time I leave improv class, I feel refreshed, ready to take on the day and the challenges it holds.”

The year was 1788 and one of the most consequential debates in our nation’s history was in full swing, with 13 states having to vote on whether – or not – to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The existential argument gave rise to three primary voices: those who wanted immediate approval of the document to prevent the new nation from descending into chaos; those who feared that a strong central government would dilute the rights of states; and a third group that had a deep distrust of any establishment that might infringe on the rights of the common citizen.

This vigorous debate came to life in Bonnie Christensen’s Advanced Placement U.S. History class, when 11th graders delivered an impassioned reenactment of the Constitutional Convention for the state of New York. “Power often corrupts itself and there is the danger that individual needs may be taken away through the government,” argued Nate Chisholm ’26. “I propose that there be a Bill of Rights along with the Constitution to protect the common citizen. It will ensure that a strong centralized government does not overstep its boundaries.”

In one fell swoop, Chisholm leveraged his critical thinking and communication skills to articulate his viewpoint eloquently. But what made his stance truly compelling was his ability to connect with people who were very different from him – by exercising kuana‘ike, a Hawaiian concept and learning outcome that encourages empathy and respect by seeing an issue from varying perspectives.

“I envisioned myself as a man who did not own land, who was the second or third son of a family, and who was unmarried; relatively low on the status totem pole,” Chisholm says. “Stepping into the role of the common citizen made me realize how difficult life was in America at the time.”

Kuana‘ike is naturally integrated into the broad array of academic experiences that Christensen presents in her classes. “History is a tool to help students ground their understanding of the facts,” she explains. “But what makes this material have a deeper, more powerful meaning is understanding what motivates other people – and what makes them tick.”

Students in her classes explore history through a variety of figures, such as Cesar Chavez, champion of civil rights; Ed Roberts, disability rights activist; Dennis Banks, advocate of American Indian rights; and the Little Rock Nine, a group of African American students who challenged racial segregation in Arkansas.

The veteran educator is passionate about exposing students to different ways of looking at the past. “‘History is the stories we tell about the past based on the information that we have preserved,” Christensen says. “No one story can cover every aspect of the past and take into consideration all of the complexities of what happened.” 

This is one of the reasons why her classes may explore a single historical event, such as the Salem Witch trials, by reading secondary sources from historians at different points in time – inevitably yielding diverse insights. “The trials have been analyzed through the ages,” she says. “The framing of ideas is often influenced by what the academics are exploring at the time. For instance, in the 1970s, the trials were often viewed through the lens of economic class because that was a point of interest. Meanwhile, during the 1980s, some academics were viewing the trials through the scope of feminism because that was a popular topic.”

This type of academic experience resonates strongly with students because they connect with text in a more personal way, which enables them to appreciate the complexities of being a human at different points in history.

Inevitably, students formulate profound conclusions about the past. “I had empathy for the people I was trying to protect,” Chisholm says. “Unfortunately, (the Bill of Rights) was restricted almost exclusively to white American men – excluding women, people of color, and foreigners.”

The downpour was incessant as Stacey Olson’s first grade class made its way through the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, nestled deep in Mānoa Valley. But the poncho-clad students were unfazed. “What type of bird is that?” “Can people use plants for medicine?” “Can you eat those berries?” were some of the questions they rattled off as Outdoor Education Kumu Patrick McFadden ’07 escorted them through the 200-acre arboretum and botanical garden. He responded to all the questions with patience and enthusiasm. As the inquisitive bunch got settled into their lush surroundings, the torrential rain turned into a gentle mist. Then came a serene pause. 

“Do you see that Koa tree over there?” McFadden asked the wide-eyed students as he pointed to a majestic old tree in the distance. “It is big and strong, but it is also very helpful to its surrounding neighbors. It is useful in so many ways. Its deep roots help the ground by preventing erosion. The big branches are like a beautiful canopy for other wildlife like birds and insects, providing shade and protection. We should all try to be like Koa trees in our lives.” 

Whether adventuring with a group of first graders or working with Academy student mentors in the Academy, the concept of citizenship is always top of mind in the Outdoor Education curriculum.

“Through a variety of experiences in each grade level, our hope is that students come away with an awareness of the power of their actions,” says Kumu Shelby Ho ’01. “It is important that students are equipped with the skills to know how to help – and once they leave campus, to continue to actively ‘citizen’ in their new communities.” 

The Outdoor Education team – in collaboration with the Luke Center for Public Service and Kuaihelani Center for ‘Ike Hawai‘i – developed a framework called Noho a Kupa, which translates to living, residing and staying in a place long enough to become accustomed to it; to know a place well; to be a responsible citizen and steward of that place.

“We take pride in not just immersing students in a variety of outdoor environments but also creating a personal environment where students are equipped, empowered and encouraged to look for ways to contribute,” says Kumu Andy Nelson. “In each of our experiences, we want students to enjoy and explore, but also look at the places we visit with a service-focused lens.”

Outdoor Education enjoys an expansive footprint, coming in contact with thousands of students each year. “Our camps are more than just camps,” says Ho. “We try to include a combination of sense of place, protocol and service.” There are diverse examples of citizenship in action. “We have a weekly group of Academy students who volunteer and care for Pu‘u o Mānoa (Rocky Hill),” says Nelson. “Through their dedication and collective effort, noticeable changes are continuing to occur to transform a sacred space on campus filled with native plants.”

Back at the Lyon Arboretum, the first graders were concluding their excursion. They walked through the Hawaiian Ethnobotanical Garden, observing the canoe plants and finally reaching the overlook, where they had a bird’s-eye view of the lo‘i kalo system. “This traditional irrigation terrace system was used centuries ago for growing kalo (taro),” McFadden explained. “It is one of the most sustainable systems of farming.”

He went into detail about how the system worked; the loose wall of rocks redirects water from an adjacent stream, partially damming up the stream and sending the water to provide nourishment to the kalo.

Then without skipping a beat, he switched gears into a deeper discussion about citizenship. “With the help of gravity, the water flows back into the stream, cleaner than when it entered – thus, it can be used again and again by other farmers further down the valley,” he said. “We should always be mindful of our neighbors because we are part of a broad community.”

As the spotlight shines on the Dillingham Hall stage, eight students sit, shifting anxiously while reviewing their notes. One steps up to the microphone before a packed audience of classmates, teachers and parents. Nervous energy fills the air but quickly dissipates as the student confidently launches into a persuasive speech with pertinent facts and engaging gestures. This is the Damon Speech, a rite of passage for seventh and eighth graders at Punahou for over 150 years.

The Damon Speech process begins before spring break when students are immersed in the principles of persuasive writing, enforcing essential skills in communication. “Of course, the communication piece is the live presentation, but we’re also asking students, ‘How do you communicate what you’re trying to say through writing, which comes first, then public speaking,’” says Mandy Chock, a seventh grade English faculty, who, along with the other seventh and eighth grade English teachers, is deeply involved in the annual event.

The first Damon Speech was held in 1872, honoring William F. “Willie” Damon, the son of Reverend Samuel Damon, a trustee of the School, who died from typhoid at 23. The tradition has evolved from rhetoric recitations to a dynamic exercise in persuasive speaking. Throughout the fourth quarter, students dive deep into research and speech writing. Seventh graders pick topics of personal interest to research and create arguments to spur action on such topics as reducing homework, later school start times, and local issues such as homelessness or AI in education.

Students strengthen their understanding of persuasive writing, focusing on the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos and logos, which they then translate into speech format. “That’s when it starts to all come together, when students take the written part and decide how to make it into a speech,” Chock said. Eighth graders build on these skills by incorporating a counterargument in their appeals.

Next, they move into the presentation phase – which is rigorous. Students present to their own classes first, then semi-finalists and finalists are selected, narrowing it down from about 360 students to eight finalists per grade. The criteria for moving forward include fluency, pronunciation, confidence, knowledge of the topics, and effective use of body language and pacing. This extensive process culminates in a school-wide competition where eight finalists present to their peers, teachers and families in Dillingham Hall in late May.

While communication skills are at the heart of this project, it’s also about the growth that comes from the journey, from strengthening their writing and public speaking skills to face-to-face communication. “I see a huge gain in self-confidence overall that they can accomplish this hard task,” says Chock. “They start off thinking, ‘How am I going to do this?’ But through practice, watching examples from past years and recording themselves, students end up realizing, ‘I can do this.’”

Students use these communication and research skills in other classes and projects throughout the school year. “If they can be speechwriters, then they can write songs, poetry and more. It’s about connecting things they enjoy doing with what they learn in school and how it can be applicable for life.”

For Chock, the Damon Speech tradition extends well beyond a lofty presentation. “I’m witnessing a transformation of character,” she says. “When I am watching them perform, you can see that they’re excited and proud of themselves, and their classmates are cheering them on because they know how hard they’ve worked. Every seventh grade English teacher feels proud when they see their kids perform.”

One student, Charlie Schlieman ’29, shares his Damon Speech experience. “After completing my Damon Speech I was happy because I was supported by my classmates.” 

The tradition also connects generations of students, as former participants often return to share their experiences. “It’s always fun when the eighth graders come back to tell their seventh grade teachers how they’re doing,” she added. Parents of her current students also share stories of their own Damon Speeches with their children. “The tradition makes it special and helps the kids buy into it more because it’s bigger than just themselves.”