So many Maria memories. Better make another list...
- Maria started in my class part way through grade 8. I always feel kind of sorry for kids who switch schools part-way through the year (I never had to do it and it seems scary to me) and Maria was very quiet so she quickly became someone I tried to keep close tabs on.
- Then she disappeared!! I think it was the start of grade 10 and when we came back to school, Maria was nowhere to be found! It took months to figure out that she had moved to France. How sad! It seemed me teaching Maria was over... but no! One day she walked back into my class like nothing had ever happened. She'd moved back to Vancouver and back to KG! Yahoo!!
- And now I have taught her all five years. What a pleasure! Though I must say, I have always had the fear that she would just disappear again one day. I STILL have that fear. Only six more months Maria. No moving anywhere until after then!!
- I believe that Maria has sat in pretty much the same seat all five years I have taught her: right at the very front, facing my desk. Perfect position for me to provide assistance with her many math questions (hehehe). And if I am not fast enough, I am sure to hear the following: "Mr Wadddddddgggggeeeeeee". Then I know I better bee-line it over there or there could be trouble. :)
- Maria admitted to me one day that she is not a big fan of the sometimes-inauthentic question: "How are you doing today?". She has a point - most people just say "good" or "fine" no matter HOW they are feeling. For this reason, Maria and I never (or seldom) ask each other how we are doing. Instead, we greet each other with questions like: "what is your favourite ice cream?" or "would you rather be a famous actor or a successful musician?". I have learned so much about Maria thanks to these questions. I recommend we all switch over to the Wadge-Maria-Greeting style.
- Pablo the Penguin!! Do you know him? He's amazing! And he was a gift from Maria (thanks, M.D.).
- Maria's birthday is March 5. That's 05/03. My birthday is October 6. That's 06/10. So if you multiply her month by 2 you get my day and if you multiply her day by 2 you get my month. When we first figured this out we were quite excited. We then proceeded to figure out a bunch of other number facts. For example: I was born in 1972 and Maria was born in 2002. That's 30 years difference. If you multiply our days of birth together you get 05 x 06 = 30! If you multiple our months of birth together you get 03 x 10 = 30!!! It's too good!
- I'm very envious of people who speak two languages WELL. What a wonderful skill (which I know many of you have). But how about speaking three or - in Maria's case - even FOUR different languages!!! It's true!!! Maria speaks English, French, Spanish, and Italian... fluently!! I am soooooo jealous! This girl should become a high school language teacher in a BIG school. She could teach every language at the school (might have to learn German or Mandarin, Maria).
- Maria drinks a LOT of bubble team. Like LOTS!
- She also eats a lot of McDonalds. I am doing my best to shame her out of this habit but, so far, I'm failing miserably. If you are ever with Maria, do NOT take her to any fast food establishments. PLEASE!
- Somehow in the past five years Maria and I started some weird fascination with zebras. I think it may have been when she did her Animal Slope project (grade 10) of a zebra (still hangs in my room). Anyway, I own a shirt with zebras on it and now I wear it on (most) test days for Maria for good luck. I think it works well! Zebras are very powerful animals!
- Maria has had some decent jobs: Shoppers Drug Mart, Indigo. But her desired job: dishwasher! I'm not joking! You can do it, M.D.! Live your dream, Girl!