KCS News & Happenings
Posts Tagged "KCS ohana"
Mrs. Spearing retires after 36 fruitful years
May 23, 2025
"This is the day that the Lord has made... I will rejoice and be glad in it." This joyful declaration to begin the school day, along with prayer, the flag pledge, and patriotic songs, have been a constant in Mei-Ling Spearing's preschool classes throughout her time at KCS. Today marks Mrs. Spearing's last day, concluding 36 years of faithful service to our youngest learners and their families. This year's P4A Maluhia class is her last preschool class, adding to the thousands of lives she has already touched. During her career, Mrs. Spearing's skills and talents often led her to work with older students, as she taught German (20 years) and Drama (25 years) to middle schoolers. She also helped with the Pep Squad in the 90s, coordinated the school's involvement in the ACSI Spelling Bee, and assisted with the past two Spring Drama Productions.
As a member of KCC since 1976, Mrs. Spearing's heart has always been to bridge the activities and ministries of the church and school. Guided by her strong faith, Mrs. Spearing says the most rewarding part of her work was teaching and sharing the gospel with students, families, and the community. She has many highlights from working with preschool and middle school students, including teaching her daughters (Mishalla and Betsy) and three of her grandchildren. Her tenure has spanned generations, as she has had the unique opportunity to teach the children of her former students. Through introducing academic skills, concepts, literature, languages, or cultural activities, Mrs. Spearing hoped to point others to the Lord in all she did.
On May 20, KCC/KCS staff honored Mrs. Spearing with a surprise retirement party, celebrating her legacy and lasting contributions to the KCS 'ohana. Her heart is filled with gratitude as this season comes to a close, expressing, "It has been an honor, privilege, and blessing to serve at KCS these years." She plans to continue volunteering for KCC ministries (VBS and Harvest Celebration) and looks forward to relaxing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends in retirement. Danke Schoen, Frau Spearing!
The power of praying moms
September 06, 2024
For Kris Tokioka (Christian ‘24, Taylor Ann ‘30), whose parents own Fukuda Seed Store, drawing a comparison between gardening and prayer comes naturally. Just as a seed can sprout unexpectedly, after seasons of faithful care or even forgetfulness, prayers are answered through God working, often in ways unseen, through the soil and weeds. This understanding and heart for prayer prompted Kris to step out in faith to lead the Moms in Prayer group in 2020. By offering her time, presence, and focus to the group these past four years, she has seen an overflow of blessings result from these bi-weekly gatherings centered on prayer.
Coming together to pray for KCS has been a desire of moms for nearly two decades. Children’s Chaplain Sandy Simmons led a Mothers Prayer Group in the early 2000s, and Renee Mola revitalized the group in 2010 under Moms in Touch. Since then, a handful of dedicated moms (Lei Voss, Linda Lee, and Kris) have humbly answered the call to carry on the legacy under Moms in Prayer, which provides resources and support for groups internationally. Meetings are kept to one hour, following a structured time outlined on prayer sheets provided; each meeting focuses on an attribute of God and flows from praise and scripture reading to praying for students and staff members by name. The group also prays for requests shared by Principal Mrs. Ahn and intercedes on behalf of schools across the state, country, and world.
From starting with four moms meeting via FaceTime during the height of the pandemic, Kris has seen the group grow through the years as this special ministry has drawn more moms. Tracy Fujinaka (Sanoe ‘30), who joined Moms in Prayer in 2019, said she put aside her initial hesitancy to join other moms in “laying [their] hearts out on the line” in prayer for their children. The group has led Tracy to “develop a deep connection and bond with… other moms in Christ.” Kris also acknowledges a similar impact of seeing God’s faithfulness at work, encouraged by Mrs. Ahn’s praise reports, the increase of moms attending the group, and answered prayer in her own family’s life.
With a willingness to show up during their lunch break or join virtually, this year’s group has given Kris a deep feeling of excitement and expectancy for the school year. Her big prayers are for the next generation and seeing “more miracles” and “more coming to Christ.” Kris also hopes to reach more moms (and grandmothers) and invites those with a heart for prayer to experience the sweet blessing of Moms in Prayer!
Happy 100 Years, Kaimuki Christian Church!
September 15, 2023
A century of living and loving like Jesus has touched thousands of lives, spanning multiple generations and stretching the globe. Held on September 9, 400+ people attended Kaimuki Christian Church's 100th Anniversary Celebration Dinner, reconnecting and reuniting those who have been a part of the church or school 'ohana. As the largest ministry of the church, KCS joined the joyous celebration of God's enduring faithfulness. From 'ukulele performances to a time of worship and hula, students and staff are the fruit of the vision and mission of KCC to make Jesus known in the community!
Shared during the Celebration Dinner, the video linked below chronicles the stories of Abigail Pang '33, Mrs. Sara Silsby (retired Preschool Teacher Aide), Richie Aqui (KCC Elder/KCS parent), and Keanu Aqui '29, reflecting the DNA of Kaimuki Christian Church and School. Watch their testimonies to see how God wove their stories together!
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!