Lower School mural project -- "Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua"

With the help of the Estria Foundation, co-founded by Estria Miyashiro '86, Lower School students conceived of a wonderful mural through meditation, research and hands-on experiences. The end result on the wall the new Ai Family Learning Center is entitled "Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua," which is a Hawaiian proverb that translates to "Unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers."
Layers of meaning can be found within the beautiful “Mele Mural.” Water, of course, is a fundamental resource that gives life to the land and its people, but it also is a figurative allusion to other sources of health and wellness. The flowers also represent children, as they too bloom when there are good resources and healthful conditions.
In addition, the students learned that the ‘ahupua‘a in which the current ‘Iolani School campus sits was previously the kalo-basket of O‘ahu. This was made possible by several streams and springs in the Manoa and Waikiki watersheds, which fed the kalo and in turn fed the people.
The challenge for the future is to care properly for the land, the school and its resources to ensure that children continue to thrive and bloom long into the future.