What an exciting week filled with so many special events! There was so much for the children to enjoy, discover, and experience.
イベントが盛りだくさんだった今週！子どもたちにとって、楽しいことがいっぱいの一週間になりました。
First up, our bus trip!
We weren’t able to go on our spring excursion due to bad weather, but this time, the weather gradually cleared up, and we were welcomed by beautiful autumn sunshine. It turned out to be a perfect day for an outing!As part of our Unit 3, Express Our Feelings, we visited the Matsumoto City Museum of Art, hoping to give the children an opportunity to experience different forms of expression through art.As soon as we arrived, the children were fascinated by the impressive artwork at the entrance. As they explored, we heard comments such as, “Oh, there’s a butterfly!” and “I wonder if that’s a tulip?” They were curious and excited to discover different shapes and designs.There were also many international visitors at the museum, and some children confidently greeted them with a cheerful “Hello!” It was lovely to see them enjoying not only the artwork but also the opportunity to connect with other people.After the museum, we headed to Agatanomori Park! The children had a wonderful time exploring the colorful playground equipment and enjoying the various play structures. After all that active play, their tummies were ready for the best part of the day: lunchtime!They had been looking forward to their lunchboxes since the morning. It was so sweet to see them showing each other what they had brought and saying, “That looks delicious!” Thank you, families, for preparing such wonderful lunchboxes filled with love and care!
まずは、バストリップです！
春の遠足はあいにくの悪天候で行くことができませんでしたが、今回は途中からきれいな秋晴れの空が広がり、絶好のお出かけ日和となりました。Unit 3「Express Our Feelings」の学びにもつながるように、今回は松本市美術館へ行ってきました。入り口からインパクトのあるオブジェに目を奪われながら、「あ、ちょうちょがある！」「これはチューリップかなぁ？」と、さまざまなアートを楽しむ子どもたち。海外からのお客さんも多く、「Hello!」と自分からあいさつをする姿も見られました。アートを楽しむだけでなく、人との出会いや交流も楽しんでいた子どもたちでした。その後は、あがたの森公園へ移動！色とりどりの遊具やアスレチックを思いきり楽しみ、おなかもペコペコになったところで、いよいよお待ちかねのお弁当タイムです！朝から楽しみにしていたお弁当。お互いのお弁当を見せ合いながら、「おいしそうだね！」と話す姿もとてもかわいらしかったです。愛情たっぷりの素敵なお弁当をありがとうございました！
Next, let’s take a look at our UOI!
In Unit 3, Express Our Feelings, we continue to explore emotions through different everyday situations. We encourage the children to think about their own feelings and those of others by asking questions such as, “Why do you think that person feels that way?” and “When do you feel like that?”
Here are some of the children’s thoughts:
- “They are sad because they have tears.”
- “I feel sad when my friend takes my toy.”
- “They’re happy because their mouth is smiling!”
- “I feel happy when I eat chocolate pancakes!”
- “They’re angry because their face looks scary.”
- “I get angry when I have a fight with my friend.”
The children are sharing their ideas based on what they observe and their own experiences.We are exploring not only feelings such as happiness, sadness, and anger, but also other emotions and sensations, including feeling scared, surprised, hot, or cold.One feeling that seems a little more challenging for the children to imagine and put into words is feeling “troubled” or “having a problem.” We would love for you to continue these conversations at home, too. You might ask, “When do you feel troubled?” or “How does it feel when you don’t know what to do?” These little conversations can help children become more aware of their feelings.
続いては、UOIの様子です。
Unit 3「Express Our Feelings」では、引き続き日常のさまざまな場面で、自分や相手の気持ちについて考えています。「なんでその感情だと思う？」「どんなときにその気持ちになるの？」と問いかけながら、子どもたちの声に耳を傾けています。
「涙が出ているから悲しい」
「友達におもちゃを取られると悲しいな」
「口がニコッてなっているから嬉しい！」
「チョコレートホットケーキを食べると嬉しい！」
「顔が怖い顔をしているから怒ってる」
「友達とけんかすると怒るよ」
など、子どもたちなりの観察や経験をもとに、いろいろな言葉で気持ちを表現してくれています。悲しい、嬉しい、怒っているという気持ちだけでなく、怖いときや驚いたとき、暑いとき、寒いときなど、さまざまな感覚や気持ちにも目を向けています。一方で、「困っているとき」の感覚は、まだイメージしたり、言葉にしたりすることが少し難しい様子。ぜひお家でも、「どんなときに困るかな？」「困ったときはどんな気持ちになる？」など、親子でお話ししてみてくださいね。
We also went on our very first neighborhood walk!
Before heading out, we talked together about our walking rules and practiced by taking a lap around the playground. Once everyone was ready, it was time to set off!The children are usually reminded to stay inside the school gates, so stepping outside for the first time was quite an exciting moment. As they took their first steps beyond the gate, we heard an enthusiastic “Wow!”They especially enjoyed feeling the strong gusts of wind whenever big trucks passed by. It was lovely to see them noticing and enjoying the different sights, sounds, and sensations along the way.Even the open space near the small hill behind the school, which might look like an ordinary empty field to adults, became a treasure chest of discoveries for the children!They searched for insects, played with autumn burrs (the little plants that stick to our clothes), and collected sticks and stones. What may seem like simple things to us can become exciting treasures and opportunities for exploration through children’s eyes.On our way back, the children told us, “That was so much fun! Let’s go again!” It was wonderful to hear them expressing their excitement and wanting to explore more.We look forward to going on many more walks, enjoying the changing seasons, and discovering new things together!
そして、初めてのお散歩にも出かけました！
まずはお散歩のときのお約束をみんなで確認し、園庭を一周歩いて練習してから、いざ出発！いつもは「ゲートの外には出ないでね」というお約束がある子どもたち。初めてゲートの外へ一歩踏み出した瞬間、「おー！」と目を輝かせていました。大きなトラックが通るたびに吹いてくる風にも大喜び！普段とは違う景色や音、風を感じながら、みんなで楽しく歩きました。そして、裏山にある何もない広場も、子どもたちにとっては宝物がいっぱいの場所です。虫を探したり、「ひっつき虫」と呼ばれる服にくっつく秋の草で遊んだり、棒や石を見つけたり。大人から見ると何気ない場所も、子どもたちの目には発見と冒険がいっぱいの場所に映っているようです。帰りには「楽しかったねー！また行こうね！」と子どもたちから声をかけてくれました。これからも、季節の変化を感じながら、たくさん歩いて、いろいろな発見を楽しんでいきたいと思います！
And finally, the Halloween Party we had all been looking forward to!
The children had been counting down to Halloween since the beginning of October. Not only the children but also their families came dressed in such wonderful costumes, instantly filling the atmosphere with Halloween excitement!We don’t often get the chance to meet friends from our Minami-Matsumoto Campus, so it was a special opportunity for everyone to come together, see familiar and new faces, and celebrate as one big community.There were so many smiles and happy moments throughout the event. What a wonderful Halloween celebration!
最後は、みんながずっと楽しみにしていたハロウィンパーティー！
10月に入ってから、ずっと楽しみにしていたハロウィン。子どもたちはもちろん、ご家族の皆さんもとっても素敵な仮装で参加してくださり、一気にハロウィンムードが盛り上がりました！普段はなかなか会う機会の少ない南松本キャンパスのお友達とも顔を合わせ、みんなで一緒に楽しむことができた大イベントとなりました。いつもとは違う雰囲気の中、笑顔いっぱいの楽しい時間を過ごしました！
And there’s more exciting news!
Starting next week, a new teacher and a new friend will be joining our Waterfall class!Our Waterfall family is about to grow, bringing even more excitement and new experiences. We can’t wait to see what wonderful moments are ahead!
そして、来週からは待ちに待った新しい先生と新しいお友達がWaterfallに仲間入りします！ますますにぎやかになるWaterfall。これからどんな毎日が待っているのか、楽しみですね！！
