Due to the recent changes within the NDA French program, Ms. Kelly Heniff has taken over 7th and 8th hour French I and is “loving it so far.”

She is from Lombard, Illinois, a suburb in Chicago about three and a half hours away from Green Bay.

She came to the Green Bay area to study at St. Norbert College, majoring in Elementary/Middle School Education with minors in French Education and Math Education.

She is currently a part-time student, meaning she is enrolled in one computer science course needed for her math minor.

“Although I was unsure what I wanted to do in the future when I was in high school, I have always loved kids and ever since I started studying to be a teacher at St. Norbert, I have definitely seen my passion for teaching grow,” said Heniff.

This past fall, Heniff had an “incredible opportunity” to experience student teaching in France.

“While I was in France, I lived with a host family in a town called Villennes-sur-seine, which is about 20 minutes outside of Paris,” she said, “I also taught 4th grade students all subjects (in French) in a nearby Catholic school for 8 weeks.”

This experience taught her a lot regarding the French educational system, culture and language.

She also had the opportunity this past July to teach English at a summer class in southern France, near Bordeaux, “which was an incredible experience too.”

“I would highly recommend studying abroad in the future if you have the opportunity,” she said.

So far, she has loved the NDA community and the welcoming atmosphere.

“All of the students are doing a fantastic job of participating and everyone has been very welcoming,” she said. “I look forward to continuing to get to know my students better and meeting more teachers at NDA.”