My name is Mikhael Manabat. I am 8 years old and in the third grade at Westside Elementary. I’m part of the Change the Code program.
I’m from Dau Mabalacat City Pampanga, a city in Central Luzon. I moved to the U.S. on June 3, 2024. In the U.S., students get free food but, in the Philippines, we had to buy our food from the cafe or our parents packed our snacks and lunch. I am amazed that students here can use iPads and computers. In my country, computers were only used in computer classes, not in every class. I like the Eagle Bucks and the treats we get from the Eagle store, as well as treats from my teacher. Living in the U.S. was hard at first, but now I like it and enjoy being in Ms. Thomas' class and the school activities. My mom is also a teacher at Westside.
I like school because we get to play Kahoot, and I got 100% on division! We do a lot of math, and I’m really good at it. I already know multiplication and division, and my teacher says I’m smart! I always get good grades. I also like helping my classmates when they need help finding answers. I show kindness to my teacher by following the school rules.
My favorite superhero is Spider-Man because he helps people when they’re in trouble or about to get robbed. I also love reading the "Dog Man" book series — I've read three so far. My favorite movie is "Lightning McQueen."
In Change the Code, we do STEM activities every Friday. Soon, we’ll start Lego Robotics and learn coding!
In my free time, I like to play Roblox and watch soccer. I want to play soccer when I grow up. I haven’t played yet, but I like thinking about how to score goals while I watch.
Back in the Philippines, my family didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but now we do! This year, we went to Jacksonville to eat at Jollibee’s. We used to eat there while in the Philippines. They have my favorite chicken nuggets and gravy.
For Christmas, I hope to get Hot Wheels and a remote-control car or ATV, like the ones you drive in the mountains. I like playing Roblox on my iPad, which I share with my brother. If I got a new one, I’d give this one to him.
