Konnichiwa from the Japanese Classes!
A whirlwind start to Term 3 saw our Senior Japanese students welcoming our sister school Urawa Minami Senior High School (UMSHS) on Sunday 23rd July for their twelve day exchange. Ten students arrived during our torrential rain in July, and quickly understood why gumboots are a staple in rural New Zealand. A huge thank you to the families who hosted these students - your whanaungatanga is what makes this community, and these exchanges great.
UMSHS held a special workshop for our Senior Japanese class teaching Yosakoi - a traditional Japanese dance. Every August in Japan, there are Yosakoi festivals and competitions. Kindly, they gifted us each a set of Naruko - the wooden clappers.
Our students welcomed them into our kitchen for a food exchange. UMSHS cooked us Japanese curry, and we cooked a barbecue and pavlova. It’s incredible how quickly language barriers dissolve once food is involved!
Nine students departed on Thursday 3rd August, with Hana Kashimoto staying behind. Hana is staying with Robert Stoliker’s family; Robert went on an exchange in May to Japan, and stayed with Hana’s family. Hana will return to Japan on September 30th. She has adapted quickly to life at Ellesmere College, and when she is not in the kitchen or the art room, has found a home in the music room piano.
Natural interactions with Japanese students has naturally piqued the interest of the whole school, and lit a fire in the belly of the 20 students who are headed with myself and Josh Price to Japan in April 2024. We will have more to announce to the community soon about our itinerary and fundraising efforts, but a huge thank you to our students and whānau for their mahi fundraising, to those who came to our quiz night, to those who bought and made over 8,000 cheese rolls, and to businesses for donating towards our fundraising efforts. Once again, I am so happy to be a part of this community.
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Bicchu Kagura Workshop
On Monday 14th August, students enrolled in the Connected Learning Module “78RYO: Ryokou! Let’s Travel Japan!” attended a workshop at Te Ara Ātea in Rolleston showcasing traditional Japanese drama. “Bicchu” was the traditional name of our sister prefecture of Okayama, Japan. “Kagura” means “entertaining the gods.” They use masks and elaborate costumes to tell traditional folklore stories. Students thoroughly enjoyed the performances, trying on the costumes, and getting the Japanese students to write their names in Katakana.
We look forward to sharing more soon. But for now, stay warm, well, and dry!
From all of the students studying Japanese at Ellesmere College, a huge “ARIGATOU!” Thank you for your continued support.