A bright spot in all this gloomy Furlough Friday business occurred this past Saturday at one of my favorite University of Hawaii campuses, Kapiolani Community College: The first annual Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani Middle Schools Science Fair.

First of all, KCC has come along way from when I attended classes in rickety old military barracks. The structures all match, the green space is expansive, the xeriscape gardens are alive with wildlife great and small. Every time I go to KCC I hear and sometimes see a shama thrush. Gorgeous song!

Back to the science fair! Many readers know I'm a proud parent of a Niu Valley Middle School student. I also have a Koko Head Elementary School student. I know how fortunate I am to have my two girls enrolled in such fine schools, with administrations that are excited about igniting bright young minds.

Niu Valley truly represented at this first science fair that is expected to continue forever! The middle school students presented dozens of experiments and displays that touched on a variety of questions many of us ponder.

Does your cell phone ring in the microwave? YES!

Is there a way to raise your senses? YES!

What is the theory behind musical learners?

Gov. Lingle with Sophie & Julia

My daughter and her partner Julia, under the guidance of their science teacher Scott Brown, presented a display on Pangea, the theory of plate tectonics, and how the continents seem to fit into each other like some magical, mystical and ancient jigsaw puzzle. At the school level, I credit one of the judges who asked the girls about the earthquake in Haiti that had just happened. He told the girls to find out what happened there. The girls acted on the advice and were well armed when it came to the regional competition at KCC.

According to their teacher, both girls are well spoken and tend to like to out talk the other when it comes to explaining the points of  theory. They not only know their material, but they exude confidence when talking to adults. Of course they do!

I'd be writing this blog entry no matter what. The science students from the region who participated were in grades 6th, 7th and 8th, and were a fun and positive bunch. They cheered each other on, they generously gave shout outs to their young colleagues who rose to the top.

Niu definitely represented at the fair. Sophie and Julia won the display division and will be moving on to the state level in April. Mr. Brown, their teacher, coach, referee and roadie, will help them hone their presentation for the states.  In fact, several students from Niu will be there.

Niu Valley winners with Mr. Scott Brown

Governor Linda Lingle presented the awards after she gave a speech about how it won't be the football stars who win games that will move Hawaii into the future, "It will be you, our scientists." She's right.

Nerdy smart kids are the coolest kids in school. Really. Check 'em in 20 years.

I'll be back in a few days. Mahalo for reading and for your suggestions.

Marriage isn't just the union of two. It's a family making space at the table. It's adding another person to the list of who to look out for, who to share a joke with and who to share a heartache with as this spinning marble hurls through space. If you don't find yourself in such a family, you're missing out.

I am one of four out-laws who have married a Bender. Every other winter break, the family gathers in Hawaii. Two of my sisters-in-law come with their mainland families to hang loose in the islands. Three Benders went to Kalani, two Benders went to Kaiser, all Benders went to Niu Valley Intermediate and to Koko Head Elementary. Now my girls are on the same track.

This is not a visit year, so I'll miss the fun of gathering as a member of the out-laws, me and the three dudes who married Bender daughters (Until now, the sisters-in-law had no idea that the guys and I formed the secret out-law society. Me and the guys -- what a kick!). However, there will be no shortage of fun with the two sisters who live in Hawaii, my mother- and father-in-law, as we gather for the holidays, taking turns hosting parties with lots of food and bubbly!

One thing we can always count on is my sister-in-law Susan Bender, the original shopping ninja. With her husband Bob Hooper as her copilot, Susan, an attorney, is a natural thrift-shop sleuth. So when we need something like a replacement glass pitcher for our old Oster blender, she's calling us from the thrift store with potential purchases lined up. When my girls were younger, she'd scour the racks for gorgeous, nearly new baby clothes that she'd buy for pennies on the dollar, take them home to wash and press, and then bring them over to me, the harried, exhausted mom.

The Shopping Ninjas

There was a time when I could shop with the best of them. I no longer have the patience. But Susan persists until she has acquired and bargained for the ultimate designer handbag, leather jacket or bracelet studded with precious stones. She can talk down a salesman to a fraction of the asking price and leave them smiling as she's sashaying her way out the door. When I go into such places I cannot bring myself to scan the racks. Bob and Susan's secret? Baby wipes stashed in the car for a quick cleanup.

When it's time to open presents, the exciting part is opening the gifts from Susan and Bob. Most of the time it isn't what you had in mind and not what you expected, but for some odd reason, perfect. How do they do that, year after year?

I have a very good connection with my sister-in-law Susan. I am lucky to have someone who has taken such an interest in being the big sister to me and a loving auntie to my girls. My other in-laws and out-laws are no slouches when it comes to their love and generosity. But all would agree, I'm sure, that Susan and Bob are in a class unto themselves!

Our neighborhood elementary school, Koko Head, now has three kindergartens, for the first time in many, many years. Hawaii Kai is growing and there seem to be more keiki in East Oahu's public schools.

Maybe it's a result of tough economic times, but I don't know if private schools are losing enrollment. Parents who believe in the schools they pay tuition for usually do so at the sacrifice of other things. It must be a tough decision to make when finances dictate that they consider putting their child in a public school.

Hawaii State Assessment results are published in The Honolulu Advertiser today, and East Oahu Schools represent! The online chart is here. Students in 3-5 grades were tested in the elementary schools, including East Oahu's Koko Head, Aina Haina, Kamiloiki, Hahaione, Wailupe; as were all students at Niu Valley Intermediate Middle School, and at the 10th grade level at Kaiser and Kalani high schools.

East Oahu elementary schools reading results showed that the bulk of the students met or exceeded standards. Their math scores were amazing with most of the keiki exceeding standards. Niu Valley students also found the majority of their students in the met or exceeded standards stratums. At Kaiser and Kalani, reading scores were mostly met or exceeded; math scores were more even distributed among the well-below, approaching and the met and exceeded standard levels.

Kaiser Principal John Sosa is dedicated to establishing the school as an International Baccalaureate institution, ready to accept students from Niu Valley, which will be granted IB status any day now. Optimistic parents expect that will reflect on Kaiser's scores in the future.

Who knows this? Farrington-Kaiser Complex Superintendent Ronn Nozoe. He's dedicated to our students, rolls up his sleeves, and returns phone calls. The Dude makes the bells ring on time. No wonder East Oahu is experiencing a population explosion of SMART KIDS!