"What!?!?" you say. "How can Nick R be the SOTW? After all, he's only a grade 10 student, right?
Well, right you are. But he is also a grade 10 student who is (sadly) leaving KG at the end of the year. So you now know the secret to becoming the Student of the Week before you reach your grade 12 year. Merely leave and go to a different school. Now there probably won't be anyone left at KG next year. Hahaha
Anyway, I have many good memories of Nick (and also a few painful ones):
- in grade 8, Nick really loved the Daily Puzzles. So much so that he decided he wanted to find his OWN puzzles to share with the class. I agreed to let him do this (kind of doubting that he would even get something organized). Turns out Nick is a man of his word... he showed up within a couple of days with a completed set of puzzles. And these things were KILLER hard! Oh no! Now what do I do?
Well, I didn't want to disappoint / upset Nick so, at the start of the next class, he presented his puzzles to the class. Poor guy was met with blank faces, confused mutterings, and a few annoyed shouts ("we want the usual puzzles"). Meanwhile, I was frantically trying to solve / simplify the puzzles to make things better.
It all ended well and I think we even managed to solve a few puzzles. And I don't think Nick was damaged too much. But this story is so Nick: creative, enthusiastic, and willing to take risks. - Nick is an avid writer. Again, when he was in grade 8, he asked me if I would be willing to read a story he was working on. Of course, I agreed. I assumed he would be presenting me with a 5 - 10 page short story that I could enjoy one evening at home. Boy was I wrong! Nick was actually writing a full-length novel! Suddenly, every time I opened my email there would be another 8 - 10 pages of story to read! I was falling further and further behind! Nick was asking every day how much I'd read. This story was taking over my life!! AAAAAH!!! (ok, it wasn't quite that stressful).
It was quite the novel. Kind of a spy / adventure / mystery story. Lots of action and intrigue. If you get the chance to read some of Nick's stuff, go for it (but make sure you have enough time)!! - Nick is also an accomplished actor. When he was in grade 9, Nick learned about "stage-fighting" in drama class. He was particularly enthused by the way one can throw a stage-punch. This involves punching close to your opponents face and (ideally) getting an impressive sound by striking their raised palm. Anyway, Nick devised this little plot which we executed to perfection one day:
I left my classroom and pretended to be angry with Nick (for some reason) in the hallway. He then proceeded to (fake) lose his temper, step forward and "punch" me in the face. Well, not to brag, but we nailed it. I don't know who the kid was but there was some grade 8 student who stood there with his mouth open for about 2 minutes while I pretended to be in great pain and Nick apologized profusely. It was pretty funny. - Sadly, there is an addendum to the last story. Early this year, Nick decided he wanted a repeat of the same prank (I guess). Only problem is that I wasn't really aware of his intention. Plus, Nick has a tendency to get REALLY amped up about things (if you've ever had a class with Nick before you know he can get REALLY loud sometimes). Well, Nick came rushing at me full-bore in the hallway one day, reared back and punched me in the face. LITERALLY. Punched me in the face. It was not a pleasant feeling. He was most apologetic but still...!!! Definitely hoping that this is the last time I am physically assaulted by one of my students!!
I wish you all the best Nick. You are a big personality and you have a big heart. Enjoy your new little sibling and (hopefully) your new school. Thanks for all the kind words you have shared with me over the years. Thanks also for many good laughs (you've always had a good sense of humour). I wish you all the best. Remember: you promised to come and visit lots! Please do so!!