Watts scholarship funds work. The “Going Public” luncheon held at Koloa School on Wednesday is being funded by the Majorie Waterhouse Watts Reading Enhancement Grant. The school is displaying literary works from a different grade level each week with an
Watts scholarship funds work. The “Going Public” luncheon held at Koloa School on Wednesday is being funded by the Majorie Waterhouse Watts Reading Enhancement Grant.
The school is displaying literary works from a different grade level each week with an invitation from the school’s students and staff to offer comments as well as select a “Critic’s Award” and a “Best Seller” list from the field.
The grant is aimed at encouraging reading by students at Koloa School, and to honor the memory of Marjorie Waterhouse Watts.
Individual award recipients included: Kindergarten, Jondee River and Kiana Pagador; Grade 1, Ashley Domingo and Kevin Ikeda; Grade 2, Jaiven Morris and Cara Kruse; Grade 3, Erika Pinkerton and Patrick Thesken; Grade 5, Joy Travis and Kawehi Koslowski. They all received gift certificates to be used at the school’s book fair.
Watts’ great grandfather Dr. James William Smith was one of the founders of Koloa School, which was established as Kaua’i’s first public school in 1877. Smith was also Commissioner of Schools for Kaua’i during the reign of King David Kalakaua, as well as being Kaua’i’s only doctor for 40 years.
Melicent Knapp Smith started the Koloa Boarding School for Girls (Hawaiian) in 1862 and ran it for 10 years with the assistance of her two eldest daughters, Emma and Charlotte “Lottie.”
Watts’ great uncle, Dr. Jared Knapp Smith, and great aunt Juliet Smith, established Malumalu School for Boys (Hawaiian) in 1890 with the help of financial support from G.N. Wilcox. Her father, Dr. Alfred Herbert Waterhouse, a grandson of Dr. Smith, was Commissioner of Schools for Kaua’i when Hawai’i was a territory of the United States.
