Every moment with Jade in my class has been a pure delight... well, except for one! One day in grade 10 (or 9? Did I teach you Math 9, JF?), I saw that she had her phone out when she wasn't supposed to. I asked her to put it away and she did. But then a couple of minutes later she had it out again. I told her again to put it away and when she hesitated a bit I said something like "right now, Jade". She gave me this look which I will never forget. It was kind of scary. I thought she might hurt me. hehehe
But that was the one and only time! Besides that it has been nothing but love and smiles and laughs (though she does continually make fun of my French whenever I try to practice around her. Who can say "écureuil" properly anyway?)
One of the sweetest things about Jade is the affection she has for her little brother (the fantastic Tom). It's so nice to hear her talk about him and how much she loves spending time with him. Gotta love siblings who appreciate one another!
There are so many things I will always remember about Jade: her extensive leather coat collection, her love of Billy Joel, her frustration with her father for making her late on occasion, her constant presence in the front row of my classroom, her clear preference for all things French (like every other French person on the planet), her determination and her poise and her kindness.
Thanks for being such a special student, Jade. We have shared so many good chats together. Lots of laughs and even a few tears. You were so kind to me when my dad passed away and I will always be grateful to you for that. I feel very blessed to have taught you these past few years and I know that GREAT things await you in the future. Love ya, JF!!