Sophia and her mom Heidi.
Welcome back to the POP QUIZ! This is a regular, yet totally unexpected, feature where we ask students, parents, staff, our friends, and partners to answer a few questions about what they are learning, reading, and thinking about. Today we feature Sophia, a fifth grade student at El Sol Elementary School. This Kalamazoo Public School (KPS) offers instruction in two languages, English and Spanish. The program model is unique within the district and Southwestern Michigan.
“CIS is very helpful for kids in this community that are new,” the fifth grader says. She should know. Sophia arrived last year with her mom from Venezuela.
She’s glad that her then fourth grade teacher, Ms. Courtney Eaton, introduced her to CIS. Since then, Sophia has worked hard, taking advantage of all the opportunities and community resources that her CIS Site Coordinator Levi Soto has offered. Sophia is also featured in the recently released 2018-19 CIS Annual Report, so once you see how she did on her pop quiz, you can learn more about her here.
Alright, Sophia: pencil out, eyes on your own paper. Good luck.
Pop Quiz
What is your favorite word right now?
In English?
How about one in English and one in Spanish?
In English, it would be love. And in Spanish, Venezuela.
What are you currently reading?
Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop. It’s about these kids in World War II. I like reading for fun.
What is one of your favorite things about being a student in KPS?
I get a lot of help when I need it.
What is one of your favorite subjects in school?
Science. I’ve gone from red, to orange, to green. [Note: Green is good! That is excellent progress!] And I really like social studies.
Would you rather be a dinosaur or a whale for one day?
A whale. Because I would like to see the different fishes that a human can’t see.
Outside of school, what things do you enjoy doing?
Going to Lake Michigan with my mom. I also like eating pizza. It’s my favorite food.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
That all kids would have a home and have food every day.
Behind every successful student is a caring adult. Who is one of your caring adults?
My mom. She helps me a lot with math homework. I didn’t understand it a lot at first. It’s really different from homework in Venezuela.
Thank you, Sophia, for hanging out with us at Ask Me About My 12,000 Kids.
Be sure to check out the CIS annual report featuring Sophia! You can read it here.
Tags: CIS, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo, Courtney Eaton, El Sol Elementary School, Levi Soto, Venezuela
