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 KE'EAU, Hawai'i (AP) - Portraits in the school's library are not of U.S. presidents but Hawaiian royalty, from King Kamehameha to Princess Ka'iulani. Near the classroom door rubber slippers are tidily lined up by the students, who go barefoot. The calendar shows it's the month of "Malaki."
Hawaiian language and culture fill the hallways and playgrounds of Ke Kula 'O Nawahiokalani'opu'u Iki and define the mission of the school with the sizable name — Nawahi for short. English is only allowed during the one-hour English class.
A major effort is under way to revive and preserve Hawai'i's native tongue, including so-called immersion schools, marking their 20th anniversary. Courses from math to science are taught entirely in Hawaiian.
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