By Mark C. Hale

 

(The Sunrise View From My Window Facing Northeast)

Wow! What a great first week of school. We now have three classes spanning 9th-11th grades. And, what a terrific group of students! They are inventive, engaged, and determined to further their education. The 11th graders were already pressing their teachers to cover units that were missed last year due to the evacuation in the fall. 

After three days of orientation, the 41 new 9th graders have received their iPads, and have been warmly welcomed into their Gojos, classes, and advisories. And, if the leadership they have already shown continues through the year, the whole school will be lifted to a new level.

Faculty are getting into their routines and their classes are showing how they can cover the essentials of the Ethiopian curriculum while expanding their student's knowledge in greater depth. Our goal is to become a model school demonstrating that students can become more fully engaged and demonstrate higher thinking skills when provided teachers who know how to motivate them.


Our new College Counselor, Ramiro Campos, took seven of our 11th graders to their first college presentation in Addis by UC Irvine. Preparing our students for college admission is going to be a big task and Ramiro is working hard to make sure that they have the best possibility of getting into colleges that are the best fit for them.




Our week was filled with games and activities that allowed the students to show off their talents! Early in the week, each Gojo made a presentation showing off their Gojo cheer, while later in the week everyone participated in the talent show. What a great group of talented students we have!














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