Hanahau’oli School Starts After School philosophy for children Hawai‘i Enrichment Class

Hanahau’oli School Starts After School philosophy for children Hawai‘i Enrichment Class

Is it possible to exist and not think of anything at all? What is time? When something is past, is it gone forever? What do I fear losing the most? Do I need to have lots of possessions to be happy? What is a good friend? What are numbers? If you could start a country from scratch, what would it look like? What makes something beautiful? Students at Hanahau’oli School will have the opportunity to work alongside seasoned philosophy for children Hawai‘i teacher, Alder Olive, to ask questions like these and think about them with their friends in a brand new p4cHI after school enrichment class that is being piloted at Hanahau’oli School this fall. Mrs. Olive and the students will spend the semester creating an intellectually safe community of inquiry where they can develop their ability to think for themselves in responsible ways by exploring “big questions” that arise from their interests, experiences, and class materials (e.g. texts, short films, and artwork). As part of this process the students will make and use a community ball, learn about the “Good Thinker’s Tool Kit,” engage in “Plain Vanilla” discussion-based inquiries with their peers, and partake in daily reflective activities. The Uehiro Academy hopes to learn a lot from this pilot and expand the class to other school communities.