Each year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, our students in the Elementary grades Kindergarten through Grade 5 host Na Kupuna Day to welcome their grandparents to campus. (See end of article for the many meanings of the Hawaiian word: kupuna.)
A student spends time with his grandfather on Na Kupuna day.
The teachers and students in the elementary division worked with music instructor Ruth Babas and kumu hula (and Kindergarten teacher) Momi Kuahiwinui in the weeks leading up to 2015’s Na Kupuna Day.
Grandparents fill IPA’s multi-purpose room for the Na Kupuna Day program.
The short program prepared for the kupuna guests included performances by: students from the elementary ukulele club; singers from IPA’s after school Na Leo Hoku Nahenahe Choir; dancers from Na Pua o Keko`olani–IPA’s hula halau comprised of students, alumni, faculty, parents and grandparents; and songs sung by the entire elementary student body.
Each elementary student decorated a paper ukulele to wear during the Na Kupuna Day celebration.
After the entertainment program, kupuna were invited to spend some time in their grandchild’s classroom. Each classroom hosted a light brunch in honor of the kupuna and provided an opportunity for them to share their wisdom with the students.
Some grandparents flew in from the mainland to share the special day with their grandchild.
In the United States, the first Sunday in September is “National Grandparents Day.” IPA chose to hold its Na Kupuna Day on the day before Thanksgiving taking advantage of the four-day weekend and the odds that more relatives might be on island together. From the overflow crowd of 2015’s Na Kupuna Day this strategy seems to be right on target.
The Hawaiian word kupuna is widely understood to mean elder, grandparent or an older person. What is less known is that the word has at least three distinct but related meanings:
- An honored elder who has acquired enough life experience to become a family and community leader.
- Also means ancestor, our kupuna to help us find and fulfill our pathways through life.
- And can mean the source, the starting point or the process of growth.
(source cited is What is the Meaning of “Kupuna”? on the Kupuna Education Center website http://www.kupunaeducation.com/)
