Hello everyone! I hope you have been keeping warm as it has gotten cold recently. It is crazy to think 2023 is coming to an end very soon. Throughout the last couple of weeks of school, the grade 5 students have had performances, exchanges with other schools, and have been practicing for the Gojo Christmas show.

We were invited to perform our play at the Shimauchi Christmas show on the 13th. It was the first time the students performed the play on stage, so they were quite nervous, but excited at the same time. They did a fantastic job! It was very nice seeing their smiles of relief after the performance was finished. We also watched the pre-school performances. They were all so amazing and high quality.

Even after the first performance, the students are practicing for the final performance on the 23rd. Their goal is to speak with a louder voice, act more using body/hand gestures and to change their tone of voice to express emotions. We are excited to finally show our play to everyone!

The grade 5, 6 and middle students had an English exchange opportunity with Aida middle school. It was a nice way to connect with a school local to us. The students enjoyed being showed around their campus as well as playing English language and ice breaker games. It was a great experience for the grade 5 studednts to see what a local Japanese middle school looks like and their students to possibly picture their future.

For Japanese, the students discussed with each other what they can do to make the school environment a positive place. They decided to make a poster about some of the points they discussed such as the importance of inclusivity. The students thought that it won’t be enough if they just make a poster and post it around the school, so they wanted to present their message to each class through a short presentation. The students showed a lot of initiative with this activity!

Have a lovely holiday! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄🎍