Summer School 2021

Fun and enriching experiences are underway this summer for Punahou students, both in-person and online. Various online enrichment programs, such as Global Online Academy, SAT Prep, Music and Dance are also being offered to visiting families. 

Punahou Cyber Camp

The Punahou Cyber Camp took place for one week at the end of July with 14 students participating from grade 6 through the Academy. Junior Marcus ’23 instructed the camp with assistance from Punahou Cyber Puns club mentor Gerald Amasol. Students learned about cyber threats, cyber-security principles and online safety. The camp is part of a state program offered at schools across the Island that teaches students computer skills to successfully participate in the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition during the school year. This summer, there were 22 camps held statewide providing cybersecurity training to nearly 300 students.

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Theatre Performance: A Page to Stage Experience

Theatre returned to Dillingham Hall during the “Theatre Performance: A Page to Stage Experience” for grades 6 – 8. The 42 middle school students worked on an hour-long play called, “Sherlock Holmes and the Bakers Street Irregulars” and performed it for a small gathering of their family and friends. For safety precautions students wore clear face masks, were separated by grade level cohort, and the show was blocked with social distancing in place. “It’s a really fun detective show and the students helped build the set and designed their own costumes,” said Director Melinda Moore. “It was thrilling to announce the return of live theatre to the Dillingham stage.” Other summer theatre offerings included technical theatre, acting and costume design.

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Academy Art

Academy students flexed their creative muscles during on-campus and distance learning classes this summer that included photography, drawing, printmaking and ceramics. See the online Kirsch Gallery exhibit of their work.

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Grade 1 Experience

First graders are engaged in various literacy, math, science, movement and art experiences this summer that encourage curiosity, while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

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Principles of Physics

Academy students are learning about matter and energy in the hybrid online and in-person physics course. The twice weekly labs are a highlight for students, said Academy science faculty member Hanno Adams. In one lab, students ran experiments to collect data with high tech tools and software. Through this hands-on project, students were able to show how the data illustrates a fundamental physics theory, the conservation of momentum. “In these labs, the activity is the learning experience,” said Adams. “They’re talking, they’re discussing, they’re engaged.”

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Ceramics: Wheel Throwing

Academy students are learning how to turn a lump of clay into a symmetrical pot, which is then fired and glazed. In addition to technique, students are also exploring the history of ceramic art through Eastern and Western traditions, as well as contemporary ceramic designs.

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Grade 2 Experience

Second graders are taking part in a host of activities and lessons this summer, including PE, reading, art and math. 

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Introduction to Social Studies 

In this Academy distance learning course, students are introduced to the social sciences, such as anthropology, political science, economics and geography. This summer, students have the option of participating in weekly field trips, including visits to Papahana Kuaola, Punchbowl Cemetery and a scavenger hunt in Waikiki to explore the past and present. During a recent trip to Reppun Farms in Waiahole, students harvested sweet potatoes, planted seeds and explored the area as part of their study of anthropology, Hawaiian culture and traditional farming.

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Creative Technology Supercourse! 

Middle school students with a passion for technology and entrepreneurship are taking part in this course designed by the Punahou Design Technology and Engineering Department and Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship. Through fast-paced design challenges, students are learning to code and use computer-aided design software, laser cutters and 3D printers. Students will also come up with their own projects and bring them to life in Punahou’s design labs as they rotate through five different innovative classes including: Rapid Prototyping, Robotics, Coding, AR/VR (Augmented and Virtual Reality) and Entrepreneurship.

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Grade 7 Experience 

In the summer school program for seventh graders, students are engaging in math, English, art, PE and other studies. In Mathematics faculty Katie Chock’s ’08 class, students played the “race to one hundred” game, where they took turns adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing the numbers on dice to be the first to get to 100. 

Costume Design Through Character Redesign

Starting with a basic costume, eighth graders constructed new costumes to reimagine Alice in Wonderland in different time periods and settings under the guidance of Theatre faculty Anna Foster.

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Kindergarten Experience

Through this summer course, incoming kindergartners are introduced to the Omidyar K – 1 Neighborhood through play and experiential learning. Students are taking part in creative activities and getting acquainted with Punahou’s campus, including the Lily Pond. 

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Fun in the Sun

Students in grades 2 – 5 are having fun outdoors with daily tennis and swimming activities. The goal of the joint course offering is for students to have fun while learning more about these two healthy activities they can do for a lifetime. 

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Crochet Amigurumi Friends

As part of Punahou’s Theatre department offerings, sixth graders learned how to crochet and read patterns and then created yarn animals and dolls in the Japanese style of amigurumi. Kawaii!

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Summer Tennis

The tennis courts are bursting with activity this summer as students from the Junior School to the Academy work on stroke technique, footwork, physical conditioning, strategy and more. 

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