I have so many memories of Rain. Thus, there is only one thing to do... LIST TIME!!
- I feel like I have taught Rain every year since grade 8 but maybe there was one year that she was not in my class. Grade 10? Is that right, Rain? But why? Whose class were you in that year?
- Ever since she started in my class in grade 8, I always called Rain by her full name: "Rain Stevens". I don't exactly know why but, for some reason, I always liked the sound of it. It has a nice flow: "Rain Stevens". Sadly, after a few years of this, I got the sense that Rain had grown tired of my foolishness so I switched over to just "Rain". But, rest assured, she will always be "Rain Stevens" to me!
- Quite possibly the highlight of the 2015-2016 school year: the day a limousine showed up at school to pick up Rain Stevens!! By this point, I can't even remember what is true and what is mere myth regarding this occasion. Was the driver really standing outside the car with a sign that read "R. Stevens"? Did Jess really come on the announcements and say: "Uh... Rain Stevens... there is a limousine waiting for you at the front of the school". I can't remember all the details but it WAS amazing. And I do remember Rain telling me that she was going to "the hockey match".
- One thing I associate with Rain is her copious note taking. While the rest of class would be working diligently on their homework there would be SO MANY TIMES when I would check in with Rain and she would proudly declare "I am just making up my notes". Sometimes she would be taking notes of the notes I had just given in class! Pretty funny.
- Rain has an amazing sense of humour. We have shared many, many laughs over the years. Whether it's some kind of YouTube/ Snapchat / TikTok video she is showing me, or the two of us basically trying out our best random-weirdness-humour on each other, most of my interactions with Rain include at least a LITTLE laughing.
- Rain's birthday is VERY important. I believe the aforementioned limousine was a birthday event. And there have been other birthdays (including this year's) where Rain takes an ENTIRE WEEK off of school to celebrate her big day (to be fair, it's her Dad's birthday too).
- Rain is a very thoughtful and kind person. Right now, she is our school's Anti-Racism organizer and is preparing for a student forum in February. It is something that she believes in very passionately and she invests a lot of time and effort in order to do a good job.
- Speaking of the Anti-Racism Forum, Rain will miss my class that day. Every event in Rain's life that causes her to miss school seems to occur on the day she has Math class. So sad...
- Rain buys me Kit Kats from time to time!!! I told you: she's super nice!
- Rain never seems to have a bad day. I know we ALL DO feel lousy some days but Rain always arrives to class with a smile on her face and a kind word to share with me. What an amazing trait!