THE COLE ACADEMY
About Our SchoolEarly childhood education and care
The Cole Academy has locations across O‘ahu, including Kapolei, Downtown Honolulu, Mililani, East Oahu and Windward Oahu, and Hawaii Island at Mauna Lani.
The Cole Academy is a nationally accredited program committed to providing early childhood education and care of the finest quality. The schools were founded by parents of young children who wanted an institution that put its utmost priority on the nurturing of young hearts and the development of young minds. The schools are led by founding CEO Emily Awaya Leong and a team of directors. All bring together decades of early childhood education expertise and experience.
Family-owned and -operated, the schools’ mission and purpose are to serve parents and children.
Our objective is educating the whole child, while fostering intellectual, creative, social and physical development.
We encourage our students and families to participate actively in an educational community. Believing in the inherent strengths of diverse backgrounds, we celebrate the many cultural differences that make Hawaii and its children so special.
OUR
Mission and Vision
The mission of The Cole Academy is to educate and nurture Hawaii’s youngest people while giving families peace of mind and the support of an educational community.
Our vision is a community that thrives when its families’ needs are met and when its children develop a lifelong love of learning, fostered by their earliest teachers.
We value children, families and teachers. We provide for their mutual success with a focus on education, care, connections and community.
LOCALLYOWNED & OPERATED
NATIONAL
Accreditation
In keeping with leading early childhood programs on the mainland, The Cole Academy combines both external accreditation standards and a strict internal Quality Assurance program to ensure we are always meeting or exceeding the highest expectations on educational, community-building and health/safety measurements.
We are nationally accredited through NECPA, which follows the most reliable measures of quality in the early childhood field, both nationally and abroad.
SAFETY
and Security
All Oahu campuses have interior and exterior digital video surveillance. We maintain an instant emergency mass-broadcast system via phone, text message and email. Our urban sites feature biometric fingerprint access control, and our suburban and rural sites have exterior fencing surrounding the properties.
HEALTH
and Wellness
Stringent health measures are in place. Strict attention is paid to ensuring all children are current on immunizations, with all children in attendance required to be immunized in accordance with the pediatric schedule for their ages. Each day starts with the “Daily Wellness Greeting” to ensure all children are well enough to attend and to prevent the spread of germs. The Cole Academy retains consulting physician and nurse advisers. All sites are professionally sanitized and maintained daily.
OUR
Staff and Leadership
The schools are led by founding CEO Emily Awaya Leong; a team of directors, associate directors, office and enrollment coordinators; and a group of training, staff development, curriculum, accreditation and licensing specialists. All bring together decades of early childhood education expertise and experience.
Teachers hired at The Cole Academy have achieved excellence in their education and preparation for the job and also must demonstrate a nurturing, positive and passionate commitment to the profession.
Continuing external education courses are mandated, and they span a range of topics essential to the betterment of early childhood education delivery.
The Cole Academy’s exclusive internal staff-training modules are held year-round.
The Cole Academy is a drug-free workplace. Teachers are tested before hiring and also randomly throughout their tenure with the schools. The Cole Academy also stresses the importance of a smoke- and alcohol-free lifestyle.
CAREERS
Apply Today!
The Cole Academy invites people who are passionate and dedicated to providing the best in early childhood education and care to apply to be team members. We are proud of our commitment to provide excellent wages and benefits, and we are proud to be an institution in which you can have a long and fulfilling career in a meaningful profession. To apply, fill out our online application (you can also attach your resume there).
Downtown Honolulu
Downtown Preschool:
- Full-time Infant/Toddler Aide
- Full and part-time Floater
- Substitutes
Downtown Early Elementary (K+):
- Elementary Teachers and Aides
Kapolei
- Full-time Infant/Toddler Lead Caregivers
- Full-time Aide
- Full-time Preschool teacher
Windward Oahu
- Full-time Preschool Aide
- Part Time Afternoon Float
- Substitutes
East Oahu
- Full-time Infant Lead Caregiver
- Full-time Floater
Mililani
- Full and Part-time Infant/Toddler
- Caregivers
- Part-time Preschool Aides
- Full-time Preschool teacher
Hawaii Island - Kona-Kohala
- Director
- Lead Teachers and Caregivers
- Aides
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQs
Ages in school
6 weeks through 6 years (Infant/Toddler, Preschool & Junior Kindergarten)
Staff-to-student ratios
Our centers are staffed schoolwide to an average 1:4 ratio. The following ratios are age-group-specific and represent the maximum staff-to-child ratios in any given age group. Usually, the day-to-day classroom ratios are even lower than the following list, due to attendance patterns and extra help from assistants or floating aides:
Age Standards for The Cole Academy
0 years to 1 year – 1:4, 1:3, 1:2 with floating aides
12 to 18 months – 1:6, 1:4, 1:3 with floating aides
18 to 24 months – 1:6, 1:5, 1:4 with floating aides
2 to 3 years – 1:8, 1:6, 1:5 with floating aides
3 to 4 years – 1:12, 1:8, 1:6 with floating aides
4 to 5 years – 1:16, 1:8, 1:6 with floating aides
5 to 6 years – 1:20, 1:8, 1:6 with floating aides
Kindergarten preparation
Our curriculum centers on getting kids ready for a high-expectation kindergarten environment, private or public. This includes academic, artistic and social development, in addition to enhancement programs: Sign Language, Foreign Languages, Music, Hawaiian Culture, and Dance and Movement, among others.
We help parents and students prepare for testing and admission to private schools, which includes quarterly developmental assessments from 3 years on up modeled after the admissions standards from the private K – 12 schools. We invite observations of our classes by admissions directors and teachers, and our teachers seek out open-house and observation opportunities at various K – 12 schools to get a sense of what is expected of our graduates.
Locations
Downtown, 800 Bethel Street at Queen’s Court, 808-531-4500 (6:45 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)
Windward Oahu, 780 Keolu Drive, 808-261-3012 (6:45 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
East Oahu, 1041 10th Avenue, 808-732-4200 (6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Kapolei, 1033 Ala Kahawai, 808-674-2244 (6 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Mililani, 94-359 Makohilani Street, 808-625-2001 (6 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Hawaii Island, 68-148 Hoohana St., Kamuela-Mauna Lani, 808-731-3220 (temporarily 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.)
Students
Hawaii Campuses
Faculty
Established
Request a Tour
Please call or text the enrollment line at 808-469-8900, or email rebekah@thecoleacademy.com to set up a tour.