| PBA’s Class of 2024 Builds on the Traditions of the School With the All-School Camp 2024: PBA Hunger Games!
| | Dear readers of the What's New, | | There’s no better way to start the new school year than PBA’s annual all-school camp. It is a favorite for many students, especially the seniors who eagerly craft the experience to build community, or “sangha,” as we say at the school. This year’s camp took place in the first month of the school year, presenting a significant leadership and logistical challenge for the senior class. This year, the early start also meant that seniors needed to accommodate the ten exchange students from our Japanese sister schools of the Ryukoku Sogo Gakuen, many of whom had never camped before. At a recent Monday morning assembly, one of the new students expressed her reluctance to attend the mandatory camp experience. I responded with compassion and encouragement: “She is certainly not the only student with misgivings about what camp will be like, but trust me,” I said. “The first hours of camp are like the first hour of a school dance: everyone’s too nervous to get on the dance floor. But by the end of the night, students will beg to let the music play and keep the lights dimmed a little longer. Camp will be much the same." | | We arrived at the Hau‘ula-based Ko‘olauloa Foundation property on Tuesday morning with just enough time to set up our tents before a brief deluge … well, nearly everyone had their tents set up. It continued to drizzle on and off throughout the week. I can’t speak for the teachers, but the students had no problem persevering through the rain. In some ways, the stormy weather even enhanced the camp experience: designed around a camp theme of The Hunger Games (outside of some cuts, scrapes, bruises, and stings, no students were harmed during our Camp Hunger Games rendition), the Super Soaker Capture the Flag left participants extra soaked, an endless amount of volleyball was played without breaking a sweat in the hot sun, and the winds enhanced the body-surfing for those skilled enough to brave the waves. | 
Before heading off to Ko‘olauloa, the students prep with face paint in PBA's Founder's Hall. | |  Day 1 of PBA Camp.
| We express our most enthusiastic gratitude to the proprietors at Ko‘olauloa. The site is very safe. A big mahalo also to Otake Sensei, a skilled Waikiki beach boy and lifeguard for our ocean activities. Overall, I’m happy to report that the students bonded over their time together and I’m certain they made memories to last a lifetime. The biggest thanks go to the seniors and Mrs. Viloria, the camp adviser overseeing the planning and implementation of the camp experience. “Whoever planned the food did a GREAT job,” said senior Ryan Lim … who was one of three students in charge of planning the meal program. (Advisories take responsibility for meal prep during the camp experience.) | | Meals for this year’s camp included recipes such as Mr. Curry’s chicken and tofu curry (we blended a homemade curry spice mix for the purpose), Ms. Mellein’s German hot dogs, Dr. Ben’s hamburger feast, Otake’s famous fried rice, and Ms. Paris’s healthy oatmeal and fruit. “Throughout the camp planning experience, we learned to double-check everything,” said Ryan. “And we were flawless. Or flawless, that is, until it came time for s’mores on the last night of camp. We only had the marshmallows! (Mrs. Viloria had to go on a quick rescue mission to the La‘ie Foodland!)” |  Day 2 of PBA Camp.
| |  Day 3 of PBA Camp.
| “Camp was a great way to see a new side of classmates and teachers,” said freshman Thaisiam Kaspar. “My favorite part of camp was playing Hide and Seek because I was proud of myself for finding someone hiding behind Mr. Heff’s truck.” It’s always a bittersweet moment to return from camp the week after. The first leadership responsibility of the senior class is complete. It is an unrepeatable moment of their final year at PBA. But there’s no rest for the weary. Seniors dive right back in. They follow camp with participation in the Lighting Our Way event | | program, designing and rehearsing interviews with the year’s honorees [see below for more information on this year’s Lighting Our Way Banquet], conducting and transcribing the interviews, composing honoree portraits, and preparing, with underclassmen peers, tribute performances and honoree introductions for as we fête the peace leaders and organizations of the Hawaii community. Bittersweet or not, the seniors achieved the goals they set for themselves with this year’s camp. We’re a closer community, a sangha with a more meaningful sense of interdependence, because of their work. And with it, they build the lore of the school, to which the underclassmen can aspire. | | Warmly,
Josh Hernandez Morse
Head of School | Taking place at the Prince Waikiki on Friday, October 13 from 4:30 p.m., this year's Lighting Our Way event seeks to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Reverend Eric Matsumoto and Mrs. Tamayo Matsumoto; President and CEO of Hawai`i Gas Alicia Moy; President of the East-West Center Suzanne Vares-Lum; and non-profit organization Kupu. Reverend Eric Matsumoto, as the 16th Bishop of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, played a pivotal role in guiding the Shin Buddhist community through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing exceptional | 
| discernment and leadership qualities. Moreover, his support was instrumental in PBA's significant school expansion, marked by the construction of the Pacific Buddhist Academy Weinberg Building in 2016. Mrs. Tamayo Matsumoto has been an inspirational figure in the field of education, having made substantial contributions at Hongwanji Mission School and the former Moiliili Hongwanji Pre-School. She also served as the Honorary President of the Hawaii Federation of Buddhist Women's Associations. This year's Lighting Our Way Banquet has a noble cause at heart, with 100% of the proceeds from the silent auction directed towards the Maui Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund, established by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. Additionally, the banquet serves as a fundraiser, supporting PBA's program of enlightened learning. The event itself offers students a unique experiential learning opportunity, as PBA seniors conduct interviews with the honorees at their homes and workplaces, create brief honoree profiles for the dinner's program, deliver tributes alongside fellow PBA students, and introduce the honorees to the audience during the banquet. In this way, the honorees continue to serve as beacons of inspiration for PBA students, lighting their path forward. For those interested in showing their support at the Lighting Our Way Banquet, kindly RSVP by September 22. Tickets can be conveniently purchased online at pacificbuddhistacademy.org. For more information, feel free to reach out to Advancement Director Megan Lee at [email protected]. | | Ms. Verena's Advisory Spend an Afternoon Giving Back
| |  Students in Ms. Verena's advisory teamed up with 808 Clean Ups to collect trash on Nimitz Beach.
|  Sophomores Emmalie Hernandez and Maddie Wright enjoy a laugh while picking up trash.
| |  Juniors Sophia Arguijo and freshman Zola Clark take a quick break to pose for a picture.
|  Seniors Sophia Price, Mone Sugimoto, and David Burkett found different types of trash including a large fishing hook.
| | Office Hours
7:30am - 5:00pm Friday, September 15:
Teacher In-Service Day | | |
