Page 17 - MidWeek - June 16, 2021

Students Thriving In Catholic Schools’ System
FROM PAGE 12
“That’s one of the perks,” she says of being able to work at a Catholic school. “I can practice my faith out
Sin the open, and I was really evangelizing like I’ m sup- posed to do.”
tudents under Hawai‘i Catholic Schools’ purview continually
By educating students to accept challenges, Vannatta and the rest of her Hawai‘i Catholic Schools colleagues give these young minds the tools to adapt to change in healthy, productive ways. Furthermore, turning the state’s next generation of community leaders into go-getters and problem-solv- ers, especially after the past 18 months, is quite reassur- ing.
score above the national av- erage in every single subject area, and 98% of its teens enroll in college after grad- uation. In addition, children can choose from an array of award-winning sports and arts programs, allowing their passions outside of scholas- tics to thrive.
JUNE 16, 2021 MIDWEEK 17
John the Baptist School in Kalihi (which closed last year), and continued on at her alma mater, Sacred Hearts Academy.
ing well doesn’t necessarily mean getting an A in every- thing,” says Vannatta, who herself has a master’s degree in special education from Se- attle University. “I want my students to be successful, and I challenge them. That’s what makes me a hard teacher. I want them to do well, to think and challenge themselves, to have integrity.”
But, like Young and Van- natta reiterate, it’s not only about academics and extra- curriculars.
“The Hawai‘i Catholic school system fared in- credibly well throughout this pandemic, when others struggled and experienced
considerable learning loss,” explains Young. “Many Ha- wai‘i Catholic schools con- ducted worthwhile service projects, virtual field trips
(Above) Alan Uyeoka of Aloha Kia presents Hawai‘i Catholic Schools’ 2020-21 Teacher of the Year Mary Jane Vannatta with keys to her new car during an award ceremony at Maryknoll School.
(Right) A new car needs gas, and adding to the prizes was Eric Chong of Par Hawai‘i, who gave Vannatta a symbolic gift card for $1,000 worth of fuel at Hele gas stations.
and successful virtual fund- raisers, providing students with enriching service learn- ing opportunities.”
“I think everyone has the ability to do well, but do-
So successful were these parochial schools in main- taining high academic stan- dards and student achieve- ment that overall, Hawai‘i Catholic Schools saw signif- icant increases in enrollment late into the 2020-21 school year and into the 2021-22 term. Each of the nearly 30 campuses was able to bal- ance in-person instruction (starting in August 2020) — taking care to adhere to strict safety guidelines — with
(Top) Augustine Educational Foundation gifted Maryknoll School $1,500 for faculty development. Pictured are (from left) 2020-21 Hawai‘i Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year Mary Jane Vannatta, Shana Tong, Father EJ Resinto and Dr. Llewellyn Young.
(Above) Vannatta also earned a cash prize courtesy of Chaminade University of Honolulu, Catholic Schools Hawai‘i, and John and Mary Lou Brogan for her accomplishment as well. Posing with Vannatta are (from left) Dr. Dale Fryxell, Shana Tong and Father EJ Resinto.
online learning a difficult feat not many other pri- vate and public schools were able to accomplish.
comes to that,” she adds with a laugh. “It was definitely a learning experience.”
“That was hard,” Van- natta admits. “I was not used to using technology like that.
See? Even in the midst of a pandemic, the 2020-21 Hawai‘i Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year finds the silver lining and keeps on learning.
“I’m a dinosaur when it