Hawaii students Kamaile Aluli, Kaylee Alana Miller, and Truman Spring of Laie Elementary School won a 1st place gold medal and a $1,000 cash prize for their Junior Group Website entitled “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: the Battle
over Hetch Hetchy.” Also, students Janal Kim, Keri Ann Nagaishi, and Kelly Zakimi of Moanalua High School were awarded 2nd place silver medals and a $500 cash prize for their Senior Group Display project entitled “Creation of Pakistan” at the annual National History Day (NHD) competition, held at the University of Maryland College Park Campus in the Washington, D.C. area June 12 – 16. This was the first year that all 6 students competed in the national contest.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for all of their time and effort they put in to their projects,” said Hawaii State Coordinator, Jane Murao. “These students have not only deepened their understanding of their chosen topics, but also been energized by learning. This program truly brings history to life for students.”
Representing Hawaii at this year’s national competition were 55 students from the following schools: Aiea Intermediate; Castle High; Ewa Makai Middle; Kahuku High & Intermediate; Kailua Intermediate; Kaiser High; Kamehameha-Kapalama; Laie Elementary; Maui Preparatory Academy; Mililani High; Moanalua High; Molokai High; Sacred Hearts Academy-Maui; and Waialua High & Intermediate.
Students developed entries based on this year’s theme: Debate & Diplomacy:
Successes, Failures, Consequences. Entries included a documentary entitled “Taking Down A Beast: Using Diplomatic Strategies to End Apartheid” by Mililani High School student Lisa Grandinetti and a website entitled “Reagon and Gorbachev: Ending the Cold War” by Molokai High School students Michael Kikukawa and Michael Onofrio.
NHD is a year-long academic organization for elementary and secondary school
students focused on the teaching and learning of history. A recent study by Rockman, et al found students who participate in NHD develop a range of college and career-ready skills, and outperform their peers on state standardized tests in multiple subjects, including reading, science, math and social studies.
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Honolulu, HI… Robert Tabije of 'Aiea Intermediate has been awarded the Patricia
Behring Teacher of the Year Award, Junior Division, at the National History Day event today at College Park, Maryland. Mr. Tabije was selected for the national award which recognizes outstanding National History Day teachers, one at both the junior level and senior level, out of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Schools, International Schools-Asia and the U.S. territories and will receive $10,000. “I have traveled to the National History Day competition on four occasions and met so many deserving educators. I deeply appreciate and cherish this distinction and it is a great honor to accept this award on behalf of the State of Hawai'i, my school, and my students. But in the end I don't do History Day for the awards; I do it for my students,”
said Mr. Tabije.
Mr. Tabije has been teaching at ‘Aiea Intermediate since 2002 and been involved with the Hawai‘i History Day program for the past 13 years, the last nine at ‘Aiea
Intermediate. His students have qualified for the National History Day program for the past eight years. Robert Buss, executive director of the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities that presents the Hawai‘i History Day program says “Mr. Tabije is an exemplary example of a History Day teacher. He engages students and makes the past come alive through their historical research.”
Tom Kurashige, ‘Aiea Intermediate principal says “This is amazing in light of the fact that ‘Aiea Intermediate School is a Title I school and many of our students come from public or low income housing projects with many at-risk factors that create barriers to their learning.”
