Congratulations to the Green Forest School Class of 2014

The seniors of Green Forest School had a formal dinner in La Fortuna to celebrate their graduation.  These are such excellent students, and it was truly a joy to get to know each of them.  They have had a handful of English teachers over the years,  but these are my first students - ever.  For that reason, I will never forget a single one of them.  (It helps that there were only 12 of them.) I loved this group of people and look at them more as peers than anything.  They are so smart and mature and I learned so much from them.  I hope they can say the same about learning a little something from me.

(This picture was taken at about 3 am on a Thursday.  As a sort of senior tradition, they go around in the middle of the night near the end of the year and sing outside of all of the teachers houses.  I'll never forget the sounds of them stomping up our stairs screaming "WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION" and then playing the whole Pink Floyd song, along with Kim Wilde's "Kids in America," which was a reference to our reading of Persepolis.)

I knew from the get-go that I liked this group of people.  They were respectful, but still funny and we had a good time in class.  They were so helpful to me in me finding my way around the school and the new city I lived in.  I was probably, no DEFINITELY, too easy on them, and let them get away with more back-of-the-room-conversations (I'm looking at you Leo, Juan Felipe and Natasha) and way more cell phone time than I should have (Giuili and Kevin!).

They even took a liking to the dogs I've tried to keep around campus, and gave Spot a bath one day.

I'll never forget when I told them about 4 weeks into my time here that I had already illegally overstayed my visa (I only got 2 weeks at first - long story, different blog post.)  I ended up flying back home, but was REALLY scared about what would happen at immigration.  One of my students, Tamara, wrote her phone number on a piece of paper and told me to call her if I ended up in immigration jail or something - it was so funny, and so sweet, and I still have that note.  Nothing ever happened at immigration, but Tamara has been my girl ever since!

Andres was hilarious - always dancing around, and blasting Radiohead or Smashing Pumpkins or some other excellent music way older than he is.  Alejandro, while quiet in class, wrote some of the most moving responses on his exams that would make some of my college professor's proud.  Same with Natasha, who I found out LIVED IN NORTH CAROLINA as a kid, and made me squeal with excitement when she told me she knew what bluegrass was.

I spent a lot of time (and happily still am) talking to Giuli and Ana Elena about attending university in the US.  I did however realize it's been 9 years since I've taken the SAT which was a little depressing.  Arianna did the best damn Ariana Grande impersonation I've ever seen!

All of these young adults are AMAZING and they looked absolutely FABULOUS last Saturday night.

I can't wait to see what you all accomplish. This one is for you guys! Love y'all! Keep in touch! 

Just remember: 

Persepolis, Louis Armstrong, Langston Hughes, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ernest Hemingway, TEDtalks and that excellent "Social Studies" class we had. 

-Teacher Natalie