Grade 8

Eighth-grade students are each placed on a four-teacher team of 92 students for their core (English, math, science, social studies) classes, housed in Leong Hall and Miyawaki Family Hall, in the Case Middle School facility. Students rotate through their core classes independently, each classroom having a different mix of students. This intentional departure from classrooms rotating together as a group is designed to help students transition to the Academy experience in ninth grade.

Student schedules include small-group advisory time, to talk about student needs and help make a big school feel smaller. In advisory, teachers cover various topics such as academic issues, the RULER approach to SEEL, resiliency or organizational skills, or activities like community service.

Formal study of a second language (choice of Chinese, French, Hawaiian, Japanese or Spanish) begins, along with continued required physical education, art, music and enrichment courses. Enrichment course offerings vary and may include: Art, Culinary Arts, Design Technology or Woodcraft.

In a typical year, a capstone experience at Camp Mokule‘ia is the culmination of an outdoor education journey in which students acquire a unique set of outdoor skills, a connection to the natural world, growth in independence, social awareness, responsibility, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Also in a typical year, students may have several travel opportunities, including Space Camp and international exchange trips to partner schools in Japan, China and Sweden. Socially, the year features two canteens (multi-activity social events on campus) and an eighth-grade dance in the spring. On the last day of school, eighth graders put on a special culminating chapel, celebrating the end of a journey through the Junior School.

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Grade 8

Punahou School