Happy 20th Birthday VSAS!
- jlee917
- Apr 8, 2021
- 2 min read
The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences Celebrates 20th Anniversary
The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences opened 20 years ago with students sitting on carpet squares, using clipboards instead of desks and eating lunch in shifts in the carport of a rented house. Now, the school has blossomed into a school with two campuses, over forty staff members, more than 260 students and hundreds of alumni around the world. This January, the Volcano School of Arts & Sciences (“Volcano School”) will celebrate its 20th birthday!
Xanthe Serafin, one of the founders of Volcano School who still teaches at the school today said that a team of parents and community members met weekly for almost three years to create the school’s implementation plan. On January 11, 2001, Volcano School’s charter was finally approved at a Board of Education meeting. “We all jumped up and down and hugged each other. And then, the real hard work began!” laughed Serafin.
Volcano School opened its doors to students in September 2001. Star Carlin, one of the school’s original teachers, remembers the feeling of creating everything from scratch. At first, the school only served students from Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. The original location of Volcano School was a rented park employee housing inside the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Volcano School then moved to its current location on Old Volcano Road in Volcano Village. It expanded to offer two more Middle School grades, and eventually moved its Middle School to the Keakealani Campus on Haunani Road. In recent years, Volcano School has added a community-based option, “Kula ‘Amakihi,” led by another teacher-founder, Lisa Barnard. In alignment with its mission and vision, Volcano School became a Hawaiian-Focused Charter School in 2016. In 2020-2021, a high school with grades nine and ten were added. “Even though the school has gotten much bigger, we have kept the sense of ‘ohana intact,” reflects Carlin. “Having the opportunity to be part of creating a school has indeed been a most excellent adventure.”
Happy 20th birthday, Volcano School! ~Erica Jensen
I really enjoyed how the post celebrated the 20th birthday of Volcano School of Arts & Sciences and showed its growth from a tiny class to a thriving learning community in Hawaiʻi. It reminded me of a time I was overwhelmed with a tough maths topic and I looked for online Mathematics exam help service to get through it while also juggling other school activities. That mix of effort and support made the tough moments feel doable and joyful.
I really enjoyed reading about Volcano School of Arts & Sciences celebrating its happy 20th birthday and how it grew from kids on carpet squares to a strong learning place full of students and alumni, showing how much hard work and community matter in education. Back in middle school when biology got tough I even used online biology exam help once to practice tricky topics before a big test and it gave me the confidence I needed to keep going. It made me think that support at the right time can make learning feel easier and more exciting.
I really enjoyed reading the celebration of the Volcano School of Arts & Sciences turning 20 and how it grew from kids on the floor to a full school with many learners and staff, which shows how much community and effort matter in education. I remember last semester when I hit a wall with a tough lab and even used hire expert for online course help once to better understand the concepts when I felt lost. It made me see that support can change how you feel about hard school days and help you keep going strong.
I loved reading about the Happy 20th Birthday VSAS! post and how Volcano School of Arts and Sciences has grown from kids on carpet squares to a big community school celebrating two decades of learning and fun. When I was in middle school I once struggled with a tricky chemistry lab write up and even used higher chemistry assignment writing services to help me organize my ideas because I felt lost with all the steps. It made me think that support can make hard school moments feel easier and more meaningful.
Reading this anniversary story feels like a community birthday, marking growth, gratitude, and shared effort much like Marathi birthday traditions described in English.
I recently adapted a traditional blessing for a family birthday and it felt sincere; using marathi birthday wishes ideas like honoring elders and origins can add meaning to any milestone celebration.