Raider Ready! equips students with the foundation for success despite pandemic disruption.
Understanding the many ways the pandemic has disrupted classroom learning and affected the social and emotional health of many students across the nation, ‘Iolani School is making the commitment to offer FREE summer programs to all newly enrolled students in grades K-12. Entitled Raider Ready!, ‘Iolani created the program in an effort to support student engagement and ease students into their new educational environment.
“Adjusting to a new school can be daunting for a child at any age, and we recognize how the challenges from the pandemic have amplified this even more,” said Dr. Timothy Cottrell, ‘Iolani Head of School. “Offering the Raider Ready! program to all of our incoming students at zero cost to them is our commitment to ensuring a strong foundation for long-term success at ‘Iolani School. We firmly believe in being educational partners and see great value in establishing a program like this.”
The Raider Ready! program provides newly enrolled students with the opportunity to build relationships with their fellow classmates and teachers, while also reviewing academic material and becoming familiar with the layout of the campus. Summer classes have been carefully selected for the program and are tailored to support each individual student’s course registration for the Fall. For specific information on available courses, visit www.iolani.org/admission/day.
A phrase familiar to many who are acquainted with the school is the idea that “at ‘Iolani you are known.” The Raider Ready! program ensures all incoming students are equipped with a strong foundation to begin a new academic year at ‘Iolani, and have the opportunity to build connections with their peers and teachers prior to the start of the year. Small class sizes and a 10:1 student-teacher ratio further support their transition to ‘Iolani throughout the year, ensuring a nurturing environment that fosters lasting relationships within the entire ‘Iolani community.
The Raider Ready! program was piloted last summer, and as Allan Sagaysay, new ‘Iolani parent shares, “the benefits of the Raider Ready! program were instrumental in helping with my child’s transition to ‘Iolani School. We were excited about our child’s acceptance, but at the same time nervous about her transition. After being in a year of remote learning, there was also a bit of anxiety getting back to an in-person class setting and social interaction with other students. Not only was attending summer school key to my child’s seamless transition with the upcoming academic school year, but it also allowed her to meet new classmates and make new friends. The opportunity to attend free summer courses was a bonus and we are truly grateful for the school’s investment in our child’s success,” he added.
Head of School, Dr. Timothy Cottrell shared that the school is committed to continuing the Raider Ready! program at zero cost to newly enrolled students for this summer and beyond. He shared that it’s one of the positive outcomes that have resulted from the pandemic and Raider Ready! provides great value to incoming students beyond academic preparation, emphasizing the variety of opportunities for new students and families to engage with the school community and get Raider Ready for the fall!
To learn more, visit www.iolani.org/admission/day.
