Graduation ceremony celebrates all the hands that came together to mālama our keiki June 28, 2012

An old African proverb reads, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and nothing embodies the truth and spirit of that proverb like a preschool graduation. On June 21, 2012 families and friends, community partners and leaders, and members of the “village” who had a hand in nurturing the growth of our keiki gathered at Our Lady of Kea‘au for PIDF Ka Pa‘alana’s 2012 preschool graduation.

This special day marked a milestone for 40 special preschoolers as they prepared to take a big step forward, ready for the “big school.” Senator Maile Shimabukuro opened the ceremony by congratulating the graduates and recognizing the hard work and dedication of each graduate’s parents and caregivers.

After the opening speech, the graduates were called up to the stage so that they could be formally recognized for their achievement. Each graduate received lei and gift bags from Aloha United Way, the Boys Scouts, and Partners in Development Foundation.

Jan Dill, President of Partners in Development Foundation, closed the ceremony by marking the significance of the graduation as an achievement not only for the keiki but for all those involved in helping them get to the next chapter in their lives.

The ceremony was followed by a larger than life preschool filled with flubbery fun, shaved ice, popcorn, tattoos, bounce houses and lots of silly pictures. Mahalo to all the members of the proverbial village who have and continue to invest in the lives of our keiki.