LOTE

Year 9 Japanese – Masking Tape Writing Activity

Students are often required to write notes in their notebooks, memo pads, and nowadays on computers. Well, how about writing words and phrases onto a school floor for a change? Year 9 Japanese students have done just that! Not with pens or markers, but by using masking tape.

Students selected their own words for the writing. Kanji (Chinese characters) and Katakana (Japanese scripts for loaned words) are rather straight and angular. The real challenge was with Hiragana (Japanese script for general use) where curves are used with almost all strokes of writing.

Greeting and farewell phrases were written at the entrance and exit of staircases. Each group of students selected unique and original vocabularies.  Students were able to fill the floor with Japanese writing which looked impressive and welcomed everyone entering our school!

Mr Hatsuho Watanabe

Japanese teacher

Greek Orthodox Easter

One of the most family-oriented festivities in Greece, and a significant celebration within the Greek Orthodox Church, is Easter. Even in today’s modern society, centuries-old traditions are respected and being kept alive by younger generations. It is the one time of the year when families are together, and people travel all over the country to celebrate Easter with their loved ones.

Preparations for Easter start on ‘Clean Monday,’ seven weeks before Easter Sunday, when Greek people start to fast for lent. During these forty days, the Greek diet consists of seafood. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and oil are all excluded.

Although the Holy week leading up to the Easter weekend is quieter and the atmosphere in communities is subdued after the resurrection of Christ, Easter celebrations in Greece become lively and loud.

Holy Thursday is a day of baking and dyeing of dozens of boiled eggs bright red to symbolize the blood of Christ and the renewal of life. Unit 1 Greek students were delighted to join as a class in the preparation of making Koulourakia - special Easter biscuits, and the red eggs.

Ms Dimitra Maniatis

LOTE Head of Learning