By Kristin Condit ’00, P’28, P’30, P’33
Parents and faculty came together to mingle and hear from Dr. Mike Latham, President of Punahou School. PFA President Emmie Kia kicked off the evening sharing how she has personally seen Dr. Latham prioritize connections with parents and the PFA, demonstrating through his actions the commitment to building a cohesive, collaborative and supportive community at Punahou. As an alumnus who has lived on the mainland until last summer, it was a great opportunity for me to reflect on what has remained fundamental to the Punahou mission, and where the school has evolved, innovated and grown.
Dr. Latham began by sharing Punahou’s educational vision, emphasizing the school’s distinctive mission which replaced the previous one from 1985. He explained that the new mission statement is purpose-driven, brief enough to commit to memory, and reflects Punahou’s unique perspective.
“The use of the word ‘we’ is intentional and inclusive,” Dr. Latham noted, encompassing students, parents, staff, trustees, and all who have been impacted across the globe by Punahou. He emphasized the school’s commitment to welcoming diverse backgrounds, noting that research shows the immense benefits to learning among a diverse set of peers, and pointing out that Punahou graduates will go on to work and live in a highly diverse world.
“Our ultimate goal”, Dr. Latham continued, “is to help students discover who they are as people and determine their purpose – not just identifying what they excel at, but what they’re willing to commit themselves to, and understanding the questions that are meaningful to them.”
Dr. Latham highlighted three key aspects of Punahou’s approach:
First, the school focuses on inquiry and lifelong learning. “Our job is to prepare them for careers that don’t yet exist,” Dr. Latham explained, emphasizing the importance of teaching students to learn, relearn, and adapt to new circumstances. Beyond traditional skills like critical thinking and quantitative reasoning, Punahou has added emphasis on collaboration. The new Mary Kawena Pukui Learning Commons is being built specifically to support this collaborative learning environment.
Second, Punahou ensures education extends beyond the classroom. Students are encouraged to apply their learning to significant challenges like climate change, renewable energy, food security, and democracy. This approach is integrated throughout the curriculum, from Design Technology and Engineering (DTE), to outdoor education, the Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship, and throughout individual classes in the academy.
Third, the school prioritizes caring for the whole student, including social-emotional growth. Dr. Latham drew from his experience as a college dean, noting that academic preparation alone is insufficient. “When I worked in a college setting, I encountered a lot of kids who were really well prepared academically, had good analytical skills, good critical thinking skills, but many times they would encounter a gnarly real world problem and they would end up being quite fragile.” The school emphasizes emotional intelligence, mindfulness, self-regulation, and meaningful social relationships throughout the curriculum. And this happens not just in the classroom, but also on the athletic fields, music halls, dance studios, academic competitions and “all the other activities where students are stretching themselves to develop a skill they didn’t know existed.”
Dr. Latham concluded his opening remarks by stressing that while the school helps students learn how to think, it doesn’t dictate what to think. In an increasingly polarized world, Punahou aims to equip students with skills to engage in discussions with those they disagree with. But simultaneously, the school maintains core values around student belonging and diversity, affirming “the worth and dignity of every member of our community regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or socioeconomic background.”
During the Q&A session, parents inquired about various topics that provided insight into Punahou’s educational approach. The discussion touched on everything from curriculum development, AI, family/school communication, social media use and increasing volunteer participation. Dr. Latham explained Punahou’s approach to balancing teacher autonomy with curriculum coherence, citing examples of how literacy and math instruction have evolved based on modern learning research. He described AI as “a critical literacy” that students need exposure to while ensuring it doesn’t undermine essential skill development. On the topic of parent engagement, Dr. Latham emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between parents and teachers, encouraging communication with classroom teachers and class deans as the first point of contact for questions or concerns. After the event, parents expressed appreciation for Dr. Latham’s insights into Punahou’s educational philosophy and how the school prepares students for an evolving future.