2 months was not a waste of time

Yuzuru Hanyu obtained a gold medal in Men’s Figure Skating competition at the PyeongChang Olympics. This is his second consecutive gold medal, which is a feat that has not been accomplished for 66 years.

Initially, watching his performance, I felt more uneasiness than hope. However, once he completed his successful quadruple Axel, all worries transitioned to an image of the Gold Medal that was waiting for him. I recall that it was just in November when Hanyu injured his right ankle, which made not only skating fans but the whole nation worried about whether Hanyu could even participate in the PyongChang Olympics at all.

I imagine that he was more devastated about his injury than any of us and I was elated that he performed so well upon his return from his injury-induced hiatus. Hanyu states in his interview, “I believe that obtaining consecutive gold medals was a reward for me, after all the sacrifices and hard work that I have put in. I am proud of my performance and will relish this moment and my gold medal with honor and pride.” I feel that spoken words are insufficient to describe the struggles and battles that he has overcome in achieving this remarkable feat.

People say that “Hard work never betrays you….”

Vote for the Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics mascot!

While excitement builds at the PyongChang Winter Olympics, preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is underway. The mascot for the Tokyo Olympics will be chosen by votes casted by elementary school students. We at JLSP participated in this event. Upon discussion among the 13 classes that meet the criteria for participation, 9 votes were given to “A” and 4 votes were given to “I”. The results of the 13 total votes were sent to the Olympics committee. Can’t wait to see the final voting results, which will be announced on 2/28.

Soliciting teachers!

JLSP primarily operates based on the help and volunteer work by the parents.
If we do not have a sufficient number of teachers to cover all the classes, some of the activities and classes will inevitably be forced to shut down. This is an imminent threat to maintaining a strong educational environment for our children.
Thus, we are soliciting help from passionate individuals, who would like to build dreams and hope for our children by taking on a position as a main teacher, teacher’s assistant, substitute teacher, or educational support staff.

Days/time of classes
Day: Every Saturday (40 days/year total)
Time: 9 AM – 1 PM
Division: Elementary school

To those who are undecided about their continuation in JLSP next year

To prepare for the next academic year, we performed a survey asking all about their plans for next year. To those of you, who have answered that they were undecided about next year, we will need an answer by 3/3. Please inform the JLSP administrative offices about your plans.

To those who are planning to quit JLSP – “Submit a Leave Form”

A “Leave Form” must be submitted for those who are planning on quitting JLSP. Failure to submit the form may result in an invoice for you and will also affect the structure of our program.

Reading Awards “Yokuzuna” Announcement

Congratulations to our ”Yokozuna” reading awardees!
I am sure that the awardees’ hearts are filled with bravery, adventure, kindness, and consideration. I would like to send the words “Congratulations” to the awardees for their hard work in their reading achievement.

Kindergarten
K2 – Kaho Kinebuchi
K2 – Takachika Hirose
K2 – Ema Kato

Elementary School
E2-2 – Aoi Sato

Middle School
M3 – Ken Haino
M3 – Yumi Shinagawa

Japanese Course
3 – Sara Kitamura