さて、卒業生Ryanさんのインタビュー後編です😊👌
後編も読みごたえ抜群、そして皆さんに注目してほしいことの一つにカナダで過ごすにつれ格段に英語での表現が上達しているところがあります。また、Ryanさんの目線に立てるようなリアルな写真もお楽しみください🎵
後編はRyanさんのその時の気持ちや経験をエッセイ式でお送りいたします。
9月 入学 カナダ州立学校生活 (学び、部活)～September 2025 – Beginning of School Life in Canada (Learning and Extracurricular Activities)～
On September 1st, I moved to Strathmore and spent my first night in the school dorm. I got a feel for dorm life and met new friends from Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, and other places. My roommate is a Grade 10 student from Hong Kong. Before school started, I explored Strathmore, visiting shopping areas and residential neighborhoods. One thing that stood out to me was how kind and open the people are, always smiling. This was a new and positive experience for me. I also found it interesting how all the shopping areas are grouped together on a large plot of land, yet still seem spread out, making it feel like it takes forever to get from one store to another.
The new life that I started in Canada this month has been not only adventurous and exciting but also unexpected and thrilling.
The first week of September would start with a week off before school starts. During this time, I organized my room and got cozy, spent time with my new friends to bond, and finished up some things that I have wanted to do for a while; reading books, calling family members, and studying the curriculum here so that I could get ahead by just a bit.
After the long week of mostly staying in the dorm ended, it was time for me to get ready for my first day at Strathmore High School; the start of a new and different school life. On September 9th, I got on the iconic “Yellow school bus” and headed to the school, feeling nervous but also ready for a change.
The day started with having a one-on-one talk with a school counselor to decide my classes, talk about my future and goals, and get to know more about the school. There were core subjects all of us had to pick which were English, Math, Science, Social, and P.E. Then there were extra classes that all of us also had to select. I went for Aboriginal studies, English, Math, P.E., and fitness for the first semester and Social, Science, French, Industrial design, and Management and Marketing for the second semester. The counselor would also introduce me to the school app they use in the school called “PowerSchool”, which is used for recording grades, schedules, and classes all in one. It is a convenient app and teachers also love it.
Afterward, I would have my first class at school; Math 10C – which is the top-level math class in the school (excluding Math honors) – and turned out that 3 other friends of mine were in the same class as mine. I was happy and relieved at the same time as I didn’t know any local people yet. As expected, the class was easy and made me think about how difficult the stuff I did and went through in Japan was. The teacher is such a cool and rather “Modern” side teacher; she understands us teenagers goes through the class very chill and is very open to questions and conversations with students.
I had my English 10-1 class next – which is also the top-level English class in the school (excluding English honors) – in which I also found 2 friends that I knew of from the dorm. The English classes were significantly more challenging and required time and thinking compared to the ones I have been through in the Public high school in Japan. There would be essays, comprehension questions, stories to read, and group work with people around you. This class is known as the most tiring class if you want to graduate with high marks; not because it is difficult to understand, but because of the amount of assignments and the speed at which we move on to the next task. The teacher for the class was somewhat similar to the math teacher I had; cool and chill and was close with the students.
My next class would be P.E., which would be a double block; the 3rd period would be a double block because lunchtime would come right during the class. The school gymnasium is located right inside the building – which was unexpected – and it felt like “the American gymnasiums in the high school movies”. It was very light colored with all of the banners and cheering messages saying “Go Strathmore Spartans”. The first floor is the gym and on the second floor is the training center. In class, we would play all sorts of sports; badminton, volleyball, soccer, handball, and so on. Out of all the classes I have, I have the feeling that creating friendship bonds was the easiest and most natural in this class; we would always be pairing up with people, competing against one another, and always interacting.
Finally, I had my Aboriginal studies class; which studies about the indigenous people and their history, lifestyles, and cultures. This is a sub-subject class, so the class and the atmosphere was more easy going, chill, and a class where I could get some rest:) My teacher for this class happens to also be my English teacher; the great one who is always positive and engaging. I chose this sub-subject because I wanted to learn more about Canadian history and Canada’s cultures and lifestyles.
A month has passed since I started life here, and I have surprisingly already gotten used to the new school environment, made lots of friends and bonds with teachers, and am enjoying it here. I have realized a few things about myself that I have changed during this time; I started liking playing basketball and volleyball with friends, started to understand and use words and phrases that I have learned newly here, got the hang of classes, and got used to how classes are proceeded and started chewing lots of chewing gum. There is so much more that I can’t list the whole thing down, but am pretty sure that more changes would go through me. I am enjoying the lunch meal served in the school cafeteria; pizza, chicken fingers, sandwiches, fries, salads, and more.
There are many amazing things to experience in Canada that also happen to be in the dorm as well. One of my favourite and most surprising ones is meeting with the squirrels 🐿️. They live in the yard behind the dorm where the playground and basketball hoop is. They live underground, and from time to time pop up in the open and run around the grass field. To me, it feels like I am looking at something unreal, as Japan has no wild squirrels in public, and because they are so much cuter than what they are in the cartoon movies I’ve seen.
Another thing that I have recently enjoyed doing is going to Tim Hortons – a coffee and doughnut franchise store – and Starbucks; I want to try the drinks that they don’t have in Japan and their seasonal drinks. I like how Tim Hortons sells their drinks and doughnuts at a low price and is good at the same time. By the time I had been there over 5 times, I learned a little trick that works and would be loved by many, especially teenagers and younger ones; one can get a free doughnut if done the following two: smile and great excessively at the cashier and the workers, and get a drink and a doughnut after 9 pm or so. Then, you can get free doughnuts and if lucky, a free drink! *However this is not guaranteed* Starbucks is somewhat similar; if you smile and greet them, and eat or drink inside their store for a while, they’ll get you free food and drinks (and they always are the new menus and taste amazing). *Again, not guaranteed* I am pretty sure that these are one of their marketing methods to boost profits, but it felt different from the service we get in stores in Japan.
Canada is renowned for its nature’s beauty all year long; its mountains, rivers, and lots more. The sunsets here have a different taste of beauty from Japan; since Alberta is located in the plains, no mountains roam the area, making the sunsets every day look like the ones we see in coastal areas – how the sun sets right at the horizon, with no mountains destructing the flat view – and looks like a piece of art. Also, I happened to already see a beautiful aurora in the night sky on top of the big pond in the neighborhood. It felt like it suddenly appeared out of the blues, so vast and beautiful. I looked just like the ones I’ve seen on the internet.
The dorm organizes monthly trips around the province so that international students can experience Canada during their stay. On the 20th of September, we went to Banff, and I got to see the iconic view that I saw on the internet and always wanted to see firsthand. It was amazing to see just how nature’s beauty and esthetics differ between countries; Canada has more rocky mountains, taller and pointy trees, and vast lands. On the next day, we had a trip to a mall in Calgary called “Cross Iron Mills”. There, we all had time to shop and get everything that we would need for the upcoming cold winters; huge jackets, snow gears, and so on. The stores in the mall were like any other stores you would be but it was nice to just go out of Strathmore for a day and roam around near Calgary.
A few days later on the 28th of September, there was a local culture festival where people from many countries gathered in the park and around the stage to enjoy traditional dance performances, music, and cultures of different countries. It was nice to watch them and to enjoy the festival feeling in Canada. There were food and drink booths, souvenir booths, and more.
9月1日にストラスモアに引っ越し、学校の寮で初めての夜を過ごしました。寮生活を体験し、日本、韓国、中国、メキシコなど、さまざまな場所から来た新しい友達と出会いました。ルームメイトは香港出身の10年生です。学校が始まる前に、ストラスモアを冒険し、ショッピングエリアや住宅街を訪れました。地元の人々はとても優しく、いつも笑顔でいることが新鮮で、ポジティブな印象を受けました。また、ショッピングエリアが大きな土地に集まっているものの、まだ広がっていて、一つの店から別の店まで移動するのにすごい時間がかかるのがまたすごいと感じました。
僕が今月カナダで始めた新しい生活は、冒険と興奮に満ちたものであり、予測不能でスリリングなものでもありました。
9月の最初の週は、学校が始まる前の1週間の休みから始まりました。この期間中、僕は自分の部屋を整理したり、新しい友達と過ごしたり、ずっとやりたかったことを終わらせました。本を読んだり、家族に電話をしたり、少しでも先に進むために勉強したりしました。
ほとんど寮で過ごした1週間が終わり、ストラスモア高校での新しい学校生活が始まる準備をしました。そして9月9日、あのアイコニックの「黄色いスクールバス」に乗り、少し緊張しながらも、新しい変化とチャレンジに対する準備が整った気持ちで学校に向かいました。
この日は、まずカウンセラーと1対1で話し合い、授業の選択や今後の目標について話し、学校についてもっと知る時間がありました。僕は、前期にアボリジナルスタディーズ、英語、数学、体育・フィットネスを選択し、後期には社会、科学、フランス語、インダストリアルデザイン、マネジメント＆マーケティングを選びました。カウンセラーはまた、学校で使用されるアプリ「PowerSchool」を紹介しました。これは、成績、スケジュール、授業を一つに記録する便利なアプリで、教師たちも気に入ってます。
その後、学校での最初の授業、「Math 10C」に向かいました。これは、学校で最もハイレベルの数学クラス（Math Honorsを除く）で、僕と友達3人が同じクラスにいました。地元の人たちとはまだ知り合いではなかったので、安心しました。授業は予想通り簡単で、日本でやってきたことの難しさを改めて感じました。先生は私たち生徒の年代を理解し、授業を非常にリラックスした雰囲気で進め、質問や会話に対して非常にオープンな人でした。
次は英語10-1の授業で、これも学校で最もハイレベルな英語クラス（English Honorsを除く）です。ここでは、寮で知り合った2人の友達が同じクラスにいました。英語の授業は、僕が日本の公立高校で受けてきた授業と比べて、はるかに挑戦的で、考える力や時間を必要としましたが、比較的楽でした。もっと複雑で難しい単語や内容を予想してましたが、今のところ追いついて行けそうな感じです。エッセイや読解問題、物語の読解、グループワークなどたくさんありました。このクラスは、高得点を目指す場合、最も大変で疲れる授業として知られています。その理由は、難しさや理解の難しさではなく、課題の量と進行速度にあります。授業の先生は、僕の数学の先生と似ていて、クールでフレンドリーな雰囲気の人でした。
次の授業はダブルブロックの体育の授業でした。3時限目は昼休みを挟むため、体育が2時間連続で行われました。体育館は校舎の中にあり、アメリカの高校映画に出てくるようなジムそのものでした。明るい色の壁に、「Go Strathmore Spartans」という応援のメッセージやバナーが飾られていました。1階が体育館で、2階にはトレーニングセンターがあります。授業では、バドミントンやバレーボール、サッカー、ハンドボールなど、様々なスポーツを行いました。僕が受けているクラスの中で、一番自然に現地の人と友達になれました。ペアを組んだり、互いに競い合ったり、常に人と交流しているからです。
最後はアボリジナル（先住民）学習の授業でした。この授業は必修ではなく、よりリラックスした雰囲気の授業でした:) このクラスの先生は、僕の英語の先生であり、いつも前向きで積極的な素晴らしい先生です。僕はカナダの歴史や文化、生活様式についてもっと知りたいと思い、この授業を選びました。ドキュメンタリーなどの動画を見て授業を進めてます。
ここでの生活を始めてから1ヶ月が経ち、新しい学校環境に驚くほど早く慣れて、たくさんの友達や先生との絆を築き、楽しんでいます。この間に、自分自身が変わったと感じたことがいくつかあります。友達とバスケットボールやバレーボールを楽しむようになったこと、新しい言葉やフレーズを理解して使えるようになったこと、授業の進行方法に慣れたこと、そしてたくさんのガムを噛むようになったことです。リストに書ききれないほどの変化があり、これからもっと変わっていくことは確信しています。学校のカフェテリアで提供されるランチも楽しんでいます。ピザ、チキンフィンガー、サンドイッチ、フライドポテト、サラダなど、様々な食事があります。
カナダでは、寮でも素晴らしい体験がたくさんあります。その中でも一番驚いたのは、リスに出会ったことです🐿️。彼らは寮の裏庭にある遊び場やバスケットボールのゴールの周辺に住んでおり、地下に巣を作っています。地下に住んでいて、時々顔を出して芝生の上を走り回っています。日本には公共の場に野生のリスがいないため、これは現実的ではないように感じますし、映画とかで見たものよりずっとかわいらしいです。
最近楽しんでいるもう一つのことは、ティム・ホートンズ（カナダのコーヒーとドーナツのチェーン店）やスターバックスに行くことです。日本にはない飲み物や、季節限定のドリンクを飲んだりしてます。ティム・ホートンズは安くておいしいドリンクやドーナツを提供していて、5回以上通ったことで、ある小さな裏技を学びました。それは、店員に笑顔で元気に挨拶し、夜9時以降に飲み物とドーナツを注文すると、無料でドーナツがもらえるというものです（これは確実ではありません）。スターバックスも同様で、笑顔で挨拶し、店内でしばらく飲食すると、新メニューのフードやドリンクを無料で提供してくれることがあります。これはマーケティング手法の一つかもしれませんが、日本の店舗で受けるサービスとは違った印象を受けました。
カナダは一年中自然の美しさで有名で、山や川などが多くあります。ここでの夕焼けは日本とは違った美しさがあり、アルバータ州が平原地帯に位置しているため、山がなく、毎日の夕焼けはまるで海岸沿いで見るようなものです。地平線に直接沈む太陽の光景は、まるでアートのようです。また、すでに一度、近くの大きな池の上に広がる美しいオーロラを目撃しました。突然現れたように感じられ、その大きさと美しさに驚きました。
寮では生徒たちがカナダを満喫できるように、毎月旅行を企画しています。９月２０日にはバンフに行き、インターネットで見たアイコニックな景色を直接見ることができました。カナダには、岩のような山々や背の高いとがった木々、広大な土地が広がっていて、自然の美しさが国によって変わることを実感しました。
翌日には、「クロスアイアンミルズ」と呼ばれるカルガリーのショッピングモールに行きました。そこで、私たちは冬に必要な大きなジャケットや雪用のギアなどを買い揃えるための時間を過ごしました。モールの店舗は他の店舗と同様でしたが、ストラスモアを離れ、一日中カルガリー付近を歩き回るのは楽しかったです。
9月28日には、地域の文化祭が開催されました。この祭りでは、多くの国から人々が集まり、伝統的なダンスのパフォーマンスや音楽、文化を楽しむことができました。それらを観ることができ、カナダでのお祭りの雰囲気を味わうことができました。食べ物や飲み物のブース、土産物のブースなどもありました。
10月 カナダ州立学校生活 (私生活、趣味、ボランティア、お出かけ）～October – Life at a Canadian Public School (Personal Life, Hobbies, Volunteering, and Outings)～
October was a great and eventful month. I enjoyed it, especially since I got used to the lifestyle here and made friends in the dorm and school.
The weather started to get cold, and on the 21st of October, we had our first snow – it lasted for 3 days without melting down. Many of us in the dorm enjoyed the first snow fight in the playground and saw what Canada would look like in the snowy, winter, and cold season. It was truly beautiful to see the snow with nature surrounding us and on the public roads, walkways, and shopping areas. It reminded me of winter in Nagano, and I started to miss the old times. However, I am not excited for the coming winter in Strathmore, as it gets as cold as -40 degrees Celsius in January and February, and blizzards constantly come into the area.
Earlier in the month, on the 3rd of October, the “Terry Fox” event was held all around Canada and in schools. This is an event where we all celebrate and remember the amazing achievements of Terry Fox; how he ran across Canada from the East Coast to the West Coast, raised awareness of cancer and cancer treatments, and gathered funds for cancer research. We honoured his actions by running a lap around the lake. The school also held a cake auction where all of the profits from the buyers would be used as donations towards the Terry Fox Foundations and used for cancer research. The whole school and students gathered in the school gym and we got to join in the auction. There were many different kinds of cakes, starting from colourful and cute cakes to huge and eye-catching ones. Students and teachers would bid actual money and try to win the bet. Some cakes got bidded at $50, while others ranged to $370. It was an insane and awesome experience and was a great chance to see what bidding was like in real life.
On the next day, Strathmore High School held a major volleyball tournament in the school, where more than 10 high schools from Alberta would gather and compete with one another. The tournament would last for the whole day, and many students, friends, and parents gathered to cheer for their school team. As students of Strathmore High School, interested students got to watch during class time. I got to see how the club trains, plays, and cooperates as a team, and got me excited to practice and train for the volleyball club.
A few days later, another greater, more beautiful, and outstanding aurora appeared in the skies of Canada on the 7th of October. It blew all of our minds away, as it was vast and so colourful, and looked even greater than the previous one. A cool thing that we realized about the aurora is that it moves rapidly. We all took time-lapse videos to enjoy the movement of it.
On the 11th of October, many dorm students went on free dorm-organized trips to Calgary. This time, we went to the Chinook Mall – a shopping mall near downtown Calgary – and got to buy things for the winter. The mall was not as big as the CrossIron Mills that we went to last time, but still had many stores and places to roam about. My friends and I went to a Japanese restaurant for lunch. I did taste like real Japanese noodles, and we started to miss Japanese food.
As Halloween was approaching, the dorm organized a Pumpkin carving contest, where students went into pairs of two and carved actual pumpkins. I teamed up with a friend and carved a pumpkin that we thought looked good on the internet; one which had a tongue sticking out of the mouth. In the end, a team that carved out Mike Wazowski won but it was such a fun activity, as it was tiring and artistic.
On the 22nd of October, the international students went on a school-organized trip during class time to Activate – an indoor activity arena with lots of games to play with friends – in Calgary. There were many things to do such as laser games, tiles, shooting, basketball, and lots more. We would form a team and try to collect as many points as we could to win prizes in the end; an “activate” logo water bottle. We were tired and were always trying to figure out how to win the games, as they were all so different.
Another dorm trip was organized to the “Scream Fes” in Calgary; a horror, Halloween festival with haunted houses and scary rides. I went into all of the haunted houses and on all of the rides; they were thrilling, spooky, and scary. I liked and enjoyed the experience as it scared me multiple times, and as the rides – especially the coaster that goes up and down – because the view of Calgary was incredible from the high altitude.
On Halloween, we all dressed up and put on makeup to go trick-or-treating in the neighbourhood. We would go up to houses that had their porch light on, – as it is the sign that the house is still giving out treats – say “Trick or treat”, or “Happy Halloween”. The house owner would give us many treats and we would thank them and move on to the next house. I went trick or treating for an hour and a half, and as a result got so cold but ended up with bags full of snacks.
Starting this month, I have joined two extra-curricular activities in the high school; the job in the cafeteria and the student council. Working in the cafeteria was easier than I expected it to be, as I was a bit nervous and worried about the tasks I would be responsible for, and interfering with the customers. I serve the food onto the plates, prepare and organize dishes and orders, take orders, and proceed with payments. This is a great experience for me, as it gives me a chance to know and understand what it feels like to work in the service industry, and also because I get paid. The student council is the place where people join and are responsible for organizing, thinking of ideas, and holding events during the school year. I joined during the Halloween season; we prepared for the Halloween events that were to be held at school on the day including face painting booths, pumpkin carving booths, and other fun activities. I joined the face painting booth and we prepared paints, brushes, and many other things to be well prepared for the day and for the many students. I get to write both of these on my student profile, which would be beneficial for when I apply for universities in the future.
10月はとても充実した月で、生活に慣れて友達もできたので、本当に楽しかったです。気温も寒くなってきて、10月21日には今シーズン初雪が降りました。3日間溶けずに積もったままで、寮の仲間たちと一緒に校庭で初めての雪合戦を楽しんだり、カナダの雪景色や寒い冬の季節がどんなものかを実際に体験できました。周りの自然や道路、歩道、ショッピングエリアが雪に覆われていて、新しく綺麗な光景でした。長野の冬を思い出して、懐かしくなりました。ただ、1月や2月には-40℃にもなるストラスモアの冬がやってくると思うと、楽しみでいられないです。
10月3日には、カナダ全土で「テリー・フォックス・ラン」というイベントが行われました。これは、テリー・フォックスがカナダの東海岸から西海岸まで走って、がんとその治療についての認識を広め、がん研究のための資金を集めた偉業を覚えるイベントです。僕たちは湖の周りを一周走って彼の行動を尊敬しました。また、学校でケーキオークションも開催され、そのでの収益がテリー・フォックス・ファウンデーションへの寄付としてがん研究に使われます。学校全体が体育館に集まり、オークションに参加しました。色鮮やかで可愛いケーキから大きくて目を引くケーキまで、色々な種類がありました。学生や先生たちはお金をかけて競り合い、50ドルから最大で370ドルまで競り上がるものもありました。本物のオークションの雰囲気を体験できて、とても面白かったです。
翌日には、ストラスモア高校で大規模なバレーボール大会が開催され、アルバータ州から10校以上の高校が集まって試合をしました。大会は一日中続き、多くの生徒や友人、保護者が学校のチームを応援に来ました。興味がある生徒は授業時間中に観戦でき、僕もチームがどのように練習し、協力してプレーしているかを見ることができました。この経験がきっかけで、僕もバレーボール部に参加して練習したいという気持ちが湧いてきました。
数日後、10月7日に、カナダの空にまたオーロラが現れました。前回よりも広がりも色も鮮やかで、本当に感動的でした。オーロラが実際に早いスピードで動いていることに気付き、みんなでその動きをタイムラプス動画に収めました。
10月11日には、多くの寮生がカルガリーへの無料の旅行に参加しました。今回はダウンタウンの近くにあるチヌークモールに行き、冬用のアイテムを購入しました。前回行ったクロスアイロンミルズほど大きくはなかったけれど、いろんなお店があって十分に楽しめました。友達と一緒に日本食を食べ、日本食が少し恋しくなりました。
ハロウィンが近づいてきたので、寮でパンプキンカービングが開催されました。友達とペアを組んで、インターネットで見つけた舌を出した顔のデザインをカボチャに彫りました。最終的にマイク・ワゾウスキを彫ったチームが優勝しましたが、とても楽しくて、いい体験でした。
10月22日には、留学生のためにカナダを体験し旅するイベントがあり、今回は授業中にカルガリーにある「アクティベート」というとこに行きました。友達と一緒にレーザーゲームやタイル、シューティング、バスケットボールなど、たくさんのゲームを楽しみました。チームを組んでポイントを集め、最後には「アクティベート」のロゴ入り水筒をゲットしました。ゲームはどれも違っていて、勝つための方法を考えるのが大変でした。
さらに、カルガリーで行われる「スクリームフェス」にも寮の旅で行きました。ホラーハウスや怖い乗り物があるハロウィンイベントです。すべてのホラーハウスと乗り物に挑戦し、何度も怖がらされましたが、特に高いところからカルガリーを一望できるコースターが一番でした。
ハロウィン当日は、みんなで仮装をしてメイクをして、近所でトリックオアトリートをしました。玄関のライトがついている家は、まだお菓子を配っているサインで、「トリックオアトリート」や「ハッピーハロウィン」と言えば、家の人がたくさんお菓子をくれて、次の家へと進みました。1時間半くらい回って、寒さに耐えながらも、いっぱいお菓子をもらいました。
今月から高校の課外活動の参加し始めました。カフェテリアでの仕事と生徒会に入りました。カフェテリアの仕事は、緊張していたけど思っていたより簡単で、料理を盛り付けたり、皿を準備したり、オーダーを受けて支払いを進めたりしています。このような経験を大人になる前からできて良い体験だし、お給料ももらえるので嬉しいです。生徒会では、学校行事の企画や準備を手伝ったり、考えたりしてます。ハロウィンシーズンの準備の時期に参加し、フェイスペイントブースの準備や、ペイント道具やブラシなどの用意をしました。この二つの活動は生徒プロフィールにも書けるので、将来大学に出願するときに役立つと思います。
11月 カナダ州立学校生活 (イベント、寮生活、お出かけ）～November – Life at a Canadian Public School (Events, Dorm Life, and Outings)～
November was more of a relaxing month, and was the period to adapt to the changing climate; moving from the hot summers and mild autumns to the freezing and devastating long winters of Canada.
The weather here felt like it had suddenly changed. On the 18th of November and for 3 consecutive days after that, snow just kept on snowing the whole day. This accumulated to about 30 cm high and brought the start of the cold winter. Temperature ever since then has been cold, roaming at about -15 degrees Celsius during the day and -20 degrees Celsius during the night. The view of Strathmore has also instantly changed; from the bright-colored leaves and blue skies to the white grounds and grey skies. Since then snow has always stayed on the ground, as the temperature does not rise above 0 degrees Celsius anymore. Also, the lake near the dorm is now frozen, so we can get on it and walk on top of the thick ice.
On the 4th of November, I had a rather interesting assignment for my PE class, where I created a video of me explaining and going through the steps of the CPR procedure. I watched a few videos and documents about CPR and how it is supposed to be done in a real-life situation. As a result, I got a 100 mark for this assignment and ended my one-quarter PE class the next day with 84 as my final score.
November 11th marked the 93 year of remembrance day since 1931. Remembrance Day in Canada is a national holiday where we attend memorial services, wear poppies, and bow our heads, as it marks the signing of the end of World War 1. The school organized the remembrance day service on the 6th of November, and all students were required to go to the school theatre once during the day to attend the memorial activity; the music band played music, we all stood in silence for a minute, and heard speeches from officials related to this event.
The 7th of November was free Slurpee day in Canada. A Slurpee is a popular cold drink served in many convenience stores including 7/11. To celebrate this, 7/11 gives out free Slurpees on the 7th of November to people around the store. I went to get some with my friends and I thought that convenience stores in Japan should also start something similar to this to increase customers and profits.
A trip to a Christmas market was organized by the dorm on the 16th of November in Calgary. It was a big area with farms, horses, big wooden buildings, and many tall Christmas trees. The Christmas trees would illuminate in the night and would look amazing in the darkness, as they were everywhere at the place and were very tall and big. Inside the wooden buildings were stored with clothes and items for the upcoming cold, toys and gifts, and food and beverages. I got to go through all of the stores and enjoyed the Christmas feeling. I got some dinner there but didn’t get anything to buy, as everything was very expensive.
On the 28th of November, I signed up with 3 other friends to work as the scorekeeper for the upcoming basketball tournaments being held at Strathmore High School. We would get paid 10$ per game and multiple games would be held during the whole basketball season. The teacher who organized this was very kind and would teach all of us how to score-keep, and all of the other details that we would need to know beforehand. I found this interesting because one, I wanted a source of income and thought that this was a good way to start with, and secondly because I want to work on my extra-curricular activities for applying to universities in the future.
The 29th of November was the basketball tournament in the dorm to determine which dorm was the best in the game of basketball. It was a competition between Dorms 1,2,3 versus Dorm 4. Dorms 1,2,3 consisted of many players who had a certain level of basketball experience and some who were even on the basketball team in high school. Dorm 4 consisted of players who also had certain play skills of basketball, ones who had just learned the sport this year, and exceptionally good players. The match was a close one, with Dorms 1,2,3 winning with just a few points ahead of Dorm 4.
Recently, I have started to have an interest in the game of volleyball, as it is a very popular sport in Canada, it is a team game and is very fun to play. Every weekend, I go to the George Freeman school – a junior high school on the east side of Strathmore with a huge indoor multi-activity gymnasium – to practice and play volleyball with my other friends. These friends of mine are good volleyball players and somewhat are like my personal coach! I am very lucky to be friends with them and able to go together with them to play the sport.
Christmas is becoming a big deal during this time of season; starting November 1st, the day right after Halloween. Houses and streets would start to look and decorate like Christmas, restaurants and food stores would start selling Christmas edition goods, and merch stores would start selling those decorations. Major stores like Walmart and Canadian Tire would have huge sections of the store taken up by Christmas decoration isles, with lots of varieties and quantities.
It is my third month here since I first came to Canada, and as I spend most of my time in school, I start to think about academics, universities, and our futures. I talk with my friends about their plans, go to teachers to ask questions and to find answers, and also go on the internet to gather information about applications and grades.
In this first semester, I take Math 10C, English 10-1, Aboriginal studies, PE, and Fitness. My grades at this point average at 88, which is a great start at grade 10. Next semester, I will be taking Social 10-2, Science 10, Marketing and Management, French, and Industrial Design.
Although I do work hard to maintain and keep my grades from falling every single day in school, most universities, including prestigious ones, don’t look at nor require academic scores from grade 10. Therefore, teachers and students only focus on school studies during grades 11 and 12. Grade 10 is more of a period for students to get used to high school life, as there is a big difference between junior high studies and high school studies.
There are multiple universities in the province of Alberta, and some others that international students from the dorms tend to aim for. The University of Alberta and the University of Calgary are popular choices for many from the area and from international countries that many teachers from the school also recommend for the graduates. The University of Alberta and the University of Calgary both are public universities, where U of A is located in the city of Edmonton, and U of C is in Calgary. U of A is ranked 111th in the world, and 4th in Canada, making it a prestigious university in Canada. U of A is ranked 242nd in the world, and 9th in Canada. Both universities have many faculties and have big campuses in and outside of the city areas. I am personally and more interested in the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. Both of these universities are top Canadian prestigious universities. UBC ranks 34th in the world, and 2nd place in Canada, while U of T ranks 21st globally, and is the most prestigious in Canada. They are both very highly competitive universities and well-reputed. Not many graduates from Strathmore High School go to UBC or U of T, however, a few dorm students do get accepted to them every year.
Whether a student has the potential to get accepted into a certain university is mostly determined by a student’s grade and his or her extra-curricular participation. 80+ for grades 11 and 12 grades are considered acceptable for U of A, with sufficient extra-curricular activities, while 86+ for UBC with great extra-curricular activities, and 93+ for U of T with perfect extra-curricular activity participation. As my grade is currently averaging 88, I believe that UBC would be a great aim for me.
The school has an interesting grading system that separates students from different levels of classes. Every core subject – English LA, Mathematics, Social, and Science – has 3 levels of difficulty in one grade and each has slightly different names. I will use Social 10 as an example. Social has 3 levels in every grade; Social 10-2, Social 10-1, and Social Honors at the highest. These classes are based on a student’s academic level, their interest in the subject, and their future. A final grade of 0-50 is considered a fail and the student would have to re-take the same class in the next semester (for example, Social 10-2 in S1, and again in S2), 50-64 is a pass, and would keep the student in the same level class in the next grade level (Social 10-2 in G10, Social 20-2 in G11), 65-90 would take the student to the next grade class and to the next level (Social 10-2 in G10, Social 20-1 is G11), and a 90+ would take the student to the highest class in the next grade class (Social 10-2 in G10, Social 20 Honors). 0-50 is a fail, 50-69 is sufficient, 70-89 is high, and 90+ is excellent. Not all of this information is correct but it is about right.
Apart from the exams that are taken multiple times during a semester in every subject class, there is a final exam that every core-subject class has for every student to take at the end of the semester. In my case, I would have a final exam for my Math 10C class and English LA 10-1 class during the end of January.
11月は比較的リラックスした月で、気温が下がるのに慣れる時期でした。涼しい秋から、カナダの寒くて厳しい長い冬に移る時期でもありました。天気は突然変わったように感じました。11月18日からその後の3日間は雪が一日中降り続き、約30cm積もりました。それ以降の気温はずっと寒く、日中は-15度、夜は-20度前後を行き来してました。ストラスモアの景色も変わりました。明るい色の葉と青い空から、白い地面と灰色の空に変わりました。雪は地面に積もり続け、気温が0度以上に上がることはありませんでした。寮の近くの湖は凍り、厚い氷の上を歩けました。
11月4日には体育の面白い課題をしました。それは、CPRの説明しながらビデオを作るものでした。CPRについてのビデオや資料を見て、実際にはどのように行うかを学びました。その結果、100点を取ることができ、次の日に体育の授業を84点で終えました。
11月11日は、カナダで戦争で亡くなった人を追悼する日「レメンブランスデー」でした。カナダでは、この日は国の祝日で、戦争が終わったことを記念し、記念式典に参加したり、赤いポピーをつけて黙祷を捧げたりします。学校では11月6日にレメンブランスデーの式典が行われ、生徒全員が劇場で参加しました。音楽バンドが演奏し、1分間の黙祷があり、関係者からの言葉がありました。
11月7日はカナダの「フリースラーピーデー」でした。スラーピーは、セブンイレブンで売られている人気の冷たい飲み物です。この日、セブンイレブンでは無料でスラーピーを配っていました。友達と一緒に行き、日本のコンビニでもこのようなイベントを始めるべきだと思いました。
11月16日にはカルガリーのクリスマスマーケットに行きました。そこには農場や馬、木造の建物、そして大きなクリスマスツリーがたくさんありました。夜になるとクリスマスツリーがライトアップされ、とても綺麗に見えました。店に中には洋服や冬アイテム、ギフト、食べ物や飲み物がたくさんありました。すべての店を回り、クリスマスの雰囲気を楽しみました。
11月28日、私は3人の友達と一緒にストラスモア高校で開催されるバスケットボールトーナメントの得点係としてサインアップしました。1試合ごとに10ドルもらい、シーズン中に何回も試合が行われます。先生はとても優しく、得点係の方法や注意点を教えてくれました。私はこれに興味を持ったのは、収入を得る良い方法だと思ったからと、大学に出願する時に、課外活動を強化するためにも良いと考えたからです。
11月29日には、寮内でバスケットボールトーナメントが行われ、寮で一番のチームを決める勝負になりました。寮1,2,3チームにはバスケの経験があるプレイヤーが多く、高校のバスケチームに入っている人もいました。寮4チームは、今年からバスケを始めた人や優れたプレイヤーが揃っていました。試合は接戦となり、寮1,2,3チームが勝利しました。
最近、カナダでの人気スポーツであるバレーボールに興味を持ち始めました。バレーボールはチームスポーツで、楽しくプレイできます。毎週末、私はストラスモア東部にあるジョージ・フリーマン・スクールの体育館で友達と一緒にバレーボールを練習しています。友達はみんなバレーボールがうまく、私の個人コーチのようです！
クリスマスの雰囲気がこの時期、だんだん大きく、強くなってきました。11月1日、ハロウィンの翌日から、家や街中はクリスマスの飾り付けがされ、レストランや店ではクリスマス商品が売られ、店では飾り物が並び始めました。ウォルマートやカナディアンタイヤの大きな店では、クリスマスの装飾が大量に並べられた大きなコーナーができました。
カナダに来て3ヶ月目を迎え、学校で過ごす時間が多いため、学業や大学、未来について考えるようになりました。友達とその計画について話し、先生に質問して答えを探し、インターネットで応募方法や成績について調べています。
今学期、私は数学10C、英語10-1、アボリジニ研究、体育、フィットネスの5科目を取っています。現在の成績平均点は88点で、順調なスタートです。来学期は、社会10-2、理科10、マーケティング＆マネジメント、フランス語、工業デザインを取ります。
10年生の時点で成績を維持するために毎日努力していますが、大半の大学では、特に名門校などでは、10年生の成績を重視していません。そのため、11年生と12年生の成績が大事になってきます。10年生は、高校生活に慣れるための期間としてあるみたいなものです。中学と高校の学校には大きな違いがあるためです。
アルバータ州にはいくつかの大学があり、寮の留学生たちが目指す大学もいくつかあります。アルバータ大学とカルガリー大学は、多くの地元や留学生が選ぶ人気の大学で、学校の先生たちも卒業生におすすめしています。アルバータ大学は世界で111位、カナダで4位にランクされており、非常に名門です。カルガリー大学は世界で242位、カナダで9位です。どちらの大学も、多くの学部を持ち、市内外に広いキャンパスがあります。
私自身は、ブリティッシュコロンビア大学（UBC）とトロント大学（U of T）に興味があります。どちらもカナダのトップ大学で、UBCは世界で34位・カナダで2位、U of Tは世界で21位・カナダで１位である大学です。どちらも競争が激しく、評判の良い大学です。ストラスモア高校からUBCやU of Tに進学する卒業生はあまり多くありませんが、毎年数人の寮生が進学しています。
大学に入学できるかどうかは、成績と課外活動の参加に大きく左右されます。UBCは85点以上で、課外活動も優れていれば現実的であり、U of Tは90点以上で完璧な課外活動参加が求められます。現在の成績は88点なので、UBCを目指すのが良いと思っています。
学校の成績システムは、生徒を様々なレベルのクラスに分けるものです。全ての主要科目ー英語、数学、社会、科学ーには、それぞれ異なる難易度の3つのレベルがあります。例えば、社会10の場合、社会10-2、社会10-1、社会オナーズの3つのレベルがあります。このクラスのレベルは、生徒の学力と関心、将来の進路に基づいています。成績が0-50点の場合は不合格となり、同じクラスを再び受けることになります（例：社会10-2をS1で取った場合、S2でも再び社会10-2）。50-64点は合格で、次の学年でも同じレベルのクラスが続きます（例：社会10-2から社会20-2）。65-90点は次のレベルのクラスに進みます（例：社会10-2から社会20-1）。90点以上なら、次の学年で最上級のクラスに進むことができます（例：社会10-2から社会20オナーズ）。0-50点は不合格、50-69点は十分、70-89点は高い、90点以上は優れた成績です。この情報の細かい部分は若干異なるかもしれません。
各科目には学期中に何度も試験があり、最終試験もあります。私の場合、数学10Cと英語10-1の最終試験が1月末に予定されています。
12月 カナダ州立学校生活 (試験勉強、クリスマスシーズン）～December – Life at a Canadian Public School (Exam Preparation and the Christmas Season)～
December was an exciting month, as the winter holidays approached, preparation for the final exams got intense, and the climate got harsh. It was my favourite month out of all that I have spent so far.
As the weather gets colder every day, our surrounding environment starts to have an influence. The lake situated only 10 minutes from the Dorm by walk, has gone frozen. Now, people are allowed to physically walk on the lake as long as the ice is thick enough. My friend and I went to visit the lake one day, and it was such a fun, but weird and scary experience, as both of us had never seen or walked on top of a frozen lake. Surrounding the lake were signs put up to indicate the thickness of the ice, so that people would be aware of when the right time to walk on the lake would be.
On the 2nd of December, my fitness class went on a trip to Calgary to experience boxing. We went to a boxing studio, where there was an instructor who taught us basic boxing knowledge and skills that we would use during the session. We boxed with the rhythm of the music, and we all had so much fun. It was very tiring, but at the same time refreshing, as it was icy cold outside of the building.
I went to watch the Junior Girls Basketball team competition that was held in Strathmore High School on the 6th of December. My friends and I cheered them on and supported them by shouting, clapping, and holding up posters with their names on them. All of the players looked so cool and confident, and it gave me motivation to focus on sports and join the sports clubs.
The High School “Snowcoming” dance party was on December 12, and many students from the school joined the party. The boys wore suits, and the girls wore skirts and dresses. Even the teachers in the school joined and danced with us. There were drinks and snacks sold, a photo booth, and a DJ in control of the music and the vibe. It was the first time I joined a party with friends close to me and at the same age. The party was fun, and such a good experience. I would join the other party planned during the spring at school.
On the following day, we went to Nakiska ski resort on a Dorm-organized trip. It is located in Banff, Alberta, which is part of the Rocky Mountains. There, I got to ski for 5 hours, and it was such a great day. Since I hadn’t skied in 2 years, I was a bit afraid if I’d be able to ski as I did before. However, it turned out that that wasn’t the case, and I could ski freely without any freight. The ski resort and the view of the mountains from the area were magnificent and were like a piece of art. The mountains were very rocky and pointy and had no trees at the peak. This form of the mountain is something that I haven’t seen ever in my life, as they look different from the ones in Japan, and are way more wild and breath-taking.
On December 14, my friends and I went to school on the weekend at night to see the lighting up of illuminations. There were many Christmas trees decorated, Santa and his fellow reindeer, free hot chocolate, free horse rides, fireplaces, and lots more to enjoy. The quality of the lights was as good as the ones we saw at the Christmas market we visited in Calgary about a month ago, and perhaps better.
I had 2 weeks of winter holiday, and it ended in a flash. I visited Vancouver for the first 8 days and spent the last 5 days in Calgary together with my family. I had a great time exploring parts of Canada that I always wanted to go to, and gave me excitement for my future.
Vancouver is a big city that is located on the west coast of Canada, just 4 hours by car from Seattle, America. The climate there during the winter is very humid, cloudy, rainy, and mild. However, the city itself is very enjoyable. The city is big, with many tall buildings, restaurants, and entertainment. It felt like a bigger version of Calgary. I walked around the city center, went to shopping malls, visited Stanley Park, and lots more. The night lights of the buildings were beautiful and the view from the lookout tower was amazing. During this time, I also went to the University of British Columbia, because I wanted to see the university that I am working towards firsthand. The campus itself is humongous. It has a residential area with apartments for students and other people, clean and well-maintained huge roads, modern and iconic faculty buildings, and an atmosphere of winning and success. I was surprised about all of this, as I was not expecting too much. After this visit, it made me more motivated to pursue my goal; to get accepted into UBC. At this point, it had been 4 months since I had come to Canada, and obviously, it would make me desperate for Japanese food. We had dinner at many Japanese cuisine restaurants that serve ramen, sushi, and all sorts. I was again surprised at how authentic the taste of each dish was and made me feel like I was in Japan. I miss Japan. Finally, on the final day in Vancouver, I went to Whistler; a small town located north of Vancouver, known for ski resorts and mountain courses. It was snowing consistently, unlike Vancouver, and was nice. There were shopping stores, hotels, restaurants, and lots more to look around. It was a surprise to me once again, as Whistler was more developed and popular than I thought it would be, as there were tourists everywhere, transportation systems were stable, and the buildings were stylish.
After the stay in Vancouver, I took a flight to Calgary and spent the next 5 nights there. During this stay, we celebrated New Year’s and moved into 2025. We went to Prince’s Island Park – a huge part located north of the city – to look at the New Year’s Day festival, and to move into 2025. There, people skated on the frozen river, danced to the music, joined the dragon parade, and had a fun and cold time. As midnight was approaching, many people gathered near the skating rink on the river to have a clear view of the fireworks that would shoot up at 0:00 am. Luckily, I got a clear view of the whole thing, and it was such a magical time. There were so many fireworks that kept shooting up consistently for about 10 minutes; every one of them was unique, interesting, and huge. It was such a great experience, and I thought that more cities in Japan should do the same every year as well. During the cold winters, walking around and getting to different places in Calgary is tough, as the weather can be extremely cold at times; ranging to -20 degrees Celsius at times. This is why the city has built indoor bridges that connect tall buildings in the city center so that people can stay inside in the warm air while moving from one place to another. I like this idea, as it is convenient, there are stores all around the area, and all of the bridges are different and unique. It also gives people the chance to explore different parts of the city while reaching their destination. On the final day in Calgary, we visited Banff, located west of Calgary in the Rocky Mountains. Banff is a small town, similar to Whistler in British Columbia. There are stores, restaurants, lots of nature, and touristy activities. It was my second time visiting there, and I had a good time.
12月は冬休みが近づき、期末試験の準備が本格化し、気候も厳しくなる中で、とても刺激的な月でした。これまで過ごした中で一番好きな月だったと思います。
毎日寒さが増すにつれ、周囲の環境にも変化が現れます。寮から徒歩10分ほどの場所にある湖が凍り、人々は氷の厚さが十分な時に限り、湖の上を歩くことができるようになります。ある日、友人とその湖へ行きました。私たちは凍った湖を見るのも歩くのも初めてだったので、とても楽しくもあり、不思議で少し怖い体験でした。湖の周りには、氷の厚さを示す看板が設置されており、人々が安全に歩けるタイミングを判断できるようになっていました。
12月2日には、フィットネスクラスの一環でカルガリーへ行き、ボクシング体験をしました。スタジオではインストラクターの方が、基本的な動き方や技術を教えてくれ、音楽のリズムに合わせてボクシングを楽しみました。とても疲れましたが、外は凍えるように寒かったので、体を動かすのは爽快でした。
12月6日には、ストラスモア高校で行われた女子ジュニアバスケットボールチームの試合を観戦しました。友人たちと一緒に名前入りのポスターを掲げ、拍手や声援で応援しました。選手たちはみんなかっこよく、自信に満ちていて、自分もスポーツにもっと力を入れようという気持ちになりました。
12月12日には、高校の「Snowcoming」ダンスパーティーが開かれ、多くの生徒が参加しました。男子はスーツ、女子はドレスやスカートを着ており、先生たちも一緒にダンスを楽しんでいました。ドリンクやスナックの販売、フォトブース、DJによる音楽演出など、盛り上がりは最高でした。友人たちと同年代の仲間と一緒にパーティーに参加するのは初めてで、とても楽しく貴重な経験になりました。春に予定されている次のパーティーにも参加したいと思います。
翌日、寮主催の旅行でナキスカ・スキーリゾートに行きました。場所はロッキー山脈の一部であるアルバータ州のバンフにあります。そこで5時間スキーを楽しみました。2年ぶりのスキーだったので少し不安でしたが、意外にもすぐ感覚を取り戻し、自由に滑ることができました。山々の景色はまるで芸術作品のようで、岩が多く尖った形状は日本の山とは全く違い、荒々しくも美しい光景でした。
12月14日には、週末の夜に友人と一緒に学校で開催されたイルミネーション点灯式を見に行きました。たくさんのクリスマスツリー、サンタとトナカイ、無料のホットチョコレートや馬車、焚き火など、見どころが満載でした。カルガリーで1か月前に訪れたクリスマスマーケットのイルミネーションと同じくらい、もしくはそれ以上に美しかったです。
冬休みは2週間ありましたが、あっという間に終わりました。最初の8日間はバンクーバーで、残りの5日間は家族とカルガリーで過ごしました。ずっと行ってみたかったカナダ各地を巡ることができ、とても楽しく、将来への期待が膨らみました。
バンクーバーはアメリカのシアトルから車で4時間ほどの距離にある、カナダ西海岸の大都市です。冬の気候は湿気が多く、曇りや雨の日が多く、穏やかです。都市自体はとても活気があり、高層ビル、レストラン、エンターテイメント施設がたくさんあります。カルガリーをより大きくしたような印象でした。市街地を歩いたり、ショッピングモールやスタンレーパークを訪れたり、展望タワーから夜景を眺めたりしました。
また、自分が将来目指しているブリティッシュコロンビア大学（UBC）にも行ってみました。キャンパスはとても広く、学生や地域の人々が住む住宅エリア、整備された道路、モダンな校舎、そして「成功」を感じさせる雰囲気がありました。想像以上に素晴らしく、この訪問でUBCへの進学意欲がさらに高まりました。
カナダに来て4か月が経っていたので、日本食が恋しくなり、ラーメンや寿司などを出す日本料理店をいくつも訪れました。どの店も本格的な味で、日本にいるような気分になりました。
最終日には、スキーリゾートで有名なウィスラーという町を訪れました。バンクーバーよりも雪が多く、街はおしゃれで観光客でにぎわっていました。交通の便も整っており、想像以上に発展した場所で驚きました。
その後カルガリーに戻り、残りの5日間を過ごしました。滞在中には新年を迎え、2025年になりました。元日はプリンスアイランドパークへ行き、新年のお祭りを楽しみました。人々は凍った川の上でスケートをしたり、音楽に合わせて踊ったり、ドラゴンパレードを見たりして、寒いながらも盛り上がっていました。
真夜中が近づくと、多くの人が花火を見るために川沿いに集まりました。午前0時になると花火が次々と打ち上がり、10分ほどの間、絶え間なく空を彩りました。一つひとつが大きく、個性的で感動的でした。日本の都市でも、毎年このような新年の花火を行えばいいのにと思いました。
冬のカルガリーは非常に寒く、時にはマイナス20度にもなるため、移動が大変です。そのため市内中心部には、高層ビル同士をつなぐ屋内通路があり、寒さを避けながら移動できます。通路内には多くの店舗があり、それぞれの橋が異なるデザインで面白いです。目的地に向かいながら街を探索できるのも魅力だと感じました。
最終日には再びバンフを訪れました。カルガリーの西に位置するロッキー山脈の中にある小さな町で、自然と観光が融合したとても素敵な場所です。2回目の訪問でしたが、今回も楽しい時間を過ごせました。
1月 カナダ州立学校生活 (6月9月へ進級準備）～January – Life at a Canadian Public School (Preparation for Advancing to June and September)～
Starting the second week in January, preparation for the final exam had become intense. Students studied and revised their final exam subjects that were coming up. In my case, it was English and math. For my English class preparation, I worked on revising the texts that we studied during the whole course, practiced some reading comprehension tests, and wrote a few mock essays mimicking the final essay. For math, I solved many problems from all the units I had studied during the first semester, worked on extra practice tests, and made sure that I would not make any unnecessary mistakes on the real test. Teachers helped and encouraged us by preparing texts and resources for us to use, providing time during school periods to focus on studying and giving us hints about what would be expected on the day. I would stay up till midnight for 2-3 days before the exam dates, as I wanted to do as much as I could within the time that I had left.
My English final exam was on the 17th of January, and was done in two different parts; Part A and Part B. In the morning was Part A, the written component of the test; a critical analysis essay written about one of the texts we studied during the course, and linked to the topic to be written about. The topic would be something along the lines of “discuss the impact that the environment had on an individual’s identity” or something like “discuss the link between responsibility and happiness”. The essay would be 2-3 pages long with 3 hours to write, a critical analysis essay, and to be written about only one specific character in the text and the changes and shifts that have gone through him/her throughout the story. Part B was held in the afternoon on the same day; the reading comprehension text. This consisted of 65 multiple-choice questions. The texts in this test were both fiction and non-fiction; while some were from interviews and newspaper articles, others were from novels and Shakespeare. The essay was held in a classroom on the upper floor with the same class students, while the RC test was held in the school gymnasium; all grade 10 students who took English in the first semester had done their RC test in the afternoon. It was an interesting experience and sight, as I don’t often see the gym packed with chairs and tables and students focused on their papers. During our exam, the grade 12 students were simultaneously writing their Alberta high school diploma exams, which made the atmosphere even more nervous. After Part A of the test, I, unfortunately, was not 100% satisfied with my writing; after halfway through the essay, I started to regret my choice of text to write for the essay, which got me distracted and worried about the finish. Also, I was worried that I hadn’t written enough support and evidence from the story to prove my points, as I had a feeling that I was leaving something out. After I had finished writing, I had my lunch break and went to the gym to do the RC test at 1 pm. The reading comprehension test on the other hand was fairly easy, as it felt easier than the ones I had practiced with. At this point, I had a good feeling about my Part B grade, but not so for my Part A section. In the end, I got 71 for Part A and 78 for Part B and ended my English 10-1 class with an 80% as my final average grade that would go on the record.
My Math exam was on the 21st of January, 4 days after my English test. This gave me time to prepare and revise the units that I had visited during the course. This math test only consisted of one part in the morning; a test including multiple choice questions, written answers, and numerical responses. I worked on the practice questions and resources online for the remaining days. On the day of the exam, I was confident and didn’t feel that nervous, even though all grade 10 students who took math in the first semester were packed in the gym together with the grade 12 students writing their diplomas on the other side of the gym. After I finished answering all of the problems, I was happy and very excited for the 2-week holiday to start. I was also confident with the result of the exam, and couldn’t wait for the grade to come back. After all, my math final exam grade was 96, and ended my math 10C course with an average of 97.
During the 2 weeks of holiday that we had after the final exams, I felt completely free from school work and could enjoy time for myself and do the things that I wanted to do and just enjoy the time. I made myself a to-do list of all of the things that I wanted to do and complete during this time; cleaning up the room, watching movies, organizing and preparing things for the second semester, and practicing intense badminton for the upcoming tryout at the start of February.
On the 31st of January at Strathmore High School, the Alberta Student Leadership Council (ASLC) training session was held for students in Strathmore who were interested and who were going to participate in this grand event. ASLC is an event held once a year in high schools all around the province of Alberta, where students take the initiative and lead the event and the planned activities with other 500 participating students from other areas in Alberta. The host school’s students (in this year’s case, it is students from Strathmore High School who are interested) would be leaders for three days, organizing, planning, and creating an entertaining vibe in the school. It would be a chance for students from all around Alberta to engage with one another, create new friends, and a chance to get to know what other schools are hosting for this major event. There will be group activities, food and drinks, parties and music, and lots more for everyone to enjoy during the three days. We hosts need to make sure that everything runs accordingly and work together so that the event would be a success, and so that the visitors would have a good time. For this to be accomplished, we first needed to connect and bond to create friendship within each other, get to know each other, and understand what this ASLC event is. The training we had on this day was an orientation and workshop training session for four hours. During this time, we got to meet other interested people in the school and become friends with them. We played many group activities, brainstormed ideas and methods for the day, learned ways to handle the workload, and cooperated throughout the whole time. This was such a great chance for us hosts to get closer and understand this event. I had a great time doing workshops and training activities with students that I hadn’t met, or talked to before. This reminded me of my time in elementary school in ISN when I was doing UOI. It reminds me of the discussions, the group activities, bonding, and the problem-solving that I did for many years when I was younger. It felt interesting and I was surprised how this “method” of teaching and connecting a large group of people is used all the way in Alberta, Canada as well. It made me feel like the time that I spent doing UOI and all of the conversations and thinking was worth doing, as I realized that this “method” was truly a success in the training session. Everyone was happy and more confident than before, we all got to make new friends, and we all had a great time and were excited for the event to come. I had an awesome time.
So, how did you enjoy the second part of my study abroad experience in Canada?
Actually, February, March, and April are still left to share, but since there’s so much to cover, I’ll save those for the next “Reflection Edition” for everyone to enjoy.
So, everyone, stay tuned and look forward to it! 🌈
1月第2週から、期末試験の準備が本格的になりました。生徒たちは間もなく行われる期末試験の科目を勉強し、復習しました。私の場合は、英語と数学が対象でした。英語の授業準備としては、コース全体で学んだテキストの復習、読解問題の練習、そして期末エッセイを模した模擬エッセイをいくつか書きました。数学については、1学期に学んだ全ての単元の問題を解き、追加の練習問題にも取り組み、試験本番で不要なミスをしないように準備しました。先生たちは、使用する教材やリソースを用意してくれたり、授業時間中に勉強に集中できる時間を設けてくれたり、試験当日に求められることについてのヒントを与えてくれたりして、私たちを助け、励ましてくれました。私は、残りの時間でできる限りのことをしたかったので、試験の2〜3日前は深夜まで勉強することもありました。
私の英語の期末試験は1月17日に行われ、2つのパート（Part AとPart B）に分かれていました。午前中はPart A、筆記試験の部分で、コースで学んだテキストの1つについて批評的分析エッセイを書くもので、指定されたテーマに関連させて書く内容でした。テーマは「環境が個人のアイデンティティに与えた影響について論じる」や「責任と幸福の関係について論じる」といった内容でした。エッセイは2〜3ページ、3時間で書く批評的分析エッセイで、テキストの特定の1キャラクターについて、その人物が物語を通して経験した変化や変遷を分析して書くものでした。午後はPart B、読解テストが行われました。これは65問の選択問題で、テキストはフィクション・ノンフィクション両方から出題され、インタビューや新聞記事、また小説やシェイクスピアの作品からも出題されました。エッセイは同じクラスの生徒と上階の教室で行われ、読解テストは学校の体育館で行われました。1学期に英語を受けた全ての10年生が午後に読解テストを受けました。体育館が椅子と机で埋め尽くされ、全員が真剣に試験に取り組む様子はあまり見られない光景で、興味深かったです。試験中、12年生は同時にアルバータ州の高校卒業試験を受けており、緊張感がさらに増していました。
Part Aの試験後、私は残念ながら自分の文章に100％満足していませんでした。エッセイの途中で選んだテキストについて後悔し始め、集中力が乱れ、仕上げに不安を感じました。また、論点を裏付ける十分な証拠を書き込めていないのではないかと心配になりました。エッセイを書き終えた後、昼食休憩を取り、午後1時に体育館で読解テストを受けました。読解テストは、練習していたものよりも比較的簡単に感じ、Part Bの点数には良い感触を持ちましたが、Part Aにはあまり自信が持てませんでした。最終的に、Part Aは71点、Part Bは78点で、英語10-1の最終平均は80％となりました。
数学の試験は1月21日、英語の試験から4日後に行われました。この間に、学習した単元を復習し、準備する時間がありました。数学の試験は午前中のみで、選択問題、記述問題、数値解答を含む1部構成でした。残りの日は、練習問題やオンライン教材で学習を続けました。試験当日は、自信を持って臨み、緊張もあまり感じませんでした。10年生の全ての生徒が体育館に集まり、反対側では12年生が卒業試験を受けていました。問題をすべて解き終えた後、2週間の休暇が始まることに非常にワクワクしました。試験の結果にも自信があり、点数が返ってくるのを待ちきれませんでした。最終的に数学の期末試験は96点で、数学10Cの最終平均は97となりました。
期末試験後の2週間の休暇中は、学校の課題から完全に解放され、自分の時間を楽しみ、やりたいことを自由にできました。やりたいことのリストを作り、部屋の掃除、映画鑑賞、2学期の準備・整理、2月初めのバドミントントライアウトに向けた集中的な練習などを行いました。
1月31日、Strathmore High Schoolで、Alberta Student Leadership Council（ASLC）のトレーニングセッションが開催されました。これは、Strathmoreの生徒で参加希望者が対象で、この大規模なイベントに参加するための準備でした。ASLCは、アルバータ州全体の高校で年に1回開催されるイベントで、生徒が主体となり、他の地域から参加する約500人の生徒と共に、企画や活動を運営します。主催校の生徒（今年はStrathmore High Schoolの参加希望者）は3日間リーダーとして活動し、学校でのイベントを計画・運営し、楽しい雰囲気を作ります。州内の生徒同士が交流し、新しい友達を作り、他校のイベント運営を知る機会でもあります。グループ活動、食事や飲み物、パーティーや音楽など、3日間で様々なことが行われます。ホストとして、イベントが円滑に進むよう協力し、訪問者が楽しめるようにする必要があります。そのためには、まず互いに親睦を深め、ASLCイベントの意義を理解することが求められました。
当日のトレーニングは、4時間のオリエンテーションとワークショップ形式で行われ、他の参加希望者と出会い、友達になる機会がありました。グループ活動やアイデア出し、作業負荷の対処方法を学び、協力して活動を進めました。ホストとして、他の生徒と親しくなり、イベントの理解を深める素晴らしい機会でした。以前会ったことのない生徒と一緒にワークショップやトレーニングを行い、とても楽しかったです。この経験は、小学校時代にISNでUOI（Unit of Inquiry）を行っていた時のことを思い出させました。ディスカッションやグループ活動、協力、問題解決の経験が、このトレーニングでも同じように活かされていることに驚きました。UOIでの経験や会話、思考が価値あるものであったことを実感できました。皆が以前より自信を持ち、新しい友達を作り、イベントに向けてわくわくしていました。とても素晴らしい時間を過ごしました。
ということで、カナダ留学後編はいかがでしたか？
実はまだ2月、3月、4月と残っているのですが、とてもボリュームが多くそちらは次回の「振り返り編」として皆様にお楽しみいただこうと思います。それではみなさん、お楽しみに～！🌈
