PUKALANI – Distinguished students  gathered in the KSM dining hall for pizza and ice cream today, September 7, 2011. They were chosen by their teachers for displaying August’s Hawaiian value of the month, aloha, as part of the school’s Living Pono campaign.

Living Pono posters say that aloha translates to many things, including love, compassion, sympathy, kindness and charity.

“If one person shows aloha, usually it catches on to everyone else,” sophomore honoree Hi‘ilei Casco said.

As always happens, students enjoyed their special lunch, while pre-calculus and trigonometry teacher Ms. Kathleen Frampton read to them comments from their nominating teachers.

“It went well, and the food was delicious,” senior honoree Tzarina Akahi said.

But there was a new element to being honored this year. Nominees were also awarded a free dress day and throughout the day, they were permitted to follow the aloha dress guidelines outlined in the student handbook. Their clothes did not have to be aloha print, though, as long as they were in good taste, Ms. Frampton said.

“Hopefully this additional incentive will make more haumana strive towards overall goodness on a regular basis,” she said.

The students were also gifted with blue plastic tumblers with the KS logo printed on one side, and E Ola Pono, or “live righteously,” printed on the other.

“I just thought that this would be a good visual reminder to be a good person,” Ms. Frampton said.

Students chosen for the month of August were Daisy Aiwohi, Tzarina Akahi, Hi‘ilei Casco, Jackie Gorman, Anianikū Holt-Mossman, Quinn Kihune, James Krueger, Damian Kuluhiwa, Devonte Llanes, Daniel Mendiola, Dylan Nakoa, Keanu Santos, Nu‘uanu Santos and Kawelau Yen.

The KSM Hawaiian value for the month of September is ‘imi na‘auao, meaning to seek knowledge or education and to be ambitious to learn.