In elementary School, I loved playing table tennis and enjoyed practicing with my club friends and participating in tournaments. I practiced every day, competed in tournaments, and made many great memories.

At ISN, students from 1st to 9th grade (sometimes in different groups) can choose from various activities such as basketball, soccer, and skateboard clubs. At ISN, friendships formed from preschool continued, and each friend became very close. We often played together on weekends and spent time like a family. Many of my friends excel in activities such as swimming, tennis, skiing, and mountain biking, achieving results that get them featured in newspapers. It’s always exciting to see my friends being recognized, and thanks to the teamwork with my peers, I’ve had many diverse experiences. Over the three years of middle school, I feel my perspective, interests, and understanding of different personalities have grown even more.

The ISN Middle School has as many extracurricular activities as the Elementary School. These include nature observation around the campus, stargazing, visiting rivers with many fireflies, creating and maintaining vegetable gardens, building sheds and composters, helping out on farms (we received lots of apples), planting and harvesting rice, cooking classes, and mochi-making events with the local community. We also had many visits to factories and art museums, including car factories, precision machinery, government offices, fire stations, ice cream factories, and many other workplaces. 

Through these experiences, I felt my interests broaden. I also began to envision my future, comparing it to these hands-on experiences.

I participated in various ISN Middle School and other volunteer activities. For school volunteer activities, I took part in fundraising projects, such as designing and coming up with ideas for the school library’s books and environment improvement.

Outside of school, I was a member of a community contribution project called “One Park,” which aimed to revitalize the shopping district and provide business experiences. We prepared bento boxes, planned and executed festival events, and conducted reviews about three to four times a year. As an assistant instructor for the summer camps provided by ISN, I led groups of fifth graders to middle school students, teaching skills and providing support to participants who were homesick or struggled with specific activities, ensuring they felt comfortable in any situation.

I generally enjoy helping out and being useful, and I feel happy when I know I’ve been of help. There were many instances of selling goods for donations, giving speeches at events, and more. I love spending time with people, and through these contribution activities, I have gained valuable social and communication skills that are beneficial now and in the future (even on days when we worked in heavy rain), and I genuinely enjoyed the experience.