CLASS HISTORY
Way back in 1939 when the world was younger (before the war), thirty-four shy-looking, bright-eyed children of assorted sizes started out on one of the most momentous days of their lives. In other words, the class of 1947 was starting their first year of the elementary school in the first grade with Mrs. Harriet Hasse as their teacher.
Of the original thirty-four who started school on that day, there are only eighteen of the same ones left in the present graduating class of thirty-three. These are: Billy Balthis, Fred Coleman, Hugh Coleman, Pat Flores, Mort Lydgate, Donald Omori, Kenneth Tom, Patricia Cabral, Muriel Enos, Naila Filler, Frances Hamasaki, Daisy Ishibashi, Barbara Jackson, Sylvia Nashiwa, Margaret Robertson, Mary Robertson, Barbara Sinclair, and Barbara Yokoyama.
When we reached the second grade we were joined by Alvin Kanda, who came from Wailuku Elementary, James and John Fleming from Aptos School, San Francisco, Beverly Silva from Makawao School, and Mary Lou Jacobs from Kahului School. James Jacobs left us. We had two teachers this year--Mrs. Olive Bishop and Mrs. Clara Featherstone.
In the third grade we considered ourselves big children because we took part in the school activities. During that year Faith Smith joined our ranks, and Mrs. Hasse was again our teacher.
In the fourth grade Myrtle Yamamoto came from Spreckelsville, John Meyer from Kapalama, and Evelyn Endo from Paia School. Our teacher in this grade was Miss Nina Kirk.
Kathleen Ikeda came from Paia School during our fifth grade when Mrs. Elizabeth Brown was our teacher.
In the sixth grade we became a part of the upper grade departmentalized system and Mrs. Mary Jo Kinnison was our home-room teacher.
Aileen Akuna joined us from Kapalama School in the seventh grade where we were first introduced to Mrs. Katherine Hughes as our home-room teacher.
In our eighth and last year of elementary school, Mr. Mortimer Givens was our home-room teacher the first four months as a substitute for Mrs. Hughes. When she resigned in April because of illness in her family, Mrs. Alice Johnson finished the year in her place. In this grade John Tavares joined us from Kailua Intermediate and Patricia Mitchell from Robert Louis Stevenson.
During our eight school years at Kaunoa, both the main buildings
and the enrollment of the school grew considerably. Four rooms
were added to the main building - two classrooms, the office and
the dispensary. Four more classrooms in two separate buildings
were brought down from Makawao in 1947. The total enrollment of
the school increased from 244 in 1939 to 315 in 1947.
The total weight for the class was 3,676 pounds, which means an
average of about 111 pounds per person. Faith Smith is the "lightest"
girl with a mere 163 and 1/2 pounds, while Evelyn Endo is the
"heaviest" with a colossal weight of 92 and 1/2 pounds.
As for the boys, John Meyer is the lightest with only 185 pounds
wrapped around his small body. Alvin Kanda is the "heaviest"
with 89 pounds of lard on him.
The beanpole, or "tallest" person in the class, is Evelyn Endo with a height of four feet eight inches. Arthur Enos is the shrimp of the class with only five feet eleven inches to his credit. The total height for the class is 2098 and 1/4 inches or 174 feet and 10 and 1/4 inches. The average height for the class is five feet four inches.
The total of brain capacity has not been exactly measured, but it is estimated in round figures to be a cool 45,000,000,000 gallons.
At thus ends the history of the eighth grade graduating class of Kaunoa School.
Pat Cabral - pcabral8@comcast.net
Al Kanda - alkanda@hawaiiantel.net