Grade 2

Aloha ‘O Jen Muller ko’u inoa. I am excited to be a part of this new Distance Learning team for Elementary School. Born and raised on Long island, New York. I grew up playing on the beach and riding my bike around the neighborhood. I completed my undergraduate (Elementary/English) and graduate degrees (Literacy Education) in NY and quickly took off to teach in Vanuatu with the US Peace Corps. Being in Vanuatu taught me how to be resourceful, flexible and adaptable. All of these things help and support me as an educator today.

In 2008, I moved to Hawaii on the Big Island to work as a Literacy Resource Teacher with Kamehameha Schools. Over these 12 years, I have worked in several DOE schools in various roles (teaching science literacy, reading intervention, STEAM instruction and writing coaching). Aside from teaching, I enjoy running, cooking, reading (mostly memoirs and nonfiction books) and spending time with my family. I have three keiki, one girl (11) and two boys (9, 3). We all love going to the beach, playing soccer and keeping our family culture and customs alive.

I am happy to continue my journey as an educator by teaching grade 2 haumana this year. I believe in creating fun and engaging learning opportunities for children that will lead them to grow and develop as independent learners.

“Our job as leaders, teachers and parents is to not prepare kids for something; our job is to help kids prepare themselves for anything.” A.J. Juliani

Welina me ke aloha e nā haumāna a me nā ‘ohana o Kamehameha! Warm welcome and aloha to the students and families of Kamehameha!

‘O Kumu Kalani ko‘u inoa. My name is Kalani Soller and I along with Kumu Jenn will be your kumu for this Fall semester.

‘O O‘ahu ku‘u one hānau a noho au ma Punahoa, Hilo. I was born on O‘ahu but now call Hilo home. I graduated from Kaimukī High School, went to UH Mānoa for my undergraduate degree in Hawaiian Studies and got my master’s degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University.

My wife is Kalehua and she is also from O‘ahu and this year we have been married 20 years! We have three keiki, our son Brandon lives in Seattle where he is a manager/head chef for a restaurant. Kalehua iki just graduated this year from Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu ‘u and will be attending UH Hilo. Yes, she was a Covid-19 graduate! Our youngest daughter is Leikiele who is starting 9^th grade at Nāwahī and will be entering a similar style of learning that you all will have this school year.

I began teaching many years ago starting in the Hawaiian immersion schools in the elementary and intermediate grades before I was blessed and honored to become a kumu for Kamehameha. I taught ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i for the high school at Kapālama until my ‘ohana and I moved to Hilo in 2012.

For the last four years I have been a kumu and a kia‘i (caretaker) at a loko i‘a (fishpond) in Keaukaha, Hilo. I worked closely with many of the Keaukaha Elementary kumu to create lessons and projects that involved the loko i‘a as ‘āina-based learning and STEM science. I am really excited to continue to incorporate and share with you many of the skills and knowledge into this new learning environment of Distance Learning!

I love surfing and going to the kai with my ‘ohana. I also love to cook and garden. In my yard, you can find different plants with many purposes and functions to be used as food and medicine but also for beauty.

I want you to know that although this may be continuation of where you ended last school year, I am certain that we all are going to continue growing from this experience together. There may be a lot of unknowns that lay ahead of us, but I have to believe and trust in all my years of teaching and experience that we can and will provide a strong foundation for a productive garden of learning and growing for us all!

I look forward to working, growing and getting to know you and I hope you do too.

Me ke aloha nō – na Kumu Kalani