By Joy Yamashiro P ’22, ’24
Punahou is made up of a community of people – administrators, educators, staff and parents – who all want the best for our children! The many traditions embedded in our school’s culture reflect our efforts to support and enrich their lives. One of these traditions for kindergarten – grade 5 is to receive a birthday card (which the PFA Recognition Committee prepares) from their wonderful chaplains. We also happily celebrate our hardworking faculty as the school year wraps up!
My involvement with this committee began casually. I went with a friend to one of the “card making workshops” held monthly from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the portable next to Montague. It was very casual and there was a good mix of parents there who would trickle in and out after drop offs. While coloring, cutting and folding cards, we shared and inquired about the kids, their various grades, and the stages they were all in.
It was so nice seeing their familiar faces on campus through the years and it was the perfect place to ask and talk about Carnival, the Flaming “P”, prom and all the grade-specific events that we’ve come to know and celebrate! It was also helpful to know what to expect for more educational things down the line, like the Damon Speech Contest, college prep and Capstone.
Through my years of volunteering, I have made lifelong friends and enjoyed being involved behind the scenes. I think of this committee as a good “gateway” to PFA involvement beyond being a room parent. I moved on to helping other committees and some of their members would come to our workshops, too!
We had to put our workshops on hold during the pandemic, but recently began holding them again as restrictions have lifted. I definitely encourage those who are free to drop in and be a part of our gatherings – they are a place to talk, to listen, and have light refreshments! And most importantly, come for a comfortable place to share in your child’s experience at Punahou!
If you are interesting in connecting with other Punahou parents and creating custom cards for our chaplains to give to our students, please join us on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 8:30 a.m at the PFA portables or email us for more information at: recognition@pfa.punahou.edu
