Let’s give a big aloha to our new Head of School, Dr. Casey Asato. Recently, I interviewed Dr. Asato. He shared his background and his thoughts for the future of Saint Francis School.
Dr. Asato says, “I was born and raised on Oahu, but have lived all around the world. For the past twelve years, I have been on the island of Maui. My wife is a world languages and ESL teacher from Peru, and I have a 6 month-old daughter.”
Dr. Asato says his vision for Saint Francis is for the school “to transform lives and the world.” Dr. Asato added, “My focus in the first semester as head of school is to visit classrooms, get to know the parents, and the broader community. I will also be assessing the needs of our school and prioritizing them.”
Dr. Asato describes his leadership style as “collaborative.” His expectations for the students are to follow in “the spirit of gambaru.” He added, “It’s Japanese for ‘Do one’s best.”
Dr. Asato shared his and his family’s educational background. He says, “From K to 8th grade, I attended Saint Anthony School in Kailua. For high school, I graduated from Damien Memorial School. My brothers graduated from Saint Louis and Damien, and my sister graduated from Saint Francis.”
When asked about why he wanted to be our Head of School, Dr. Asato said he wanted to
“give back to the community” and that he had a “long-held dream of one day leading a school.” Dr. Asato’s goals for the upcoming year and beyond are “the growth and sustainability of Saint Francis.” He says, “I want to build on our traditions and improve the educational experience we provide.”
Dr. Asato embraces John Dewey’s educational philosophy of “learning by doing.” Students, get ready to be more active and engaged.
Dr. Asato’s ideas, goals, and philosophies seem destined to move us forward in a positive direction. Let’s welcome Dr. Asato and collaborate with him to make the future of Saint Francis School a brighter place.
