|
|
|
November | December 2025 | Issue #34 |
|
|---|
|
Talofa*Aloha*Alii*Bula*Fakaalofa lahi atu*Hafa adai*Iokwe*Ia orana*Kia orana*Kia Ora*Ko na Mauri*Malo e lelei*Mogethin*Hello!
(These are various greetings in different Pacific Islander languages)
|
|
|---|
|
Fall 2025 | SFUSD Fa'aSamoa Initiative Announcements
|
|
|---|
|
 |
We are pleased to announce our 3rd speaker of the 16th Annual Talanoa Series
—
Dr. 'Ulise Funaki, Ph.D.
—
This year’s 16th Annual Talanoa Series is in collaboration with Critical SWANA (Middle East) Studies at CCSF!__
Ulise Funaki was born in Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island, in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and raised in Nakalei Camp in the ‘Ahupua’a of Paʻauilo. His father hails from the villages of Fuaʻamotu and Nākolo in the Kingdom of Tonga and his mother’s ‘ohana is from Paʻauilo and Waimanu valley in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and Ilocos Norte, Philippines.
ʻUlise is blessed to be the husband of Sinamoni Valikoula from Navutoka, Kolonga, Nukunuku, and Kolofoʻou in the Kingdom of Tonga and they are the proud parents of two boys. __
Currently, Dr. Funaki and his ʻohana live in the ‘ahupua’a of Lāʻiewai on the island of Oʻahu. Since 2019, ʻUlise has been an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University Hawaiʻi where he teaches Hawaiian History, Pacific Studies, Anthropology, and co-teaches Lea FakaTonga courses with his wife. __
Dr. Funaki received his undergraduate degree in Political Science, minoring in Sociology, from Brigham Young University at Provo, Utah, and his MA and PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His dissertation research centers on the kava practices of the Tongan and Kanaka Maoli communities of Ko’olauloa, Oʻahu,
Hawai’i and how kava connects these communities to the concept of fonua and ‘āina/honua. He also explores how kava acts as a puʻuhonua/hūfanga for modern kava practitioners. __
Dr. Funaki’s talk entitled,
“Pō Fakafitaʻa ʻUli - Night of Relentless Steering: Moanan Navigation of Foreign Academic Spaces,” will share as a Moanan scholar, how navigating the foreign academic space has been a challenge in a myriad of ways.
Relying on the skills, experiences, and knowledge of our ancestors and indigenous cultures, these dreadful nights through storms can become manageable and lend more to our experience and dedication through school. __ For more information about Oceania events academic programs at CCSF: https://linktr.ee/ccsfvasa
The 16th Annual Talanoa Series will be held on Tuesday November 18th, 2025, from 5:00pm-8:00pm via CityZoom.
Click below to register for event. |
|
|---|
|
|
Fall 2025 | SFUSD Announcements
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
Fall 2025 | In Case you missed it... |
|
|---|
|
Pasefika Reads & Counts Event in Visitacion Valley Neighborhood!
On October 25th, 2025, The Pacific Islander Cultural District, Matua Advisory Council and various local organizations and businesses led and sponsored this years' Pasefika Reads & Counts Event. With Visitacion Valley Elementary School hosting this year, the event brought more than 400 students, families and community organizations to celebrate and promote both literacy and math. The event was filled with plenty of free pumpkins, food, books, science, technology, engineering, math, literacy activities, raffle giveaways and really good music by DJ Joe King. This year, featured local author, Sophia Tupuola (and her daughter Oshún) who read her book,
Oshún Is a Liberated Kid, to attendees. The event also had Actor, Siua Ikale'o (Chief of War Series) reading the
Tonga's First King and Other Folktales book by Kay Berry. This event is aligned with SFUSD District Goals 1 - 3rd grade literacy and 2 - 8th grade math, MAC Recommendations, HAPI Resolution and Literacy goals of Visitacion Valley School Sites. Below is a 2 minute highlight video by Mobbligated Films that captures a snippet of the event!
|
|
|---|
|
On November 4th, Matua Advisory Council held a special general meeting as Superintendent Dr.Maria Su schedules budget townhall sessions and visiting Parent Advisory Councils/Committee to share updates on SFUSD Budget. This MAC meeting included Pacific Islander serving organizations, educators, parents, and guardians. Dr. Su came with Board Commissioner Alida Fisher, Hong Mei Pang (Communications and Governance Lead), Chris Mount-Benites (Deputy Superintendent, Business Operations). To attend upcoming budget townhalls, please check out SFUSD Announcements section of this newsletter for more information. |
|
|---|
|
|
On October 30-November 1 was the College of San Mateo Mana and Tongan Research Association first international + climate justice research conference - in San Mateo County, one of the largest Tongan communities in the continental U.S. This year's conference theme,
Lulu'i 'o e Fonua (Shake the Land): Navigating Anga Fakafonua through Pacific Studies, Climate Justice, and Research, and celebrates Tongan brilliance and global research connections while positioning Oceania at the center of climate justice, cultural sustainability, and education.
UrsulaAnn Siataga, SFUSD Fa'aSamoa Initiative's Education Policy Analyst was honored to sit on a Talanoa panel with Dr.Ponipate Rokolekutu (SFSU) and Sione Sina (CSM) entitled,
"Navigating Fault Lines: An Intersectional Talanoa on Teaching, Learning, and..."
This 75-minute intersectional Talanoa gathers educators and researchers from community colleges, universities, and community organizations to explore how
Anga Fakafonua (cultural navigation),
Lulu‘i ‘o e Fonua (shaking the land), and
MAPS (metaphorical, analytical, and physical spaces) inform climate justice and wellbeing in higher education. Grounded in the merged vision of the Tonga Research Association and the Mana Learning Community, this session reframes climate justice as a living, relational practice—rooted in who we are, how we teach, and how we care for our
fonua (land),
moana(ocean), and
kainga (community).
Drawing on Dr. Seu‘ula Johansson-Fua’s call to “know the world from the Pacific” and Leah Thomas’s charge to practice intersectional environmentalism that protects both people and planet, this Talanoa invites participants to see education itself as ecological and social transformation. Through dialogue, guided readings, and collective reflection, we will examine how Indigenous Pacific frameworks and intersectional environmental thought meet in classrooms and communities to heal institutional fault lines.
This Talanoa is part of a paper draft that will be submitted for publication in the forthcoming
MoanaLoloto: Deep Understandings of Pacific Wellbeing and Holistic Health Praxes (Volume 3: Pacific Frameworks and Paradigms in Turtle Island, Hawai‘i, and U.S. Territories).
|
|
|---|
|
On October 18th, 2025, was the SFUSD 2026-2027 School Year Enrollment Fair! Matua Advisory Council and other Parent Advisory Councils tabling that day sharing resources for families and potential students for this upcoming year! Asipesionau Finau tabled for Matua Advisory Council that day. |
|
|---|
|
|
On September 25th-27th, Herbert "Coach" Wylie Ilalio & UrsulaAnn Siataga attended the 2nd Annual Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Educators Collective conference held at the Mount San Antonio Community College in Walnut, Ca. This conference featured amazing Pacific Islander scholars as they share their work in academia. This conference was filled with many professional development workshops geared towards Educators, Management and Classified staff. |
|
|---|
|
|
On October 1st, Matua Advisory Council launched their first general meeting of 25-26 School Year! The meeting consisted of history of HAPI Resolution, Fa'aSamoa Initiative and Matua Advisory Council. Also shared was this school year's upcoming events and programs for students and families! |
|
|---|
|
|
Matua Advisory Council, SF Tongans Rise Up, SALT Pacific Islander Association tables at the Tonga Day SF Bay Area! Festivities - many resource tables, Tongan cultural performances, pacific islander merchants, and yummy food. Pictured in photo, Asipesionau Finau and Faye Ia. |
|
|---|
|
On October 3rd, Bret Harte Elementary School launches their School Site Matua Advisory Council for their parents. Merita Kaulave and her team from Beacon Afterschool conducted a survey with families on what they would like to see at their school sites, what support do they need, and what are things they would like to contribute to support their child. |
|
|---|
|
|
On October 7, 2025, Coach Wylie attended our SFUSD College Access Convening at Southeast Center. Session included more than 90 counselors from various High Schools in SFUSD and Organizations supporting High School students. Sharing of a new ways to support the data collection and improved efficient trackers that will support staff and support students in their higher education goals. Shout outs to Anya Gurholt and the College Access Team! Photo was taken during early morning set up crew. |
|
|---|
|
|
On October 7, 2025, UrsulaAnn Siataga attended the SF Literacy Coalition Convening at Visitacion Valley Branch Library. First half of convening was an educator panel sharing best practices in classroom. Then Devin Krugman, Assistant Superintendent of SFUSD Curriculum & Instruction shared our literacy data and updates on processes. Lastly, we grouped up in our affiliations and discussed ways we use data to improve our work around literacy. One of the goals of the SF Literacy Coalition is to expand their efforts with our focal student populations. |
|
|---|
|
|
Here is Asipesionau Finau at the CCSF Talanoa Series on September 23rd featuring Dr.Fa'afetai Fa'aleava, Psy.D. Here she is tabling and sharing Pasefika Reads and Counts fliers to students and community members. |
|
|---|
|
|
Fall 2025 | In Community... |
|
|---|
|
Samoan Solutions hosts their 15th Annual 5K Turkey Trot For Charity!
Saturday, Nov. 15th
Brisbane Marina
400 Sierra Point Pkwy
Brisbane, Ca
8am-1pm
Registration:
$25 - Adults 18+
$15 - Youth 5-17yrs
$20 - Team 18+ min 3 Adults
Included are resource fair, vendors and raffles! |
|
|
|
|
We moved.
Fa'aSamoa Initiative has moved departments in SFUSD! Fa'aSamoa Initiative moved from the Office of Superintendent to Curriculum & Instructions Department - Local, State and Federal Programs - Access & Equity Division. Herbert Coach Wylie Ilalio and UrsulaAnn Siataga are now housed under the same department with 18 others from Indian Education, Migrant Education, LCAP, Multilingual Learner Pathways, Matua Advisory Council, LatinX and Asian PAC, State & Federal Programs. We are excited for the levels of collaborations and partnerships this year, and look forward to continue aligning our work with HAPI Resolution, MAC Recommendations and District goals - to better serve our students and families. |
|
|
|
|
This image above shows many types of offerings throughout the years that has shown positive impacts with educators, students and families. Each of these events/programs were implemented in the last four years in partnership with educators, students, community-based organizations and Matua Advisory Council as examples of strategies useful for improving the ways in which the district serves equitably our Pacific Islander/Samoan students. The programs/events cover students programming, parent/family and community engagement and professional/curriculum development. Check out our websites for more information.
Matua Advisory Council website - www.sfusd.edu/mac
Fa'aSamoa Initiative website - www.sfusd.edu/fasi |
|
|---|
|
|
These monthly newsletters are to support and share information about Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Events, Collective work in Education and Community, SFUSD resources and more!
Thank you for reading!
To check out previous Monthly Newsletters or to subscribe to this newsletter - please visit www.sfusd.edu/fasi.
If you are interested in sharing content on this monthly newsletter, please contact: UrsulaAnn Siataga, siatagau@sfusd.edu.
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
|
