It’s that time of year again! Nanakuli High and Intermediate is gearing up for its annual Homecoming. During this week, students show their school spirit with exciting events like Spirit Week, a pep rally, a parade, and a football game with a special halftime show.
Homecoming week runs from October 1st to October 5th, 2024. The week starts with Spirit Week, featuring fun dress-up days, including Iʻe Lava lava/Pareo Day on Monday, Tacky Tourist Day on Tuesday, Pua Day on Wednesday, Beach Accessories Day on Thursday, and Class Colors Day on Friday. This year’s theme is “Hawks Beach Bash!”
“I’m really excited about the pep rally,” said sophomore Oliver Foley. “It’s nice seeing the whole school together.”
The pep rally will be held on October 4th, where students can cheer, clap, and chee hoo to show their school pride. Each class will compete in activities like banner-making, cheering contests, a lip sync competition, and the introduction of this year’s Homecoming court. This event is only open to students and NHIS Staff for safety reasons.
Also happening on October 4th is the Homecoming Parade!
Robin Kitsu, the Student Activities Coordinator, shared, “The parade is a fun way to bring the community together and celebrate Homecoming while supporting our football team and the whole school.”
The parade will start at 4:00 p.m. Students will march from 1st Road, up the Avenue, and into the school, carrying hand-painted banners to show off their school spirit. The parade will also feature the Homecoming court, students from Nānāikapono and Nānākuli elementary schools, NHIS school programs, and various sports teams. This is a great way to to get the community involved and come together to show all the support shared in the valley.
The Homecoming football game will take place on October 5th to wrap up the week. The Golden Hawks will face Kailua. At halftime, the Homecoming court will be introduced, starting with the 7th-grade attendant and ending with the Homecoming Queen. Finally, the winner of Homecoming Week will be announced. The winning class will receive the Jackie Ku Spirit Mace and a monetary prize.
“I’m really excited for Homecoming,” said Donnamae Noa, NHIS ELA teacher and Class of 2027 advisor. “It’s a great opportunity for us, as sophomores, to build relationships and find out who we are as a class.”
Although, with Homecoming comes quite a few challenges but one of the biggest challenges being faced right now is the lack of student participation. Students don’t seem very interested in the many events taking place.
“I think getting students to actually come out and participate in activities is the biggest challenge, a lot of students are open to giving ideas but they’re not open to actually participating in anything,” said NHIS ELA teacher and Freshmen Class Advisor Chloe Kitsu.
Despite the ups and downs, Homecoming is still a week of celebration. It is a time for Nānākuli High and Intermediate School to show it still has class and school spirit. Get ready to cheer, clap, and yell HAWKS BEBEH!
