The December 2021 elementary student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy (ICA) is Joi Smith, a 4th grade student who lives in the shadows of the beautiful Klein Drakenstein Mountains in the Western Cape of South Africa. A third-year student at ICA, Joi has been rewarded with this month’s honor for her hard work and progress in her math studies.
“Joi has been diligently working on her mathematics,” wrote elementary teacher Marianne Jefferies, who nominated Joi for student of the month. “She has been booking virtual sessions with me to prepare for her math tests. She uses math talk and strategies to work through every problem. These sessions are helping her excel on her tests. I have seen such an improvement in her math confidence already this year. I am so proud of her!”
My ICA Story
I have been a student at Ignite Christian Academy for 3 years. I started in first grade when we moved to South Africa. When we moved here, we looked at schools, but there aren’t many English schools in the town where we live. My mom’s friend told us about ICA, and I’m glad she did!
Why I Love ICA
My favorite part about ICA is the whiteboard sessions. It’s nice to be able to ask a teacher about a problem that is hard. I also love that they do fun classes other than school. There are a lot of extra classes and clubs you can do.
My Favorite Subject
Math is my favorite because you learn about new things. I love how I can learn different ways to divide.
My Life in South Africa
South Africa is very beautiful. They have beautiful forests and beaches. When we drive to Cape Town, we even get to see wild baboons on the side of the road!
My Family
I have 3 sisters. We like to play basketball and play lots of games. We also like to sing and play instruments together.
My Hobbies
Swimming is my favorite thing to do. It is so fun! I also like taking ballet. On my ballet exam, I got Gold Distinctions. It was very hard, and I was so nervous.
My Goals
I really want to learn a lot of science. I like experiments, and my goal is to stay on task and do well.
My Dream Job
I want to be a pediatrician. I really love babies, and I think it would be so nice to help them.
My Words of Wisdom
Talk to your teachers. Whiteboard has helped me a lot in math. My teacher is so nice, and she makes math easy.