Kenneth Lee, principal of Nimitz Elementary School, was announced Sunday as Hawaii’s 2012 National Distinguished Principal at an awards luncheon held at the Hale Koa Hotel. He was selected by a committee through a process conducted by the Hawaii Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association (HEMSAA), according to a release from the Hawaii Department of Education.
Kenneth Lee, principal of Nimitz Elementary School, was announced Sunday as Hawaii’s 2012 National Distinguished Principal at an awards luncheon held at the Hale Koa Hotel. He was selected by a committee through a process conducted by the Hawaii Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association (HEMSAA), according to a release from the Hawaii Department of Education.
Meanwhile, Waiau Elementary School vice principal Stacey Makanoe Kawasaki was honored as Hawaii’s first recipient of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Outstanding Assistant Principal Award. Kawasaki is one of 52 vice principals nationwide being honored by the NAESP.
Lee, representing the Central Oahu District, was one of seven nominees for the principal’s award. Representing the Big Isle was Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino’s Timothy Lino.
The National Distinguished Principals Program recognizes the critical importance of the first years of schooling. Children’s attitudes toward learning and their readiness to learn new facts and explore new ideas are essentially set in the beginning school years. By high school or college, the patterns have already been formed.
This October, Lee will travel to Washington, D.C., to be honored along with other principals from across the nation.