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In Remembrance of Aunty Puanani Burgess
Dear readers of the What's New,
Yesterday, former PBA trustee Pat Liu dropped by my office to bring me a sheaf of papers she’d collected from years of knowing Aunty Puanani Burgess, who passed away earlier this month. Pat brought the papers to me because I’d written her about PBA’s work to organize this year’s observance of the United Nations/Hawaii International Day of Peace last week Friday, September 20. This year’s “problem of peace” for Peace Day, our organizing principle, was reconciliation. We’d invited Director Ryan Kawamoto, Executive Producer Bill Kaneko, and PBA trustee Carole Hayashino to the school for a screening of Removed By Force, a documentary that tells the story of the successful redress effort for Japanese forcibly removed from their homes in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor. For Peace Day, there were numerous other activities. I gave a short lecture for students describing reconciliation as a set of processes designed to help communities large and small heal after periods of great suffering. Megan Lee, Loren Otake, and I organized workshops teaching students how to listen effectively, to learn about PBA’s community structure of restorative practices, and to think through and use basic negotiation skills and processes. When Pat learned about PBA’s Peace Day, she thought of Aunty Pua. And with good reason. Like so many others in Hawaii, Puanani Burgess was instrumental in my growth as a person and leader in this educational community. The first time I worked with her was when she led a large group of PBA educators, parents, and students in a process of vision-crafting for PBA’s future, a process that she called “building the beloved community.” I remember that planning day well. Aunty Pua had a knack for looking you in the eye and peering into what seemed your very soul as she helped you articulate what you really thought. The outcome of that day was that we were able to imagine a future for the school that was unlike anything I'd thought possible for a group create. I was amazed. Aunty Pua had structured a group process of dreaming that, years later, I know borrowed from practices of community organizing, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, etc., skills she had picked up in her long career of advocacy for communities in Hawaii. Or perhaps peace practitioners borrowed from her. I only know that, along the way, Aunty Pua had personalized those group processes with language built from her personal experience. They were driven by storytelling. They were animated, like she says in her papers, by "how to think and do Hawaiian." In the sheaf of papers Pat brought me there are exercises with names like “The Weatherball,” which is an opening ceremonies type of practice where participants go around the circle and liken their emotional to a weatherfront – “I am feeling cloudy with a chance of meatballs,” I might say right now, by which I mean, “I am nervous about how this day will go, but hopeful it will rain tidings of peace and happiness for all of us.” There is an activity called “Guts on the Table,” another describing the principles of building the beloved community. And more and more. Today I am reading through the descriptions of these activities and wishing Aunty Pua could be with us. Puanani Burgess was a PBA trustee, an honoree of our Lighting Our Way program, and a continuing adviser to the school these last years. When I felt stuck on a problem or needed a different way of thinking about things, I knew I could write or phone her, and she would offer counsel I’d never quite get from anybody else. I know so many other people feel the same way. This year’s Peace Day at PBA bears her impress. And the memories she leaves in our sangha are indelible. With aloha for Aunty Puanani Burgess.
| In gratitude, warmly,
Josh
Head of School | |
PBA Focuses on Reconciliation as a Problem of Peace for Its Observance of the U.N./State of Hawaii International Peace Day 2024
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“How do individuals, families, communities, ethnic groups and nations, tribes and factions and clans, repair the harm done to them following periods of great conflict?” Mr. Josh Hernandez Morse asked in the preamble to his lecture titled “On Reconciliation: a Problem of Peace In Human Societies.” “How do they heal?”
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| | The question represented the start of the day’s inquiry on Friday, September 20. “September 21st is actually the day designated by the United Nations and State of Hawaii as the International Day of Peace,” said Mr. Josh, “and years ago, students from PBA had a hand in encouraging the Hawaii State Legislature to adopt the day for formal recognition. We observed it on Friday the 20th, of course, because school was in session.” Peace Day 2024 had numerous activities. Following the weekly temple service and opening lecture, a small student group joined the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii for the “Ring Your Bells for Peace” virtual activity. Students were privileged to watch a screening of Removed By Force with an opportunity to ask questions of the documentary’s director, executive producer, and interviewee. They also participated in a series of workshops designed to give them opportunities to practice skills individuals and communities use to work toward reconciliation. | |
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"I taught the students to practice active listening,” said PBA Advancement Director and educator Megan Lee. “They were great participants and asked challenging questions that are totally relevant to stressful situations, like ‘What if you don’t like the person you’re supposed to listen to?’ and 'How can we be authentic in that?' I'm hoping I answered their questions well, knowing that the effort to reconcile begins with listening.”
| | Other workshops during the day included a focus on PBA’s nexus of restorative practices and a primer on the art of negotiation. “PBA has adapted some of the classic restorative practices like Talking Circles and given them nicknames like ‘Sangha Circle’” said Japanese Sensei Loren Otake. “The effort to use these practices is designed to build community so that reconciliation isn’t really necessary. We hope every member of the PBA Sangha feels accepted and connected and empowered to make a difference each day. So I guess my workshop was to shine a light on the rigging that keeps the PBA ship afloat. I hope the students liked it.” “I think it’s great that PBA takes a whole school day to focus specifically on peace,” said senior Addison Hernandez. “The topic was kind of heavy this year. I really liked the film we watched, because brought the issue home. I could understand better how reconciliation was needed for Japanese in Hawaii following World War II. Knowing that people in Hawaii helped to lead that process really inspired me.” | | 
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PBA Dragons Shift Into Overdrive for ILH Fall Sports
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We got a lot happening in PBA athletics as we are right in the thick of the fall season. Shout outs to all our student athletes representing PBA in Football, Girls Volleyball, Girls Bowling, Boys JV Tennis, Boys Sporter Air Riflery, Cheerleading, and Girls and Boys Cross Country.
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| The girls volleyball co-op with Sacred Hearts had an amazing television debut in their game on OC 16 with all 3 PBA athletes seeing an abundance of playing time. When all was said and done, the girls picked up the W and senior Kaya Blum was recognized as the Impact Player of the Game. The accolades continue on the fields of cross country as every single runner posted a personal best in last week’s meet at the Kamehameha invitational. Senior Alexa Keating ran a sub 30 race for the first time in her four-year career. | |
Keeping the momentum going, in Sporter Air Riflery senior Sean Fitch has been steady in aim, consistently ranked in the top eight of the ILH for Pac-5. Over at the bowling alley, PBA’s co-op team hosts full JV and Varsity squads and the girls have been making steady improvements each week. On the tennis side we have our three JV boys on the co-op with Maryknoll chipping away at their jam-packed schedule that wraps up in mid-October. Pac-5 football had a strong start to the season with seniors Rylan Villamor, Evan Derauf, and Ethan Lee all making significant contributions to the Wolfpack’s 5-0 start. They go into a tough game against `Iolani this Friday that holds top 15 ranking implications. Sophomore Mia Whitaker also continues to impress through her involvement in Pac-5 cheerleading.
Along with our dedicated student athletes, we have a crop of coaches with PBA ties with bowling head coach Kiana Tom (’14), bowling assistant coach Dexter Miyasato (Mari Miyasato ’24), XC assistant coach Roman Chavez (humanities teacher), and XC head coach Josh Hernandez Morse (HOS). Mahalo to all of them and mahalo to all the parents and supporters of PBA’s student athletes and sports programs! It is an exciting time to be a PBA sports fan. |
Go Dragons!
Loren Otake
Athletic Director
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Foodland - Give Aloha
PBA is excited to participate in Give Aloha, Foodland’s Annual Community Matching Gifts program! You can support by making a donation at any Foodland, Sack N Save, or Foodland Farms store during the month of September. 100% of your gift will go directly to our organization and Foodland will match a portion of your contribution. Here’s how to support PBA at checkout: - Enter your Maikaʻi phone number or present your Maikaʻi card.
- Tell the cashier: “I’d like to make a $________* donation to Pacific Buddhist Academy #78393!"
- Review your receipt to confirm the organization name and donation amount are correct.
*Customers may donate any dollar amount up to $249. | | OFFICE HOURS
7:30AM - 5:00PM
Teacher In-Service Day
September 13, 2024 - Office Hours - 9:00AM - 3:00PM | | |
