Children’s book author, Mrs. Dani Hickman, paid a special visit today to the elementary school where she read her book, Pono, The Garden Guardian, to the Kindergarten and Grade 1 students. Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, Ms. Lisa Lariscy, invited Mrs. Hickman to share her story with the elementary students as a fun way to reinforce what they have been learning about the “IPA 5 Agreements.”
During the first weeks of school, all IPA students from K-12 are presented with the “5 Agreements,” specific values that guide all of the interactions and relationships within our IPA community. Based on the Tribes Learning Community, the agreements include values like respect, responsibility, attentive listening, stewardship, and morality. As recognition of the universality of these values across cultures, and the importance of place-based learning, the “IPA 5 Agreements” are also presented with the Hawaiian word for each: aloha, koho, hoʻolohe, mālama, and pono.
Mrs. Hickman’s story, Pono, The Garden Guardian, is about both a Hawaiian menehune named Pono and the Hawaiian value of pono, or “doing the right thing.” In the story, Pono’s mischievousness has consequences that force him to question his behavior and decide on whether he will take a righteous path (pono) and make amends, or continue with his ways. Mrs. Hickman’s animated retelling of her engaging story, along with the beautiful illustrations in the book, kept the students captivated. After the story, the students were excited to share their own experiences as they related to different parts of her story.
Mrs. Hickman followed up by reinforcing the moral of Pono’s journey and how it relates to the “IPA 5 Agreements.” She shared how she became a writer and used the long process of writing and editing as an example of how you can always become better through hard work and perseverance. She also shared with the students that the key to becoming a good writer is to be a good reader!
You can learn more about Mrs. Hickman and her work on her website, www.thedanihickman.com.
