Ua hoʻomaka koke nā haumāna ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me nā papahana Kalamakū o Saint Louis Schools i kahi huakaʻi i ka Mokupuni Nui ʻo Hawaiʻi, i alakaʻi ʻia e ko lākou kumu, ʻo Kumu Kaipo Leopoldino.  ʻO ka pahuhopu nui o ka huakaʻi ʻo ia ka hoʻolaha ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma o ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i nā kahua moʻomeheu.

 Ua hoʻolālā ʻo Mr. Leopoldino i kēia huakaʻi no nā makahiki ʻehā i hala, a i kēia makahiki, ua hiki iā ia ke hoʻokō.  Ke ʻimi nei ka papahana ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i nā wahi like ʻole o Oahu no nā makahiki.  Eia nō naʻe, i kēia makahiki, ʻo ka pae kiʻekiʻe o ka papa Hawaiʻi, ʻo ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. 

Ua kipa nā haumāna i nā wahi moʻomeheu like ʻole i ko lākou huakaʻi ʻana, ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo Waimea, Kona, a me Hilo ma ka Puʻuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.  Ua komo pū lākou i nā hana he nui i hiki iā lākou ke ʻike maka i ka moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi.  ʻO kekahi o ia hana, ʻo ia ka hana ʻana i ka Lei a i ʻole ka lei e hāʻawi aku i Hoʻokupu, he mōhai kuʻuna Hawaiʻi.

Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Thor Mersberg, kekahi o nā haumāna i komo i ka huakaʻi kula, “Hoʻokahi manawa poina ole e noho ana i loko o koʻu poʻo ʻo ia no ka hana i Lei e hāʻawi ai i Hoʻokupu.” 

Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Kalaʻi Kealoha, kekahi haumāna, “ʻO ka mea kupanaha loa aʻu i ʻike ai ma kēia huakaʻi, ʻo ia ka nui o nā mea a mākou i hoʻāʻo ai e hana pū i loko o ka manawa pōkole a mākou i loaʻa ai.  i ka ʻike i loaʻa iā mākou ma nā wahi like ʻole. “

 ʻAʻole he huakaʻi leʻaleʻa a hoʻonaʻauao wale ka huakaʻi no nā haumāna, akā kōkua pū kekahi i ka hoʻoulu ʻana i nā haumāna ʻōpio e lawe i nā makahiki ʻehā o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.  Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Mr. Leopoldino, “Ua kōkua ia i ka hoʻoikaika ʻana i ka papahana ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi no ka mea ua hoʻohui ia i kahi pahuhopu hou no nā haumāna e hoʻokō no lākou iho.” 

Ma ke ʻano holoʻokoʻa, ua holomua ka huakaʻi, a ua hoʻi nā haumāna i ka home me ka mahalo hohonu i kā lākou moʻomeheu a me kā lākou ʻōlelo.  Hoʻolālā ʻo Mr. Leopoldino e hoʻohui i kekahi mau mea āna i aʻo ai i ka huakaʻi, e like me ke oli ʻana no ka ʻae ʻana e komo i kahi hou e aʻo ai, i loko o kāna mau papa e hoʻonui ai i ka ʻike aʻo ʻana o ka haumāna.

 Saint Louis Schools’ Hawaiian language and Kalamakū program students recently embarked on a field trip to the Big Island led by their teacher, Kumu Kaipo Leopoldino. The primary objective of the trip was to promote the Hawaiian language through an immersive experience at cultural sites.

Leopoldino had been planning this trip for the past four years, and this year, he was finally able to make it happen. The Hawaiian Language program has been exploring different parts of Oahu for years. Still, this year, the highest level of the Hawaiian class, Hawaiian 4 and 6, chose to explore their teacher’s hometown.

During their trip, the students visited various cultural sites, including Waimea, Kona, and Hilo, at the Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. They also participated in numerous activities that allowed them to experience Hawaiian culture firsthand. One such activity was making a Lei or a garland to give as a Ho’okupu, a traditional Hawaiian offering.

Thor Mersberg, a senior participant in the field trip, shared, “One memorable moment was sitting in the forest to make a lei to give as a Ho’okupu. It was a beautiful and peaceful experience that connected me with Hawaiian culture.”

Fellow senior Kala’i Kealoha added, “The most surprising thing I experienced on this trip was the number of things we tried to do together in the short time we had. These small adventures we took in that short time helped me to appreciate the experiences we got at different places.”

The trip was not only fun and an educational experience for the students, but it also helped to inspire younger students to take the four years of Hawaiian language.  Leopoldino said, “It helped enhance the Hawaiian language program because it added a new goal for students to achieve for themselves.”

Overall, the trip was a resounding success, and the students returned home with a deeper appreciation for their culture and language. Leopoldino plans to integrate some of the things he learned during the trip, such as chanting for permission to come into a new place to learn, into his classes to enhance the student’s learning experience.