Headmistress Kijewski

October 29, 2011 12:00 AM
A year ago, Kiva had accepted a temporary position as the Care of Magical Creatures Professor because David Regal had requested her assistance until the position could be filled. Now the position was filled, but Kiva had a new one. David had very serious personal matters that he had needed to attend to during the second half of last year.

Unfortunately, his personal matters grew much worse over time and Regal had decided that it would be best for him to step down as Headmaster. Amelia would have been the next in line for the job, but she hadn’t wanted it. Not that Kiva could blame her. Sadi was too ill to continue on as acting or otherwise. The board had reached out to Kiva and offered her the position. Kiva had declined it at first, but over time, she finally caved in. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for this, but she had no time to dwell on it. Soon the feast would begin. She had dressed to her semi-formal best for the evening. Deciding to not look biased with her robes to a specific house, Kiva had chosen dark green robes that nearly matched the students. It had taken her longer to decide on her hair. She could leave it in her mass curls, but she worried that would make her seem chaotic. Straight made her feel foreign in her own body. She decided to go with soft curls that way she looked professional but still herself. On top of her dress and hair, Kiva tried to keep her smile despite how much she was not looking forward to addressing the entire school after having only been a temp the year prior.

When the first years were brought in, Kiva stood up and charmed herself to be heard over the crowd. She waited a few minutes for the returning students to settle down before she finally greeted the students. “First and foremost, I want to welcome all of our newest students to Sonora Academy and all of our returning students a welcome back. I do hope your summers were full of fun adventures, but I am happy to find that you have all returned to the school intact.” She was smiling at them and only hoped that her smile did not portray her nerves. Kiva was not nervous about speaking in front of a room full of people, years of teaching had thrown that out the window. What she was anxious about was the fact that she was now the new Headmistress of Sonora Academy. The very position she declined years ago when Manfred had decided it was time to retire. Her life became full circle once again. Thankfully, she had been able to fill her vacant spot as Care of Magical Creatures position as well as fill the Divinations position over the summer. Those were two major issues she was thankful were now handled.

“For those who do not know me, I am Headmistress Kijewski, most students call me Professor K. Our first priority for the moment is to have the first years sorted.” Kiva turned her hazel eyes to the newest group of students. “In order for this to be done, I need for each of you to step up one at a time to Coach Pierce and take a sip from the potion she will offer to you.” Kiva explained, nodded to Amelia to indicate who Coach Pierce was. “The potion is harmless. Once you have sipped it, your skin will turn into the color of the house you will be spending the next seven years in. Please note that this change is only temporary.” She didn’t want them being too scared to taste the potion. She could remember her taste and having been terrified she would have stayed that color. “Yellow is for Teppenpaws, blue is for Aladren, red is for Crotalus, and brown is for Pecari. Please, if you could form a line and begin…” She gestured for the first student to step up.

Once the sorting had ended, Kiva regained the students’ attention. “I first have a few announcements to make. First and foremost, I would like to introduce our new staff members. Professor Light is our Charms Professor, Professor O’Shaunasey is our new Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Professor Increase Mathers is our new Divinations Professor, and Dylan Bailey who is our new school Medic. Please show them how wonderful our school is and give them a warm welcome.” Kiva clapped after introducing each of them. So many new members to their staff table; she seriously hoped they stayed with her for the long term.

“I would like to have Jose Hernandez and Marissa Stephenson please come up here and accept your new Head Boy and Head Girl badges.” Kiva called out and when both students approached, she grinned and handed each their appropriate badges. “Good job, you too.” She whispered to them before having them return to their seats. “I would also like to have Samantha Hamilton, Samuel Bauer, Jane Carey, and Sophia Randolph please come up here for a moment.” Kiva waited for the four to be standing at her side before continuing. “Everyone, I would like you to meet your newest Prefects. Congratulations to you four, please take your new badges.” Kiva gestured for the four to return to their seats. “This years Midsummer Event will be the Fair. As the year continues, you will receive more information on the event and any suggestions you would like to make, please feel free to tell me or any other staff member.

“In honor of our former Headmaster, I would like to continue with the tradition with the School Song.” Sheets of music appeared in front of the students. “Let’s begin.”

Every day we strive
Learning to survive
Life’s hardships and to solve its mystery.
Learning to defend
Our honour and our friends,
Flying high to meet our destiny
We will stand and face those who want to harm us.
We won’t let the world transfigure, jinx or charm us
I won’t fight alone, as long as you are with me.
Sonora be my home, my tutor and my spirit
Vasita quoque floeat; Even the dessert blooms.


Once the song ended, the food appeared before them. A feast of great magnum. “Please enjoy the rest of your evening. When it is time to head back to your Houses, your Head of House will call for your attention and bring you to your destinations. That is all.” Kiva concluded and then took her seat at the staff table.

OOC: Welcome First years! Please do not post on any other board until your Head of House posts his/her welcoming speech. Have fun at the feast and remember the site rules. Happy posting everyone!
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0 Headmistress Kijewski Opening Feast, Welcome All! 0 Headmistress Kijewski 1 5


Sara Raines

October 29, 2011 7:10 PM
As soon as she stepped off the wagon, Sara wavered a little on her feet after the long, rough ride on the wagons from Chicago. Once she recovered her balance, her legs still felt a little wobbly, but she ignored it for the moment in favor of first patting her smooth brown shoulder-length curls to make sure they were still neat before taking out her wand with a slight sigh before casting a charm to straighten out her clothes and dust them off. Over the summer, one of the hardest things to handle was always losing the right to use magic freely.

She had only been fourteen for less than a month, but she was fourteen and in fourth year, so it was a little disappointing to look around the rapidly filling Cascade Hall and realize that her height was still about as comparable to most people's as it had been last year, and she thought some people who had been her height or shorter were now taller than her. It was a little comforting, though, to see that most of the first years were enough shorter than her that she shouldn't have to worry about being mistaken for one anymore, and after making some brief detours to greet Fae and Preston and a few others, she went to the Pecari table with a smile. Most of her friends were elsewhere - her closest female friend was probably Fae, who was in Crotalus, as were Eliza and Jordan, and Preston in Aladren - but for the Feast, she knew she should sit with her own House.

She listened politely to the speech, applauding at appropriate moments and ignoring the flutter of nerves in her stomach when the prefects were presented with their badges. Next year, it would be people in her year being called up there, which meant the whole staff would be watching all year, watching for signs they would or wouldn't be good prefects. She always carried herself as though she were being watched, or tried to, but knowing it would definitely happen was a little more nerve-wracking.

She looked at the present. It would, she decided, be a good idea to try to get to know Sophia Randolph this year, so it would be easier if they had to work together next year. And maybe she should see about doing something with the first years. Merlin knew she wasn't likely to be threatening to them.

When the feast came out, she could almost taste some of the more decadent dishes, but she forced herself to think of her waistline and exercise some self-control. A grilled trout with lemon and pepper was always very good, the salads at Sonora were lovely and fresh, and she liked apples very well. 

She smiled at the person across from her as she served herself. "Good evening," she said. "Excited to be here tonight?"        
0 Sara Raines Returning and planning 179 Sara Raines 0 5


Josephine Owen

October 30, 2011 11:21 AM
Her long brown hair was neatly plaited in two pigtails that ran down her back. Her dark brown shoes were last year's recently-polished-but-still-scuffed lace-ups. Her blue eyes - refusing to focus on the old shoes - were wide with delight at being back at school, and so she barely noticed the tatty edges of her old unifrom robe, nor how she was starting to bulge out of her childhood t-shirts. She happily made her way to the Pecari table, and sat down amongst her peers. She wouldn't neceesarily call them her friends. Ayita and Demetra were nice, but both unusual in their own ways, and Josephine hadn't really clicked properly with either of them. The rest of her House were relative strangers.

That assessment ceased to be true within the next few minutes as Jade, Josephine's younger sister, turned brown and was sorted into Pecari, too. The third year cheered, and tried not to feel too bad when Jade didn't sit with her, instead choosing to sit with some other first years. That was probably better for her, to get to know some people, even if it meant Josephine would end up eating alone.

Or not so alone, as Sara Raines from the year above decided to speak to her. Josephine's initial reaction was to clarify that she was the intended recipient, but she squashed it. She'd learned from her interaction with Fae Sinclair last year that judging people based on their family name wasn't always the right way to go. Just because she'd been brought up knowing that families like the one to which Sara belonged thought her own family was worthless scum, it didn't mean that Sara herself held those beliefs.

So after a startled silence that last just a second, Josephine collected herself, smiled, and replied, "Yes, actually, I am. I'm sure the excitement will have worn off by next week." As soon as homework assignments started to pile up, she knew she'd wonder why she'd been so pleased to be back.

As she surveyed the table to select food for herself, she couldn't help noticing that Sara had selected salad and fish - two of Josephine's nemesis foods. Why would anyone voluntarily want to eat those things? Repressing a grimace, the third year ladelled herself a dish of hot beef casserole before reaching for the boiled potatoes. In the meantime, she continued her small talk with Sara. "Did you have a good summer?"
0 Josephine Owen ... are you talking to me? 196 Josephine Owen 0 5


Sara

October 30, 2011 2:43 PM
The girl across from her wasn't one Sara knew well, but she had a good memory for faces, and recognized her as one of the third years - Josephine. She wasn't someone likely to ever show up at a Raines party, but she was in the year Sara spent most of her time with and was a Housemate, so she seemed like a good person to speak to this evening. 

When she was met with startled silence, Sara almost reconsidered that idea, but then Josephine seemed to collect herself and answered. She felt a moment of envy at the other girl getting to eat whatever she wanted, apparently, but first reminded herself that she was already indulging past what she should, having juice with her meal and planning to allow herself a taste of something sweet for dessert, and then that it was incredibly improper and ungracious of her to feel that way here anyway. 

"I'm sure," she said, thinking of how they would all settle back into the routine of classes and meals here, walks in the Gardens and Quidditch games because Preston was in them and homework at night in the common room. The transition periods, summer to fall and winter to spring and then spring to summer holidays, were exciting because it felt like something was starting over and was all clean and new, but in between, there was just the routine. Though that could be enjoyable, too, in its way. "But it's fun for tonight, anyway, isn't it?"

She nodded that she had, indeed, had a good summer. "Oh, yes," she said. "I spent a few weeks at home, then went to my aunt in Spain, and my mother met us later in the summer in Switzerland." She smiled as she said that last part. Sara enjoyed moving around with Aunt Margaret in Europe over the holidays, but she did miss getting to see her mother and father, especially now that she didn't get to see them during the year. The only way Switzerland could have been better was if Father could have come as well, but business had held him in the States. "I know it's silly, but I still miss everyone when I come here every year. Even my little brother is easier to put up with when I haven't seen him for ten months." She added the last part lightly, so it didn't sound too serious, though she did wonder if it was that or just that Alan was getting older. She would be in sixth year when he and Isabel came to Sonora, but only this year and next stood between now and then. 

"Was your summer nice?" she asked in return. "I've always wondered if older brothers are easier to deal with than younger ones." She was fairly confident that James Owen, in her year, was Josephine's brother, anyway. Aunt Margaret always said it was important to know basic details about people in her immediate peer group, to always have at least the beginnings of a conversation in place, and she knew with near certainty that they had the same last name from class roll calls.
0 Sara I believe so 0 Sara 0 5


Josephine

November 07, 2011 12:58 PM
Josephine tried very hard not to die with jealousy at the sound of Sara's summer. She had been to Spain and to Switzerland. Josephine only knew where those countries were because of the geography games her brother made the family play. She'd never left America, and it didn't seem likely she would in the future, either. She took comfort in a mouthful of her casserole. The bit about missing her family didn't make up for it - most of Josephine's family was now at Sonora with her, and her parents sent very frequent letters.

"I wish I could go ten months without seeing my brother," she lamented, having forgotten by now that she'd missed James the first year he went off to Sonora without her. "I think normal older brothers might be easier," she agreed with Sara. She'd heard how some older brothers looked out for their younger siblings - especially sisters - and maybe gave them advice. Her own brother was arguably the most likely student to bully Josephine, and he belittled her achievements by surpassing them himself. "Mine is a pain," she told Sara, but there was a fondness in her voice, possibly even a hint of pride that her brother was special in this way. He didn't mean to be annoying a lot of the time. It just happened.

"My sister is here as well this year," Josephine pointed down to where he sister was with a couple of other first year Pecaris. "My parents have probably never had the house so quiet," she commented, and then realized she hadn't actually answered Sara's question. "But yeah, my summer was okay, I guess. Nothing special. I wish I got to travel to Europe."
0 Josephine I guess I should talk back 0 Josephine 0 5