Momilani Elementary School

May 11, 2023

Written by: Katelynn S.

On Friday, March 31, 2023, the Momilani Track Team finished with a success at the track meet. It had all been worth it in the end after all the hard work and effort. 

Many of the 5th and 6th graders had the potential to run fast and throw different things, like footballs, really far. For them, joining the track team was perfect. After making the actual team, they had to practice three times each week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The supervisors of the team, Mrs. Barnett, Mr. Kashiwa, Mrs. Yasui, and Mr. Tahsiro, had used a white spray paint to make the temporary track so that they would get used to it. So from 2:00 to 3:30, they did drills like ladders, they practiced doing the softball throw and long jump, they did the baton pass for the relay race, and the track itself. Now the track that they had to run was very big. Sometimes they would just run ¼ of it and other times they would run the whole 100 meters or more. Even though some people got hurt, they still persevered and kept on practicing. 

After getting used to the track and the length, they started practicing the long jumps and softball throws. For the long jump, Mrs. Yasui helped and made a sand pit for them to practice the long jumps. They started practicing down at the highschool track. That was when they started practicing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Then on the day of the track meet, they all walked down to the highschool track with their team shirt, and stretched their bodies. As time went by the track races got longer and the crowd got louder. Momilani dominated the other schools. In the end, Momilani came in first, PCHES came in second, Manana came in third, and Kanoelani came in fourth. Everyone was screaming and were very happy. All their work had paid off. 

Now, here are two quotes from a supervisor and two participants of the Track Team. 

“It was really fun because when you were running you could hear all your friends cheering for you!” -Sasha H.

“The track competition was a fun but scary thing. I was really nervous but once I saw other people do it, I noticed it was fun. To me track was one of the best things in this school. Also Media Club. I also hope other people join the fun too.” -Nathan S.

“All the coaches are proud of all the track runners.” -Mr. Kashiwa.

May 11, 2023

Written by: Amaya A.

The children in this school know who Mrs. Barnett and Mr. Tashiro are, but only the current 6th graders have had both teachers. However, no one else will have the chance to have both, as the two teachers will be retiring this year. 

Mr. Tashiro is a 6th grade teacher here at Momilani who teaches math, science, and health for 25 years, while Mrs. Barnett is a 5th grade teacher who teaches language arts, social studies, and writing for 21 years at Momilani. This will be their last year at Momilani, so this article is a tribute to them and how hard they worked for their many years of teaching. Mr. Tashiro and Mrs. Barnett are respected by those they are teaching, and those they have taught before.

Mr. Tashiro has been teaching students for 35 years, since 1988. Mr. Barnett has been teaching for 34 years, since 1989. Both have been teachers for a similar amount of time, but only came to Momilani many years after they initially started teaching. We asked them about their plans after retirement and here is what they said. Mr. Tashiro says that he would like to travel more often, due to his daughter working for an airline. Mrs. Barnett says that she would like to focus on exercising more and maybe do some traveling. There are some things that they will miss though. Mr. Tashiro will miss the support given to him and Mrs. Yasui by the students and their parents. He says he will miss how the students would improve from the beginning of the year and seeing their smiling faces. Mrs. Barnett says she will miss seeing the students and she’ll miss teaching them with Mr. Kashiwa. She will also miss sharing her knowledge with the 5th graders and seeing their growth from 1st quarter to 4th quarter.

We talked to two 6th graders who experienced the teaching of both teachers, here’s what they have to say. Daniel Shin, a student in Mr. Tashiro’s class says, “Both Mr. Tashiro and Mrs. Barnett had great energy when they taught us. Mrs. Barnett would always help us whenever we needed help, and she always gave us hints when needed. Mr. Tashiro is a good person. He’s a good leader and has good expectations. He also has a good heart.” Another student, Kyrie Chen, tells us, “Overall both teachers have good hearts and they both love and want the best for all their students. When Mrs. Barnett taught her lessons, she always made sure that everyone was on task. She is such a sweet and loving teacher and it was so easy to have conversations with her. Mr. Tashiro has a good heart too. Although his lessons were a bit challenging, his sense of humor always made us laugh and kept us awake. His life lessons are really helping me prepare for not only middle school, but challenges in my everyday life. I am really thankful to have had the chance to be taught by both teachers.” Mr. Tashiro and Mrs. Barnett really made an impact on this year’s 6th graders.

To say the least, Mr. Tashiro and Mrs. Barnett are exceptional teachers and made a long-lasting impact on some amazing students. They shared their knowledge of the subject they taught with the students and helped some of them grow as people to better themselves in the future.