Raenette Marino (raenette_marino@notes.k12.hi.us) Language Arts teacher, Waiakea High School “Coming of Age in Hawai‘i: Kimo Armitage’s Mahch Fye in the Language Arts Classroom”
Locally born, locally raised, I consider Hawaiian Creole English my intimate language. It is the language I use with my elderly father, siblings, and–to a lesser extent–my children and spouse. As a high school English teacher at Waiakea High School, I teach to the best of my ability Standard English. However, I use the personal narrative “Mahch Fye” by Kimo Armitage to introduce and teach many literary elements. When we began using the SpringBoard curriculum, I did not deviate but incorporated “Mahch Fye” into the short story unit; it seemed like the perfect fit for the coming-of-age theme. I’m not sure how Dr. Kimo Armitage feels about having his work included with that of Harper Lee and Shakespeare, but my students often mention his work to me years after they leave my classroom. That, I believe, is a good thing.
Full text of “Mahch Fry”: https://goo.gl/dCjjtk
