Introducing My '16 - '17 Class

First up is A1, from Sierra Leone. He's a quiet little guy, who may not talk often, but boy when he does, he shares big, huge ideas! He loves God and says he loves that God lets him come to our school. He also loves swimming, which is why his self-portrait shows him underwater :)

 

Next is A2, A1's older brother. He has a big smile that can instantly make you feel better. He may not be the first one to answer a question, but he'll get there eventually. And y'all... Spelling is the subject where this guy shines, blowing my mind at the words he can spell. He has one of the most loving spirits and brightens up a room upon entering.

 

Then we have E, from Brazil. She is quite the thinker, taking loads of time to make a decision, only because she wants to make sure she's correct. She loves Art and Music the best, but said she's happy with all subjects too. She calls me Auntie because that's what they called teachers in her last school, but also she told me I remind her of a sweet Auntie who loves all her kids. So I'm totally fine with being called Auntie :)

 

Next up is H, from America. Last year she was the only girl, so she was super stoked to see so many new girls this year in our class. She likes experiments and projects, and wishes we could do more of that and less "boring reading and writing" stuff. She said when her family leaves America, they're sad to miss family, but they're happy too, because it means they're going back to Senegal to do God's work. She was the biggest fan of our class ROCKSTAR theme and compliments me on that "decor" decision daily :)

 

Then there's Miss G, from India. She's very soft spoken, but loves to read and draw. She's quite smart. Plus, she's a very talented artist and has very neat handwriting. Mark my word... One day she'll be a famous fashion designer, I have no doubt.

 

And then there's J, from America. J's probably my biggest reader. He would read all day long if I'd let him. He's a funny guy and tells the best jokes. He says he loves life here in Dakar and is so glad his family moved here to work with people and tell them about God. 

 

And then there's Mr. I, also from America. He loves reading and will often "sneak" and try reading a library book while I'm teaching. He said Math's okay, but Reading is his favorite. He's super athletic and shines in any sport he plays. His family teaches people English and teaches them about Jesus too. He thinks that's cool.

 

Next up is Miss I, from India. She's a sweet girl who can't start her day without a hug. She absolutely LOVES to read. She says "the maths" are hard for her. But I can see that she's a super hard worker, so I think that'll change soon. She's super eager to succeed and will ask if her answers are correct probably a zillion times a day ;)

 

And then there's Jr, from Rwanda. He has the sweetest smile and loves to make people laugh. He says his favorite subject is Science and he's ready for us to start our experiments. He's a big fan of drawing and wishes I gave him more class time to do it :)

 

Then there's Mr. G, also from Rwanda. He seems to be a thinker, taking a while to ponder anything before acting on it. He's very bright, but shy. He's new this year, but seems to have settled into our class very well. 

 

And W. He's a character. At the end of the school year last year, his friends voted him the Most Likely to Become the Leader of Canada and Lebanon at the same time. I could totally see it happening, too. :) He's very personable, and strives to make sure everyone in our class gets along. 

 

And then there's M, from Finland. She's a smart girl with a super sweet and positive attitude. She seems to like all subjects, although I'm thinking math might be her favorite. She's a talented artist and a great student.

 

There's Y, my one Senegalese student. He's very studious, and loves all subjects, so much he can't pick out a favorite. He said his hero is his dad, who is a pastor. He wants to be like him when he grows up. 

 

And here's M from Oman. He's very quiet and respectful. He loves moving around because after all, sitting still all day is super boring. He seems to really like being read to, so Read Aloud time is a hit in his books. He's a funny kid and will definitely give me a run for my money this year.

 

Here's H.I., from Korea. She doesn't say a lot right now, due to her lack of English. But she has made it very clear that Math is her favorite subject. She's super sweet and has a beautiful smile that she shares with us all the time - especially when I try to get her to teach me Korean words :)

 

And last, but certainly not least, there's Z, my most avid reader. He's a smart kid, who catches on to almost any new topic super fast. He doesn't know it yet, but he will be our official class Googler. If we have a question about something, he'll grab the iPad and go online to research it for us. That's because he loves to ask super deep questions that boggle my mind. He once told me last year that his parents are super cool missionaries and he's their super cool youngest son ;)

 

And that, my friends, is my class this year. We have 11 different nationalities and 9 different languages represented. We have academic abilities ranging from one extreme end to the other. We have unique gifts and talents and characteristics and we are Rockstars :)

I feel so incredibly blessed that God sent these 16 in my life this school year. I can't wait to see what He has in store for them!