成人抖阴

This is one article in a series produced in partnership with the Aspen Institute鈥檚 , spotlighting educators, mentors and local leaders who see community as the key to student success, especially during the turbulence of the pandemic. .

Heidi Maxie may be a math teacher, but she sees, and treats, her primary role as much more than that. Before the first spiral notebooks crack open in the morning, Maxie starts her day by making sure the students at Hawaii鈥檚 James B. Castle High School 鈥� and she knows each and every one of them 鈥� are all OK.

Maxie is 鈥渁 guardian and protector鈥� of the students and the community, said Tiffany Chitwood, Maxie鈥檚 cousin and donor to the school.

We traveled to Kaneohe, a 12-mile drive northeast from Honolulu through lush mountainous roads, to experience Maxie鈥檚 community firsthand. 

Situated on 鈥渢he windward side鈥� of the island of O鈥檃hu 鈥� so called for the prevailing trade winds that pass through the eastern side of the island 鈥� the area that Kaneohe occupies was, millions of years ago, a crater that filled with volcanic lava and debris that dropped into the ocean in a massive landslide. Now, James B. Castle High School is nestled in the valleys that spill out to the Pacific that were created, against a backdrop of soaring cliffs and ridges dense with tropical forests. 

Maxie is as authentic as her land. 

It鈥檚 clear that her students, their families, and her neighbors feel seen and valued by her. Walking the O鈥檃hu campus with her over a week this past winter, we quickly learned her hours are built around a marathon of check-ins and connections with students, teachers, and the community members who sometimes show up, just to say 鈥渁loha鈥� or to drop off fruit harvested from their backyards. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 what we do in Hawaii,鈥� said Teresann Tau鈥檃, academy of innovation principal at Castle High School. One day, an auntie will bring all of the ripe star fruits from her tree to share, the next day someone else will bring ripe guavas from their yard in return. 

So it鈥檚 easy to see how Maxie鈥檚 life is defined by the bridges she鈥檚 built not only in the school hallways but between the student body and the broader community. 

鈥淗owdy nice people!鈥� she proclaims as she saunters into one classroom. 鈥淗i Ms. Maxie!鈥� the chorus replies, bright and affectionate. They鈥檙e happy to see her 鈥� and many of them have things they鈥檝e been waiting to share with her.

She doesn鈥檛 just greet students at James B. Castle, she prompts them: 鈥淗ow are you doing? Are you OK?鈥� Some kids answer with a perfunctory 鈥渇ine.鈥� Several, though, stop and talk to her about their lives. They trust her, and they know she cares 鈥� and listens.

It鈥檚 from all of these check-ins with students that Maxie has been able to identify root causes of 鈥� what may seem to many to be 鈥� surface problems. On one recent occasion, Maxie noticed some students were sleeping in her class. 鈥淏efore going from zero to mad, find out what鈥檚 going on,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aybe they haven鈥檛 eaten.鈥� 

Food insecurity, she discovered, is affecting many of the school鈥檚 students. So she leapt into action and established an angel fund to allow students in need to buy lunch 鈥� discreetly. Then, she rallied the community to donate and help grow the fund. As more food became available in the school, Maxie said the sleeping stopped, grades improved, and, in at least one case, a student who was off track wound up graduating on time. 

Walking the open-air hallways during class time, Maxie noticed a student with his head down on a picnic table in the courtyard. He should鈥檝e been in class, but Maxie didn鈥檛 prod him about it. He鈥檚 typically a good kid, and he knows he鈥檚 acting out. 鈥淎re you OK?鈥� she asked. 鈥淵es, Ms. Maxie,鈥� he responded, and put his head back on the table. Things are rough at home for him right now, Maxie knew, and badgering him about skipping class in the moment will only make things worse. Again, 鈥渂efore going from zero to mad,鈥� she鈥檇 just check in on him again later 鈥� to guide and support, rather than to scold and discipline. 

Maxie鈥檚 connection to the students is what enables her to think outside of the box and create unconventional supports at the school. She noticed students consistently being sent to the principal鈥檚 office for dress code violations, particularly when repeated violations are uncharacteristic of the student. In talking to the teens, Maxie learned that it wasn鈥檛 about disrespect 鈥� it was about lacking access to appropriate clothing. 

One student, for example, was being cited for dress code violations, as her clothes didn鈥檛 fit 鈥� because they weren鈥檛 hers. She had been staying with a friend for several weeks because of an unstable situation at home 鈥� but her departure was so abrupt that she didn鈥檛 have her own clothes with her, and had been borrowing from her friend鈥檚 family.

Maxie stepped in, created a school-wide clothing rack for these students, and again inspired community donations 鈥� including the installation of a washer and dryer on site for students who not only need clothing, but need clean ones, too. 

The public steps in when Maxie asks, because she steps out into the community to support them, too. For example, once a week Maxie does the grocery shopping for Auntie Jackie, her 90-plus-year-old neighbor who has powdered doughnut holes for breakfast every day. During our recent visit, Maxie even hit the road twice in a single week when the doughnuts ran out early, trying three different markets unsuccessfully for powdered replacements. Beleaguered, Maxie went to Auntie Jackie鈥檚 to deliver the news, with the promise to try again the following day, but Auntie Jackie didn鈥檛 mind 鈥� she was just thrilled to see Maxie and was touched by her effort. 

This is where Maxie鈥檚 role in Kaneohe and at Castle High School comes full circle. The school is a community center of sorts, and the town comes together on and off campus. Knowing what her students need and embracing the power of community to fix it helps teens focus on what matters most, both growing as students in school, and developing as members of society outside of school. 

鈥淲hen you have someone who has a need, it鈥檚 all, 鈥極ne Ohana鈥� here, 鈥極ne Family,鈥欌�� Chitwood said. 鈥淪o you do what you can to try to help out and make your community better.鈥� 

Watch our full documentary for an eye-opening visit to Castle High School and the chance to meet an inspiring community leader in Maxie, who鈥檚 woven a tapestry of community and compassion through both her school and town.

Disclosure: The Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to both the Weave Project and 成人抖阴.

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