I taught Claire all five years: from Math 8 to Foundations 12. One thing I will always remember about Claire is her even-tempered and unruffled demeanour. Regardless of her state - happy, sad, angry, confused, etc - Claire is her same poised, mellow self. I remember one time when a teacher (who shall remain nameless) came to talk to Claire while she was in my classroom. This teacher was unhappy about Claire's attendance or work or something else (in their class). Claire stood listening, trying to defend herself mildly, a slight smile on her face.
When the teacher was done, Claire turned to me, the same look on her face. "I am so pissed off right now". And she WAS. But it was just so hard to tell! Wish I had that kind of composure. When I get angry I act like a complete moron (bit of yelling. Turn red. Ramble incoherently). Claire is the exact opposite. Impressive!
Claire has always struck me as a loyal and devoted friend. I remember when one of her friends (who also will remain nameless) acted less than admirably in my classroom and then abruptly left. Claire apologized for her friend's behaviour (which SHE certainly did not need to do). And while she did not attempt to make excuses for her friend's behaviour, Claire was clearly a supportive and understanding force for her.
I consider Claire a wise, thoughtful, appreciative, and humorous person. It has been a pleasure to teach her the last five years. In fact she was my CS student this year too. Does that mean we shared a classroom SIX times, Claire! That's a lot of Claire (and way too much Wadge).
Good luck to you, Claire! I wish you the very best in the years ahead. I will miss you and I love you!