About My Classroom

“Classrooms send messages about diversity, relationship building, communication and the roles of teachers and students” (n.d., 2014, p.1)." To better understand my work environment, in the following sections, you will find out more about where I teach, the school I teach at, and the diverse group of students that make up my class.

Where I Teach

Kipapa Elementary School is located in Oahu, Hawaii in the town of Mililani. It is part of the Central Oahu District (Leilehua - Mililani - Waialua) and was established in 1932. The school served plantation families that lived in the area and now, as one of the oldest schools in the district, students from many different parts of Mililani attend the school.

When people hear that I teach in Mililani, they think of the districts pristine soccer fields or the new townhouses. However, almost 50% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunches, making Kipapa Elementary a Title 1 school.

Pictured Above: Kipapa Elementary School yearbook cover

School Information

Student Demographics (Source: LDS Oct. 2016 and Trend Report 2013-14, eSIS 2014-15, eSIS 2015-16, LDS 2016-17)
- Student Primary Race:
  - Black - 3.2%
  - Chinese - 1.5%
  - Filipino - 29.8%
  - Native Hawaii - 19.3%
  - Japanese - 10.5%
  - Korean - 1.8%
  - Portuguese - 1.5%
  - Hispanic - 2.0%
  - Samoan - 4.5%
  - Micronesian - 4.3%
  - White - 17%

Free and Reduced Lunch: 48.96%

Special Education Services: 11.9%

English Language Learners: 4% (Micronesian students make up the largest group)

Resources and Programs:
- Special Education
- ESOL
- Transitional Student Support Program (TSSP supports students transitions to new school settings. Students part of the TSSP program are taught empathy, self-awareness, how to manage their emotions and develop/maintains social/peer relationships)
- After school tutoring
- After school clubs
- A+ program in partnership with YMCA

Circumstances that Impact Instruction:
- Pacing requirements
- Curriculum programs (Wonders and Stepping Stones)
- Grade level planning and decision to execute the same lessons and activities
- Special education students require supports and services in the inclusion classroom

Responsibilities Outside of the Classroom:
- Curriculum fair committee
- Student Community Council (SCC) committee
- Kipapa Staff Support Committee (KSSC)

Classroom Information

Classroom Information :
- My classroom is a kindergarten inclusion classroom that supports seven Individual Education Programs and one Behavioral Support Plan.

Student Information:
- Gender breakdown: 22 five- and six-year-olds.
  - 13 boys and nine girls
- Language: 20 students are English speakers, and two are English Language Learners with another language spoken predominately at home.

Ethnicity breakdown:
- 38% Filipino
- 9% Japanese
- 43% Filipino/Japanese/Chinese/Portugese/White/Native Hawaiian
- 5% Black
- 5% Portuguese

Academic Levels: Students academic levels are on a broad spectrum. Some students have had more than one year of preschool and begin the school year knowing their letters, shapes, numbers, and colors. The majority, however, are being exposed to a school setting for the first time and are just beginning to build their foundational knowledge and skills.

Pictured Above: Kipapa Elementary' school's campus

Pictured Above: Kipapa Elementary school's campus

Pictured Above: A snapshot of my classroom

Pictured Above: Snapshots of my classroom environment

REFERENCE

Teaching Tolerance. Classroom Culture. (n.d.) Retrieved September 18, 2014 from: http://www.tolerance.org/publication/classroom-culture