Arming students with the skills they need to succeed

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools around the world were forced to make changes to better protect students. This involved sending them home and out of the classroom. Not only has Hawaii Catholic Schools made the transition to distance learning, but it continues to provide students with the skills necessary to thrive in today’s world.

At Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Principal Chantelle Luaraca says they first recognize and focus on five basic skills like listening, following instructions, asking questions for better understanding, sharing, and using social skills.

“We call these self-discipline skills through a program we use called, ‘Discipline With Purpose,’” she says. “We’ve noticed that when the students apply these skills, and every person of our community applies the skills, there’s success and growth!”

Luaraca explains that the curriculum at Our Lady of Good Counsel School is selected in order to challenge students to problem solve. It also gives students the technological resources that will allow them to apply these essential basic life skills, as technology is necessary for many of today’s jobs.

In addition to preparing students for a successful future, Our Lady of Good Counsel School also fosters creativity by putting on full-production plays.

“At the end of the final event, every person who is a part of it shares the same feeling of pride and just absolute joy over the success,” Luaraca says.

Our Lady of Good Counsel School also hosts amazing food truck nights where hundreds of guests enjoy an evening filled with local food and entertainment by the students.

While Our Lady of Good Counsel School offers a number of extra-curricular sports programs, it also offers STEM education in order to create critical thinkers, increase science literacy, and enable the next generation of innovators.

“Because we’re a Catholic School, religion has always been infused through the entire day. So, integrating multiple subjects was something that my teachers and I are comfortable with,” Luaraca begins. “I believe we can all agree that children, and people of all ages, are most interested in learning when the content is applicable to their lives. Naturally, when students are posed with STEM-based problems rather than strictly informative, we notice they maintain engaged.”