Easing the middle school transition

By BOBBY COMMAND / West Hawaii Today

One was shy, another a moke, the wahine, a tita and the last a babooze, but they shared something in common: they were elementary school students leaving the security of childhood and entering the unknowns of adolescence and middle school.

Glenn Miyashiro, Bla Bla Bla Bla Blala, Tita Turner and Bart Souza shared their experiences with 700 fellow elementary school students from West Hawaii at the “Student Transition Convention,” staged Thursday at Kealakehe High School Gym.

Make that local comedian and all-around funny guy Frank DeLima, who played the role of the four kids who shared their journeys into the gray area that exists between the comfort zones of the two ’hoods: childhood and adulthood.

“We’re trying to help them develop into strong, successful people with good morals and high goals,” said DeLima. “My role here is to deliver the message through humor.”

Backed up by his band Na Kolohe, and using his cast of characters, DeLima interpreted the difficult times soon to be faced by kids who next year will leave seven West Hawaii public elementary schools — Hookena, Honaunau, Konawaena, Holualoa, Kahakai, Kealakehe and Waimea Schools.

A central figure in the lives of DeLima’s kids was Mrs. Kamaboko, a firm but kindly old teacher who set down a complex set of 186 rules for conduct in the classroom, but offered four simple tools to handle change:

1. Take a deep breath
2. Picture a goal in your mind
3. Take a small step
4. Do it again.

DeLima also fast-forwarded many years to a reunion of Mrs. Kamaboko’s class, and the teacher had discovered that her pupils, fearful and uncertain of what lie in their future, had all become successful adults.

Her former students had overcome many of their goals and achieved their dreams by following her words of wisdom.

Shy Miyashiro was now a successful businessman with his beautiful wife, Amy, whom he wooed by singing the song “Musubi,” (sung to the tune “Edelweiss”).

Blala, who wore his shorts below the bebidees line and was da buu of the school, was now governor of the state of Hawaii, declaring that today was “Mrs. Kamaboko Day” and that kamaboko could be bought at KTA “two for da price of two.”

Tita Turner was now newscaster. Tita Moon learned to carry herself to the song, “Girl From Ipanema” and emerged from a broken home and a poor neighborhood to be a contributing member of society.

Finally, Bart Souza, marching to the tune of “Glory, Glory, Cowabungus,” harnessed his personality as emcee of various school assemblies and became the host of his own talk show.

“The kids need to know that solutions are there for them,” said DeLima. “The teacher may have it, but if they don’t then the teacher may be able to find someone who does have the answers.”

And for those of you whose dog ate your Frank DeLima’s word mastery homework, a “moke” is a bully, a “tita” is a tough girl who doesn’t take you know what from anyone, a “babooze” is a clown or dummy, “kamaboko” is Japanese fishcake, “musubi” is a riceball, “bebidees” is underwear (BVDs), “da buu” is the school bully, and “na kolohe” is translated as rascals or troublemakers.

email: bcommand@westhawaiitoday.com

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