Kilvington-Todoroki Online Forum Reflections

Todoroki High School Reflections

Masato Shibayama, Junior 3-4

I had heard about other students joining the video call with Kilvington before, so I was really happy that I had the chance to take part this time. 

Through this event, I felt closer to the people in Australia because I learned that their daily lives are actually quite similar to those of Japanese Junior and Senior high school students. I'm really looking forward to the next chance to join something like this!

Jules Davidson, TCU Oral Communication Coordinator

I was so happy to be able to take part in the Kilvington–Todoroki Online Video Conference. Firstly, thank you so much to Kilvington staff, Lucie Dickens and Aiko Sano, for setting this up. 

The students really enjoyed trying to describe famous celebrities and characters and guessing who their partners were describing. It really helped break the ice and got everyone talking. 

We had a few small technical hiccups here and there, but I was genuinely impressed by how everyone kept going and made the most of the time they had. 

It was wonderful to see the effort that all the students from both schools put into connecting and sharing ideas. I can’t wait for the next one!

Kilvington Grammar School Reflections

Adam Sheridan, Year 9 Japanese

I was lucky enough to take part in the Todoroki–Kilvington Online Forum, where I had the opportunity to speak and present in Japanese about a fictional character to students in Japan. 

It was a fantastic experience that really helped me improve my ability to respond more quickly and naturally in Japanese.

Before the presentations, we spent some time getting to know each other — they spoke in English while we spoke in Japanese. 

It was a bit challenging at first, but the more we talked, the easier it became to understand and respond. I really enjoyed the forum and am looking forward to taking part in more in the future.

One of the highlights was answering their questions about Australia, especially their curiosity about our animals — it was fun sharing what makes our country unique!

Frederick Koo, Year 9 Japanese

I enjoyed learning about what foreign students do on the other side of the world and was surprised to find out that we had a lot in common. It helped me sharpen my Japanese speaking and listening skills, and I was thrilled to be able to speak to them!