Type Public, Co-educational School district Leeward District Faculty 107 (approx.) Mascot Chargers | Established 1971 Principal Joseph Halfmann Phone +1 808-454-5500 Color Purple and White | |
Motto "Excellence with Honor" District Hawai'i Department of Education Profiles | ||
Pearl City High School is located in the Waimalu CDP in the City and County of Honolulu in the state of Hawaii, adjacent to the Pearl City CDP.
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Established in 1971, Pearl City High School is a public, secondary, co-educational, college preparatory high school part of the Hawai'i Department of Education, governed by the Board of Education. When the school opened its doors in September 1971, the school only had a Freshman Class and a faculty with fewer than 30 members. Pearl City High School's first year operation only had buildings A and B being used at that time. Over the years of Pearl City High School, the school constructed the C, D, E, F, K, L, and M buildings. The sculptures Moon Beyond the Fence by Satoru Abe and Kua Kua Lua by Donald M. Page are on the campus.
The motto, "Excellence with Honor," was created by Richard Mahony.
Pearl City High School earned the maximum accreditation term of six years in 2006 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Curriculum
According to its own website, "Pearl City High School’s Curriculum is designed to meet the academic, vocational and interest needs of its students. The required and elective programs are broad enough to prepare all graduates for their future goals. It is designed to give students the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they need to give responsible directions and to make decisions in their own lives. The experiences provided should help the student to function responsibly in a changing world. In addition, Pearl City High offers varied co-curricular activities which include student government activities, grade-level activities, honor society, service groups, special interest clubs and interscholastic athletics." [6]
Charger Band
Pearl City High School is most noted for its music program, earning its reputation under the direction of Pearl City High School band directors Michael Nakasone and Thomas Kamisato. The Pearl City High School "Charger" Band is currently under the direction of Chadwick Kamei, Lee Ikeda, and Christopher Lopez.
The school boasts a Music Performing Arts Learning Center specially created by the Hawaii Department of Education to increase and broaden the abilities of students who are interested in music and performing arts. Students are eligible to transfer from their school to Pearl City High School if they are active in one of the Learning Center programs.
Previously under Nakasone's direction, the Symphonic Winds (formerly known as the Wind Ensemble I) appeared in the prestigious Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois, the ABA-JBA Convention, and the MENC (Music Educators National Convention) in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Symphonic Winds returned from a performance at the 2009 Hamamatsu Wind Band Conference. Under Chadwick Kamei’s direction, the band has worked with guest conductors and musicians including Jerry Junkin, Barry Kopetz, Thomas Leslie, Tad Suzuki, Wataru Hokoyama, Grant Okamura, Thomas Bingham, Todd Yukumoto, and Michael Zonshine.
The Charger Marching Band participated in the 2011 London New Year's Day Parade, spending a total of ten days in Paris and London.
In 2013, the Pearl City Wind I Ensemble performed at Troy University in Troy, AL.