Japanese 

Welcome to Term 4! I was absolutely delighted to see our beautiful ‘Kanzan’ cherry blossoms when term began, as watching and celebrating the arrival of cherry blossoms in spring is a national obsession in Japan. The students and I were so excited to see the beautiful pink colours on our young cherry trees for the very first time. Thank you again for all of your support to the fundraiser and to the working bee volunteers who planted them. They are a wonderful addition to Monty PS!

Photo: Cherry tree

YR3&4

Year 3&4 students have been learning about seasons in Japan. To broaden their cultural awareness, they have also started learning about the Indigenous Kulin nation calendar - in Japanese. They had to listen to Japanese narratives explaining about the Kulin nation’s seasons and how First Nations people view seasons. We had a discussion after the task about why we have four seasons, and the Kulin nation has seven. One of the students observed, ‘Wurundjeri people have seven seasons because they pay more attention to what is happening around them - animals and plants. We just look at the weather.’ Then the students expressed that we should pay more attention and connect to the nature around us. Thank you for sharing your insights Year 3 and 4 students. I too think that is a wonderful idea!

Photo: Neive 34C

Year 5&6

The Year 5 and 6 students have been learning about the captivating attractions and distinct features of several Japanese cities. This not only helps them gain a deeper understanding of Japan but also fosters their appreciation for the world's diverse cultures. 

This week, our YR5&6 took their geographical exploration to the next level through a captivating activity: team reading. The twist? One member of each team was permitted to leave the reading table and gather information from texts displayed on the classroom walls. The catch? They weren't allowed to write anything down! Instead, they had to rely on their memory to absorb the information and share it with their teammates. This approach not only encouraged our students to develop their memorisation skills but also promoted teamwork and cooperation. We were delighted to see our students actively engage in the team reading activity, demonstrating great teamwork and enthusiasm for their learning. The activity not only challenged their memory but also encouraged them to communicate effectively with their team members. Well done YR5&6!

Photo: Liam P 56A

Japanese Language Teacher

Junko Nichols