History

Located on the island of Oahu, Laie Elementary is situated on the scenic North Shore. Tropic breezes sweeping across the deep blue Pacific Ocean pass over the school grounds as they head toward the verdant Koolau Mountains.A school steeped in tradition, Laie started off as an elementary school organized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in 1895, staffed by church missionaries. It was located on a prominent hill just southeast of the "old Laie Chapel" and was called Latterday Saints Private School.

Church leaders decided to build a temple on the hill where the school was situated. In 1919, the school, consisting of 6 wooden buildings, was moved to its present location near Kamehameha Highway.

In 1927, the school was turned over to the Territory of Hawaii and became known as Laie Elementary School.

Legend of La'ie Point

This point of land in La'ie that extends out into the ocean is called Laniloa. According to legend, this peninsula was originally a "Mo'o" or hawaiian giant lizard, standing upright, ready to kill any intruder.After Kana (a legendary warrior) and his brother had rescued their mother from Moloka'i and had taken her back to Hawaii. Kana set out on a journey to kill all the mo'o in the islands. In time, he arrived in La'ie where the mo'o had been killing many people. Kana easily defeated the Mo'o taking its head. He chopped it into five pieces and flung them into the ocean. The pieces of the lizard's head can still be seen today as five small islands lying off-shore. Their original names were Kihewamoku, Moluaaniwa, Pulemoku, Malualai and Keauakaluapa'a'a.Source: "Hawaiian Legends" by William Rice, Bishop Museum Bulletin, Honolulu, HI 1923.