HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

Assets K-8 Student Senate members loading up the boxes of food donations to be delivered to the Hawaii Foodbank. (KGMB-TV Newscast feature)

ASSETS GIVES BACK ON NATIONAL GIVING TUESDAY BY DONATING 1,254 POUNDS OF FOOD TO HAWAII FOODBANK

Trustees, parents, families, faculty (past and present), and staff of Assets School have collected canned goods and nonperishable food since early November to support families in need. Some parents arrived on campus needing a flatbed cart to haul all their food items to the campus office while others arrived with their own carts filled to the brim.

On December 1, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving known as National Giving Tuesday, Assets School presented Hawaii Foodbank President and CEO Ron Mizutani with 40 boxes of food totaling 1,254 pounds and a $300 monetary donation from the Joyner family to feed individuals and families in crisis due to the pandemic. 

“We are so grateful to Assets School for helping the Foodbank and caring about our community, said Hawaii Foodbank President and CEO Ron Mizutani. We are humbled by the thoughtfulness of the Trustees, students, parents and faculty of Assets. For a small school, this is a very large donation, and these items will help so many families. We are also impressed that an Assets family made a generous monetary donation as a result of this drive. Like Assets, we hope other schools and organizations will raise awareness about the need to support the Hawaii Foodbank.”

“We are so proud of our students and families for helping our community in such a generous way,” said Assets Head of School Ryan Masa. “It is a tough time for some of our own families so this speaks volumes to how our community comes together to teach our children the lesson of giving to others. Assets’ Giving Back Tuesday is an important and meaningful effort and there was no question we were going to support Ron and the Hawaii Foodbank.”

“Giving back is important to our family because we want to help strengthen our community,” said Assets School parent Veronica Luttrell. “We recognize our blessings and feel it's our duty to help wherever we can.”

KHON2 News shared our story.  Hawaii News Now (KHNL-TV), K-5, and KGMB-TV featured us on numerous newscasts. Click on the video link above and see one of the stories!

Message from Linda Jameson Myers Vice President of Advancement

Faculty and students on both campuses sign-waved to promote our GivingTuesday and thank families as they drove through to drop off and pick up their children.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR FIRST EARLY GIVINGTUESDAY

We extend our GRATITUDE to our Assets 'ohana for supporting our goal of breaking tradition and holding our GivingTuesday early and for all the generous donations. From last month’s newsletter to today, we have nearly 100 donors contributing to our success during our GivingTuesday week-long effort and our Annual Fund appeal.

We also are humbled by your young-at-heart willingness to acknowledge our 65th anniversary and are impressed that 35 families opted to celebrate our special year with a 6 and 5 in their donation.

Thanks to YOU, we raised more than $50,000 in donations in one month and we are so GRATEFUL! 

It is not too late if you are interested in helping our deserving students and families in need, as well as providing for our school's greatest needs. Click on the button below. Please call or email me if you have any questions (808) 440-3605 or lmyers@assets-school.org. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you soon. You are probably like me and ready to say, "Goodbye Covid-19!" Stay safe everyone and wishing you the best this holiday season! 

SAVE THE DATE

We are excited to announce we are holding our virtual Illumination 2021 ~ Stars and Stripes: Honoring Assets’ Frontline Heroes on Saturday, April 17.

The live auction program will include professional auctioneer Eric Schiff from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with bidding continuing until 7 p.m. In addition to the virtual online auction, we have sponsorship opportunities involving some of your favorite restaurants!

We know from the success of July’s virtual Illumination auction that this is an event you look forward to every year and we appreciate your support for this important fundraiser for tuition assistance and the school's greatest needs.

If you would like to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities or would like to donate an item or experience, please contact Linda Jameson Myers at (808) 440-3605 or by email at lmyers@assets-school.org 

GRANTS AWARDED TO ASSETS' ROBOTICS PROGRAM

Assets’ Robotics Program has been awarded three grants totaling $5,100. We have received $2,100 from the Friends of Hawaii Robotics “We Care Grant”, $2,000 from Hawaii’s Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) STEM Grant, and $1,000 from Bayer’s FIRST Robotics Grant Program. The Bayer Fund supports FIRST Robotics teams in U.S. communities where employees live and work and you must be invited to apply for a grant.

High School teacher and Robotics Coach Peter Han is immensely grateful for the community support he is receiving this year. His team of 40 students will be able to purchase the parts and equipment needed to continue their competitive edge amongst other Hawaii robotics teams.

A video message from Communications Director and Parent Relations Liaison Mahea Nakamura

STAYING CONNECTED - ASSETS AMBASSADORS ENGAGEMENT SURVEY

We are truly grateful to all of our Assets Ambassadors and the support they provide to our #GreatMinds. Your presence and your support help us to continue our mission of transforming lives. Many thanks to the families who have already completed our survey!

Assets Ambassadors are what you may liken to being a member of a Parent Association or a Parent Volunteer. If you are interested in being involved or providing feedback, please click here and complete our Google Survey.

Message from College and Career Guidance Counselor Farris James, M.Ed.

COLLEGE VISITS GO VIRTUAL ON THE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS

Assets High School has hosted 22 virtual college visitors this Fall for our Juniors and Seniors. While many of the visitors have previously been to our campus in person, we also welcomed new admission representatives at the request of our students. Most of them shared their test-optional policies for the Class of 2021 and commented that the policy is likely to remain in place beyond 2021 and for the Class of 2022. It is inferred that the SAT and ACT are unlikely to play a large role in the admission and scholarship process anytime in the near future. This is largely a welcome change for many Assets students who might not be able to showcase their knowledge most effectively through standardized tests. A greater emphasis on grades and coursework (four years rather than four hours) is known to be more predictive of college success.

Because all students take Guidance class, this program allows our students to clarify their criteria for post-secondary search based on their learning profile. Fit is important for all students, but perhaps even more so for our population. All visitors are asked to address important issues specific to our students, such as accessing learning and disability support in a university setting, as well as how best to share their stories through personal statements. All colleges and universities in the U.S. provide accommodations for learning differences, but the details about accessing those supports vary by state, campus, and program. 

Farris James shared, “Historically, most of our graduates enroll in college immediately after high school, although there are many paths to success and our program also honors that, so students also study gap year programs, apprenticeships and other pathways. It is my goal to make sure they all know how to set themselves up for success in post-secondary education settings and refine their criteria for determining fit. Assets graduates are required to have a clear plan for life after high school, so those that choose something other than college are also guided closely through 1:1 appointments during senior year. I devote half of my day to really focusing on meetings with seniors to assist them in implementing their plans. Just like everything at Assets, we take an individualized approach. With the pandemic in progress, it has been particularly joyful to engage with the college visitors alongside students because they often incorporate virtual tours, photos and videos. Perhaps it feeds the travel bug we have all been feeling and plants seeds of hope for our students who envision themselves in possible futures.”

Farris James is also the President of the Hawaii Association for College Admission Counseling and was featured in the Honolulu Star Advertiser in October. 

  Assets School |  1 Ohana Nui Way  |  Honolulu, HI 96818

(808) 423-1356