Huakailani School Educating Girl Students In Kailua Core

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Kaori Brown

Kaori Brown found the perfect place in Kailua for her all-girls,one-room schoolhouse in Kailua.

“It’s five minutes away from Kailua District Park,“she said.“We have access to the tennis court, basketball court, the playground and pool.We also have access to Kailua Library next to the park where we go every week. And it is the community where I was an educational leader for the past six years.”

Brown was a first-grade teacher at Le Jardin Academy for two years, and a principal there for four years.

Huakailani School,which opened Aug. 27 at 320 Uluniu St., has four students now, but can accept up to 18 girls in grades K-5.

Prospective students can spend the day at the 800-square-foot school to see if it’s a good fit.

Brown said having several grades in one room works because she’s trained in individualized learning.

“It’s really no different from a traditional classroom. It does take a lot of organization, and planning ahead. It’s just expanding the range a little bit more.

“In fact, it is a necessity in a sense that the children and the family deserve this. If a child needs advanced work, you give it to them; or if they need help, you can give that so no one is bored or left behind.”

Brown said she chose the name Huakailani (noble journey) because she wanted something that reflects the Hawaiian culture.

“Families seem to like the all-girls setting,” she added. “We focus on performing arts, language arts and foreign language.This is a high-caliber, high-quality private education in a small school setting.” Tuition is $8,000 per school year, starting with 2009-2010.For details, call 348-3179.

Brown was born in Japan, grew up in Florida and moved to Hawaii in 2000. Her 11-year-old son, Jae-Sun,attends Mililani Ike Elementary School.

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