VIDEO: Waiheʻe Elementary School Spreads the Aloha

Kamehameha Schools Maui senior, William Thompson, completed his senior project at Waiheʻe Elementary School by creating art with positive messages and painting them on the restroom stall doors. The idea was conceptualized by the Positive Behavior Support Committee on campus as they sought to find subtle ways to get positive messages across to students. Kumu Kane, a teacher at Waiheʻe and former Kamehameha Schools Maui student, reached out to the Kamehameha Schools Maui Art Department to get this project started. William Thompson was more than willing to do it.  He spent many days of his summer in the bathrooms sketching and painting. He even did a project with the summer school students.

School officials say that students and staff were very surprised and happy with the bathroom lift. They feel the positive messages and artwork in the bathrooms reinforces and emphasizes what the school is trying to do in a subtle way. Fifth graders at the school say that they really like the artwork and that the messages remind them to stay positive and to be respectful.

The school says this is just the start of this project and they are looking for other artists that might be willing to help create art in the other restrooms on campus.