Beloved Kamaaina Kids aide celebrated by families she’s helped for generations

News admin July 9, 2026 0 Comments

Beloved Kamaaina Kids aide celebrated by families she’s helped for generations

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A pre-school teacher who has quietly shaped generations of local families is getting some much-deserved recognition.

Miss Gayle Ritchie began working for Kama’aina Kids in Pearl Harbor in 1997.

“My oldest daughter was going to preschool here, and I started off as a sub,” said Ritchie. “And then they needed an aide, so I took the position as the aide and never left.”

The 53-year-old teacher’s aide got a degree in criminal justice in 2011 but chose to stay.

Ritchie has witnessed 30 graduations at Kama’aina Kids and was recently recognized for her service at the Class of 2026’s graduation ceremony.

“Oh, Miss Gayle is so kind; she would always just be with the kids, like hugging, holding. Oh, it was, it’s the best,” said Christine Jenkins, whose daughter, Vivenne, has been with the program since she was two years old. “I mean, to leave that, to leave her in the care of Vivienne when we would go to work. It was nice to know that Miss Gayle was there.”

“All the parents and the families that she’s impacted over the years- some that come back later on just to say hi or they remember her- it makes me feel proud, you know?” said Ritchie’s daughter, Chantelle Agolo. “It’s really nice to know that it’s not just our family she’s a part of; she’s a part of all of these kids’ families as well.”

Ritchie said she enjoys seeing the kids progress through the years.

“There have been a few years I said this was going to be my last year, but I still stay,” said Ritchie.

This is the same pre-school campus Miss Gayle attended when she was a little girl in 1977, when it was run by the Moanalua community church.

Her connection to the school doesn’t stop there.

All three of her kids attended the same preschool.

“Growing up as being the student of a teacher, it’s always, you have that extra pressure on you, even if it’s just preschool,” said Agolo. “And then when I did get to start working here, and I did see her every day, and she was more of like a co-worker, but still my mom, I felt like I always, someone had my back, you know. If I needed help or if I wasn’t sure of what I was doing, I could always go and ask my mom.”

Her three grandchildren also went through the program. Her youngest grandson, Noah, just graduated this summer.

Although Noah is off to kindergarten, for Ritchie, trying to leave Kama’aina kids is never easy.

“In the past, I think, eight, nine years, I’ve had like 18, 15 to 18 surgeries, but I only take a week off, and I come back right back to work,” said Ritchie. “Because that’s my job and the kids need me.”

Ritchie mentioned that she’ll be going into surgery next month, which will require her to be off from work for six weeks. Her daughter said this will be the longest she’ll ever be away from Kama’aina Kids.