Perfect attendance from K through 6th

Michael Miller

Lei Hookano has a hotel manager to thank for her perfect attendance

record at Newport Heights Elementary.

A year ago, Lei, then a fifth-grader, took a weekend trip with her

parents to San Francisco. On the Sunday before they were supposed to

return home, Lei’s father parked the family car in a garage near the

hotel. When he came back in the evening to pick up his vehicle, he

found that the garage closed on Sundays at 4:30 p.m.

It was an annoying setback for any motorist, but the one fretting

most was Lei, who had never missed a day of school and wasn’t keen on

starting now.

“She almost melted down,” said her father, Kauhi Hookano.

Fortunately, the Hookanos tracked down a manager at a nearby hotel

who had a key to the garage, and the next morning, Lei’s perfect

attendance streak continued. For the ensuing year and several months,

rain or shine, sickness or health, Lei consistently made it to class.

On Friday, she and classmate Garrett Shriver were recognized at

Newport Heights for a remarkable achievement: seven years --

kindergarten through sixth grade -- without a single absence.

“I’ve never heard of it,” said Newport Heights principal Kurt

Suhr. “My previous experience is working in upper elementary

education, fourth through sixth, but I’ve never heard of a student

never missing a day from kindergarten through sixth.”

At the school’s Friday morning assembly, administrators honored 40

students who had perfect attendance for the current year. Each of the

children received a prize of a Baja Fresh certificate, with Lei and

Garrett also winning a complimentary glass-bottom boat ride from

Catalina Adventure Tours. After handing out all the certificates,

Suhr called the two sixth-graders onstage to announce their feat to

the crowd.

“I have an unbelievable announcement to make here,” Suhr declared.

“Lei and Garrett have come to school every day since kindergarten.”

A voice in the crowd piped back: “Even summer?”

As it turned out, neither Lei nor Garrett ever had to take summer

school classes, but they did overcome some obstacles in maintaining a

seven-year streak. Garrett, 12, nearly lost a day to illness four

years ago.

“In the second grade, I was really sick and I threw up,” he

remembered. “I went to school, threw up there, and I got to go home.”

With typical dedication, though, he was back in his seat the next

day. On another occasion, Garrett actually came down with the chicken

pox -- but during the summer, when school was out.

Lei, 12, who toughed it out during colds a few times herself,

first became aware of her attendance streak after she won an award in

the third grade. She didn’t realize she had made all seven years,

however, until the Friday assembly.

“In the fourth grade, I kind of tried not to miss a day,” Lei

said. “Then, in fifth and sixth, I forgot about it.”

Garrett’s mother, Rebecca May, kept track of his attendance record

closely, and even canceled a vacation this year to make sure her son

didn’t skip a day.

“I was supposed to go on a cruise in January with my husband and

his family, but I ended up staying home with Garrett because he

didn’t want to miss school,” May said.

Both Lei and Garrett will move on to Ensign Intermediate School

this fall. Both students said they would try to prolong their

streaks, but only within reason.

“I’ll try,” Garrett said, “but if I get really sick, I might stay

home.”