Japanese language
Sister school visit 2020
Save the dates 27 July to 6 August
This year will be the eighth time we welcome a group from Nakamura High School, our sister school in Nagoya, Japan. The sister school relationship and its exchange visit program continues to offer rich and rewarding experiences for our students and families, and we usually forge friendships which will be cherished for a long time.
Homestays will be required for possibly a mixed group of approximately 25 students in Years 10 to 12. The group will visit us from 27 July to 6 August. This follows our visit to their school in September 2019.
Hosting a Nakamura High School student is open to all year levels.
For further information or to express interest in hosting a Nakamura High School student, please contact Mrs Petra Witt via email witt.petra.p@edumail.vic.gov.au
Setsubun no hi
A Japanese tradition is children throwing roasted soybeans at their parents on the 3rd of February each year. The Year 7 Japanese classes were able to embrace this tradition at MGSC this week.
Setsubun no Hi marks the beginning of spring on the Japanese lunar calendar, and a good way to start the new season is to scare away any bad luck or evil and invite happiness and good luck into your house. Families usually gather together and throw roasted soybeans out of the door at a family member who is wearing a demon (oni) mask. As they do this, the family members chant "oni wa soto! fuku wa uchi!", meaning "demons out! good fortune in!".
To celebrate this, the senior Language student leaders and their peers gathered together, wearing ‘oni’ masks, outside the Year 7 Japanese classroom. The Year 7 students were well prepared and able to ward off the evil devils by shouting the chant and throwing beans at them.
In addition, the ritual also involved eating roasted soybeans - your age plus one for good luck throughout the year!
We all enjoyed this experience and look forward to more Language events throughout the year.
Chani Thomson
Language Student Leader