Aloha Makalapa families,

 

My name is Ronie Martinez, and I'm honored to serve as your new principal this year.

 

I've spent 25 years in the Hawaii Department of Education, and every one of those years shaped how I lead today. I started as a special education teacher. From there, I worked as a district resource teacher, then served as vice principal at Pearl Ridge Elementary, Aiea High School, and most recently August Ahrens Elementary. Each role taught me something different about students, about families, and about what it takes to build a school community that works.

 

I'm also a husband and a father. My wife and I have been married 26 years, and we've raised two children of our own, now 23 and 17. So when I talk about trusting a school with your child, I'm not speaking in theory. I've sat in that same seat as a parent, hoping the adults in the building saw my kids the way I do.

 

Through all of it, one belief has stayed constant: every child is someone's child. Someone's whole world. That belief shapes how I try to lead, though I know I still have much to learn from this community.

 

I believe in treating families with respect, not just courtesy. When you have a concern, I want you to feel heard. I believe in treating students with the same dignity we'd want for our own children, holding high expectations while meeting them with patience. And how we treat each other as a staff matters just as much. Teachers, support staff, and administrators working as a team, not separate parts, is what makes a school feel like a community instead of a building.

 

I don't take your trust lightly. You're entrusting me with your child, and I plan to earn that trust every day, not assume I already have it.

 

I look forward to meeting you, working alongside you, and building a wonderful year together.

 

As educator Rita Pierson once said: "Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them."

 

Mahalo nui,
Ronie Martinez
Principal, Makalapa Elementary School