I was a student of Mrs. Keanini when I was in 5th grade at Vallecito, and I'm so sad to discover tonight that she's passed away. I'm 29 now, living in Nashville, and just randomly had a funny memory tonight of when I once used the phrase "half-assed" in her classroom (having somehow been under the impression that the phrase was "half-fast") and Mrs. Keanini had the unenviable task of pulling me aside and letting me know candidly that I was actually repeatedly swearing in front of all my 12-year-old peers. I had this memory out of the blue tonight, and then felt a wave of joy thinking that Mrs. Keanini is probably still teaching kids out in California, and that it might be nice to reach out and say hello after all these years. I wanted to tell her that I remember her very fondly and that I hope she and her family are doing well. But when I went to find her on facebook I discovered the tragic news that she's no longer with us, and I'm so sorry to hear it. It's truly such a loss.
Thank you Mrs. Keanini for being so kind, smart and nurturing to me, and for helping me get through 5th grade. It was not the easiest time for me, but you made it better. Thank you for encouraging me to be silly and sing for the class during share-time on Monday mornings - It fueled my love for performing. Thank you for also holding me to high standards with my work and projects - I really needed it at that time. Thank you for introducing me to the song Mele Kalikimaka - I still know all the words. Thank you for allowing me to read books by Pat Conroy during silent reading with the super enlarged font-size, which I only did because they had higher page counts and made me feel super smart and mature (Conroy's writing was arguably too adult for me at the time, but he's now my favorite author.) Thank you for introducing me to the history of California Missions. I recently visited San Juan Capistrano, and knew more about it than I thought. Thank you for making me memorize all the state capitals. I know I failed that test the first time (my first F ever, and I was devastated!), but you let me take it again and I studied hard and got an A. I remember you with such respect, gratitude and love, and I always will. I hope you are at peace and joyful wherever you may be and that your family and friends are all doing well. I wish I had reached out sooner, and I wish you were still with us. Thank you so much.