Gallery • 3 Photos

Gabriel Civita

David Heroux

Graded welcomed seven new students to the high school at the start of this semester. If you haven’t had the chance to meet them yet, it’s never too late to get to know them.

Maria Caltabiano (Grade 9)

How do you like Graded so far?

“It’s great! I really like using technology in class. At my old school, Santa Cruz, everything was handwritten, and we had to carry around all our school materials because we didn’t have lockers.

What do you like to do?

“I like to read and write song lyrics. My favorite band is U2 and Coldplay. I listen to them a lot.”

What is your favorite class?

“I like math.”

Why?

“I don’t know; it’s easy.”

Filippo De Vettori (Grade 9)

What is your favorite thing about Graded?

“I think the people, specifically the students, who treat me very well. Everyone is very cool!”

Where were you before Graded?

“I was at a Brazilian school, Escola Villa.”

What are your hobbies or interests?

“I really like to play video games and compete in Krav Maga, which is a type of fighting. I started about a year ago.”

Alan Cottini Gruenewald (Grade 9)

What is your favorite thing about Graded?

“I can’t really answer. It’s not the infrastructure or how the school is run. It’s the people. The teachers are fantastic and other students are very accepting, which is great.”

What class do you like most so far?

“The multimedia class I’m taking, because it’s a very new experience for me. I never really learned about cinematography and the other materials we cover in class, so I find it very interesting.”

What are your hobbies or interests?

“I like to play video games and I do a bit of rock climbing, but other than that, not much.”

Ariana Wiessing (Grade 10)

How do you like Graded so far?

“So far, it’s really nice, but also extremely different from what I’m used to. It’s a big change, but I’ll settle in soon.”

What do you like most about Graded?

“The students are very welcoming and always are sure to help you if you need anything. It makes being new a lot easier.”

Where were you before?

“Before coming to Brazil, I was in Tanzania. It was really different there but I’m enjoying it a lot here!”

David Heroux (Grade 10)

What is your favorite thing about Graded so far?

“Just the community and how everybody is mixed together. Everyone really has a chance to blend together. Graded is a lot different than the American high school I went to for six months, where…I hate to say it, but…it was really like High School Musical, where there was a huge hierarchy. For example, seniors were at the top, while the freshman were at the bottom, and you really couldn’t do anything about it. That’s really why I like Graded, since there isn’t anything like that here.”

Where were you before Graded?

“Well, that’s 24 countries. I don’t think I should name them all.”

You can name a couple if you like.

I’ve spent a lot of my life living in Africa, like Cape Town in South Africa, Zambia, and Mozambique. I also lived in Guyana, just north of Brazil. I’ve also lived in Brasilia, so I’ve spent a lot of my life overseas.”

What are some of your hobbies or interests?

“I like playing sports, and since I grew up overseas in primarily British colonies, I really like playing rugby. I’m not a big fan of soccer. I also like working and playing video games, and just hanging out with my friends. I’m a very social person, so hanging out with anyone, really.”

Grant Fuller (Grade 10)

What is your favorite thing about Graded?

“Everything, but if I have to pinpoint something, it would be the lunches. Back home, we had really crummy cafeteria food, basically no food at all. Well, actually, there was food, but really low-quality food; here the food is just amazing. I also love the teachers, love the school, love the kids. It’s amazing.”

Where were you before Graded?

“Fullington, California, it’s like Southern California. I had been living there for my whole life.”

What are you hobbies or interests?

“I’m good at sports, like golf and basketball, and I also play a little bit of baseball. I also like playing video games, specifically anything Call of Duty.”

Do you have any exciting classes?

“Brazilian History and Culture is really cool, with Mr. Klassen, he’s a great teacher. Photography II with Ms. Barbosa is also really nice, and she’s also a great teacher.”

Marcos Paiva (Grade 10)

What are your hobbies or interests?

“Well, I really enjoy surfing. I’ve been surfing for ten years now, and I’ve surfed all around the world.”

Where were you before?

“I used to study at Colégio Santo Américo until third grade, but then I moved around a lot. I’ve lived in Canada, Argentina, the United States, and now I’m back to São Paulo. I think the Graded community is very friendly.”