By Frances Hayashi P’23 P’26 P’32
Parents gathered for a Historic Campus Tour of Punahou School led by Kylee Mar P’25 P‘28, Director of Archives and Special Collections. Our journey fittingly started at Ka Punahou, which is the fresh water spring from which the school got its name.
We joined hands in a circle, shared our name and our community, and thought of someone to spiritually bring with us on the tour. My daughter Alison ’23 came to my mind, as I knew she would appreciate the historic richness of the school, of which brought her many fond memories.
Kylee led us on the chant Lei Mānoa, written by Keʻalohi Reppun ‘99, Director of the Kuaihelani Center for ‘Ike Hawai‘i. Historic campus tours are given by Keʻalohi and Kylee as part of onboarding new faculty to familiarize them with names, places, and the promise “to make sure that our children demonstrate what Hawai‘i is about.”
We walked up to Puʻuomānoa, the highest point of the campus at 284 feet, where we viewed the three vantage points that stretch from Mount Kaʻala on the Wai‘anae mountains all the way to Leʻahi (Diamond Head).
The transformation of Puʻuomānoa began in the 1990s under the leadership of then student Brian Schatz ‘90, who started the Youth for Environmental Services Club with the purpose of clearing invasive kiawe wood and plants. Through the direction of teachers Gail Peiterson, Dave White, and Tai Crouch, Puʻuomānoa became an outdoor classroom that today houses K-1 Junior Ranger Training, 4th grade camp, Academy service projects, stewardship opportunities, and staff retreats.
Down the road from Puʻuomānoa is the alumni house where the school hopes graduates will maintain “a meaningful connection to Punahou.”
As we looked out from the alumni house, we saw a bird’s eye view of the Omidyar K – 1 Neighborhood. Kylee highlighted the blending of old and new with the naming of the buildings after the elements of Mānoa Valley, while achieving LEED certification for environmentally friendly design. The Hawaiian building names, Kealaʻeli (cool wind of Mānoa), Kawenaʻula (rosy reflection of the sun), and Kilihune (light misty rain of Mānoa) were also integrated into Punahou’s mele and chants.
Parents stepped into Wilcox Hall and were delighted to see a table top-sized paper mache canoe surrounded by over 150 three-dimensional artwork pieces representing kalo. What used to be a boy’s dormitory was remodeled to K-1 art and music classrooms and offices. The original glass pane windows, iron, and vent holes in Wilcox Hall are examples of how Punahou School complies with and exceeds state historic preservation rules with each major construction project. We looked back in time by viewing the etchings of names on the glass panes from students who used to dorm in Wilcox Hall.
The influx of brain research and education in the 1990s inspired spaces that put the child in the center within environments they need to thrive in. With this in mind, Case Middle School was designed to create small student-focused spaces that fostered collaborative learning within a large school.
The school incorporated the best practices from Case Middle School into the design of the Omidyar K – 1 Neighborhood and Kosasa Community for Grades 2 – 5, while adapting to the unique needs of each age group.
We then crossed the 76-acre campus to the Academy. Mamiya Science Center opened in 1998 and was thoughtfully designed so students have views of nature from every classroom, hallway, and stairway. The ‘Ewa hallway of Mamiya Science Center leads to the more historic buildings of the Academy campus – Pauahi Hall built in 1894 and Cooke Hall built in 1908. Both halls were constructed from blue lava rock, of which were readily available materials at the time. The Diamond Head hallway of Mamiya Science Center leads to Old School Hall, constructed from coral in 1851. Old School Hall held the first students of Punahou School, as memorialized on a plaque on the exterior wall.
The original gift of 224 acres of land to the school’s founding missionaries included all the natural resources needed to sustain a population. At one point, Punahou had a farm with animals, fruits, vegetables and kalo fields. Today, the Academy offers a culinary chemistry class where students learn lessons on fermentation and create many dishes, among them a cultural heritage-based meal.
In addition to learning about the history of the buildings, we learned how the Winged-O originated, the story behind the paint brush trophy, and what our buff and blue school colors represent.
Through Kylee’s captivating storytelling, we learned about the three different legends of Ka Punahou, the campus occupation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, and the beginnings of O‘ahu College.
We ended our tour in front of Castle Hall, where Kamaola rests after coming out of the waters at Mauliola for much needed maintenance. This double-hulled canoe was initiated by Dillyn Lietzke ‘20, who was inspired by Hawaiian voyaging and spearheaded the creation of the school’s own waʻa through her senior independent project. Punahou’s K-12 curriculum encourages students to be responsible with the ocean, teaches them how to sail, and provides them with opportunities to carry on the legacy of navigation from the founders of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
Stacey Fukumoto P’37 shared that she liked being able to “experience what my daughter experienced. Because of this, now I am able to learn and see through her eyes.”
In closing, we gathered hand-in-hand in a circle and shared who we spiritually brought on the tour. Attendees mentioned passed loved ones, family members who live close and afar, and future in-laws.
Parents left with a greater appreciation of Punahou School’s historic and current initiatives to honor the living legacies of the ‘āina, all while creating intentional steps to connect students and their learning spaces through thoughtful architectural and environmental designs.
Look out for an opportunity to join us on our next historic campus tour in April 2025!