search:i hate loreen she smells like poop

whoever researched that needs help.before words like this may have hurt me but now words are words and they don’t bother me what other people think of me.Hate is a strong word.If I was searching for someone maybe i’d care what others think,read or say but the truth of what happens in my everyday life is right on the blogs of this website.I listen nor do I follow any negative comments or remarks.May God help you whoever you may be.

Options for kids affected by furloughs

The Contemporary Museum: Offering special admission rate of $2 and two canned items (for donation to the Hawaii Foodbank) for all “furlough Fridays” and free admission for all with government ID. This week (Nov. 6), explore the museum grounds and see the making of a wall mural. Enjoy lunch in the Contemporary Café, offering a special furlough Friday keiki menu. Join a docent-led tour of the garden and grounds at 1:30 p.m. (Galleries will be closed for installation.) Visit “furlough Fridays” link at www.tcmhi.org for additional, ongoing information.

• Sea Life Park: Offering a $29.99 admission pass to Sea Life Park Hawaii for every furlough Friday until May 28, 2010. Includes discounted food and beverage and retail purchases. More information: 259-7933.

• Hoala School: Offering a service-oriented furlough Friday program for public school students in grades kindergarten through eight, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with extended care available for K-6 children until 5:30 for additional fee. Field trips will take students to a location for a day of service, reflection and fun. Available on all furlough Fridays beginning Nov. 20. Cost: $35 per day plus initial cost of $9 for a school T-shirt, covers all field trip expenses. Students must bring snack, lunch and drinks. Hoala School is at 1067A California Ave., Wahiawa. Call 621-1898 for an application or more information, or visit www.hoala.org.

• Chaminade University of Ho-nolulu: Offering three free half-day events for high school students on Fridays, Nov. 6, Dec. 4, and Dec. 11, on its campus, at 3140 Waialae Ave. Each of the scheduled Fridays will include a biology workshop from 9 a.m. to noon, lunch from noon to 1 p.m., and an optional campus tour following lunch. The program is aimed at college-bound high school students interested in a science, pre-health or nursing majors. Students may attend one, two or all three events. Contact Chaminade Admissions as soon as possible at admissions@chaminade.edu, or call 739-8340. Go to www.chaminade.edu for more information.

• Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor: Offering free admission to teachers on furlough Fridays and free admission to one keiki (4-12) with each paid adult admission on Saturdays and Sundays. (Children under 4 are always free.) Tickets are available online at www.PacificAviationMuseum.org. Teachers who are on furlough on Fridays only need to show their teacher IDs to board the shuttle and present them again at the admissions desk at the museum for their complimentary admissions. The museum is in Hangars 37 and 79, Ford Island, 319 Lexington Blvd., Pearl Harbor. Call 441-1000 for more information, or www.PacificAviationMuseum.org.

• The YMCA of Honolulu: All-day programs at the following locations: Central, Kaimukí-Waialae, Kalihi, Leeward, Mililani, Nuuanu, Windward, YMCA Camp Erdman on the North Shore, Pearl Ridge Elementary and Manoa District Park. Costs range from $25 to $36, depending on location. Visit www.ymcahonolulu.org, or call 531-YMCA (9622).

• Kamaaina Kids: Available at more than 25 sites on Oahu, the Big Island and Maui. Cost is $25 a day; a $5 late fee is added if registering less than a week before the furlough day. Visit www.kamaainakids.com for a complete list of locations and for registration, or call 262-4538.

• Honolulu Academy of Arts: Offering five sessions of three classes each through the end of the school year. Each three-class session costs $150 and will have a different theme, so parents can sign their children up for multiple sessions. Classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register, visit www.honoluluacademy.org, or call 532-8741.

• Bishop Museum: Day program includes “hands-on lessons through the use of the museum’s unique objects and exhibits.” Held on all scheduled furlough days from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Prices are $25 per day for museum members or $35 per day for nonmembers. For more information call 848-4168, or e-mail education@bishopmuseum.org.

• Hawaii Nature Center: Day camp from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at HNC in Makiki led by a corps of professional adult educators. Extended care available until 5 p.m. Total cost is $50 a day with discount for members. Multi-day packages also available. Call 955-0100.

• Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo: Full day of science enrichment. Costs are $30 per day or $25 for Imiloa member families. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Extended care is from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for an additional $10 per day. Contact Craig Mitchell at the Imiloa Education Department at 808-969-9720, or e-mail cmitchell@imiloahawaii.org.

• The Pacific Whale Foundation in Wailuku, Maui: Hands-on ocean learning for kindergartners through fifth-graders that will include science experiments, projects, arts and crafts, vocabulary development, language arts and field trips. Cost is $56 per day, or $44.80 per day for members of the Pacific Whale Foundation.

• Palama Settlement: Offering two programs. The first is a day of sports, swimming and other activities. Lunch will be provided. The cost is $10 a day. Preference will be given to children ages 5 to 11 from the Kalihi and Palama areas. The second program will be an urban art class taught by graffiti artist John “Prime” Hina from 10 a.m. to noon. The class is open to youths 11 to 17 years old. Cost is $5 for Kalihi-Palama area children and $10 for all others. Call Donna Taniguchi at 845-3945.

• The First Tee of Hawaii: Offering golf lessons to children ages 7-12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Salvation Army Camp Homelani in Waialua. The cost is $30 per Friday and includes lunch, snacks and program materials. For information, visit www.thefirstteehawaii.org.

• Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center: Science Playground day camps from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each program will introduce a new science lesson. $35 for members and $40 for nonmembers. For all nine furlough Friday sessions through Jan. 29, the fee is $275 for members and $320 for nonmembers. Call 524-5437.

• Blue Moon Mysteries: Offering educational history mysteries where students act in plays to solve the mystery at Mauka Lani Elementary School. Also will feature scene painting, costume making, arts, crafts and games from the related historical period. $35 per day. For information, call Carol Kettner at 230-1827, or e-mail bluemoonmysteries@yahoo.com.

• Hawaii Academy: Offering fitness, gymnastics and human sciences programs from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. $27 without lunch, $30 with lunch. Call 842-5642.

• Magic School Bus Hawaii: Offering classes on core subjects from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, visit www.magicschoolbushi.com, or call 782-9695.

• Oahu Discovery: Offering field trips to Island attractions. Tours include transportation, pick-up and drop-off, admission to attractions and activities, lunch, and supervision for at least 10 hours. $39 a day. Call 531-5050, or register online at www.oahudiscovery.org.

• PC Gamerz: Offering computer gaming and other activities, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Aiea Town Square store. $20 includes unlimited computer time plus snacks and drinks. Call 486-0402, or visit www.pcgamerzhawaii.com.

• Hawaiian Humane Society: Offering “Furry Fridays,” a volunteer orientation program for students 14 years and older. Mandatory training covers two days and includes a general orientation, animal handling training and hands-on work in various volunteer jobs at the shelter. Participants who complete the program will be asked to commit five hours of service on the remaining furlough days. Call 356-2216, or e-mail smacquoid@hawaiianhumane.org.

• ClubCharm:Offering a program to girls ages 7-12 on furlough Fridays. Teen prep, leadership, manners and etiquette through the arts, plus homework help. Visit clubcharm.org, or call 721-7030. Program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Extended hours available upon request.

• Mission Houses Museum: For students, offering a program featuring stories of the New England Protestant missionaries. Learn about and play Hawaiian and missionary games to get the feel for a time without TV, Nintendo™ games, or computers. Furlough Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. Cost: $6 per child. For reservations, contact Mike Smola, 447-3914, or e-mail msmola@missionhouses.org. Web site: www.missionhouses.org. For teachers: On furlough Fridays, all Hawaii teachers are welcome to visit Mission Houses Museum for a free tour and enjoy 10 percent off in the Museum Café and Tea Parlor as well as the Museum Store. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. ID required.

• Moiliili Community Center: Offering child care for children ages 5-12 on furlough Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lunch is not provided; however, a morning and afternoon snack will be provided. Children must be sent to the program with lunch and drink. Contact the center for a package price. More information: 955-1555.

95 Hawaii schools given approval to increase instructional time Move restores as many as six teaching days lost to furloughs

The state Board of Education last night approved 95 schools’ requests to convert teacher training days into instructional days, an action that restores as many as six classroom days that would have been lost because of staff furloughs.Dozens of other schools are expected to request similar exemptions by the extended deadline of Nov. 13, officials said at last night’s board meeting. So far, several schools have submitted their requests and many more have said that they plan to do so, officials said.

The BOE will meet again Dec. 3 to take up the next batch of exemptions requested by schools.

“We still have 156 schools that have not submitted anything yet,” said Jill Zodrow, the Department of Education’s education specialist for school community councils. “We’re unsure at this time what it’s going to look like.”

An additional five schools submitted requests to change their bell schedule, which would restore instructional minutes for classes interrupted on furlough days. They were Kapolei Middle, Mililani Middle, Niu Valley Middle, Pearl City High and Waikoloa High & Middle.

“The overall purpose of all this is to regain and recoup as much instructional time,”Zodrow said.

Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi said many schools have already used some of their waiver or planning days. Only a few schools asked for exemptions to convert all six planning days to classroom days, he said.

“The majority were anywhere from two to six days,” Toguchi said. “It’s pretty obvious that we are all in favor of helping schools restore this instructional time,” he added.

The BOE, teachers and Gov. Linda Lingle agreed in September to a new contract that included 17 furlough days, equal to a 7.9 percent pay cut. The furlough days are all scheduled for Fridays — today is the third of the 17 scheduled furlough days — and have reduced the number of instructional days to 163, the lowest in the nation.
Keeping class open

Individual schools can boost their instructional days by opting to teach kids on teacher planning days. These requests do not eliminate “furlough Fridays,” officials say. Instead, it keeps kids in class on days when schools had previously scheduled teacher workdays or professional development workshops for staff.

Schools receive a total of six waiver and professional development days a year — two “waiver” days and four “planning and collaboration” days, according to the Hawaii State Teachers Association contract.

But, after the decision to furlough public school teachers, principals and teachers expressed interest in using those days to teach their students.

Requests to cancel waiver days or planning days must go before a campus’ School Community Council and requires a consensus of teachers or a two-thirds vote, according to the HSTA contract.

If endorsed at the school level, the request then goes before a four-member panel of the BOE and the Hawaii State Teachers Association and then the full board for final approval.

Kailua HighSchool was among the 95 schools that had submitted a request. The school received an exemption from two planning and collaboration days. The school had already taken two other planning days at the beginning of the school year, Kailua Principal Francine Honda said.

“The two remaining (waiver days) are the last two days of the school year. We don’t see it as having an impact,” Honda said.

So far, conversion of waiver and professional development days to instructional days has been the only option available to schools to add school days back to their pared-down calendar.

Meanwhile, the state House majority met in caucus yesterday to discuss options to eliminate some of the furlough Fridays. Rep. Roy Takumi, chairman of the House Education Committee, said there was no consensus to convene a special session of the state Legislature.

“People were not sure what was the game plan,” he said. “Until that’s clear, and it’s not, we aren’t in a position to walk into a special session.”

Takumi said the governor, the superintendent of schools, the school board and the union need to meet at the bargaining table and reopen the contract.

Even if the Legislature were find a solution in special session, the furlough days would still exist unless those parties reopened the contract, he said.

No Special Session; More Want Teachers’ Contracts To Be Renegotiated

The call to renegotiate teachers’ contracts has grown louder, as state lawmakers decided on Thursday not to hold a special session to fix school furloughs.

Meanwhile the teachers union, governor and Board of Education all say they’re willing to come back to the table, but not without conditions.

House lawmakers say they’ll join the chorus asking for teachers’ contracts to be redone. They say there’s not consensus for a special session to fix furlough Fridays.

“There’s very little that the legislature can do, even if we were to pass out the bill that used the HR fund or raises the excise tax or whatever we might do, the contract says 17 furlough days and that’s the end of that,” said Education Committee Chairman Roy Takumi.

They also want the governor to release what’s known as “part B” federal stimulus funds.

“They could go back in today and settle it today and the governor could release the $35 million and we could have a revised contract and get some of those kids back into school by next week Friday,” said House Finance Chairman Marcus Oshiro.

The union, governor and Board of Education all say they’re willing to come back to the table, but not without conditions. HSTA president said “if funds become available, we would like to reopen the contract.”

The HSTA said any new discussions would have to address: Can we do anything differently that will be fair? Not cause teachers to suffer additional hardship? And still save enough money to make up for the 14% deficit in the education budget?

Meanwhile the parent group that coordinated the first furlough Friday rally met with the superintendent of education Thursday with an idea to consider in any contract revisions.

“It gets your child back in schools, it gets more hours of education, and it will not cost you as a taxpayer any money,” said Jo McGarry, with Hawaii Education Matters. “Teachers want to teach, children want to learn and we as parents want to ensure that that can happen.”

And that parents group meets on Friday with the HSTA president. Meanwhile the Board of Education was addressing collective bargaining do-overs in executive session on Thursday.

BOE Approves Increased Class Time for up to 100 Public Schools

For a list of schools that BOE has approved see here:http://www.khon2.com/media/lib/128/1/0/4/104d6615-7f54-4234-90c7-2ee16e922a0d/SCC_Waivers_Rec_Memo.pdf
The full Board of Education didn’t hesitate Thursday night, approving requests from 100 schools to lessen the impact of furlough Friday’s on their students.

“None of us are really happy with furloughs, we’ve just done the best we can when you’re cut almost $500-million in 2 years you gotta do something,” said Maggie Cox, Board of Education member.

That something is for 5 schools to modify their bell schedules. Take Kapolei Middle for example. They will now switch their Friday class schedule to Mondays on furlough weeks. Instructional time will increase because students will be released at 2:22 in the afternoon instead of 1:49.

While, 95 other schools will instead be canceling or replacing waiver and planning days with regular school days.

“As much as possible based on school’s need they’re looking to add minutes or days,” said Garrett Toguchi, Board of Education Chairperson.

Some schools will be able to make up anywhere from 2 to 6 days – that otherwise would have been lost.

“Truth is those days are extremely important for teachers for instruction so to give it up is a big deal,” said Cox.

Still with 256 public schools altogether, there’s quite a few left who have not submitted waivers to help increase classroom time. And the extended deadline to do so is November 13th.

“Glad that those schools have come forward early on and we’re waiting for the next batch,” said Toguchi.

“If schools can come up and cut off some of that and give back some of that instructional time then we’re happy,” said Cox.

Hawaii representatives say no special session on furloughs

Hawaii State Representatives have caucused, and say there will be no special session over furlough days at schools.

Some lawmakers started a petition last week, to gather support for one.

They needed two-thirds of the House, or 34 votes, as well as 17 in the Senate to call a special session.

Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona says there is no need for the reconvening. He is asking instead, for teachers to reopen contract talks to change the furlough days.

When Republican leaders suggested the same thing last week, the Hawaii State Teachers Association responded that even if furlough days were erased, the state would not have enough money to pay for transportation, utilities, cafeteria workers and other school services. If instead of furloughs, teachers were laid off, the HSTA says classroom sizes would increase, decreasing the amount of one-on-one attention.

HSTA members approved their new contract in October. It holds 17 unpaid furlough days this year and 21 next school year.

Ho’ala School announces service-oriented Furlough Friday program

Ho’ala School announces a service-oriented Furlough Friday program for public school students in grades K-8. The program will run from 7 a.m. til 2 p.m. with extended care available for K-6 children until 5:30 p.m. for an additional fee.
Students will get hand’s-on experience in serving their community. Field Trips will take students to a location for a day of service, reflection and fun! Each Furlough Day will take students to a new location to do a different type of service.

Dates: All Furlough Fridays beginning Friday, November 20th

Time: 7am – 2pm

Extended care till 5:30pm for an additional fee of $10.00 for students K-6

Place: Ho`ala School, 1067A California Avenue Wahiawa, HI

Cost: $35.00 per day + an initial cost of $9.00 for a Ho`ala School t-shirt.

(The cost covers all field trip expenses. Students need to bring snack, lunch and drinks)

Students must be self-motivated to participate in community service projects requiring both physical labor and a cooperative, mature attitude. Projects for younger children will be tailored for their physical and maturity level. An interview with the Head of School may be required for incoming participants.

A minimum number of students are required to support the program. If the minimum number is not met the program may be cancelled.

Contact Darlene Dela Cruz for more information or an application or visit our website

www.hoala.org

My “old” friend Naam

Tonight I spoke to my old friend from a placement in texas,Naam Matthews,and I haven’t spoken to him in at least 7 years.Lucky for me I signed up for facebook on one of my many facebook “email” accounts(which it is I won’t say)and as I clicked on find friends whose name did I find right in front of my eyes?My friend Naam.I recall when I was in Texas there were many clients who made fun of Naam.He’s a unique guy.To this day even though I didn’t speak to him for a lengthly amount of time I still feel comfortable being straight up and not hiding around the bush with him.It’s like I knew him forever.We were always good friends in Texas and thanks to facebook I am catching up with him again.It’s so nice to remeet your old friends on social networking.Social networking can bring old friends and family back together once again!Though I won’t share what Naam and I spoke about (but it wasn’t anything inappropriate)because true friends don’t dish out stories about other friends–likewise with the media accusations,blames is what you get for having fame–
However with friends I know and I trust I will never blabber negative or share what we spoke about.I can say that Naam is a courageous man and reminds me of my grandpa in a way.

Groups want special session to cancel Furlough Fridays

With House Democrats set to caucus tomorrow, parent groups are peppering legislators with phone calls pushing for a special session to restore funding for education and stop Furlough Fridays at public schools.”We want the schools open, that’s the first priority,” said Marguerite Butler Higa, a spokeswoman for Save Our Schools Hawaii who has a third-grader at Noelani Elementary. “We can’t wait until next year to solve this crisis, because it really is a crisis.”

Her group is the latest to spring up in opposition to the state’s decision to shutter public schools for 17 days this year to help balance the state budget. Hawaii Education Matters has also called for a special legislative session, saying that most people now agree that Furlough Fridays are a bad idea.

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge David Ezra, a court-appointed special master, is trying to mediate an out-of-court settlement of two federal lawsuits filed to block Furlough Fridays. He is meeting this week with parties to the suits as well as representatives of the teachers union and the Hawaii Government Employees Association, according to a court spokeswoman.

Public schools requesting to restore instructional days

More than 100 of the state’s 256 regular public schools have filed requests to restore instructional time by canceling teacher planning days or adjusting their class schedules in response to Furlough Fridays.

Most schools are asking to convert one to three planning or waiver days back to instructional days, according to Jill Zodrow, School Commun-ity Council educational specialist. Although schools may take as many as six such days annually, many campuses have already used some of them.

Just a handful of schools are hoping to salvage from four to six days for instruction, Zodrow said. The school system is planning to shut down for 17 days this academic year, amounting to a 7.9 percent pay cut for teachers, in an effort to balance the budget.

The Board of Education will consider 100 requests for calendar changes at its meeting tomorrow, 95 of them to restore instructional days and five to make changes to class schedules. But more requests have been submitted in recent days, and those will be reviewed at the board’s December meeting.

The deadline for schools to request calendar changes has been extended to Nov. 13.

Charter schools are not having Furlough Fridays.

The next court hearing on the suits will be at 10 a.m. Monday in U.S. District Court before visiting Judge Wallace Tashima of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ezra stepped down as a judge on the cases to allow himself freedom to work on a settlement.

All other federal judges in Hawaii had a connection with the public schools and had recused themselves from hearing the case.

The House majority will meet tomorrow to discuss Furlough Fridays, labor contracts and the state’s financial condition, according to spokeswoman Georgette Deemer. It takes two-thirds of both chambers of the Legislature to call a special session.

So far, 21 of 51 House members, or 42 percent, have signed the petition to hold a special session to deal with education, Rep. Chris Lee (D, Lanikai-Waimanalo) said yesterday.

“Waiting for the 2010 legislative session will not address the mounting losses in our schools until the end of the session next summer, after our kids have already lost out on all their school days,” Lee said. “It’s inspiring to see people setting politics and excuses aside to put our kids first and take action to get our students and teachers back in the classroom.”

In the Senate, 15 of 25 senators, or 60 percent, have signed to support a special session, and Sen. Will Espero (D, Ewa-Kapolei-Ewa Beach) said yesterday that other “legislators are willing to commit to a special session if there’s an agreed-upon plan that everyone can live with.”

Espero, vice chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Education Funding, said senators are drafting bills to see what solutions would generate broad support.

“The bills would be to make this current school year whole,” Espero said. “Then it is imperative upon the Legislature and governor to come up with a plan and deal with the total picture next session dealing with all of the issues, not just education.”

Gov. Linda Lingle says she regrets signing off on Furlough Fridays for public schools but opposes calling a special session. Russell Pang, chief of media relations for the governor, said yesterday she believes it is too soon to take action because “we’re only three months into the fiscal year, so we need to get a broader picture of how the fiscal year is shaping up.”

In addition to making phone calls to push for a special session, Hawaii Education Matters is meeting this week with Superintendent Pat Hamamoto and Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe, as well as Lingle staff members.

“We’re going to ask them what we can do as parents to help bring long-term solutions for our children’s education,” said Jo Curran, spokeswoman for the group.

Hawaii teacher furlough talks may occur this week

With less than a week before what could be a pivotal court hearing, a federal judge and lawyers involved in two lawsuits that seek to end Hawaii’s teacher furloughs may meet privately in the next few days to discuss settling the cases.

Lawyers representing parents of public school students said Tuesday they have not yet heard from U.S. District Judge David Ezra, but they expect to engage in talks with him and attorneys for the state before a public hearing scheduled for Monday.

Ezra recused himself from presiding over the lawsuits last week but was appointed a special master to continue settlement negotiations.

Attorneys in the cases are “on call to meet with him either individually” or as a group, said attorney Eric Seitz, whose lawsuit is on behalf of all Hawaii public school students and their parents

Another lawyer, Carl Varady, is handling the second lawsuit whose plaintiffs are all special education pupils and their parents.

Seitz said Ezra is unlikely to talk extensively with him or Varady because the judge is aware of their position.

“What we desire to do is get kids back to school and then let the Legislature try and fix the problem when they come back in January,” Seitz added. “He knows that we are going to be very flexible because we just simply want an interim solution.”

Attorney General Mark Bennett, who represents Gov. Linda Lingle and the state Department of Education, would not comment on the talks. Spokesmen for the department and the state Board of Education also declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Varady said state education officials are contacting parents of special education students to discuss ways of regaining instructional time that would be lost to furloughs.

Arrangements for one child were negotiated and the parents have dropped out of the lawsuit, leaving eight sets of parents in the case, Varady said.

On Friday, Ezra recused himself from presiding over the two lawsuits, apparently after discussions with Wallace Tashima, a senior U.S. Ninth Circuit judge in Pasadena, Calif. Tashima then named Ezra a special master to continue private settlement negotiations Ezra had already started.

Varady and Seitz said no one asked Ezra to recuse himself.

Ezra wouldn’t comment Tuesday. But in an order filed Friday, he said he recused himself “out of an abundance of caution” in order to facilitate discussions.

A federal judge presiding over a lawsuit generally can’t help settle it by meeting independently with one side or the other because that constitutes an inappropriate ex parte communication.

But as a special master, Ezra is free to converse individually with the parties, said Michael Nauyokas, a labor lawyer in Hawaii. Ezra presided over a landmark federal lawsuit during the 1990s that alleged Hawaii was violating federal requirements for special education students.

If no settlement is reached by Monday, Tashima will hear arguments over a request by Varady and Seitz to grant a preliminary injunction halting the furloughs. Tashima was due in Hawaii next week anyway to handle a separate lawsuit related to layoffs and furloughs of state workers.