Pacific Business News: 3 questions with Ryan Masa, head of school at Assets School

Congratulations to Emily ’25 on being selected as one of the 10 FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List Award Winners at the 2024 FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas.

Congratulations to Jordan ‘24 and Stephany ‘24 for being selected for a $10,000 Aviation Pathways Scholarship from the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

Plants use the energy of the sun, plus carbon dioxide and water, to start the process within chloroplasts.

Students in one of our Middle School Humanities classes created their own children's book adaptations of the legendary tales of King Arthur and His Knights.

Congratulations to our outstanding students for their remarkable achievements at the state-level competitions!

The Assets School Dramatic Arts Program presents "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" for our Spring Play on Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Palikū Theatre at Windward Community College.

Assets High School students begin preparing for college early into their education journey with three language course options this year–Hawaiian, Japanese, or Chinese. 

High School Art teacher Mark Maresca showcases his oil painting titled Enchanted as one of 35 artists featured in the ONCE UPON A TIME Art Show in the Susan Rogers-Arreger Gallery at The ARTS at Marks Garage in Honolulu from February 2-23. 

Our seventh and eighth-grade students explored our beautiful Alewa Heights campus, getting a firsthand look at a typical day as an Assets High School student during Move-Up Day on January 17.

Congratulations to Harper '27 for winning the Assets High School Poetry Out Loud competition!

We are excited to announce Trustee Russell Lau and his 'ohana will be honored at the Illumination Gala on Saturday, April 13, at The Pacific Club.

Janet Marlette, a former Assets Parent Ohana leader and continuous school supporter, bid and won a seven-day stay at Villa Casablanca, a stunning five-bedroom home in Manzanillo, Mexico, just south of Puerto Vallarta.

Transport yourself to the trenches of World War I, whether you're a German or American soldier, but with a twist—it's 2024, and you're in high school.

May your hearts be filled with love and the warmth of cherished moments

Assets Board Chair Kristi Maynard was in the Movers section of MidWeek on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.

Emily's outstanding leadership and dedication while serving as the captain of Team Waffles set her apart.

Assets students, led by Syndee '25 and Toby '25, initiated a holiday season project at the High School. Handmade cards were created and mailed to veterans by students at both campuses.

Your gratitude for Assets and desire to help others greatly appreciated and impressive, especially on our campaign finale, Giving Tuesday.

Trustees, parents, families, faculty (past and present), and staff of Assets School from kindergarten to 12th grade have collected canned goods and nonperishable food during November to support families in need.

Our High School Calculus class students recently learned how limits and derivatives affect vertical asymptotes, horizontal asymptotes, and slant asymptotes.

A delicious Thanksgiving Luncheon was held at the K-8 Campus on Wednesday, November 22.  

Anyone who attended Assets School or AOP for any time is an alumni.

The last three years have been exceptionally hard on our families, so we are once again launching our “10 Days of Giving” campaign beginning on Sunday, November 19, through Tuesday, November 28.

Brian Jones, who attended Assets in 1985 and 1996 for his fourth and fifth grades, recently visited Hawaii from Florida and decided to drive by our K-8 campus.

We are pleased to launch our annual food drive for the Hawaii Foodbank. The most needed items are bags of rice and canned goods such as tuna, chicken, soup, chili, pasta, fruits, and vegetables .

Our dedicated College and Career Counselor, Farris James, is pivotal in preparing our students to address the ever-important question, "What lies beyond high school?"

The series of books "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" by Rick Riordan will become a TV series on Disney+ in December 2023.

You will want to avoid using Serif style fonts, which have little lines on the ends.

Students investigated areas around campus to identify and take pictures of parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular lines. They also learned about different angles, their classification, and how to measure and draw them using a protractor.

Assets School will offer free reading screenings to the public on Wednesday, December 6 for kindergarten through third-grade students at our K-8 campus, located at One Ohana Nui Way. 

What's fascinating is that some of these mature high school students were once students within the K-8 campus.

As news of the devastating wildfire reached our peaceful campus, the students and staff rallied to lend a helping hand to neighbors in need.

Kindergarten to fourth-grade students actively engage in the fascinating world of Flight Exploration.

Assets School was honored by City and County Council Chair Tommy Waters with an Honorary Certificate during a ceremony at Kapolei Hale. 

Robert Goddard launched the first rocket using liquid fuel in 1926.

We celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Honu Society with a brunch at Damon Hall last month.

When the Mystery Reader comes, it is an exciting time for students. Every Wednesday, the Mystery Reader reads a book to the students in Randy Castello's class.

Join us for the 2023 Walk Like MADD drunk driving awareness and fundraising event on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 a.m. at Kaka`ako Waterfront Park.

The Annual Fund is the perfect way to give back and help those students who need to be at Assets stay at Assets and benefit from what may be a life-changing opportunity but are unable to cover all of the tuition.

We are honored to welcome Chris Piccione to the Assets Board of Trustees. 

We're reminded that the learning journey is remarkable as we gather our backpacks, sharpen our pencils, and open our minds to new possibilities.

Mentorships at the High School start this month. Every Wednesday, for the entire day, students participate in a mentorship of their choosing.

Here is the second video in the two free Summer Parent Workshop Series series.

Assets School Clinical Director was interviewed live on Sister Power on ThinkTech Hawaii on Wednesday, August 9.

Little did the Ke Kula Pa’ani Summer Campers know that the magic they experienced was made possible by the dedicated camp staff and the junior leader volunteers who worked together to create a fun and memorable summer.

Kristi has served on the Assets Board for 17 years. As Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Finance Factors Ltd. and a devoted supporter of our school, Kristi looks forward to a productive year. Her two sons attended Assets. 

The first workshop of two in the free Summer Parent Workshop Series is "Help Your Children Be Their Best Selves Through Effective Communication."

This interview aired on The Conversation on July 19, 2023.

DJ Min interviews Assets School's Clinical Director, Dr. Elsa Lee, about the free Summer Parent Workshop Series.

As a neuropsychologist, I regularly devote my time to conducting free mental health and brain health workshops for community members, parents, and caregivers.

The workshops will be on July 20 and August 10.

Assets School is inviting parents to participate in its free Summer Parent Workshop Series.

Assets School's Clinical Director Dr. Elsa Lee was featured on Hawaii News Now Sunrise TV show on Saturday, July 15. 

Assistant Head of School and Admissions Director Sandi Tadaki shared the virtues of Assets on the HI Now Pacific Edge Women in Business TV show.

Join us for our Summer Parent Workshop Series led by Assets Clinical Director Dr. Elsa Lee. They will be held via Zoom.

Some students wanted to learn something new this summer, while others hoped to become a pilot.

It is with the deepest sadness that I share that Kitty Yannone, Assets Board Chair, passed away in early June after a battle with cancer.

As a high school junior, this incredible opportunity allowed Aren to dive into the world of engineering and gain hands-on experience with exciting projects and cutting-edge research at the college level.

Enrichment classes empower your child on the educational journey.

Kathi Vidal, who serves the Nation as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property (IP) and the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), toured Assets School on Friday, June 16.

Alumni are invited to join us for an Alumni Bowling Night on Friday, June 30, from 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

K5, KHNL, and KGMB will air the Pacific Edge Magazine Women In Business and HINow One-Hour TV Special.

Each student, regardless of their plans after graduation, works closely with me during junior and senior years to develop and implement their plan based on their strengths, challenges, interests, and needs.

Students will have fun, make friends, and learn skills that could lead to college scholarships and Esports degrees.

Our Valedictorian Noa '23 was on the KHON2 Way 2 Go segment on the 4 p.m. newscast that aired on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

Assets teacher Larry Shelvey recreated of the Battle of Santiago Bay during the Spanish-American War as a game for his students. 

"The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" was performed by 36 Assets School students, including some from the High School, on May 16 and 17 at the Paliku Theatre. 

Nearly 30% of our students are in athletics. Some are in multiple sports

At Senior Showcase on Friday,  graduating seniors shared a little bit about themselves, their favorite memories of Assets, their educational journey, and their plans with family, and friends.

We love sharing why Assets School is great on our social media.

We are excited to share that our graduation ceremony for the Class of 2023 will be held at the Leeward Theatre at Leeward Community College on Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.  

We extend our utmost gratitude to the teachers who make Assets School great. Your enthusiasm, dedication, compassion, and hard work are appreciated every day. 

Under twinkling lights, the music of alumnus Kapono Wong ’20 with a special appearance by former student Imani Colon, more than 200 guests including our Trustees, corporate sponsors, families, alumni, faculty and friends celebrated Illumination 2023 at The Pacific Club on April 15.

Our student artists shined as they shared their masterpieces at Arts Night with their 'ohana. The halls of the K-8 campus turned into an art gallery showcasing sculptures, drawings, paintings, and more art all made by our students.

MidWeek newspaper featured Central Pacific Bank and Assets School in the Hot Shots section on May 3.

The students met the artist in charge of the community art installation inspired by phytoplankton and the various zones of the ocean.

High School students shared their mentorship experience in the Mentorship Expo on Saturday, April 29, at the High School Campus.

Tickets are on sale now for "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood."

Arts Night is FREE and open to the public.

Team Waffles won four out of 11 matches at the FTC World Championship against the best teams in the world. 

It is my privilege to serve as Head of School for Assets, the only school in Hawaii specializing in educating children who are gifted, or twice-exceptional, as well as others with dyslexia, or have language-based learning differences.

It's been an exciting year for Assets School's Team Waffles, which includes sophomore Leilei Petrosian of Honolulu.

Assets Vice President of Institutional Advancement was featured in the Pacific Edge Women in Business issue.

Assets alumnus Nick Vericella and his wife Miki need your votes to make it to round two of the Inno Madness contest by Pacific Business News.

Kristi Maynard is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Finance Factors. Kristi is a proud former Assets parent whose two sons attended Assets. 

Are you ready? Our Illumination Virtual Auction goes live online on Thursday, April 6, at 6:00 p.m. 

It's an exciting year for Assets School's Team Waffles, which includes Mason Pimentel from Windward O'ahu.

It was an exciting year for Assets School's Team Waffles, which includes sophomore Emily Kurashima - the team captain and Kelli Ann Cabanada from West Oahu. 

Our team earned the 2023 Highest Rookie Seed Award and the Rookie Inspiration Award.

Assets School hosted a community event on Finding the Right Fit College & Thriving There at Damon Hall that was live-streamed on our YouTube Channel.

The snack shop is a place where students are able to buy a wide variety of small meals or snacks. 

This month, the team debuts in a different robotics event called the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Hawaii Regional Competition

At Assets High School, students have the opportunity to choose from a variety of campus-based mentorships.  One such mentorship is blacksmithing.

Have you seen our cat named Pretty Girl on the High School campus? 

The Hawaii News Now Sunrise Morning show graciously hosted the High School journalism mentorship students for a tour of the newsroom and TV station on February 8.

We look forward to Illumination, our Gala Tuition Assistance Fundraiser. It will be on April 15, at The Pacific Club at 5 p.m. We are planning a special evening. We hope you can come. Board Chair Kitty Yannone shares what she loves about Illumination.

In honor of Valentine's Day, we share these Assets School love stories.

Summer School classes will be from June to July at both K-8 and High School campuses, with distinctly different programs offered at each site. 

We extend a hearty mahalo to all the sponsors and supporters who believed in our robotics teams, Team Waffles, and Team MEAF.  Thank you for encouraging them on their journey from the start.

Sydney '23 earned an Honorable Mention Award for her still-life painting titled "Sunflower" from the competitive Regional Scholastic Art Exhibition.

Our students went to Mokukea Island to learn about Native Hawaiian culture and the marine ecosystem.

U.S. Representative Ed Case presented Assets School’s Robotics Teams, Team Waffles, and Team MEAF, with two Special Congressional Certificates at the high school campus on Friday, January 20 during a special school assembly at Damon Hall. 

Students from kindergarten
through 12th grade can be evaluated whether they are from a public, private or charter
school at the Transforming Lives Center at the Assets School K-8 campus.

The Assets High School Journalism Mentorship Program students were engaged as they observed the Hawaii Public Radio newsroom in action on a tour. 

Assets School's Robotics Team Waffles won first place in the State Championships! Now the team competes in the world championship in April.

Illumination is our Gala Tuition Assistance Fundraiser and will be held on April 15, at The Pacific Club!

Our goal is to help students thrive. With your support, we can make a difference for a family, the way we have for the Barrett 'ohana.

On behalf of our Head of School Ryan Masa, Assistant Head of School and Admissions Director Sandi Tadaki, and Vice President of Institutional Advancement Linda Jameson Myers, we thank you for supporting our Annual Fund which supports Tuition Assistance, the Brace Library, Robotics, Athletics, and the School's Greatest Needs

It was fun to catch up with our alumni from various years. We had alumni from the Class of 1994 to the Class of 2022!

We have three robotics teams. Two are at the High School and one is at K-8.

Winter sports games are on! 

Our High School hosted a Fall Field Day which included volleyball, basketball, cornhole, trivia, cards, Esports, and more. 

Here are the videos of the speakers at the "A Deeper Dive into Understanding Dyslexia' community educational event. 

Students' families, faculty, and staff collected nearly 600 pounds of canned goods and nonperishable food during the month of November to support families in need. 

As you walk around the two campuses of Assets School, you see students who are thriving in visual arts, dramatic arts, robotics, tech/design and academics. 

You are invited to join us for an alumni luncheon on Friday, Dec. 16 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Damon Hall at Assets High School.

Assets Robotics Team Waffles ranked in the top five teams in the world for this week, according to FIRST Tech Challenge. They beat out teams from New York, Florida, Australia and Canada.

Assets School's K-8 Principal Sungalina Lee was interviewed on Hawaii Public Radio about ADHD and girls. 

Kindergarten to third-grade students said they had fun on a field trip to the Aloun Farms Pumpkin Patch.

Please donate to our Giving Back Tuesday Hawaii Foodbank drive from Nov. 1 to Nov. 28.

Let's give a big round of applause to our students!  Team Waffles is ranked fifth in the world as of this week, per FIRST Tech Challenge.

Congratulations to long-time Assets Trustee Russell Lau! Trustee Lau who was honored by Pacific Business News for the Business Leadership Hawaii 2022 with the Career Achievement award in November. 

Rechung Fujihara, owner of co-working space BoxJelly, and Assets Alumnus spoke to Pacific Business News about how Assets School helped him with his dyslexia and become a successful business owner.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, consider donating to our Annual Fund and help a family feel the magic of Assets School. Donations support much-needed scholarships to help transform the life of a student! 

Here are some photos of the families who attended our 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat held at our K-8 campus.

Our Assistant Head of School/Admissions Director Sandi Tadaki was interviewed about the importance of early intervention for students with dyslexia on Hawaii Public Radio on The Conversation. October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.

KITV features Assets School's "A Deeper Dive into Understanding Dyslexia" event held in honor of October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Please join us on October 20th  from 5:30-6:30pm to learn more.

An estimated one in five American children experience learning challenges, and demand is high for affordable programs to serve them, especially in Hawaii.

Assets High School Senate partnered with Habilitat Hawaii for our annual holiday tree fundraiser.

The first match was on Oct. 5.

Director of Athletics Ken Powell said he'd love you to come to the games for our athletes in bowling, cheerleading, football, volleyball and cross-country track.

Mahalo to Assets parents Byron and Yumi Petrossian and their company Bright International Group, LLC for supporting Assets School's Annual Fund and our Robotics Program. 

WATCH: A 20-minute film to see how one mother creates a way to teach her dyslexic son how to read and write.

Here's a look at where Assets School was in the news in August 2022.

Join the Assets School team for Walk Like MADD 2022 drunk driving awareness and fundraising event on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Kaka`ako Waterfront Park.

We extend our gratitude to former Head of School Lou Salza and his wife Dell Salza for being our first Annual Fund donors.

Our High School is lively with excitement growing over the start of the Mentorship Program for this school year which includes new sites such as Foodland Farms at Ala Moana, Nimitz Elementary, and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Sea Urchin Hatchery Program.

Dr. Lee, who would like students to call her Dr. Elsa, has been busy assessing students from Kindergarten through 12th grade for dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other language-based learning differences, as well as academic achievement.

Across our two beautiful campuses, activities that have not taken place in two years are coming back, and we are so excited!

Assets School opens the Transforming Lives Center, the first private school-based full resource center on Oahu to provide comprehensive assessments of students.

Girls Who Code and Trellix Donate 25 ChromeBooks to Assets Robotics

We are proud and excited to share in the celebration of 36 graduates this year. 

Illumination 2022 raised $354,704.

Team Waffles received the Connect Award for this year's FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics season!

On Tuesday March 1, former NASA astronaut Capt. William Shepherd USN (Ret.) met virtually with two groups of Assets students as part of a space exploration class.

Hawaii Dental Service Foundation Generously Donates $50,000 to Assets School

This robotics program is geared towards students nine to sixteen years old and teaches them to program, build, and work with a team while having fun and exploring the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). 

Congratulations to Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions Sandi Tadaki and Director of Professional Development and Outreach Darlene Robertson on their 40th Anniversaries with Assets School.

We were honored to have Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi proclaim June 30th as Assets School’s 65th Anniversary Day.  Check out the highlights video: https://youtu.be/mBi3YmrGYpY

Listen to Ryan Masa's interview on HPR's 'The Conversation' with Catherine Cruz.

Rusty Komori, leadership consultant, author, motivational speaker, tv host and tennis professional interviews Ryan Masa.

Ryan Masa is interviewed by Kanoe Gibson on HINOWDaily and shares about our Illumination auction and "Celebrating 65 Years of Transforming Lives" television show. 

Former Academy of the Pacific Board Chair Barron Guss shares a congratulatory message with the Assets community.

Assets' metal arts mentorship (a.k.a. blacksmithing) was recently featured in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Assets is producing a one-hour television show: “Assets School-Celebrating 65 Years of Transforming Lives.” 

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 14th at 8 p.m. on K5, Saturday, April 17th at 6 p.m. on KGMB-TV (CBS) and Sunday, April 18th at 4 p.m. on KHNL-TV (NBC).

Save the Date for our virtual Illumination 2021 ~ Stars and Stripes: Honoring Assets’ Frontline Heroes, Assets' Teachers and former AOP Teachers on Saturday, April 17. Visit https://www.assets-school.org/giving/illumination for more information!

Assets School's community of #GreatMinds collected 1,254 pounds of food and $300, which was donated to the Hawaii Foodbank for Assets School's first Giving Back Tuesday.

KHON2 News featured our #GreatMinds and their recent robotics project that was donated to The Queen's Medical Center.

A team of three high school students, with oversight from their Assets robotics teacher Mr. Peter Han, has been designing a food delivery robot since June. This student-led project was delivered on Tuesday, Nov. 3 to The Queen’s Medical Center.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and is celebrated worldwide. Please visit the HIDA website for more details and to sign up for their virtual events!

Please support our High School Student Activities fundraiser. Assets is once again partnering with Habilitat to offer Christmas Trees. You can order online at HawaiiChristmasTrees.com

Orders due by October 23rd!

Assets School's College and Career Counselor Ms. Farris James is also a community leader serving as the President of the Hawaii Association for College Admission Counseling. Check out this informative Star-Advertser story by Susan Essoyan: https://www.staradvertiser.com/.../free-virtual-college.../

If you've ever been to one of our Gala events, you know the excitement and energy that auctioneer Eric Schiff brings to the room! We are so excited that Eric has kindly offered to join us for our Facebook Livestream tomorrow, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

We are two days into our Virtual Auction and are so grateful for the support we are receiving along with the awesome bidding that's going on with a few of our hot ticket items: https://youtu.be/RnZGROpxYO0

Our Illumination Virtual Auction is now live! You can register to bid using these instructions. 

Students like 2020 graduates Michaela and Kapono know first-hand the importance and life-enhancing impact from an Assets education and invite you to join us for our online event: https://youtu.be/na-bpOVR378

Hawaiian Studies teacher Mele-Aina Wood shares how important it is to pay it forward because someday those children, who have benefitted from your generosity, will be the ones giving back: https://youtu.be/d42FgQzmjws

Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions Sandi Tadaki has been serving the families of Assets School for 38 years. She knows exactly how important Assets is to the community: https://youtu.be/xu1GZQIUlEY

Assets Parent `Ohana (APO) President Janet Marlette shares in her video message that our annual Illumination event and auction is one of the school’s primary sources of raising funds for financial aid assistance: https://youtu.be/zr_rtdO-Pe0

Head of School Ryan Masa and Chair of Board Kitty Yannone share a warm welcome and Mahalo to our Assets `Ohana in this video: https://youtu.be/ITG8Pg-FmHQ

Assets School welcomes Linda Jameson Myers as our new Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

We are excited to announce that Nikki Hamai Sakai is Assets School's new High School Principal!

The 2020 Illumination Virtual Auction launches July 16. Stay tuned for more details!

Kudos to our staff, teachers and students for a successful Beautification Day on our K-8 Campus! This all happened thanks to a grant from the Kokua Hawaii Foundation! 

Assets School announces the selection of Gary Hogan of Hogan Hospitality Group and Gregory M. Sato of Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, LLP to its Board of Trustees.

Special feature by Hawaii News Now: Assets School helps students think outside the box and discover new strengths.

Dr. Suzy Travis, Assets High School Principal, is highlighted in the Hawaii Educational Network Consortium/HAIS Film by Kelsey Matsu entitled 'Rethinking Assessment.' 

Caitlin Mates has been named Assets School K-8 Principal, succeeding Ryan Masa, who is moving into the Head of School role.

Paul Singer, Assets’ Head of School since 2008, will retire at the end of this school year, and Lower School Principal Ryan Masa has been selected to succeed him. 

Current trends in education include three key concepts in student-centered learning: differentiated, personalized and individualized instruction. 

Two years after Kamehameha Schools and Assets School collaborated on a first-of-its kind scholarship program...

I propose we add one more important question to children, one we should be ready to answer openly for ourselves and to our children. “What am I marching for?”

Research suggests that because of the freedom we had growing up, which included the freedom to do some foolish things that necessitated taking responsibility for our actions, we became capable problem solvers and resilient individuals.