Kadena ES History
Opened: 1954
OPEN
Kadena Elementary School (KDES), grades one through six, opened for the 1954-55 school year and is located on Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. This became the second permanent government building designed as a school for the 1964-65 school year. The school was similar to the school at Zukaren Elementary School (Sukiran). Even with the permanent facility, due to increased enrollment it was necessary to put some grades in temporary quarters. Kadena Elementary School was the first school opened by the Air Force in the Pacific. During that school year, grades second through sixth were at the school. In 1959, the school had grades three through six. In 1963, nineteen additional classrooms were completed, and the school still had grades three through five. In 1968, kindergartens were added to the school. Under construction during 1969-70 were new classroom additions which were opened during the 1970-71 school year. For the 1971-72 school year the school had grades three and four. The completion of a wing of new classrooms was finished for the 1972-73 school year. In 1975-76, the school had grades one through four. Kadena Elementary opened a brand new 21st century school in 2018.
According to the school website,
The Kadena Elementary School’s student body represents families serving in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and DoD civilians. Military assignments in Okinawa generally consist of a standard 3-year rotation, resulting in a similar pattern of turnover among the student population. Our military-connected students are an amazing group of learners. Consistent with overseas schools serving military dependents, KDES works to support our students, families, and staff members PCSing in and out of the area. At Kadena Elementary we say, “Once a Sushi, always a Sushi!”
Opening its doors at the legacy location in 1954, Kadena Elementary moved to the new location in February of 2018. The new facility is a state-of-the-art, 21st Century School which covers 194,000 square feet and caters up to 800 Prekindergarten through fifth-grade students. Learning spaces are organized around neighborhoods with open-concept classrooms with flexible and multi-use furniture which allows for meaningful technology integration and collaborative learning. When the move to the new school was completed, the administration wrote in the 2018 yearbook:
I would have to say we (KES Community) did it!! We have reached an amazing height this school year. We moved from our sixty-four-year-old building into our lovely 21st century building with very little stress and frustration. The teachers and students have made the transition seem so easy, but it was not easy. It has been a tremendous amount of work for the teachers. They have spent hours preparing for the move in addition to their primary duties of teaching, nurturing and supporting our students. I am humbled by their commitment, dedication and drive to be their best and get the best out of the students. The move happened on February 20-21 and the first day of school was February 22nd. Everything was ready for the students. Our grand opening happened on February 28th and we had Very Important Visitors (VIPs) on March 13, 2018 and March 23. The visitors were truly amazed at how engaged and well behaved the students were throughout the building. Kadena Elementary School, will always be a place where students come first!!!
KDES considers itself a neighborhood school despite its size, with the majority of students living in the surrounding neighborhoods walking to school, and with bus service to the Chibana, Sunabe, and Chatan Port areas. The students and families represent a culturally and ethnically diverse population which is commensurate with the general military population.
A fully outfitted information center (library) is well stocked with fiction and non-fiction collections. The media center also has a robust catalog of online books, resources, and reference materials for use in the school and remotely. The school has a large gymnasium and an auxiliary gym along with a large cafeteria with a stage. In addition, KES has a large performance space for ceremonies, trainings, and community events. These spaces allow the scheduling of simultaneous activities.
The Kadena Elementary School mascot is Sushi the Angel Fish. The school colors are blue and white. The school motto is “Where Kids Come First” and the school song is
On beautiful Okinawa,
near the ocean blue and bright,
Is KADENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
our colors blue and white.
Like the brightly colored Angel Fish swimming on the reef,
We search and we explore.
We're sharing our accomplishments,
proud of what we've done,
And striving for more.
At KADENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
where kids come first,
At KADENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
where kids come first!
During the 90s the school enrollment ranged from almost 1,400 students at the beginning and end of the decade to 1,100 students in the mid-nineties. The staff was over 100. In 1990 the principal was Angelo Condie with assistants Ruth Leslie and Ted Lee Moore and Education Program Manager Ms. Parks. Ms. Diane Bell became the principal for the 1991-92 school year and remained at the school until 1994. Her assistants included James Strauss and Sharon Carter followed by Roger Reade and Barry Burrows. Mr. Giles was the principal beginning in August 1998.
During the nineties the school had a wide variety of events to celebrate their Japanese location, spotlight other cultures, and provide enrichment activities for students. Special events to focus on Japanese influences included the Minekko Drum Group, the Shi Shi Dance Group, Sumo demonstrations, and the Shuri Chorus, as well as field trips to the local botanical gardens, Shuri Castle, and the Cherry Blossum Festival. The school had its own Taiko Drummers, and students learned about using the Soroban (abacus) and how to do Ikebana. KDES also had Japanese immersion classes for second and third graders. Assemblies and class presentations highlighted Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage, and Asian-Pacific Celebrations. Annual events included Fire Safety, a Science Fair, 100 Day Celebration, Young Author’s presentations, school carnivals, and holiday events. School clubs included Kids Who Care, Safety Patrol, drama, Japanese, running, art, Young Astronauts, ceramics, recorder, chess, and jump rope. Additionally, the school had a chorus, the Kadena Koraliers, a band, and video and TV productions.
Ronald Sharik was the principal for the 1999-2000 school year and his assistants were Barry Burrows and Kathryn Strode-Downs. The school’s enrollment was around 1,000 during the first decade of the new millennium. Ian Coulbough was the principal beginning in 2002 and was followed by Stan Hays who served as principal through the 2008-09 school year. Assistants during these years included Dr. Deborah Carson, Mr. Grade, Ms. Caldwell-Kinard, Ron Uhl, and Dr. R.D. Peterson. New activities for students included Hola, a Spanish club; Spelling and Geography Bees; Red Ribbon Week; and Military Using Math Day. KDES became a PreK through five school for the 2008-09 school year.
Special programs and activities for the second decade of the 2000s included exchange visits with Zenrin Japanese school, Native American Presentations, the Living History Museum, Reader’s Theatre, Soroban Competition, and the Vocabulary Parade. By the 2015-16 school year the enrollment was 825 but climbed to almost 900 by the 2019-20 school year. Gail Wiley was the principal from 2015 through 2019. Her assistants included Susan Nordell, Nedra Jones, Lorri Vallone, Mr. Nutly, and Dr. Hayes. During the 2015-16 school year as the new school was being constructed, the community petitioned to keep the name of the school as Kadena Elementary School and the name was retained.
Academically, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) transitioned to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics). The school also focused on the collaboration among grade levels in the areas of reading and science.
For the 2020-21 school year, the KDES faculty comprised over eighty-two professional level staff members, including full-time teachers, specialists, and administrators, with an additional forty-plus paraprofessionals and office staff members for support and supervision. Seventy-three percent of the professional staff and teachers possessed advanced educational degrees. The turnover among the professional teaching staff is low to moderate for a DoDEA school of this size, averaging between 5–15 reassignments per school year.
The 2021 yearbook mentions the effects of COVID on the school:
August 24th, 2020...It was the first day of remote learning. COVID-19 had us stuck in our houses. We met our teachers on Google Meet, completed online work through Google Classroom, and did our best! But, we really missed our classmates and teachers at KDES! (written by Elijah Neals)
September 21st, 2020...we finally went back to brick and mortar learning at Kadena Elementary School. The students and teachers were so excited to be back in the school building learning together. There were a few new differences like: lots of hand washing, face-masks, clear plastic dividers, and much more. It was a learning curve for us all, but we became stronger together! (written by Aliyah Payne)
Mr. Burkett was the principal for the 2019-20 school year, followed by Dr. White (2021–2022) and Ms. Amanda McDonald (2022–2024). Dr. Jennifer Hayes was the assistant principal for the 2023-24 year. The school’s enrollment dropped to less than 700 for the 2021-22 school year and to 650 by the 2023-24 school year. During this time, in addition to previous student clubs, new clubs for gardening, coding, Crazy 8’s and Legos were added. A STEAM day was held each quarter.
Information from dissertation by Harold Clifford Brown, 1981; school yearbooks; and the school website