4th grade fun

In total, I teach 16 classes each week: 2 classes per grade for grades 1-8 (btw, 1st grade here is a year later than it is in the US so my first graders are all 7ish). Plus I will have six other class sessions with smaller groups for tutoring, test prep, etc. but those don't start till next week. Anyway, each grade has a Hungarian teacher who teachers their English grammar (and at least some of their other subjects), and I am here for the conversational English lessons. This being my first week (and my first day being a Tuesday, as I was at orientation in Budapest till Monday) it has been a bit crazy, but basically for each class I have gone in and introduced myself and spent the majority of the 45 minute class period telling my students about myself and getting them to tell me about themselves. With the older grades who have had several years of English already, this is pretty easy.  With the younger grades who don't know much English yet, this can be considerably more challenging (however the little kids are so stinking cute that it all evens out). Today, one of the groups I had was the 4th graders. Based on my experience with 4th graders yesterday in which I overestimated how much English they knew, I was prepared today to spend time playing games rather than just doing introductions. Introductions just don't take up much time when all the kids can say is "My name is Betti. I am 10 years old." So "Mees Abeegail" was ready and waiting with "article of clothing bingo" once the topic of pets was pretty much exhausted (btw, in  future I will have real lesson plans, but since the point is to get them to talk in English, introductions can be very much a part of their English education). This group turned out to be my favorite yet for the following reasons:
As they were introducing themselves, one little girl came over to my desk and handed me a note from her mother. At first I was like "uh oh, I've only been here a day, and already parental trouble." But no, it was a lovely note in broken English from a woman named Eve, offering her services in any way as I settle in here. She said she has worked in the past with US Army wives, and she sounds like a pro at helping people integrate. Apparently, she's about to go out of town for a week, but I will definitely try to become BFFs with Eve when she returns! I was definitely touched by her kindness.
Next, one of the stinkin' cutest little girls I have ever seen named Lilla, with big blue eyes, came up to my desk with a bracelet ...or maybe anklet...that she braided out of that plastic weaving stuff that was all the rage for making neon-colored jewelry when I was her age. It is a lovely medley of green colors, and I was pleased to tell her that green is one of my favorite colors!

(the sign on the classroom door)

Since I had never received a gift or note in any of the other classes, I was kind of wondering what other tricks the 4th grade had up their sleeve, when Blanka introduced herself. Rather than simply say her name, age,and favorite color as the others had done, Blanka marched right up to the chalk board and informed me that "her Italian name is Gemma" and proceeded to draw me a diagram of the solar system and how she's named after a star which can be seen in the such-and-suchaborealis and well..I was so taken aback at being taught astronomy by a 4th grader that some of it went over my head. But I feel like I need to issue a warning: Watch out world, Blanka/Gemma is comin' and she knows who she is! After the emotional struggles of the last few days, the 4th grade was a much needed pick-me-up!