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FACULTY & STAFF

Joshua Rempfer

Principal/8th Grade Teacher

M.Ed. Educational Leadership with Administrative Credential (K-12)
Western Governors University (2016)
Master of Science in Secondary Math Education
University of Utah (2013)
BSEd Elementary Education with Math Concentration
LTD Diploma
Concordia University - Seward (2001)

Mr. Rempfer has been a teacher (or administrator) for nearly 20 years. He’s a commissioned teacher in the LCMS and came to Emmanuel Lutheran in the fall of 2017. Before coming to Emmanuel, he taught 5th-8th grade at St. Paul Lutheran School in Ogden, UT for 8 years. He also taught 2nd grade, 7th grade, and worked as Assistant Principal at a charter school in Ogden for 8 years.

Mr. Rempfer met his wife, Koryna, while teaching at St. Paul. They have 3 children, Braun, Bailey, and Bridger.

Mr. Rempfer loves teaching (especially Math). He and his family feel very blessed to be at ELS and love living on Maui. They enjoy going to Haleakala to hike or watch the sunset and hanging out at the beach. Mr. Rempfer loves to watch just about every sport. He also enjoys playing golf.

Sylvia Bediamol

Administrative Assistant

Andrea Kaio

Kindergarten and Band Teacher

MAED: Curriculum and Instruction
Christ College/Concordia University, Irvine, CA (2009)

Colloquy Certification/Lutheran Teacher's Diploma
Christ College/Concordia University, Irvine, CA (2003)

BSED: Elementary Education
Chaminade University, Honolulu, HI (1991)

Mrs. Kaio has been teaching kindergarten at Emmanuel Lutheran School since 1995. She considers herself incredibly blessed to be able to share the good news of Jesus’ love and forgiveness with her students everyday.

She counts it a privilege and honor to be partnering with parents in helping their young children develop a love for learning. She loves to encourage her students in developing their musical talents for God’s glory. She teaches band and choir and participates in the worship team at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

She and her husband, Kaala have three grown daughters and eight grandchildren.

Whitney Brown

Kindergarten Teacher Aide

Maile Sjostrand

1st Grade Teacher

Mrs Sjostrand began attending Emmanuel Lutheran Church in 1998 while dating her soon to be husband, Leif. Mr and Mrs Sjostrand teach Sunday school and continue to support the youth ministry of our church in various capacities.

After being a stay at home mom for eight years, Mrs. Sjostrand chose to return to school, so she could teach at Emmanuel Lutheran. The Lord led her to work in the DOE where she taught first grade for 3 years before a position opened up at Emmanuel in 2016. The DOE experience included opening a new school with new curriculum and new standards. She gained experience by collaborating with teams of first grade DOE teachers with many years of experience and varied backgrounds. She is trained in Reading Wonders and Building Foundational Reading Skills.

Her true passion is math. Working with a new 1st grade math curriculum every year has enabled her to take the best from each.

She has high expectations of her first graders, but really wants to instill in them their love for Jesus, a love for reading, and a love for learning.

Mr & Mrs. Sjostrand have 2 daughters in high school and a middle school son - all alums of Emmanuel Lutheran School.

Diane Wilson

2nd Grade Teacher

Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction
Concordia University, Mequon, Wisconsin (2001)
​Lutheran Teacher's Diploma
Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota (1985)

Mrs. Wilson has been teaching second grade in Lutheran schools for over 30 years. She’s a commissioned teacher in the LCMS and came to Emmanuel Lutheran in the fall of 1988. Before coming to Emmanuel, she taught 2nd grade at Our Savior’s Lutheran in Hutchinson, Minnesota for 3 years.

Mrs. Wilson met her husband, Russell Wilson, while living on Maui. They were married in 1996 and reside in Upcountry Maui.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are active Gideon International members. They enjoy placing Bibles throughout the community and spreading God’s Word to others. Mrs. Wilson is also in charge of the Outreach Table each year at the Pumpkin Festival.

She is grateful for the opportunity to share her faith in Christ both in and out of school. In her spare time, she enjoys baking for the Sunday morning Bible Study group, hiking, scuba diving, and volunteering with animal rescue groups on Maui.

She continues to enjoy teaching children and spreading the Word of God to others.

Megan Clift

3rd Grade Teacher

Lutheran Teacher’s Diploma
Concordia University, Irvine, California (2019)

Miss Clift is so blessed to have the opportunity to begin her teaching career at ELS. She was born into a family of teachers and knew from a young age that this is what the Lord had called her to.

Miss Clift has a love for working with children and clings to two main mantras in her classroom. First, “It’s not if you make a mistake; it’s when you make a mistake,” and second, “do your best and forget about the rest.” It is her personal goal to set each student up for success as both lifelong learners and, most importantly, lovers of the Lord.

She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share her faith with her students and strives to bring every lesson to life through creative, sensory learning experiences.

In her spare time, she enjoys going to the beach, hanging out with friends, and FaceTiming her family back in Oregon. She also loves singing in Praise Band, going to Bible study, Disney, hiking, camping, and being outside in God’s beautiful creation.

To her, teaching is a dream come true. She cannot wait to continue learning alongside her students and fellow teachers in such an encouraging, Christ-centered, environment.

Grace Bradshaw

4th Grade Teacher

Lutheran Teacher’s Diploma
Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies EC-6
Concordia University, Austin, Texas (2020)
Miss Bradshaw is delighted to begin her teaching career at Emmanuel Lutheran School this year. She is from a family of teachers and also has a passion for teaching. She has experience in K-6 but loves 4th grade and her students. She loves teaching especially literature and science.
Miss Bradshaw is incredibly grateful to be able to share the Gospel and Bible with her students. She has a passion for Jesus, his creation, and wants each of her students to know they are a miracle because God made them.
In her spare time, Miss Bradshaw enjoys reading, movies, and hanging out with friends. Since moving to Maui she enjoys exploring the island, hanging out at the beach, and snorkeling.

Elizabeth Reynolds

5th Grade Teacher

Bachelor of Arts in K-6 Elementary Education
Concordia University, St. Paul (2020)

Ms. Reynolds is from Andover, Minnesota. She comes from a family of teachers including her grandmother, aunts, mother, and sister! She is thrilled to begin her teaching career here at Emmanuel! Her prior student teaching experience was completed in Minnesota in both kindergarten and 1st grade. Ms. Reynolds loves 5th graders and their sense of humor! She enjoys that she can laugh at them and with them. Teaching English Language Arts is her favorite subject as she can share her passion of reading with her students. Ms. Reynolds feels grateful to have the opportunity to teach about Jesus in the classroom as her education was completed in public schools and it is a blessing to now have the chance!
When Ms. Reynolds is not in the classroom she enjoys cooking, playing piano, running, being outdoors, and trying new things! She has a special love for golden retrievers and enjoys playing with her family’s dog; Wrigley. Since moving to Maui she has enjoyed trying new beaches, hiking, and experiencing other local spots!

Chloe Fletcher

6th Grade Teacher

M. Ed. in Educational Leadership
STEAM focus
Concordia University, Portland (2019)
Bachelor's Degree
Elementary Education emphasis in Middle School Mathematics
Utah State University (2013)
Colloquy Certification/ Lutheran Teacher's Diploma
Christ College Concordia University (2016)
Irvine, CA

Mrs. Fletcher started teaching in 2013 at Redeemer Lutheran School in Salt Lake City, Utah. After four years as a first and second grade teacher, she joined the faculty of Emmanuel Lutheran School in Maui in 2017 as the sixth grade teacher.

Mrs. Fletcher has a love for both the arts and math/science. She enjoys playing piano, guitar, ukulele, and singing with others. You can find her each week playing for Chapel and Sunday Worship at Emmanuel. In addition, her recent Master's degree in STEAM has empowered her to teach more hands on and engaging math and science with her class. She's been blessed to also teach a STEAM class for the fifth grade class.

When she is not teaching, she loves spending time with her family, including her husband Steven Fletcher, stepchildren Sophia and Isaiah, and kitties Isabel and Amelia. She also enjoys spending time at the beach and exploring the local sights of Maui.

Zach Potratz

7th Grade Teacher

My name is Zach Potratz. I am from Seward Nebraska. I am currently a student at Concordia University Nebraska. I will be graduating in May with a degree in secondary education with an emphasis in History and Geography as well as an LTD (Lutheran Teacher Diploma). Some of my hobbies include being outdoors, watching sports, and watching action movies. I have been involved on the Concordia Track and Cross Country teams since 2017 and have really enjoyed my experience on the team and formed some great friendships. My favorite Bible verse is my confirmation verse Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.” I like this verse because it shows that the Gospel is meant for everyone and that we should make it our goal to spread the word of God with everyone. I am very excited to be a teacher at Emmanuel next year!

Jordynn Omura

P.E. Teacher/8th Grade Aide

Tabitha Dubke

Elementary PE and 6-8th Grade Science

Tabitha Dubke was born and raised in a small rodeo town in California and grew up having chickens and turkeys as pets. She is a pastor’s daughter and grew up singing, playing piano for church, and teaching Vacation Bible School.

She graduated from Concordia University Nebraska in 2011 and has worked extensively in the public school system in a variety of educational capacities. One of the things Tabitha loves about teaching is developing relationships with her students and seeing their faces light up when they understand concepts. She is very grateful to have the opportunity to teach Science and Elementary PE at Emmanuel Lutheran School and is excited to be able to show her students the splendor and complexity of God’s creation.

In her spare time, Tabitha enjoys hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, playing board games, reading, and watercolor painting. One of her favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.”

Lihau Lewis

Preschool Director and Teacher

Lihau Lewis was born and raised on Maui. She is an alumnus of Emmanuel Lutheran School, attending from 1991-1998. She grew up at Emmanuel Lutheran Church and is a current active member. Lihau graduated from Concordia University, Nebraska in 2010 where she attained a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Art Education. She also received a Lutheran Teacher’s Diploma from CUNE. Lihau has worked at Emmanuel Lutheran Preschool since 2018.

Desiree Omura

Preschool Teacher

Crystal Decoite

Preschool Teacher

Lilia Valdez

Preschool Teacher

Josephine Watson

Preschool Teacher

Carrie Davenport

E+Director/Aide

Mrs. Davenport began working for the YMCA’s After School Program at Emmanuel in 1994. A couple of years later she approached the Principal with a proposal that ELS run the program - it’s been part of ELS ever since! As the director of the program, Mrs. Davenport works closely with the Dept. of Health to ensure that we meet all standards to maintain our license.

Mrs. Davenport, originally from Long Beach, California, moved to Maui in 1991. In 1992, she met and married her husband, Jesse, here on Maui. In 1998, they had their first and only child, a daughter. She stepped away for a few years when Anna was young, to be a mom, but always kept in touch with ELS. God blessed her by bringing them back to Emmanuel in 2007. Anna attended ELS from the 4th through 8th grade.

“I continue to feel blessed to be an ELS staff member. Emmanuel is my family away from my family! I believe there is so much more to give a child beyond the classroom environment. I’m so very thankful God has chosen me to share this special time of day as a gift to our ELS children through the E-Plus After School Program! “

In her spare time Mrs. Davenport enjoys getting out and exploring the island with her adventurous husband, swimming and living in Kula.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6.

Rebecca Reiley

Grade School Aide/E+

Whitney Blando

Grade School Aide/E+

Michael Brown

Social Media Director

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