KCS News & Happenings
KCS 'ohana shows their support as sixth graders shine in special performance
March 03, 2023
Nearly 150 students, parents, siblings, and staff arrived at the Stan Sheriff Center on February 23 in anticipation of a memorable night. While the evening started with pre-game festivities and ended with an exciting conference matchup for the UH Men's Basketball team, the highlight occurred prior to tip-off. The KCS 'ohana watched with pride as sixth graders Daven Hamamoto, Kawika Morioka, & Eli Otake, led by Mr. Ganiron, performed the national anthem and "Hawai'i Pono'i."
On-Court Experience: Special thanks to UH Athletics and event staff for hosting approximately 100 individuals from the KCS 'ohana for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the arena. The KCS group learned the history of the UH Men's Basketball program and watched the teams warm up from on-court seats. They also interacted with the basketball team as students lined the tunnel and court to high-five players and coaches when they made their way to the locker room and back on the court. Kids and parents were thrilled to be a part of this exciting experience!
Sixth Graders Perform: As students of Mr. Ganiron's ukulele school at KCS since 2021, Daven Hamamoto, Kawika Morioka, and Eli Otake embraced the challenge of performing the national anthem (Daven & Kawika, ukulele) and "Hawai'i Pono'i" (vocals) for a larger audience and live television. Mr. Ganiron wanted to give them another opportunity to perform and showcase their talent to reward them for their hard work during group and solo lessons. The trio practiced for four months, taking every chance to perform for an audience around campus and utilize the sound system in the Worship Center. While they knew every chord and note of the songs, Mr. Ganiron encouraged the boys to develop their skills in showmanship by learning to play off of each other and incorporate movement into their performance.
As evidenced by the video clip below, our sixth grade musicians not only entertained the audience but honored our country and state, as they represented KCS well. Mr. Ganiron hopes to continue to give Daven, Kawika, and Eli more opportunities, from competitions to community performances, to use their gifts and talents to shine!
Two students hope to inspire others by sharing "acts of kindness"
February 24, 2023
“How will you make Hawaii a better place through acts of kindness?” This was the question posed to students as they were challenged to "identify an act of kindness and illustrate how it can positively influence and inspire our community." Congratulations to Tytus Ahn '26 and Addy Shelverton '28, who are grade-level winners for the 13th Annual Inspired in Hawaii "Acts of Kindness" Essay, Poster, Digital Media Poster, and Video Contest, sponsored by The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation. Along with their respective teachers, Mrs. Fong and Mrs. Takahashi, Tytus and Addy were recognized at an awards program held at Kahala Mall Center Stage on February 22.
Addy's "Acts of Kindness" poster, a sweet depiction of simple and small ways to show kindness to others, earned her first place and a cash prize of $200. As an aspiring graphic artist, Addy enjoys drawing cartoon and anime characters in her free time. Through his essay, Tytus powerfully described what he learned through sharing Chris Tomlin’s song “Good Good Father” with his family’s first foster child: “An act of kindness does not have to be a significant, grand action that makes headline news; it can simply be spending quality time with someone.” As the first-place winner for the ninth-grade division, he also received $200. With 1,900 students from across the state submitting entries for this year's contest, we applaud Addy's outstanding artistic talent and Tytus's excellent writing skills!
New club makes its debut at cubing competition
February 03, 2023
The recent phenomenon of "speedcubing" has made its way to campus this year, as the KCS Cubing Club officially launched last fall. Focused on solving the iconic Rubik's cube invented in 1974, the Cubing Club meets weekly for members to learn algorithms, memorize steps, and build their muscle memory to increase their speed in solving these puzzles. Club president, Caleb Yoshioka '24, began cubing in 5th grade and started the club to share his passion with students in 5th-12th grade.
On January 28, Cubing Club members had the opportunity to compete in the Oahu 'Ohana Cubing competition, an official event sponsored by the World Cube Association. Held at the UH Manoa Ballroom, KCS participants competed in a range of events, from the traditional 3x3x3 cube to cubes of other dimensions (2x2x2 or 4x4x4) and shapes ("Skewb" or "Pyraminx"). The younger team members represented KCS well in their first competition experience. Congratulations to Callen Miyata '30 and Caleb, who advanced to the 2nd round in the 3x3x3 event, finishing 26th and 29th, respectively.
Looking ahead to the rest of this semester, Caleb is contemplating sharing "a more expansive view" of cubing with club members, shifting from cubing competitively to exploring the collection aspect. He also plans to focus on solving different types of cubes, not just the traditional 3x3 cubes. Way to go, Caleb and KCS cubers!
Middle and high school homerooms celebrate KCC's 100th anniversary
September 09, 2022
Next year, Kaimuki Christian Church celebrates its 100th Anniversary, a milestone occasion to reflect on what God has done through the people of Kaimuki Christian in the past century. The church and school look forward to a year-long celebration centered on "100 Years of Living and Loving like Jesus." In August, middle school and high school homerooms kicked off the anniversary year with a classroom decorating contest, drawing inspiration from this theme.
With a pizza lunch and boba up for grabs for 1st place and boba drinks for 2nd place, middle school and high school homerooms competed against one other in their respective departments. A group of judges walked through the homerooms on August 30, enjoying the creative output of each class. Doves, crosses, bulletin board displays, and garland adorned high school classrooms. Over in the McKenzie House, an interactive church service (complete with prayer, worship, sermon, and communion!), a timeline of KCC's history, and a "mannequin challenge" style presentation impressed the judges. The middle school winning class, Mrs. Holm's 8th grade homeroom, embraced the church's 100th anniversary vision of "serving and being a bigger presence, meeting the needs of others in our community and beyond" by reaching out to neighborhood businesses and stores to pray over them. They carried out their "flourish" theme through 100 blessings and prayers written on paper flowers and leaves beautifully arranged throughout the classroom.
Winners were announced during last week's upper chapel and enjoyed their prizes today. Check out our video for a highlight reel of the classroom displays, as students and staff joyfully express what the church has meant and done for its largest ministry, Kaimuki Christian School. Happy 100th Anniversary, KCC!