Japanese
We have been busy these last few weeks!
Monty’s First Cooking Class Fundraiser
This was a great success! We hope this workshop helped participants learn something new and sparked greater interest in Japanese language and culture. Thank you for attending and supporting our Japanese program.
Onigiri Action at Monty
Year 5/6 students explored important social issues such as hunger and food loss. We discussed how food waste remains prevalent in developed countries while many around the world suffer from hunger.
Our students made their rice balls and uploaded photos of their creation to the Onigiri Action website. Each photo provides five school lunches for children in Africa and Southeast Asia who are affected by hunger. This activity offered a valuable learning opportunity while also making a difference. Well done, Monty students!
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing volunteers for their support with both events. Thank you, Chika-san, Naho-san, and Tomoe-san, for all your help
Online Exchange with Minami Primary School in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Two Year 5/6 classes had the opportunity to meet new friends in Japan! During the session, our students presented what they've learned so far. They were thrilled to recognise topics they had studied in the Japanese students' presentations. Some of our students were brave enough to present their Yurukyara and described it in Japanese! The Japanese students were impressed with our students' creativity and language skills - well done Monty linguists! We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our students, who are eager to connect again.
I truly believe in the power of connection. I hope our students continue to connect with people, opportunities, and the world through their language skills, intercultural understanding, open-mindedness, and kindness.
Here are some comments from our students:
"It was amazing that I got to speak to Japanese students in Japan! Hopefully, I get to do it again! 😃" - Yaya
"I loved speaking to new people in a different language and learning about their lifestyle." - Mia D
"I think it was absolutely amazing and extremely exciting to meet people from another country. Presenting and listening to their presentation was very fun!" - Sabine
"It was so much fun because we learned new things, and I want to do it again. Junko-sensei, when can we do that again? I loved it! Thank you for letting me present as well." - Josh M
Travel report
Lastly, I’d like to share a wonderful experience the Williams family had on their recent trip to Japan. It’s inspiring to see how they embraced new experiences and made the most of every opportunity. Thank you for sharing this story, Williams family! This post truly warms my heart, please read it below!
Junko Nichols
Konnichiwa!
From the morning bells of Sensoji Temple, tolling over the serene early morning to wrestling and dining with a sumo, to the great twists and turns of epic rollercoasters, to viewing the bright lights of Tokyo from the tallest skyscrapers, to traveling on the speediest of trains, Japan and its kind people welcomed us with love from the moment we arrived.
Learning about Japanese language and culture from Junko Sensei and Ayako Sensei, the Williams boys were confident enough to converse with the locals, buy train tickets, souvenirs and food items. Gus even bought a glue stick in the local language!
Upon seeing Koi fish swimming, the boys told a story about a Koi fish who swims upstream and makes it to the top of waterfall. For showing great bravery, determination and courage, the Koi fish is rewarded by being transformed into a dragon.
Japanese cooking sessions throughout the school year paid off too! With Fynn, Ollie and Gus becoming onigiri, ramen, sushi, udon, mochi, dango and yatsuhashi connoisseurs.
Japan is such a welcoming, clean, safe, beautiful country and its people showed great delight in others enjoying their culture and language.
Watashitachiwa Nihon ga daisukidesu.
(We love Japan)
