My Girls at Columba

Two weeks in and I am really enjoying the students at Columba.

At the end of every class, as they file out of the classroom, they say "thank you" .  They say it like they mean it.  I am supposed to keep them off balance, not the other way around.  Delightfully disconcerting! Of course there are some girls who are loud, some who are "schedule challenged (read: late)," and some who require a bit more effort, but the level of politeness and intelligence is astounding.

I teach Physics Level 1, 2 and 3 to Years 11, 12, and 13.  In general, the levels and years align, but there are some Year 13s in Level 2, etc.  Amazingly, as you shall see, one of my classes is very small--four girls.  It is amazing what we accomplish and how much they teach me about New Zealand and about NZ education.

Year 11

Year 11 D

Year 11 E

(On a 4-Square box in case you lose count)

Year 12

Year 12 A

Playground Physics!

Year 12 B

See! They stand!

Year 13

Year 13

The Year 13s have also been very helpful to me (and Molly) in teaching me not only about New Zealand and the education system but about Columba as well.  The two girls in front are holding the Columba Crest (which we nicked off the wall but put back before anyone noticed).  

The girl on the right holding the crest is Holly.  She is the 2012 Head Prefect which is the highest honor bestowed on a girl at Columba.  So in Harry Potter terms, she is Percy Weasley, except she is a girl and is very kind and helpful. In the back row all the way to the left is Sam. Sam is on the New Zealand Junior Olympic Field Hockey Team.  Should I ever get in a fight, I hope Sam is with me and has her hockey stick.