On Dec. 19, 1940, Imua ‘Iolani published the article, “Christmas Vacation Starts Today and Will Last Until January 6th,” which marked the start of a 16-day- long break stretching from Dec. 20 to Jan. 6. While the article celebrates the beginning of Christmas Vacation it also reflects the stricter policies from the time. Back then, students were prohibited from leaving early or returning late to school due to family vacations without facing consequences. Those who missed school would have to spend twice as many days in detention as the periods they missed. At the time, there was little flexibility around holiday absences to ensure that effective learning was prioritized above all else. Today ‘Iolani’s attendance policies are more flexible, which demonstrates a shift in allowing students to consider family commitments with planned absence forms. However, this change in the policy remains a topic of conversation within the school community. Some teachers argue that learning is hindered by students’ excessive absences from school because they learn best when they are engaged in a classroom. Dr. Kathryn Mitchell explains, “I think the consequences are natural consequences. To learn the material, you really need to be present and experience the lessons. When you are not present, then that means you are really learning it on your own and that’s really challenging.”
In 1940, the school put heavy emphasis on academics with rigid rules and left less room for personal matters. In contrast, at ‘Iolani today, the policies reflect a more flexible approach. According to the current ‘Iolani Family Handbook, students must fill out a planned absence form at least two weeks prior with signatures from their parents, teachers, counselor, and Ms. Lori Yoneda ’94, the Dean of Students. This system helps students better communicate with their teachers and ensures that they are caught up on missed work. ‘Iolani’s policies today prioritize helping students balance their learning with family commitments and assists them with staying on top of their workloads. Ms. Yoneda explains, “Our biggest concern is missing class, because there are things that happen in class that happen organically, or experiences that can’t be recreated.”
Despite these accommodations and preparations for student absences, some teachers find that students missing excessive amounts of school creates challenges for their teaching. They point out that frequent absences, whether it be for sports or family vacations, create disruptions to the students’ learning and challenges for teachers who have to adjust to account for those absences. Regarding teacher’s perspectives, Dr. Mitchell says, “It’s hard on the teachers too. Sometimes we’re trying to give help and be available to students who are learning…[however] it gets a little tricky, because sometimes we’re running out of time to be able to tutor students and proctor at the same time.” Students are strongly discouraged from traveling while school is in session because in person lessons are an irreplaceable part of learning, but they are no longer given detention for missing school if they follow the correct procedures.
The upcoming two week winter break will offer students the opportunity to relax and spend quality time with their loved ones, a reflection of the school’s prioritization for student wellness and balancing family time. However, the ongoing debate on the current attendance policy highlights the challenges of balancing personal matters with effective learning and academics at ‘Iolani. Conversations and adaptations to ‘Iolani’s policies such as these are what allow the school to support students in the best way possible.
