A Dream Year In America

To the Editor:

I do not know how to begin to thank everybody at Newtown High School for such a wonderful year. I have been here since August of 2003 and stayed with close family friends, because I wanted to experience a year of high school in America. I was born in the states, but moved away when I was only a few weeks old so I was curious how life was like here.

I want to thank everybody for welcoming me so warmly into the school and helping me to find friends. It was a great opportunity to learn what I desired to learn. I have never before in my life been asked, what I wanted to learn. It seems that in the past nine months I learned so much more than I had imagined. That is not only because of the great skills of the teachers, but also because of the great environment that the school offers. I have never enjoyed school so much and I especially enjoyed the fair grading system at the school.

I want to thank Dianne, Scott, Katie, and Sarah Orlando for all the support they gave me. They not only helped me with school, but also taught me many social skills that I am grateful for. Living with the Orlandos was a great experience and I thank them so much for having me.

Thanks also to Mr Manfredonia for making everything possible and for making such a great effort to make this year work out as well as it did.

I especially want to thank Mrs Waterbury for always being there for me and for becoming such a good friend. I never had a guidance counselor before and it was so nice to have her. She is one of the nicest, most thoughtful people I ever met.

Of course many thanks to all the teachers at the school. I have never met such a great team of teachers. They really want the students to learn and to do their best. I especially thank Mrs Napolitano, Mrs Baumgartner, Mrs Pennucci, Mrs Pelligra, Mrs Post, Mr Edwards, and Mr Hiruo for being the best teachers I ever had and teaching me so much. I will always remember them.

I also want to thank the entire staff at the school for making it as great as it is. I want to thank Milly, the lady in the cafeteria, for always having a smile for everyone and wishing us a good day. There are so many great people, that I cannot mention all of them.

I also thank all of my friends for always being there for me. Especially all my friends from art classes, American studies, and physics. Also the whole group in my math class was great. They all made this year so much fun and I will always remember the great times we had together.

It has been such a wonderful year, and I have so many great memories to take home that fill my heart with joy everyday. I do not know how to say how much I will miss everyone when I go back home to Germany. Thank you all so much for this amazing year and letting me live my dream of a year at an American high school.

Sincerely,

Dorothee A. Cordes

7 Lazybrook Road, Newtown                                        May 23, 2004