Grade 1

Aloha from Kaʻū, the southernmost district in the U.S.A., located on the beautiful island of Hawaiʻi! I am a proud Kamehameha Schools boarder alum, who loves to travel to new places all over the world. I enjoy surfing with my paddleboard, being creative, laughing, making my dog’s ears flop around and eating new kinds of foods. I have a M.Ed. in STEM Education and for the past several years, I have had the opportunity to work with Kamehameha Schools Kealapono Division engaging with keiki and kumu in our community to explore our ʻāina and learn about how our kūpuna were some of the best scientists in the world. I am excited to meet all of you and start on this new adventure together!

Aloha mai kākou! My name is Sheilah Okimoto. I was born and raised on Moku o Keawe and currently reside in Kaʻū with my husband, beautiful daughters, and american bully dogs. As a family, we enjoy our mauka to makai adventures and traveling out of state to visit ʻohana, whenever possible. With 15 years of experience in education, I was fortunate to teach keiki from Prek-12th grade in various DOE positions as School Librarian, Middle School ELA lab, and High school CTE Business. For the last six years, I taught science literacy and ʻike Hawaiʻi classes with Kamehameha Schools- Kealapono Division. I am continually inspired by the beauty found in our ʻāina like observing my favorite ao (cirrus clouds) that resemble brush strokes in the sky and surprise visits by ʻililoholoikauaua on our nearby beaches, to name a few. I enjoy creativity, integrating literacy and technical skills, while also connecting content with Hawaiian values and ʻike kūpuna to empower todayʻs haumāna. I am truly looking forward to sharing positive experiences ahead with your keiki and ʻohana in online learning.