Spring Showers to Summer Sun

Written By Gabriel Grosshuesch

Beautiful blossoming flowers, trees covered in fruit and the sound of bees humming around the garden. Observations from our students this quarter as we transition from spring to summer. Our final days in the garden are often filled with fun activities, garden work, harvest crops and clearing beds. Our students got up to producing and harvesting pounds of crops this year, we got to work with students from many different classes and so much more. Please enjoy these exciting highlights and check out the photo gallery at the bottom.

Exciting Highlights

Mālaʻai Classes and partnerships

All 205 students at WMS participate in garden classes. This year we worked with;

  • Science classes from 6th and 7th grade

  • PE and Health classes grades 6th,7th and 8th

  • Tech classes grades 6th,7th and 8th

  • Interpretive writing classes grades 6th 7th and 8th

  • Social studies classes grades 6th,7th and 8th

  • Ike Hawaii classes

  • Mālaʻai partners with the Boys-2-Men program and the mentorship program at our school.

  • After school garden club

  • After school art club with Helen Takata

-Fun Facts

  • 2,248 total student hours in Mālaʻai this school year

  • 1,200+ pounds of food grown by students

  • 6 community volunteers regularly assisted with classes and afterschool programs

  • Mālaʻai is celebrating our 18th year!

-Guest presenters and special events;

  • Marielle Hampton from UH CTHAR taught after school students about plant propagation and data collection from plant trials.

  • Girl Scout leader Kathy Webb arranged for a professional chef to teach her WMS middle school troop cooking skills in the garden. They made a delicious stir-fry and earned their badge!

  • Mālaʻai hosted 2 garden workdays. We had fantastic helpers ranging from ages 3 to 83! We are so thankful for our community volunteers.

  • Mālaʻai hosted a garden club ohana meal. We invited all our students' families to celebrate our program by having a meal prepared by their students. It was a huge success. The menu included garden inspired chinese dumplings, vegetable curry with haupia and watermelon for dessert. We could not have pulled it off without the help of our regular volunteers Nicki and Juliann.

  • Our principal, Janice English, brought the Ho’okako board to the garden as part of a schoolwide tour. She is so supportive of our work!

  • The Rayton and Helen Takata Angel Investors Fund presented 7th grader, Kailee Arakawa with the first annual, $500 scholarship award for her home-based, creative arts business. These funds will help Kailee purchase supplies and materials for her new business.

Photo Gallery

Gabriel Grosshuesch
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