Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 4, 1 April 2006 — CHARTER SCHOOL PROFILE Kua o ka Lā [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHARTER SCHOOL PROFILE Kua o ka Lā

Location: Puna, Hawai'i island Principal: Susie Osborne Grades: 6-1 1 (expanding to 1 2th grade next year) Number of students: 55 Native Hawaiian students: 65% Student/teacher ratio: 1 5-1 Mission statement: Ke ala pono - tlre riglit patli History:

Kua o ka Lā emerged as a result of the success of the nonprofit Ho'oulu Lāhui, whieh in 1994 started to run programs - and continues to do so - at Pū'āla'a, an ancient Hawaiian village complete with historical sites, fishponds and native habitat. Kua o ka Lā received its charter

from the state in 2000 with a vision of providing quality education that addresses the distinctive learning styles of Hawai'i's youth in a culturally driven, academically rigorous manner.