Welcome to Arii

My name is Arii Kawata, and I’m the new Japanese intern at Kalinda Primary School. It’s lovely to meet you all!

Since 13 July, I’ve been doing an internship supporting Japanese classes at Kalinda Primary School until the end of this year. Thank you so much for giving me this wonderful opportunity to come to your school and for welcoming me so warmly. 

🌸 About MeI’m from Gunma Prefecture, Japan.Gunma is famous for its beautiful nature, and great places to ski, and many host springs where you can relax and enjoy a bath.

 I like playing the clarinet and trying many different kinds of foods!

I’m a university student in Japan, but I’m currently taking a leave of absence to study English in Australia. 

I’m excited to share Japanese language and culture with everyone here.

I’d like to share some highlights from my first week.

🏡 My Host Family I’ve been in Melbourne for just over a week, and I’m staying with George’s family for a month. They have made me feel so welcome, and I feel very lucky to be part of such a lovely family.

🎋 Japanese lessons Our first Japanese lessons were about Tanabata, a Japanese festival on 7 July. Prep students wrote their wishes on colourful paper strips called “tanzaku” and hung them on bamboo collected from the Japanese garden at the school. Some wished for a giant ice cream, some wanted a machine that could make amazing clothes, and others wished for lots of money! Year 1–4 students introduced themselves in Japanese using a fun rhythm. It was great to hear everyone trying their best to speak Japanese. And also, Year 1 and 2 even made me beautiful welcome posters! I’m looking forward to spending the next six months learning, making wonderful memories, and learning as much as I can. Thank you.

Welcome to Arii Kawata from Japan. Arii will be spending Terms 3 and 4 at Kalinda, helping in the Japanese classroom and learning about teaching in Australia. 

This week, students learned about the Japanese celebration of Tanabata and wrote a wish on a Tanzaku to hang on the bamboo branches. 

We can’t wait to learn more about Japanese celebrations with Arii Sensei.