It’s not pono to be so secretive about Pono Choices

It is a tenet of public education that it’s best to engage parents in their children’s learning. So it’s perfectly understandable that some parents would want to see a copy of Pono Choices, the sexual health curriculum being reviewed by a Department of Education working group.

Pono Choices provides teachers a script to follow in leading students ages 11-13 through lessons intended to reduce teenage pregnancy and the incidence of sexually transmitted infections. The DOE should place a link to the Pono Choices Curriculum Manual on its website. Pono Choices is copyrighted by the University of Hawaii, but we’re hopeful that UH also would want parents to be well informed.

Minds get a workout in FIRST Robotics competition

Known as "the varsity sport for the mind," FIRST Robotics combines the excitement of team sports with the academic challenges of science and technology. Robotics teams from high schools throughout Hawaii will take over Stan Sheriff Center this weekend for a regional competition.

The March 28-29 tournament runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Admission is free and open to the public. The contest, called "aerial assist," requires students to design, build and maneuver robots that can advance balls down a court and score goals, in tandem with robots from other teams. Check out http://www.friendsofhawaiirobotics.org/.