Halau Na Wai Ola hula studio recently moved from Sunnyvale to a new, bigger space in Cupertino, 10065 E. Estates Dr.

Kaui Isa-Kahaku, director of the hula school, started learning hula when she was six and began teaching it at 13.

"Hula is not just about girls in grass skirts waving hands and shaking hips," Isa-Kahaku, 30, says. "It is the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people."

Isa-Kahaku is versed in both classic and modern hula and teaches both in her school. But she follows traditional Hawaiian teaching protocols. Before students enter the studio, they chant to get their kumu (instructor)'s permission. If they don't have pono (the right or correct attitudes), they cannot come in. When students enter the studio, the teacher greets them in traditional Hawaiian style, touching the student's forehead with her own, sharing their breath and exchanging kisses on the cheek.

For more information on the studio, call 408.873.9778.

CUSD receives funds for emergency preparedness

Cupertino Union School District received $250,000 in federal grants to improve emergency preparedness in schools. The district is one of the 134 nationwide that divided up $38 million for projects ranging from training school personnel, parents and students in emergency response to purchasing emergency response equipment.

The federal Department of Education has been working in conjunction with other federal agencies on a number of school safety projects, including one focusing on bomb threats.

For tips on planning for emergencies at schools, visit www.ed.gov/emergencyplan.