Max Sawyer, 8, is a second grader at St. Francis Catholic School whose academic performance is advanced for his grade level.

“He is very interested in math and reading,” said teacher Dee Pohle. “He is excelling at math and reading and does ELP [Extended Learning Program].”

“He is an excited learner,” ELP instructor Sue Fink added.

Currently, Max is working on doing mental math, wherein the students compute math problems solely in their heads without the aid of paper and pencil.

When he is not working on more challenging math assignments, Max likes to draw, particularly houses and rainbows, and he enjoys “cutting stuff out” for projects. He favors the “Junie B. Jones” book series but reads a variety of works.

Outside of school, the child likes to play soccer, go fishing with his dad or grandfather and play video games. He cited pizza as his favorite food and fish as his favorite animal. He likes playing with his dog and the pets at his grandparents’ home.

“He’s very conscientious about getting his work done and is a very helpful student to the other kids,” Pohle said. “He has a well-rounded personality.”

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Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at 641-753-6611 or sjordan@timesrepublican.com