A term in Japanese
Kinder
The kinder children had a wonderful opportunity to experience Japanese cultural activities during our Japanese Fun Day. We were fortunate to have the support of some fantastic Grade 4 students and amazing families from our Japanese-background community who volunteered to help.
The children enjoyed making and tasting temaki sushi, creating their own hachimaki (the traditional Japanese headbands worn at festivals, sports days, or during activities requiring energy, determination, or perseverance), and crafting origami cherry blossoms, which were used to decorate a class tree.
The morning concluded with an exciting highlight—a drumming incursion! The children were thrilled to experience the powerful rhythms of Japanese drums.
Prep
The students have been eagerly participating in a variety of activities to learn Japanese vocabulary for popular lunch box foods. They’ve enjoyed using the language to talk about what they like and dislike in their own lunch boxes.
The children have been actively learning four hiragana characters, which has helped them recognise some of these foods written in Japanese script.
We have started each lesson looking at a video clip of a Japanese obento (lunchbox). Together, we list the foods we know in Japanese and share whether we think we would enjoy or dislike the dish. You might even be inspired to try making one of these tasty creations at home over the holidays!
https://delishkitchen.tv/recipes/160766602520822252
Grade 1/2
In the spirit of the Olympics, our Grade 1/2 students have been learning the Japanese words for various Olympic sports. Building on their ability to share information about themselves in Japanese from Semester 1, the students have now been constructing sentences to express what sports they like and play.
Additionally, by exploring Olympians’ profiles, the students have been learning how to share information about others. They were also introduced to new hiragana characters, enabling them to recognise Olympic sports written in Japanese script.
Grade 3/4
We’ve had a busy and exciting term! We began with the topic "Konbini de" (At the Convenience Store), where students were introduced to Japanese vocabulary for items commonly found in convenience stores in Japan. They developed their understanding of Japanese Yen notes and coins.
This term, we also completed our entries for the 2024 Victorian Japanese Pencil Calligraphy Competition. We read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and the students made many paper cranes, which will be taken to Japan in October.
On Friday, September 13, a group of Grade 4 students had the opportunity to showcase our school values by assisting with activities for the kinder Japanese Fun Day. They were outstanding volunteers.
Grade 5/6
Grade 5/6 students have had a busy and exciting term in Japanese! We started with the topic "Nihon Ryoko" (A Trip to Japan), where students learned Japanese vocabulary related to modes of transport and popular travel destinations. They were also introduced to several famous landmarks and travel spots in Japan. For our Japan Tour participants, this topic will soon come to life as we embark on our trip on October 1.
In addition, we completed our entries for the 2024 Victorian Japanese Pencil Calligraphy Competition. We read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and the students foldedvorigami cranes that will be taken to Japan by the tour participants. Our representatives will leave these cranes, along with our school's message of peace, at Sadako’s Statue in Hiroshima Peace Park.
