Israel Kamakawiwo'ole High School: Home of the Ukulele

Welcome to Israel Kamakawiwo'ole High School!
Our school is named after Israel or Iz because he was an important asset to Hawaii. He was a strong advocate for Hawaiian rights and Hawaiian independence which he displayed through his music. He won many awards and his music hit the number one spot in several different countdowns.
Israel struggled with his weight and passed away on June 26, 1997 weighing 758 pounds. On the day of his funeral (July 10, 1997) the Hawaiian state flag flew at half mast. His kos wood coffin lay in state at the Capitol building in Honolulu. He was the third person in Hawaiian history to be accorded this honor. Over 10,000 people attended his funeral.

The mascot is the ukulele because Israel was talented at playing the ukulele. It was his instrument of choice. He reached the number one spot on Billboard with his album "Wonderful World".
Music is an important way for people to learn. Children who learn a musical instrument at a young age tend to be smarter as they grow up.
Our school encourages every student to learn the ukulele along with their regular curriculum.

LINKS
http://starbulletin.com/97/06/26/news/story1.html
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Kamakawiwoʻole