Kawaiahaʻo Church School, is a Christian program whose mission is to provide children, their families and teachers with an appropriate Montessori educational experience emphasizing Hawaiian cultural values and language.

We are located in the heart of downtown Honolulu and serve children from 24 months to grade 5 providing a Christian, Montessori curriculum with an emphasis on Hawaiian culture and values.  We accept all children and they do not need to be toilet-trained to enter our toddler program.

Kawaiahaʻo Church School is accredited by the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).   We are affiliated with the American Montessori Society, and serve as an internship site for students enrolled in the Montessori Teacher Training Program at Chaminade University of Honolulu, and as a practicum site for students enrolled in Honolulu Community College’s Early Childhood Education Program. The School is licensed by the Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Hawaii Council of Private Schools (HCPS).

Christian Education
Kawaiahaʻo Church School is an important part of the Christian Ministry of Kawaiahaʻo Church. The program assumes the responsibility of providing a rich experience in “living” Christianity through an atmosphere based on reverence for the worth and dignity of the individual child and a respect for the rights of others. Montessori’s approach to education supports spiritual development in the classroom community and supplies the security, love and nurturing necessary to foster a meaningful and positive response to life. Spiritual values and an awareness of God and His creations are nourished through daily ʻohana time with teachers, and developmentally appropriate activities and concrete experiences designed to promote the vision of our School:

• Aloha Ke Akua-Love God (Matthew 22:37-38)
  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.

• Aloha Kekahi I Kekahi-Love One Another (John 15:12-13)
  My commandment is this: Love one another as I have loved you.
  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

• Aloha ʻĀina-Love the Land (Psalm 65:9)
  You care for the land and water it. Enrich it abundantly.

  The Montessori Philosophy
  The Montessori approach to education is grounded in the belief that children have a dynamic inner desire to explore and learn about their environment. All children carry within themselves the person they will become. Developing the physical, intellectual, and spiritual potential to the fullest requires freedom — freedom achieved through order and self-discipline. A prepared and stimulating classroom environment allows children to learn at their own pace, according to their own capabilities in a non-competitive atmosphere.

Hawaiian Culture and Language
By embracing an educational philosophy that acknowledges a native perspective, Kawaiahaʻo Church School is furthering its broader vision of multilingualism, multiculturalism, educational excellence, and Montessori’s focus on whole-child development. One of our School’s three preschool classrooms is a dual Hawaiian language environment.

Programs
For in depth information on our programs please see our programs page.  Our school offers the following programs for our keiki:

• Toddlers (24 months-36 months)
• Preschool (3-6 years old)
• Preschool Hawaiian dual-language class (3-6 years old)
• Elementary (1st grade-5th grade)